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Chapter Text

one;

If it were just him, Shen Jiu believes that he can last until his late teen years in this kind of environment. Of course, he hates getting kicked around and harassed by the Qiu fuckers but he’s considered his chances in leaving. He’s seen the eyes of the Qiu household heir when they pass by him and he knows obsession when he sees one.

He knows he can’t run far without getting pursued relentlessly by that two-faced mad man. Maybe he could go farther and faster if he were alone but not once had it ever passed his mind to leave his sickly younger brother. Besides, Qi-ge said he’d come back for them. He trusts him.

Shen Jiu uncharacteristically opened the door as quietly as he can that lead to a tiny ill-equipped room and walked towards the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the asleep figure in it. He carefully brushes his right knuckles on the fevered cheeks of the person and frowns when he feels its smoldering heat.

As he was about to get up to rummage for medicine and water, soft hands held on to his sleeves. He turned to look at a very similar looking face to his with only two exceptions - the placement of their tiny unobtrusive beauty marks and eyes. While Shen Jiu had his on top of his left upper lips and had darker colored eyes; his little brother had his own beauty mark just underneath the far corner of his right eye and had lighter colored eyes.

“Gē Ge?”

“What is it? How do you feel? Should I bring you more wet cloth?”

He saw his little brother shake his head and tugged his sleeves once more.

“Stay?”

Shen Jiu breathed an annoyed sigh and started berating the other, “Did you even drink your medicine? You forgot again didn’t you? Honestly, you always forget all these important stuff. Must you always be such a problem to me? If this continues on, Shen Yuan, I swear I’m leaving you behind.”

In contrast to his harsh tirade, his hands were gentle in tucking the younger one and brushed his bangs away from his flushed face due to fever. Shen Yuan leaned on his older brother’s hands and closed his eyes again.

“Gē Ge will never leave me behind.”

“Hah! Awfully confident aren’t you? You should just stay in a well ventilated house and then I’ll lock you in there so you can stop getting sick with whatever you get in contact with whenever you venture outside,” he scoffs.

He doesn’t say “so you can be safe, so you can be happier - because you deserve so much better than this ratty place” but Shen Yuan hears it anyway and a stab of guilt and overwhelming love for his sharp tongued older brother enters his heart. He slightly opens his eyes to look at the displeased ones.

“You can give me that place soon.”

He wants to say more but his eyes were getting heavy again and he slowly fell back asleep and he thinks he hears a whisper of, “I’ll take care of you dì di,” before his breathing evened out.

-

“Oh, A-Yuan isn’t here,” Qiu Haitang said from her room.

“I see,” Shen Jiu frowned at the information as he’d been looking for his brother the entire day. Knowing that he had a frail body, he wasn’t really given the same work as the other slaves. He was usually sent over to accompany the Qiu household’s little mistress and this kind of arrangement was definitely better.

He opened his mouth to thank her before she spoke again, “Brother called for him right after we had our breakfast.”

Shen Jiu felt as if his body were dumped in ice cold water with that information. He stiffly thanked her and the moment he rounded the corner of the hallway, he ran to where he often spends his days being tormented by that Qiu fucker. If that asshole did anything… He shook his head in an effort to remove those dangerous thoughts and dashed faster.

By the time he reached the room (where he was stripped and humiliated, where he was beaten up, where the only thoughts keeping him sane were his little brother’s hand grasping his and Qi-ge coming to rescue them) , he was panting heavily. He didn’t even think of the consequences of his impulsiveness and kicked the doors open.

The scene that greeted him would forever be etched in his memory.

He doesn’t clearly remember what happened next. It’s as if all the rage he’d been trying to keep in all these years seeped out of his very being at the sight of his bloodied brother.

(If it were just him, Shen Jiu believes that he can last until his late teen years in this kind of environment. Of course, he hates getting kicked around and harassed by the Qiu fuckers but he’s considered his chances in leaving. He’s seen the eyes of the Qiu household heir when they pass by him and he knows obsession when he sees one. But… )

He doesn’t know where he got a sword. He doesn’t know who else he’s sliced apart. He doesn’t know where this spiritual energy came from (out of spite, most probably). He doesn’t know how he managed to burn everything and every male to the ground. He doesn’t know how he was able to lead the women to safety. He doesn’t know…

...but he knows one thing for sure - no one touches his little brother.

They are thirteen when the Shen twins violently broke their slave chains.

Shen Yuan is thirteen when he clings to his older brother’s back as he was carried away from the flames and massacre left in their wake.

Shen Jiu is thirteen when he holds on to his younger tightly and promises him better days. (He is also thirteen when he stopped believing in Qi-ge.)

two;

They traveled and learned cultivation together from the different temples they’ve visited and under multiple teachers they met along the way. Besides gaining the skills, cultivation also helped Shen Yuan in his health. He doesn’t get sick as often anymore and his constitution seemed to be developing.

Their cultivation level seemed to be on par with one another. They both excelled in long distance weapons and attacks and their archery teacher, the head monk of one of the temples they stayed for a year in, was ecstatic on their progress that he gifted them with hand crafted bows.

To everyone’s surprise but Shen Yuan, after some time, Shen Jiu put down the bow and opted to train on swordsmanship instead. When asked why he’s changing styles when he was great at the other, he’d simply say that archery bored him already. He wasn’t as good with the sword but it was passable for an above average level. The other monks would shake their heads and say it was such a waste to switch his preferred weapons.

Only Shen Yuan knows why his brother picked up the sword.

“The bow didn’t save us - a sword did. And besides,” he twisted the sword in his hand and pointed it in between his younger brother’s eyes, “we both can’t just be good at long distance. One of us must take on the challenge of close combat and with your shitty health, I’m obviously the best choice. Also, don’t you dare pick up a sword, you might poke yourself with it and I’m not teaching you.”

(He does teach him in the end anyway.)

As rogue cultivators, they do their own night hunts and they found their balance with Shen Yuan’s long distance attacks and Shen Jiu’s close combat finishes. They were quite good according to the other people they’ve met but apparently still not in the level of the legitimate disciples of the major sects. It is during one of their night hunts that they end up working along with a Cang Qiong Peak senior disciple.

They are eighteen and through some twist of fate, they get taken in by that same Cang Qiong Peak person as the sect’s disciples.

Shen Yuan liked the location of the sect because of its fresh air and calm atmosphere. He doesn’t say it out loud but the way he’d wake up early, despite being notorious for having to be forcefully woken up by his angry brother, to walk through the shades of the trees surrounding them was enough. On the other hand, Shen Jiu cared nothing about the setting as he was more interested on how to get stronger, become a peak lord, and finally have people he can order around.

On their sixth month in the sect, they heard their fellow disciples whisper about the return of the sect master’s most talented disciple who happened to have been gone for a year. Nobody knows the details but it was on this same day a year ago when Cang Qiong Peak’s sect leader was seen fumingly dragging his favored student to one of the mountains and returned a month later alone. He announced that his head disciple will be back after a year and that was the end of it.

The Shen twins stepped away from the crowd after hearing the information and thought nothing more of it.

That same day they got reunited with Qi-ge.

(Shen Yuan was internally happy. Shen Jiu was externally fuming.)

-

While cultivation did help Shen Yuan’s well-being, it could never erase the fact that he truly had a weak body. Once to three times every change of season, he’d be staying over at Qian Cao Peak so the healers can monitor him better. As he lay there in bed, he wishes he had his own place where he can recuperate. It wasn’t that he hated the Qian Cao Peak disciples (that was his brother), but having his private place sounded nice.

Compared to when he was younger, his fever had mellowed down a bit and he’s able to eat and function better on his own. His eyes started tracing the patterns on the ceiling and his thoughts drifted to his elder brothers. Qi-ge who is now called Yue Qingyuan and without a doubt who will be succeeding as their sect’s new leader give or take a few more years and his attitude of letting his twin get away with anything is going to prove to be disastrous in the near future.

It was no secret that Yue Qingyuan doted on the Shen twins and while others may not see it yet, Shen Yuan knows the quiet looks the favored disciple keeps on giving his older twin. Unfortunately for him (and the rest of the people in their surrounding who gets caught up), Shen Jiu has no room for a listening ear.

He had tried asking Brother Yue what happened to him but the other merely shook his head and said that it didn’t matter because at the end of the day, he was unable to save the two of them. He had also tried approaching his brother to ask him to talk it out with the older one but seeing him shake with restrained anger and clear betrayed eyes made him back off.

He was never a confrontational type of person (again, that was his brother) so he let the events unfold before him and only stepping in once in a while to calm down his twin. To be honest, this drama between them is starting to give him minor headaches because he had to keep himself from rolling his eyes.

He’s torn between slapping Brother Yue and telling him to start looking for someone else more deserving of his devotion and strangling his own brother because of his stubbornness. But that simply wasn’t his personality so he’d drink his tea and wish he’d have something to cover his face when it gets hard to control his facial reactions.

A rough slamming of the door snapped him out of his thoughts and his eyes found a bleeding disciple enter the healing ward callously. He had a pretty handsome face and seemed to be a year or two younger. On his right hand, he held a sword which was also still dripping with blood.

The disciple finally seemed to have realized that the ward wasn’t empty and he locked eyes with Shen Yuan.

There was a brief silence before a confused voice spoke up.

“How the hell did your mole move from the top of your mouth to under your eyes?!”

Shen Yuan gave him an unimpressed stare to which the other seemed to have taken as a challenge (and again, given that he thinks he’s his brother then he isn’t surprised).

“What?! Do you want to fight and lose again?!”

Shen Yuan sighed and tried to sit up to maintain a proper conversation. Unfortunately, his body disagreed with his choices and he almost flopped down again before the other teen ran and caught him.

“What the hell happened to you?!”

“Greetings. My name is Shen Yuan and I believe you have been acquainted with my older twin, Shen Jiu.”

The hands supporting him stiffened and gave him another once over.

“So you’re asshole junior?”

Shen Yuan’s brows twitched and before he can stop himself, he reached for the other’s ear and twisted it.

-

The shidi’s name was apparently Liu Qingge. He was a battle freak and because he often got injured due to picking fights with anyone and anything that moved (“One day he’s going to challenge a fucking rock because he’s run out of beings to fight.” “Gē-Ge, be nice.”), he became a constant figure in Qian Cao Peak’s healing ward.

And as such, became quick friends with Shen Yuan much to Shen Jiu’s dismay. (“His brain knows nothing but fighting!” “He’s great at it.” “And you’re going to get horribly influenced!” “Don’t worry. My practicality will always win over anything.”)

One autumn, selected disciples in their batch got called.

“There exists a rite of passage on choosing new peak lords,” the old sect leader started, “And I would like all of you here to try and undergo it.”

Shen Jiu stood straighter and he exchanged looks with his twin. Shen Yuan tilted his head to the right as a sign of acknowledgement.

Whatever happened, whoever gets to become peak lord - they would stay together .

The task was for them to enter the sacred temple located in the center of the entire Cang Qiong Peak. This temple was rarely ever opened because no key nor spiritual energy could do so. It would just one day open on its own and the sect leader already knows it means that the temple is ready to pick new peak lords.

Once they entered it, the door shut behind them and the lanterns started lighting up to guide their path. They were simply told to enter and that they’d know if they were chosen in the end but no other information was given. Out of habit, Shen Yuan tugged at his twin’s sleeves and the latter reached out to hold his hand.

At first, there was nothing happening before whispers started resounding the room making some of them cover their ears or clutch their head. Shen Yuan swept his eyes across the room and saw Yue Qingyuan in the front standing still, Liu Qingge with a deep frown on his right, Mu Qingfang looking around, and Qi Qingqi with her hands clenched.

The large goblet in the middle of the room blazed aflame then there was a bright light and then nothing.

All the while, the Shen twins never let go of each other’s hands.

-

When Shen Yuan came about, the first thing he noticed was that his sword was drawn beside him and its hilt had something carved into it. He stretched his hand to read it properly and he saw the words “Qing Jing Peak” .

“What the hell was that?”

Shen Yuan twisted around to help his brother sit up.

“It must have been the rite of passage that Sect Leader was talking about.”

Shen Jiu tsk’d in reply and got his own sword that was also beside him, “Qing Jing Peak?”

Shen Yuan perked up and showed his own, “It’s the same as mine. Does this mean we get to stay on the same peak?”

“Even if it didn’t mean that, I’m going to raise hell if they separate us.”

A low chuckle interrupted their conversation and they both immediately clasped their hands in greeting, “Sect Leader.”

“Ah, I believe that title is no longer mine.”

The twins looked up in quiet surprise at the genial tone.

“And it seems that we for the first time, we also have an unusual circumstance of having two people simultaneously be the peak lord for one division.”

-

Years passed and Cang Qiong Peak continued to be one of the best sects under the leadership of new younger faces. As part of their tradition, the seasonal get together of the peak lords in Qiong Ding Peak where their sect leader resided was currently happening.

“We’re going to be assessing new prospects for discipleship a month from now. I trust all of you to choose and nurture them properly,” announced Yue Qingyuan.

Liu Qingge snorted in a certain someone’s direction.

Shen Jiu glared at him, “Is there anything you’d like to say, Liu-shidi?”

Bai Zhan Peak’s master returned the glare and spoke up, “Nothing much really. Except that Yue-shixiong seems to be asking someone like you to be nurturing that I couldn’t help but feel some irony.”

As the two traded barbs, Shen Yuan ignored his brother and his friend. He opened his fan and looked at the one beside him.

“Brother Mu, I hope it wouldn’t be too much for me to ask for your handmade medicine to be delivered in Qing Jing Peak tomorrow.”

Mu Qingfang paused in between bites before replying, “Are you truly alright there? Qian Cao Peak’s healing wards is always open for you.”

Shen Yuan slightly covered his face with his trusty and convenient fan, “Your concern is very much appreciated but I do prefer to stay in our peak.”

The healer nodded his head in ascent and promised to have the medicine delivered by noon.

“I guess it’s another week for you in bed, A-Yuan,” remarked Yue Qingyuan.

“Hmm.”

“At least you’re going to be there in time to pick the new disciples.”

“I am looking forward to it, Brother Yue.”

While he used to be bedridden up to three times in a season before, due to his stronger cultivation, he now only had to have his bed rest once a season. He hopes there will come a time where this wouldn’t happen anymore but he also knows that his health had made leaps and bounds of improvement and there was close to nothing he can do to give him perfect health.

A crash reverberated in the room and then a clash of swords were heard.

Shen Yuan sighed.

Gē Ge and Liu-shidi were at it again.

three;

“Today is supposed to be a joyous occasion, shidi. Stop glowering at everything or your future disciples are going to be terrified of you,” commented Xian Shu Peak’s Qi Qingqi.

“Good. I want them as terrified as they can,” grumbled Shen Jiu.

Qi Qingqi snorted at the black aura he was emitting and continued watching the young ones on their test. She, along with the other peak lords, knew why Shen Jiu was in an even fouler mood than usual. The empty spot beside him was telling enough. The calmer and definitely kinder Shen used to have a strict schedule when he got sick. It was usually around the first week of the changing of the season and he’d be bedridden for a week.

However, for some reason, he didn’t get sick during that time nor the next. They assumed that perhaps his body had improved once again that he’d get sick only every other season instead. They were all proven wrong when his fever spiked up yesterday and had to miss the disciple picking.

“Weaklings the lot of them,” said an annoyed Shen Jiu without even giving anyone of the young ones a second glance.

“Do you even have any right to complain about ‘weaklings’?” taunted Liu Qingge.

Qi Qinggi rolled her eyes as another incoming fight brewed. Honestly, where was Shen Yuan when you needed him the most. She didn’t even bother looking at their sect master because she already knows he’s not going to stop them.

“That sounded a lot like some snide remark, Liu- shidi ,” responded Shen Jiu while emphasizing on the “shidi” to put down the warrior’s standing.

“That might be because it is. I only speak the truth after all as someone whom you’ve never beaten in a fight,” was the counter of Liu Qingge.

While Bai Zhan Peak’s master wasn’t boastful, he’s not against using such words when it was against the elder Shen twin. Qi Qingqi pretended not to hear them and noted some girls that she’d be taking in.

“For example,” Liu Qingge continued before the other can talk, “that kid has better potential than your own swordsmanship.”

The present peak lords directed their attention to a young boy who was diligently doing the entrance exam task for Cang QIong Peak. He had a somewhat curly dark hair that would without a doubt be troublesome to tie when it grows out and his face was pleasing to look at.

Shen Jiu didn’t know as to whom he’d glare - whether it was to Liu Qingge or the kid mentioned. He opened his fan and breathed in. If there was something he did best, it was to get even plus a hundred more times. He faced Yue Qingyuan and spoke regarding his proposal.

“I want that kid.”

The rest of the peak lords resisted the urge to sigh loudly at the act of childishness. Qi Qinggi was the only one who let out that annoyed sigh and she already knew how this was going to end. As Liu Qingge was about to protest, Qi Qinggi pinched his arm and gave him a dark look.

“I’m taking in your sister.”

“I don’t mind?” replied a confused Liu Qingge.

Honestly, her shidi was clueless about everything except fighting. Sufficiently distracting him from making more comments and letting Yue Qingyuan save face in his favoritism towards Shen Jiu, she took a bite from the snacks laid before them.

-

Luo Binghe happily followed Qing Jing Peak’s master back to their mountain. He was looking forward to the annual entrance examination of Cang Qiong Peak ever since he first learned about it. Squeezing the jade pendant on his neck once as a form of reassurance to himself and his mother, he walked in time with Master Shen Qingqiu.

“Qing Jing Peak has three rules.”

Luo Binghe diverted his attention to the shijie with them who introduced herself as Ning Yingying.

“First, the peak lord must always be followed. Second, academics and one’s image go hand in hand and we must always excel in them. And third, the bamboo house inside the forest is off limits most especially during the first weeks of the changing of the season.”

He nodded in understanding and wondered if he’d be allowed to ask about the third rule.

“Ah, but A-Luo, it’s great that I can finally have my own shidi! It’s quite boring being the youngest. Our very own Twin Peaks is going to be amazing, I can just feel it!”

Luo Binghe smiled at her brightly. As he was about to ask for more clarification why Qing Jing Peak was also called as Twin Peaks when the mountain here seemed just like the others, they entered the main house where the peak lord resided. His eyes followed as Shen Qingqiu gracefully sat down and other disciples welcomed them with newly boiled water and tea leaves.

“Leave us.”

The disciples who served their refreshments left together with Ning Yingying who waved goodbye at him happily. Luo Binghe sat straight in front of his master and awaited his words. His eyes shining excitedly and ready to listen to whatever would be imparted to him as the newest addition to Qing Jing Peak.

Then there was a hot wetness on his head.

His eyes widened at the realization that the tea served to them was being poured on his head.

By Master Shen Qingqiu.

“Pathetic.”

And with that statement, Shen Qingqiu stood and left.

-

He heard the sobs of the new kid even as he left the receiving area and is already morosely lounging in his quarters. Had Shen Jiu been a better person, he’d feel sympathetic to the cries or even feel bad for what he’s done. But he had no room for a listening ear nor space for “love”.

If he managed to survive being treated less than dirt then everyone else has no excuse.

He tried ignoring a chiding voice at the back of his head that sounded like his weak brother and growled in frustration when he can just imagine the other’s disappointed gaze. Hah! Well, he’s not here now is he? If he wanted to be that soft for everyone then he shouldn’t have gotten sick at such a time.

Twin Peaks his ass. Where the fuck was the other one when he promised to be there. Also, Liu Qingge and his shitty mouth could rot in hell.

-

The following days for Luo Binghe had dampened his spirits. The older disciples would pass on every work to him and would even beat him up if they felt like it. He took them all in stride because it wasn’t as if it was anything new to him. Only the shijie who welcomed him in the start was nice to him but even that felt hollow. The indifferent gaze that Master Shen Qingqiu would give him hurt more than anything else.

It was another one of those nights where he is locked outside the disciples quarters; he doesn’t even know how the inside looked like as he never got the chance to enter it. He had to finish chopping firewood before daybreak or else that’s going to be another excuse for the others to gang up on him.

As it was nearing winter, the wind was harsher than ever. His thin clothes couldn’t protect him from the cold bite of the night and he felt his tears welling up. He sniffed them back as he thought that wetness on any part of his body will make it colder. He chopped another batch and was about to start with a new one when he heard approaching footsteps.

He wondered who was awake at this time of night and was met with the face that crushed his hopes.

“Ma-master!” he remembered to greet the older one and clasped his hands together while bowing low. He heard the other walk closer to him and he shut his eye in anticipation of another humiliation.

So when warm hands cupped his cheeks, he gasped in surprise and looked up.

“Why are you out here in the cold?” questioned a soft voice so unlike the harsh berating he was used to. He didn’t know how to react to this new experience and couldn’t respond.

“You must be freezing in those clothes and the other disciples are most probably asleep already. Come with me.”

The older man held on to Luo Binghe’s own hands and he was surprised at the softness he felt for someone who supposedly regularly used his sword. He didn’t utter anything else in fear of having this dream shattered and it was only then that he noticed that they were going to the bamboo house.

They entered the humble abode and he was made to sit on one of the cushions as the other rummaged for something in the drawers. Luo Binghe took the time to observe his master and the forbidden place. His grace was still very noticeable but there was also gentleness in his actions that confused the disciple.

The house itself seemed to fit the man in the room as it gave off calming vibes. There were cushions everywhere and an abundant array of comfortable things from piles of pillows, snacks on the bedside table, and a wooden workspace that held calligraphy brushes and still-opened books.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much food here. But the tea I got from the kitchens should still be at least warm,” he said and put the tea set on the table.

Luo Binghe froze at the familiar sight.

Noticing his stiff countenance, the other raised a questioning eyebrow, “What is it? Do you not like this tea? I guess we could get another one that you’d prefer?”

The young preteen clenched the clothes on his lap and refused to meet the gaze of the uncharacteristically gentle master.

“Did you get sick after all?”

Warm palms laid itself on his forehead and he felt his eyes tearing up. He could most probably handle the scorn from this person but not this gentleness that would twist itself into something hateful again. He does not know why this master is playing mind games with him but it seems a bit more cruel in his opinion.

“I…” he tried speaking.

“You..?” encouraged the other.

Luo Binghe sniffed and looked resolutely straight on the floor, “This disciple does not wish to be presumptuous but if the master is displeased because I have not finished chopping firewood yet it was because I had to clean the courtyard and library first given that they’re the first ones to close. But I...I promise I’m not making excuses....this disciple apologizes.”

At first there was silence before the older spoke up, “Why are you the only one cleaning the courtyard and library?”

“I’m just following the senior disciples as instructed,” was the whispered reply.

“Why are you rushing to chop firewood? At this time, you’d end up getting locked out of your room.”

“I have to fill enough for all the rooms for tomorrow and it’s alright if I stay out late as I do not stay in the disciple quarters.”

“Where are you staying then?”

Luo Binghe does not know why the master was asking him questions he already knew the answers to but he supposes he has no choice but to reply. However, the last question was a bit tricky as he doesn’t have any permanent room and only stays in the open shed. But responding with such might make the master angry because that place was never given to him.

“You don’t have any place, do you?”

The teen just gave a quick nod and continued staring at the floor.

“I have one last question and I need you to look at me.”

Hesitantly, Luo Binghe slowly raised his head to meet the other’s eyes.

“Does Qing Jing Peak’s master know of this?”

He felt his throat dry at the query and his mind panicked because he does not know the correct answer to it. This master’s mind games were truly terrifying! When the whispers of Qing Jing Peak’s cold lord were whispered in towns, he thought it was just the typical aura that immortal cultivators gave. Witnessing it for himself the past two weeks made him shake his head in his past self’s obliviousness.

He heard a forlorn sigh escape the man in front of him and his body stiffened in anticipation of harsh words and perhaps another cup of tea poured on him. As such, he was genuinely surprised when the immortal stood up, sat down beside him, and lifted his hands to cup both of Luo Binghe’s own.

“My name is Shen Yuan. I am Qing Jing Peak’s other master. And I deeply apologize for what my elder brother has let you suffer.”

The revelation shook Luo Binghe but it finally made sense - the reason why he did not feel the same animosity from him, the reason why his aura gave nothing but gentleness, and the reason why he was so warm . He felt his throat clog up at the thought that someone might accept him and opened his mouth to give the call he had longed for.

“Shizun?” he whispered (as if he was scared of getting mocked; as if he was terrified of rejection)

“Hmm.”

At the soft and accommodating response, Luo Binghe hiccupped trying to hold his emotions in. Realizing what he was doing, Shen Yuan took him in his arms, “Let it all out. Here, this teacher won’t even look at you if it embarrasses you.”

When the first tear fell, it was as if the floodgate of his emotions burst open and he cried through the night. For the first time, someone was holding him; someone was comforting him; someone was simply there for him.

This is the first time Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe met.

-

The next day, the Qing Jing Peak disciples are greeted by a very rare sight of their masters arguing in broad daylight. It was already a surprise that Teacher Shen Yuan has apparently recovered but seeing him exchanging barbs with Master Shen Jiu early morning given the knowledge that it was a difficult task to make him wake up before ten was another wonder.

Upon realizing that they had an audience, the brothers retreated to a private room.

“I refuse!” shouted the older twin as he slammed his fan on the table separating them.

Shen Yuan internally frowned at the mishandling of the fan and serenely answered as he opened his own fan, “I wasn’t asking permission, Gē Ge. You didn’t see me throwing a fit when you picked Ming Fan.”

“But that kid ?!”

“I have chosen Luo Binghe as my own head disciple and as one of Qing Jing Peak’s lord, I have the right to pick whoever I want. The first rule states that the peak lord must always be followed.”

“Anyone but that animal !”

This time, the younger twin couldn’t conceal the slight frown on his face, “Why are you so against him? Luo Binghe is hard working and has a lot of potential. Had he been anyone else, I’m certain he’d have already ran away and slandered your name after everything you let happen to him.”

Shen Jiu sneered, “If he can’t handle what is thrown his way then he doesn’t deserve to walk this path anyway.”

“It is not under our discretion as to who deserves what,” he then let out a deep breath and closed his fan, “Gē Ge, I know it isn’t my place to say this but we cannot pass on the wounds we received to others.”

A loud bang resounded through the whole peak.

Shen Yuan ran his fingers on the long crack the table has suffered under the burst of energy of his brother. He cannot even bring himself to fault him because even until now he doesn’t know the extent of what the Qius did to him. The other refused to tell him whenever he asked and he could only comfort him with his presence whenever the older one had moments where he’d suddenly relive what happened to him.

“Gē Ge,” he called softly, “Please let me help you heal your wounds. Or you’re going to end up bleeding on the wrong people.”

Shen Jiu stood up without a response and slammed the door.

On is way out, his hate-filled eyes met the trembling ones of the topic of their fight. He walked up to the teen, venomously hissed, “I will never accept you,” and left.

After some time, Shen Yuan exited the same room and asked one of the disciples to call for An Ding Peak to fix the table and the walls of where he came from. Upon organizing that issue, he started walking to the opposite direction of where his brother went. He already had around six steps when he noted that Luo Binghe wasn’t following him. He glanced at him behind his fan.

“You’re not coming with me? Are you rejecting your position as my head disciple?”

The young teen’s eyes watered in relief and ran after him. With a loud shout of, “Shizun!” he hugged him and pressed his face on his chest. He looked up at the older man and gave a radiant grin. Shen Yuan returned a soft smile of his own with a slight crinkle on his eye further accentuating the beauty mark he had there.

(Luo Binghe felt his heart jump.)

Chapter Text

four;

Shen Jiu has no illusions that he was a nice person because when the heavens rained down all the those disgusting heartwarming traits, he must have been sleeping in. On the other hand, he’s certain that his younger twin was outside soaking on it. Must be why he’s always sick. What an idiot. But well, he’d raise hell if anyone harmed his idiot.

Which is why he’s been raring to fight whoever it was that had been painting said idiot’s face with such gloom. It was a few months ago when Shen Yuan had been called through a dream to go to the sacred temple in the center of Cang Qiong Peak - the very same one that only opens when it needed something (like how the new peak lords were selected).

That in itself might warrant a bit of a raised eyebrow especially when said temple doors would actually open once a week for his brother and shuts itself immediately afterwards. However, what truly worried Shen Jiu was the slowly increasing morose look his brother sported each time he exited.

His hackles raised at the thought of inexplicable things being done to his idiot (gentler, nicer) twin. The first time he noticed it, he had dragged him to his room and stripped him before aggressively checking his body all over for anything. His brother held on to his shaking hands and brought his clenched fists to his lips in a silent comfort and assurance.

Which, again, is actually dumb. Because if anyone needed comfort then it was A-Yuan and not him. Nevertheless, when he asked what had happened and what the visits were for, he was just given a small smile and was asked to let it go. In the normal course of things, he would have demanded and stomped over to that temple to break it down, but the plea in the other’s eyes was enough to simmer down the boiling rage he had.

With a poised flick of his wrist, Shen Jiu opened his fan as he traversed the grassy path from Qing Jing Peak all the way to the temple to wait for the younger one outside of the temple. He was just about to pass by An Ding Peak on the way when he sees an identical figure talking with some disciples from aforementioned peak. He walked faster and approached the huddled group.

“What is this?”

The An Ding Peak disciples started at his appearance and started sweating while they gave nervous greetings. He mentally gave himself a pat in the back for being a terror figure even beyond his own disciples. This was, of course, noticed by his fellow peak lord who sent him a quick exasperated look through his eyes.

“These hardworking disciples were transporting some rare seeds and they happened to drop a crate. I simply helped with that,” responded Shen Yuan as he brushed his hands on the last seed that he put back.

“Why are you bleeding then?” came his sharp retort.

Shen Yuan had the gall to blink slowly in surprise when he looked at the same hand that touched the seed, “Oh.”

“Oh,” Shen Jiu mockingly copied him before grasping his wrist and started heading back to their own peak.

He heard scattered bid of goodbyes from the An Ding Peak disciples but paid them no heed.

“We should have at least properly bid our leave to them. How are we going to be exemplar models to the younger generation with that?” commented Qing Jing Peak’s other lord.

Shen Jiu scoffed, “Maybe if someone was more careful then we could have had ‘properly bid them goodbye’. Honestly, why are you always getting injured? Are you a masochist? Do you find pleasure in getting hurt?”

Shen Yuan smiled at him and gently removed his grasp on his wrist and then wrapped his right arm on his while leaning his head on his left shoulder, “I love you too, Gē Ge.”

He was given a sneer in response.

As he said, his younger brother was an idiot.

-

“Gē Ge, there’s no need to fuss over me so much.”

The older Shen twin ignored him in favor of fixing his clothes, checking his weapons, and doing what he loved best - barking orders to the disciples accompanying him.

“Shuang Hu City is a dirty city - ”

“It’s in the province. And provinces aren’t ‘dirty’.”

“ - and I’m certain that they won’t have adequate accommodations for you. This whole “The Skinner” business is so useless - ”

“Nine people in succession has already been killed so I doubt it’s right to call it useless.”

“ - plus that fucking Yue Qingyuan - ”

“Please don’t curse Zhamen-shixiong.”

“ - sending you with incompetent fools while I’m required to stay here to finish the training of more incompetent fools. If anything happened to you - ”

Shen Yuan finally had enough and covered his brother’s mouth with his hand.

The Qing Jing Peak disciples choked on air. Truly, Teacher Shen is a scary one to be able to shut Master Shen in such a manner!

“I’m going to be just fine,” said Shen Yuan as he and his older twin stared at each other for a few seconds, “I have firm belief that these ten disciples of ours will be a great help.”

Shen Jiu followed the gesturing hand of the other towards said disciples and his eyes narrowed when it rested on that piece of shit . With a pat on his elder brother’s cheeks, he walked over the prepared carriage for him. Before he fully stepped inside, he seemed to remember something as he paused for a moment. He looked back and set aside the curtains on the carriage door.

“Binghe, come on inside with me.”

Once more, the Qing Jing Peak disciples within the vicinity started praying to whatever deity would listen to them as the air grew cold with that one offer. Luo Binghe himself was torn between gleefully accepting the invitation and prostrating to the ground and apologize to the elder Qing Jing Peak Lord for being given such kindness. He sneaked a glance to said peak lord and gulped at the aggressive vibes being directed at him.

“Hmmm, interesting,” came the drawled voice of Shen Jiu.

The younger twin tilted his head slightly to the right and asked, “What is?”

“Blatant favoritism is frowned upon based on our foundations as a cultivator,” was the challenge.

“I merely asked my head disciple to share the compartment with me because while there are ten of them to accompany me, we only have nine horses ready,” there was a dramatic pause, “ Ah , but Gē Ge already knew that since you’re the one who oversaw the arrangements for our transportation.”

Shen Jiu’s eye twitched.

Shen Yuan gave him a genial smile.

Qing Jing Peak waited with bated breath on the conclusion of this match-up. And Luo Binghe was caught in between but had stars in his eyes for his shizun.

An annoyed “tsk” escaped Shen Jiu as he glared hatefully at the disciple in question, “You better fucking make yourself useful.”

And with that, he turned around with his robes fluttering in his wake. He ignored the happy exclamation of “Shizun!” and the smugly satisfied aura surrounding his idiot brother.

-

(“Because of this disciple, shizun got caught and endangered us.”

“Luo Binghe, listen to a fact that this master has to say. Even if something does happen, nothing will happen to you.”)

-

Upon their return to Cang Qiong Peak, the moment he stepped down from the carriage and had his older brother immediately taking his pulse to examine his spiritual flow (which would definitely be still fluctuating after being tied by an Immortal Binding Cable for at least an hour), he already guessed the next events.

True enough, Shen Jiu snapped his attention to a very meek Luo Binghe looking ready to give him a piece of his mind (and curses). However, just as he was about to do so, Shen Yuan tightly gripped his hand, gave succinct orders for everyone to prepare themselves for the night, and then proceeded to retreat with the older one to their chambers.

He gave a small smile on Luo Binghe’s direction to reassure him before he closed their assigned peak lord residence.

“Look,” encouraged Shen Yuan to his still fuming twin, “Do look closer. Despite the slight fluctuations in my spiritual energy, which is a natural phenomenon when we exert effort, I am actually unhurt.”

Shen Jiu meticulously checked every inch of his body before grunting in agreement.

“So everything is fine, right?”

The older peak lord gazed at him silently for a few seconds and then replied, “Of course. Everything is fine. ”

-

Luo Binghe sulkily prepared the food for his shizun as he recalled the events of the previous day. They got caught by the Skinner because he got too complacent in the companion of shizun. As such, the price of his shizun’s humiliation (how dare that demon strip him half-bare and even touched him with his filthy nails!) had to be paid.

Just as he finished, the kitchen doors was roughly opened and he jumped in surprise, almost dropping the prepared meal. He hastily put it on the nearby table and looked at the entrance. His eyes widened at the figure glaring at him.

“Shen-shifu!” he greeted with cupped hands extended in front of him and a low bow.

Shen Jiu doesn’t acknowledge his greeting and started walking towards him with heavy, measured steps. The thing is, Luo Binghe does not deny that the older Shen twin terrifies him. From their first interaction of boiling hot tea poured on him to the less than nice treatments he was made to undergo for a month, the sight of the regal immortal was enough to make him quake on his knees.

That - and the fact that this was also the same person his shizun seems to love so much.

“ Luo Binghe ,” the older Twin Peak spat in a way as if his name was equivalent to a pest (and to this man, it probably is), “You will run around the mountain for thirty times, clean the courtyard thrice, and arrange the library pavilion twice before half the day is done.”

The junior disciple looked at one of his peak lords and saw a challenge in his eyes that clearly said, “Let’s see if you think you deserve this. ” And that’s the thing isn’t it? For endangering shizun, he deserves even more than the assigned numbers to his task. He knows that this was Shen-shifu’s own way of punishing him without alerting shizun.

Luo Binghe steadily met his eyes and responded with conviction, “This disciple will certainly carry those out.”

Luo Binghe knows - he certainly agrees he has earned the punishment. To be honest, he was getting of lightly even.

five;

The spirit caves at Qiong Ding Peak was universally known as one of the best places to cultivate and after getting the quick approval from the sect head, they didn’t waste time in going there (“Qi-ge didn’t even ask us why we wanted to enter seclusion. I thought that the rules said he had to be stringent on the applications to enter it?” “Forget about that fucker - ” “Gē Ge, language.” “Fine. Forget about that nice fucker, we got what we wanted now. And stop sighing like that!”).

Their plans on cultivating together was set aside with who they found in Ling Xi Cave - Liu Qingge on the brink of qi deviation.

“Glorious karma,” stated Shen Jiu as he watched the resident War God wheeze in an attempt to control his breathing.

Shen Yuan ignored him and started to slowly approach their sectmate, “Liu-shidi, it’s us. We’re going to help you, okay?”

“Huh? We are?”

“I’m going to push some of my spiritual power on him to clear his nerves. This way - ”

“Absolutely not!” hissed Shen Jiu and he stomped his right foot as if it could prove his point, “Get out of the way. Knowing your weak body, you’re both going to end up dead! That piece of shit can kick the bucket for all I care but I didn’t spend years of my life trying to keep you alive to waste!”

“But Gē Ge, we can’t leave our shidi like this,” argued Shen Yuan.

“I didn’t say we were! What I meant is that you move your pretty ass on the side and I’ll do it.”

Being blood related and twins at that, their spiritual powers greatly paralleled each other. During the countless of times that Shen Yuan had been on Qian Cao Peak, the healers there (most especially Mu Qingfang - “That creepy ass healer!” “...actually.”) had a great time examining him and did loads of harmless experiments to know more about the human body of a cultivator.

Given that the other individual who always ended up in their wards was Liu Qingge due to his numerous injuries from fights, they ended up discovering that his own cultivator constituencies matched the Shen twins (“It’s like Liu-shidi can be our little brother. Ah, Gē Ge, why are you throwing up?”).

True to his word, Shen Jiu lightly pushed his twin and approached their shidi. He gather spiritual energy on his palm and disregarding the “Be gentle” call from his side, he (gleefully) roughly slammed it on the other’s chest making the War God fly back and slam to the stones on the other end of the cave’s spring.

Liu Qingge threw up the blood that was blocking his nerves and his eyes started to refocus on his surroundings. Then he felt hands started harshly slapping his face continuously, “Oi, you piece of shit. Are you alive?”

Upon recognizing who was slapping his face, Liu Qingge aggressively swatted those hands away, “My face stings!”

“Good, I was after that,” was the uncaring reply and when he met the other’s eyes, he saw unconcealed mirth.

“Well, I’m fine now! So back off! You’re too close!” shouted a red-faced Liu Qingge; whether it was due to embarrassment of being seen in his vulnerable form, the slapping he received, or a mixture of both remains to be seen.

“Don’t think too highly of yourself. A-Yuan and I are not interested in a threesome with you despite the setting of this cold, wet spring in the cave,” Shen Jiu remarked curtly.

“You - ”

The comment started a whole round of fighting between the two nemesis making Shen Yuan sigh forlornly. He sucked up some of his pride and went deeper into the spring. He then proceeded to pretend to drown. The moment he started acting like he was gasping for breathe, it effectively stopped the two who rushed to him with a yelp.

Always works like a charm.

-

Liu Qingge had to leave earlier than them due to the insistence of Shen Yuan that he pay a visit to Qian Cao Peak as soon as possible for his check-up. When he left, Shen Jiu retained his satisfied look and amusedly look at his hands in fond remembrance of him getting to slap that rude and overconfident shidi of theirs. The younger twin gave the older one an unimpressed stare.

He wasn’t sure how many days they’d been in the cave when Shen Yuan suddenly felt restless and excused himself to leave first. Shen Jiu raised an eyebrow at him but nodded his acquiescence and returned to his meditative state. Traversing away from Ling Xi cave, the uneasy feeling grew on him.

He was met with disciples from Qiong Ding Peak and was agitatedly informed of the attack of demons in Cang Qiong Sect! He silently cursed in his mind when he found out that Qi-ge was out due to the preparations for the upcoming Immortal Alliance Conference. With him being the nearest peak lord, he gracefully ran towards the entrance of their sect and noted the broken Rainbow Bridge which supposedly connected all the twelve peaks.

With his arrival, the bullied junior disciples of Cang Qiong Sect seemed to have regained their confidence. His eyes roamed at the attendees of such an event and let out a relieved sigh when he saw that no one from Qing Jing Peak seemed to have been injured. Luo Binghe’s eyes seemed to have brightened when their gazes met and he gave him a small nod of acknowledgement.

He turned his attention to the leader of the attack and found a teenage girl with a Saint class. Their conversation ended up with an agreement of doing three one-on-one battles with the side who wins two of it get to decide the next course of action. Shen Yuan felt his eyebrow twitch at the brazen attitude of the young girl and had to remind himself that the one who’d attack indiscriminately would be Liu Qingge and his older brother, but not him.

He easily won the first round against the Demon Realm;s Elder Du Bi. His grace and actions of not even using a single hand against the one-handed Elder Du Bi gained praise and awe from everyone.

The second fight between the demon girl - apparently named, Sha Hualing - and Xian Shu Peak’s Liu Mingyan ended longer. The conclusion had Liu Qingge’s younger sister losing, But it was honestly understandable since Liu Mingyan did not have her sword from Wan Jian Peak yet and Sha Hualing was already sa Saint class demon. With soft words of understanding and encouragement to the defeated disciple, the third battle was announced.

Elder Tian Chui with his large sledge hammer and spiky armor with poison was sent by the demon’s side to fight. Shen Yuan’s eyes narrowed at the blatant foul play. No junior disciple will be able to take him on. And judging by the smug look on Sha Hualing’s face, she knew it too.

“If no one’s coming up, then shall I choose my opponent?” laughed the large demon, “This Qing Jing Peak Lord is such a joke!”

Not minding the jab aimed at him, he was about to present himself as the third fighter when a resolute voice spoke.

“I will be your opponent.”

Shen Yuan’s neck almost snapped with how quick he turned, “Luo Binghe, get back down this instant.”

“Shizun, please let this disciple fight,” pleaded his head disciple, “He had insulted shizun and this cannot be forgiven. Should this disciple lose, I am willing to accept any kind of punishment.”

Luo Binghe’s entire being radiated of earnest need to get back at the demon and as much as Shen Yuan hated the idea of sending him in, with the way this event is going, it seems that the blasted gods got some parts right; some things are meant to be . With a clenched fist on his opened fan and a hard look on his face, Shen Yuan reluctantly gave his approval.

Things went exactly how majority of the spectators expected, Luo Binghe was pushed to his limits as Elder Tian Chui attacked relentlessly. Ning Yingying has started crying and had been imploring their teacher to stop the one-sided fight.

“He will win,” Shen Yuan calmly replied as his eyes never strayed away from the bloodied form of his head disciple.

With the unwavering confidence of his shizun let out in the open, Luo Binghe felt something in him burst and the next thing he knows, Elder Tian Chui is in the ground and his sledgehammer is broken to pieces with Luo Binghe’s bare hands which radiated with strong spiritual energy.

He looked at his palms with wide eyes before shifting his attention to the present Qing Jing Peak Lord, “Shizun...I - ” But he wasn’t able to continue his triumphant statement.

The next events will carve itself on his psyche for the rest of his life.

There are three things that he clearly remembers.

First - one moment Shizun was across him on the makeshift platform of the battles and then the next, his back was in front of him. He heard a gasp of pain escape his lips and when Luo Binghe went around the figure shielding him, he saw blood dripping from the hands of his shizun. Elder Tian Chui had attacked him with poison. Shizun had defended him.

Second - a roar echoed and at the corner of his eyes (for he cannot, will not , remove his gaze from Shizun), Qing Jing’s older Twin Peak Lord has landed in front of Sha Hualing blazing with fury. Shifu’s right hand grabbed the long hair of the demon leader and raised his left. Then a resounding slap was delivered to her frightened face. The force was so strong that she flew all the way to the exit of Cang Qiong Sect.

And third - soft hands patted his head and frozen body. Shizun gave him a bright smile and said, “You did so well, Binghe. This teacher is proud.” And then he fell to the ground.

The succeeding happenings then felt like a blur to Luo Binghe as the fallen figure of his shizun stopped all of his functions. He felt someone roughly shaking him, sharp nails digging on his shoulders, and was met with an identical face to his most beloved person; only, this one was full of rage. Shifu was shouting variations of “This is your fault!” (it is), “I should kill you!” (he deserves it), and a whole lot of “You devil! You monster! You demon!” ( he is).

Shen-shifu was separated to him by the Bai Zhan Peak Lord.

“Stop clawing at the kid! Retain your composure! Shen Qingqiu, you share that name with the same person who won’t approve of these actions!”

“Shut your mouth!” he venomously spits, “Shidis should not talk over their shixiongs!”

Liu Qingge’s eyes widened at the boiling anger of the other. While they had always fought, they never did aim to truly injure one another and thus, the amount of spiritual power they let out was at its minimum. This was the first time he’s seen such raw wrath from Shen Jiu and he unconsciously let go of him.

In the background, Mu Qingfang and the rest of the healers from Qian Cao Peak had carried off Shen Yuan’s unconscious body. Luo Binghe helplessly watched as his shizun was taken and saw that Shen-shifu looked torn between stabbing him on the spot or rushing after to Qian Cao Peak.

He unsheathes the twin half of the Xiu Ya sword with its hilt gleaming in pure cold crystalline white compared to the soft green of his twin’s and advances to where Luo Binghe was. He is once again intercepted but this time, it wasn’t by the War God but by Cang Qiong Peak’s sect head.

“Xiao-Jiu, leave the child. He wasn’t the one who attacked. We have to focus on A-Yuan’s wellbeing right now.”

When the sect head saw that Qing Jing Peak’s older twin was brimming with so much resentful energy and cannot be reason with, Yue Qingyuan grabbed him by the waist and mounted his own sword. They started flying away to catch up to healers while Shen Jiu was still screaming his lungs out.

His loathed-filled eyes glowered at Luo Binghe, “If anything happens to my brother - ”

(Luo Binghe suddenly remembers those moments when he was supposed to wake up Shizun and instead finds Shen-shifu carefully styling and tying the hair of the younger one; when he was going to deliver some scrolls and sees Shen-shifu covering the sleeping figure of Shizun with his own thick robes; when he was going to trim the grass on the path to the bamboo house and discovers Shen-shifu balding the entire place with one flick of his sword.)

He weeps.

-

That night, Luo Binghe meets a dream demon. And as if the day’s events weren’t physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting enough - he finds out his true heritage.

He is a half demon.

The same race that hurt Shizun. Ah, now he knows why he belongs to that category as well.

Shen-shifu was half right, after all.

-

Shen Yuan’s eyes fluttered open and the first thing his bleary focus latches on was his brother’s face.

He smiles, “Hello.”

His brother doesn’t, “Aren’t you lucky to see such a beautiful face the moment you woke up?”

“We have the same face.”

“Not with your pale shitty countenance now, no.”

Shen Yuan continues smiling and within a few seconds, Shen Jiu hits him with his fan.

“Please do not hurt the patient.”

The older one paid his comment no heed and started pacing in the room, “I don’t see any patient. I only see an idiot. What were you thinking?! Wait, don’t answer that because clearly you weren’t. ”

Shen Yuan wonders how long it would take before the aggressive dragging of his brother’s feet on the floor would end up leaving sparks of fire.

“You have a fucking sword you can manipulate with a snap of your fingers that could have ended that poison demon. But noooo, of course, you had to use your body - your sickly, sickly body in case you’ve forgotten - to receive that barbaric attack! Now, you’ve been inflicted with that Without A Cure poison!”

At the reveal of what’s in his system, Shen Yuan finally looks up from his brother’s pacing feet, “ Without A Cure? Hmm, well based on the extensive collection of books in the restricted section in Qiong Ding Peak, it isn’t really without a cure.”

Shen Jiu unintentionally snorted, “What, you have plans on fucking someone with demon blood? With that weak body of yours, you won’t even get pass fingering and you’re going to collapse exhausted.”

“Hey!” pouted Shen Yuan, “You don’t know that.”

“No demon is going near you because I’m going to cleave them in half.” Shen Jiu didn’t particularly care about the demon race before. He wasn’t mad nor scared at them. He has first-hand experience on humans acting like the ravage demons in stories; he has no need to look further to see devils in his wake. But now…

“How long have I been out?”

“Five days. And before you ask about others like the idiot that you are, the demons had been driven back and everyone’s healing fine besides you.”

“And Luo Binghe? He was severely hurt with his battle.”

The other’s face clouded with barely restrained anger at the mention of the name and clamped up. Seeing his twin’s expression, he bit his lower lip and spoke again tentatively, “Gē Ge, please don’t blame Luo Binghe. It was my own action that lead to this.”

Normally, Shen Jiu would have refuted his statements outright and continued ranting but this time his brother was critically injured and stress was not good for him. Also, this kind of anger he had for that piece of shit was almost reaching the height of when he found a bloodied A-Yuan back in the Qiu household. Even he knew that he wouldn’t be able to control himself if he snapped.

Shen Jiu ignored the soft calls of his younger brother and exited the room.

Shen Yuan let out a frustrated exhale and slumped back to the bed. He understands where the anger of his brother was coming from but he also knows that Luo Binghe was innocent of this incident. He does not know how to calm down this Shen Jiu because he can’t even show that he was unhurt.

The friction his twin had with other people was something as normal as breathing that he’s used to it. However, there was something about the rage and suspicion he had with Luo Binghe that seemed so raw like a tender flesh newly healed being rubbed over and over again until it bled once more. He suspects it’s from the leftover trauma from the Qius but he isn’t sure how to go about it.

He loves his brother.

He also loves his head disciple.

That last thought made him recall his visits to the sacred temple and felt his hands go numb. Oh, he didn’t know he started clenching it. He opened his fist and stared at the traces of pinpricks on it. Unable to comfort his brother and unable to keep his disciple from harm - he hasn’t felt this helpless in a long time.

-

“What,” Shen Jiu gritted his teeth at Cang Qiong Peak’s sect head, “are you doing here?”

“A-Yuan has asked me to talk to you regarding Luo - ”

Shen Jiu’s face scrunches up in pure disdain, “Do not even finish that sentence! And listen very closely - you have no right to dive in our lives the moment you decided to abandon us .”

“Xiao-Jiu, please - ”

But Shen Jiu has had enough of the conversation and has already walked away.

Yue Qingyuan looks at his retreating back with wretched expression on his face. But he lets him go anyway ( as he always had, and as he always seem to will ).

Xian Su trembles from its sheath on his side; as if calling for its anchor .

-

The next day, Shen Yuan struggled to get out of bed. It took him an embarrassingly long time before he finally got to the doors of his room and he’s quite glad that no one had to see his traversity in his motor functions. He is, admittedly, a spoiled person who would rather not exert any effort if it ensures his comfort. But this is the first time he went to sleep without reconciling with his twin after a fight.

The door opens before he can even reach out to it.

“The fucking patient isn’t allowed to leave his bed,” Shen Jiu snidely remarks and as if to illustrate his point, he hits him with his fan.

“I was just about to see you -” he was hit by the same fan “-because you left so suddenly yesterday and -” another hit “-I needed to talk to you -” one more hit ,“and will you quit hitting me!” he finally lost some of his cool.

“I will continue hitting you if you don’t pipe down and get back to bed.”

Another hit.

Shen Yuan hasn’t felt this childish with his brother and grumpily struggled back to his bed. Of course, his petty older twin didn’t even bother helping him and seemed to take some amusement with how he almost crawled back. Once he was settled, he bravely opens his mouth and asks,

“Why must we always fight about Luo Binghe?”

He expected to be shut down again and was thus, genuinely surprised when a quick answer came, “I know his type . Those who appear meek and polite; those that has great potential; those who shed their facade the moment the doors are locked. ”

(“Pretty, pretty little Shen Jiu - won’t you come near to me?”)

Warm hands covered the older’s shaking hands, “Gē Ge, I trust Binghe. Please trust me .”

Shen Jiu snaps, “ You didn’t even know what was going on with the Qius for years .”

Shen Yuan’s face falls. Shen Jiu shocked himself with his own words and immediately tries to retract his statement because no - no, this was the only one person he cannot handle to see get hurt and most especially not from his end. The younger twin grips his hand tighter effectively stopping him from saying anything.

“Gē Ge, I…” his voice cracks a bit but persists on, “I’m so sorry for being so weak in the past. But this time, things are different. I’m much stronger than before and I can now also protect you. I promise I’ll do better. So Gē Ge, please...please trust me this time.”

Shen Jiu looks at the unshed tears in the other’s eyes and wordlessly gathers him in his arms.

“Alright, dì di. It’s going to be okay. ”

-

“You haven’t hugged me this tight in years. Will you start giving me one if I asked for it?”

“We’re adults now.”

“That wasn’t a ‘no’.”

“Shut up.”

“I want food.”

“You’re so spoiled, for fuck’s sake. Fine, I’ll send someone over.”

-

After a quick debate with himself, Shen Jiu goes to the groves near the uninhabited bamboo house. As calculated, the miserable figure of one Luo Binghe was there.

He waits until the teenager notices him and hastily give his own greeting before he spoke, “You are to run around the mountain for a hundred times, clean the courtyard ten times, organize the library five times and you must do this everyday of your fucking life for as long as you stay here .”

Luo Binghe meets his hardened gaze with his own undaunted resolve like last time, “This disciple understands.”

Shen Jiu looks him over with a dispassionate gaze and an unhidden aura of a snake ready to strike. But the Qing Jing Peak Lord isn’t blind. He has always been the more observant one because he was the most suspicious as well. The morose look this little monster in front of him sported was legitimate.

He knows that the kid is starting to feel uneasy with his silent wordless gaze at him. And the soft plea of his younger twin reverberates in his mind.

He scowls.

Luo Binghe stiffens.

“You,” Shen Jiu growls, “Go bring food to my brother.”

Luo Binghe startles at the order and gapes at the taller man.

“Are you deaf?!” he shouts.

But Luo Binghe isn’t scared this time. He beams up at Shen-shifu and bows lowly, “This disciple will ensure that Shizun will have only the best food! Thank you, Shifu!”

Shen Jiu clicks his tongue in annoyance as he watched the disciple skip away. He won’t ever accept him. In fact, he doesn’t trust him one bit. He knows his kind and if extremely familiar with that one. But if it’s for his dì di then he’d always...always…

-

Luo Binghe happily watched as his shizun ate his fill of the nutritious congee he made for him. He then noticed the older man’s bandaged hands and his mood plummeted down. He looked down on the floor and mentally beat himself up. It was his fault that his shizun was bedridden right now. And to think that he came from the line of the race that hurt Shizun as well.

“Binghe? What’s wrong?” came the mellow inquiry.

“The-there’s nothing wrong, Shizun.”

“Has this teacher taught you to lie?”

“No!” he vehemently denied.

“Then why are you lying? Or is it just to me?”

“No! Shizun, no! This disciple can never disrespect Shizun in any way!” he exclaimed.

“Tone down, Binghe. We’re in the same room, there is no need to raise your voice,” said the Twin Peak lord. He put down his food and then patted the empty space in the bed on his right. Luo Binghe immediately stood up and sat down beside him in understanding.

“Binghe, listen to me and do not interrupt, alright?”

He vigorously nodded his head. Anything Shizun says!

“What happened wasn’t your fault. I acted on my own and my carelessness was my own undoing. I understand why you’re upset but there’s nothing we can do about that. If you don’t want the same thing to happen in the future then all you can do now is become stronger.”

Shen Yuan cupped the cheek of his disciple and stared straight at earnest twinkle in the younger one’s eyes as he continued, “Lucky for you, you don’t need to dwell on it too much. Discover your power and become stronger in your own pace. There’s no need to rush. This teacher will be by your side and protect you.”

Unable to help himself, Luo Binghe threw himself at his teacher and held on to him tightly.

“Shizun?” he asked as he’s encased in his beloved person’s arms.

“Hm?”

“Do you hate demons? Since they hurt you?”

Shen Yuan considered the question for a while and then responded, “I do not. As there are evil demons, there are also evil human beings. As there are good human beings, there are also good demons. One’s lineage doesn’t determine what sort of heart they have.”

He patted Luo Binghe’s head in a request for the teenager to look at him as he explained, “For example, when one seeks power, there are those who use demonic cultivation but does not harm others while there are those who supposedly uses the righteous way but ends up harming others. Power is power. Evil is evil. And good is good. One isn’t connected to another in a set way. So long as you do the right thing then whatever path you choose, this teacher shall support you.”

Luo Binghe’s eyes watered at the sentiments and hugged him again.

“Yes, Shizun! This disciple shall take those teachings to heart.”

Chapter Text

six;  

“Stop being picky with your food. It’s unbecoming.”

Shen Jiu wasn’t given a proper response to his chiding as his younger brother continued playing with his congee. The elaborately decorated spoon was made to scoop some of the contents of the bowl and then dumped back in again after a few seconds. He rolled his eyes at the sulking figure of the other for he knew exactly where it came from.

Loathe as he was to admit it, while A-Yuan was originally happy with their stay in Cang Qiong Peak, the arrival of that little demon five years ago did brighten his twin’s life. He refuses to get along with the brat but anyone who puts a smile on his brother’s face does somewhat end up on his good books.

And well, the annoying devil did end up being a harbinger of some amusement in their lives. Like that time when Bai Zhan Peak’s disciples decided they could terrorize Qing Jing Peak’s. It so happened that the brat was part of the group of disciples who got beaten up (honestly, bringing shame upon their peak).

To say Qing Jing’s younger Twin Peak Lord somewhat snapped was an understatement.

The small passive aggressive smile that decorated his brother’s face almost brought tears to his own face. Tears of joy.

Who knew he can actually enact a revenge plot successfully? Ah, how he raised him well.

Upon seeing the expression on his twin’s face that day, he had immediately followed him when he decided to pay a visit to their shit ass shidi. When Liu Qingge met them, he cast a wary glance on the older twin’s barely concealed glee and did a double take on the passive aggressive smile on the younger one.

When asked what the purpose of their visit was, the War God was initially surprised at the request of Shen Yuan to spar with him as training. Every few minutes, Shen Yuan would pause and share a theoretical attack or defense that Liu Qingge would instantly shut down. As a response to the doubtful look Shen Yuan would give him, the Bai Zhan Peak Lord would point at a random disciple of his peak and demonstrate.

If he were a better person, Shen Jiu would deny that he loved seeing it when said disciples wound up getting beaten up. But Shen Jiu has never considered himself as a nice human being so he openly lets out a joyful laughter each time someone was hit. He cheerily watched as he was perched on the platform before the sparring arena with tea and sweets delivered to him by the shaking juniors.

Even Bai Zhan Peak brats were scared of him. He sent them a cold look from behind his opened fan. Good.

This occurrence happened for around three months before the war freak brats finally understood the pattern and stopped harassing his and his twin’s own brats. In conclusion - he’s proud of his brother’s own revenge streak, Liu Qingge has a fucking weird taste for gifts (“These are for the two of you.” “Oh, thank you, Liu-shidi.” “What the hell is this ugly thing supposed to be?” “If you don’t want it then you can just give yours to Shen Yuan!” “Excuse you? Why would I give trash to a family member?”), and well fine, sometimes - only sometimes - Luo Binghe became a catalyst for the entertainment in their lives.

And just when he thought that maybe, maybe, he can actually accept the little demon, he’d see him all over his brother sticking like some sort of leech. He sneers. If he thinks he can steal A-Yuan from him then he’s got another thing coming.

Ah, but back to the issue at hand.

He looked at the pouting look on his twin and grabbed his fan from his side to hit his companion’s hand in annoyance.

“Hey,” came the whine from the younger as he rubbed his hand that was hit.

“I said, don’t be picky with your food,” was the uncaring reply.

“I am not being picky,” Shen Yuan lightly glares up at him with the pout still in his face, “I just miss Binghe’s version of this congee. Did you know he has a special way of bringing the flavor and your mouth just melts at the taste.”

“Yes, I know - only because you keep on telling me for hmmm let’s see, the last half decade!” growled Shen Jiu, “And you shouldn’t be satisfied with just about any food!”

Shen Yuan sends him an unimpressed stare, “Earlier you told me not to be picky and now you’re telling me to be more picky. Which is it?”

Shen Jiu ignores the question and started tapping his closed fan on the table in irk, “You’ve been barely eating - ”

“We’re high calibre cultivators, I don’t really need to eat.”

“Don’t you interrupt me, young man. I did not raise you to be this impudent!”

“We’re literally the same age so if I’m a ‘young man’, then you are as well. And you didn’t raise me, we raised each other.”

“The point is,” continued Shen Jiu, not minding the sound answer of his twin, “Peak Lord support tasks need to be handled by somebody; and since you’re so confident with that little devil - ”

“He’s nineteen now and has gotten his personal sword a few years back already so I don’t think the word ‘little’ fits him anymore.”

“ - that sticky devil of yours and decided to send him for all these training then you have no right to sulk. Much less in front of my magnificent presence.”

Shen Yuan’s pout became more pronounced at the reminder that it was his own choice to send his head disciple all around to be trained by the best of each peak. Feeling powerless about the situation, he flopped to the ground gracelessly. His brother’s scandalized gasp of “Fix your damn posture!” considerably lightened up his mood.

Hearing the continuous rant of the older one, he grabbed his spoon and threw it straight at the speaker.

The indignant squawk of Qing Jing’s older Twin Peak Lord was so satisfying .

-

Shen Yuan groaned at the stuffy feeling on his nose and the soreness of the rest of his body. No matter how often it happened, being bed-ridden once more because of his usual sickly disposition remains as one of his pet peeves. With the winds of autumn transitioning to the coldness of winter, the change of seasons has brought him confined in his sanctuary - the very same place that his brother had personally made for him.

He recalls how the older one always ranted that he’d just shove him in some place one day so he’ll stop getting sick from whatever he encounters in the outside world and he let out a small chuckle that he did end up doing just that. Ever since he took in Binghe, he set up a more permanent residence on the bamboo house so that the smaller adjacent room can serve as his head disciple’s own home.

His brother was livid when he first found out and had spent an entire week telling him exactly why that was a bad idea.

(“I built this place for you ! Not for some mongrel!” “He isn’t a mongrel and his name is Luo Binghe. C’mon Gē Ge, say it with me - ‘Bing’ ‘He’.” “You pronounced little demon wrong!” “Aiya, the great Qing Jing Peak Lord can’t even pronounce properly.” “I made this!” “Yes, and now I own it.” “You ingrate! And stop smiling!”)

After the first five days of hounding him and realizing that he can’t convince him to throw Binghe out of the bamboo house, the older twin proceeded to drag the first person he saw to drink with him - and of all people, it unfortunately/fortunately (debatable) to be Liu Qingge. The amount of damage the two made when they got drunk was enough for the rest of the peak lords to implore Cang Qiong Peak’s sect leader to punish them.

His brother blamed everything on their shidi.

Liu Qingge, much to the surprise of everyone, admitted to his faults.

The drunken incident remained to be a legendary story in the sect for no one knew what exactly happened besides the peak lords. The hype it received got so out of hand that Yue Qingyuan had to file a decree banning everyone from talking about it. A few interesting observations though was that Shen Jiu looked torn between being smug and horrified whilst Liu Qingge always flushed red when it was mentioned.

On the other hand, his twin did end up letting him have his way on keeping Luo Binghe with him in the bamboo house.

Speaking of his temperamental half, he’d been constantly going in and out of the bamboo house and fussed over him because of his sickness again. But in between the soft touches, the harsh reprimands of how shabby and ugly the decorations of the place also surfaced. And so, he kicked him out. His aesthetics are on point, thank you very much.

A knock on the door interrupted his ire at his older brother’s tasteless aesthetics. Looks like he’s back again. Too bad for him, he hasn’t forgiven his insults yet (“Your chopsticks should be made of gold!” “That’s too gaudy. I need it to help me eat. I’m not bartering it.”)

In a fit of childishness against his brother (always only with his brother) , he threw a pillow straight to the figure coming in -

- which happened to be the returning Luo Binghe.

“Shizun..?”

Shen Yuan brightened at the appearance of the tall young man (a few more months and he’ll definitely be taller than him!) and patted the side of his bed in barely controlled enthusiasm. Luo Binghe rushed to sit on the space directed at him with a beam on his face and set aside Zheng Yang beside Xiu Ya’s warm green half.

“Binghe, how have you been?”

“This disciple has been well. The other peak lords you have assigned me to have greatly helped in my training. But everything would have been better if I were allowed to see Shizun even at least once a day,” came the sweet response.

“Aiya, since when have you been such a smooth talker?” smiled Shen Yuan as he flipped his fan open to cover half of his expression.

“Is it still smooth talking when only the truth about how much I missed Shizun escapes from my lips?” grinned the younger twin’s head disciple. He slid down on the bed and laid parallel to his shizun - his head tilted to the left in order to look the other - who had his own tilted to the right - in the eyes.

He wasn’t given a response besides a fond pat on his cheek and concentration on examining him.

“Why does Shizun look at me like that? Has shizun missed me as well for being sent to Bai Zhan Peak for the past month?”

“Can’t I look at what I raised?” was the challenging raise of eyebrow.

“Naturally, you’re allowed to,” Luo Binghe brought his face closer to the one beside him, “Does Shizun like what he sees? Do you find me pleasing to the eye?”

How cheeky this child has become!

Not one to be outdone, Shen Yuan forgot the soreness of his body and half-raised from the bed to position his upper body to be semi on top of his companion; thus, making him look down on his face. Luo Binghe’s eyes previous confidence faltered at the new arrangement and his eyes widened as he felt himself heating up.

Shen Yuan casually threw his fan on the side and blew on Luo Binghe’s flushed face before commenting, “Your face looked like it was burning. Hope my blowing cooled it down.”

Luo Binghe felt he died right then and there and ascended to the heavens. Letting out a small sound mixed between a whine and a groan, he moved forward to flip their positions with him now on top of the peak lord. He hugged him and buried his face on the other’s chest and started incoherently saying something.

Quiet chuckles sounded across the bamboo house. Shen Yuan leaned into the hug and rubbed his cheeks on the fluffy hair of the one above him. Then, as if remembering something, he called softly.

“Binghe?”

“Shizun?” acknowledged the younger man without removing his flushed face on the chest.

“Do you want to be strong?”

The broader male stiffened a bit before relaxing again. Luo Binghe reached to his shizun’s soft hands and held on to it as if redrawing the pin prick marks it used to have after contracting the Without A Poison ailment in defense of his much younger and weaker self.

“Of course I do,” he admitted, “The reason why I pushed through on those months I am unable to be with Shizun is precisely because I want to get stronger. Much, much stronger.”

“What if you have to suffer more than just not seeing me?”

Luo Binghe finally lifted his eyes to meet the warm, concerned gaze and said with as much conviction as he can, “There is no suffering worse than not being with Shizun.”

Shen Yuan felt his heart stop for a second and speed up the next at the declaration. He played with the long locks of fluffy hair of the other and tried controlling the gripping fear that slowly rise through his system.

[‘This is fate.’]

“Binghe, I want food.”

“Yes, Shizun!”

-

The last two weeks before the Immortal Alliance Conference had everyone busy. From logistics concerns to the finalization of the list of disciples to accompany their peak lords - everyone had their own responsibilities that needed to be rushed just in time for the grand event.

“Qi-Gē looks stressed,” observed Shen Yuan as he fanned himself.

“And I should care because?” was the quick snide of Shen Jiu who had picked up the former from the sacred temple after his usual daily visit to it.

“Oh! I know what to do. Watch me,” said the younger twin and bounded up to Yue Qingyuan whom they managed to pass by as they were walking.

Ignoring the suspicious look his brother sent him, Shen Yuan stopped in front of their sect head and smiled, “Qi-Gē, hello.”

The frown on Yue Qingyuan’s face smoothened and adoringly patted his head. Once his attention was caught by his disciples once more about a new batch of paperwork he has to work on for the Immortal Alliance Conference, Shen Yuan drifted back to his twin.

“You really think I’d use such cheap tactics?”

Shen Yuan sent him a sly smile, only hidden by his spread out fan, “Aren’t you just scared that it won’t work if it’s you?”

As expected from his competitive brother, Shen Jiu shot him a dark look and walked towards his target. Aforementioned target looked surprise that he was being approached without prompt by the arriving party and inquired, “Xiao-Jiu? What is it?”

Shen Jiu felt blood rise on his throat and swallowed it back down before hesitatingly whisper with a red face, “Qi...Qi-Gē…”

Cang Qiong Peak’s Mu Qingfang had to be called for an emergency on their sect leader. (“Shen Jiu, what did you do?” “I don’t know! And why are you acting like it’s my fault he stopped functioning! And you! You stupid Yue Qingyuan! What’s wrong with you?! Oi! Can you hear me?!”)

(Shen Yuan happily fans himself on the side.)

-

A week before the designated people leave, Shen Jiu’s worry for his younger brother is reaching an all time high. While he was confident that the other wouldn’t fall ill on the event, he has gotten paler and more shut off each time he exits the sacred temple. He had tried barging inside to know what exactly was happening but the doors remain closed on him.

Seeing as his twin isn’t going to tell him anything besides his usual “It’s going to be okay, Gē Ge” then he really doesn’t know what’s happening. But well, if that’s how it is according to the other and after he promised to trust him all those years ago, then so be it.

This doesn’t mean he won’t rage on it every single chance he’s got. Why couldn’t all these shit happen to Liu Qingge instead? That one has a stronger spiritual power and body. Why does it have to be on his sickly brother? Bruises and wounds would always appear on his skin from something as inconsequential as bumping into the chair just like that miniscule scar he’s got from when he accidentally cut himself from some random seeds while helping out some junior disciples in the past.

“What if you just don’t go?” he suggested.

“No! I have to!” came the panicked disagreement.

Shen Jiu frowned at the reaction and once he’s seen that the other has calmed down, he asked, “What’s wrong, dì di?”

At first, Shen Yuan doesn’t say anything. If there was one person Shen Jiu would wait forever for, it was him. So he keeps up his patience.

After some time, the younger peak lord spoke, “Will gē ge hug me tight if I asked for it?”

“What’s with this question again? Didn’t I already say we aren’t kids anymore for that?”

They both stay quiet in the following minutes because they also knew the legitimate answer to that question as it has always been.

“How is that Without A Cure shit?”

Shen Yuan gave a non committal hum. It had been somewhat manageable the past five years as long as someone daily helped ease his meridians and he doesn’t use too much spiritual power. The task, of course, had fallen to his older brother.

There was a time when the latter was called away and as such, it was Liu Qingge who had aided him in the task. Once Qing Jing Peak’s master came back, he’d thrown a fit worthy of a noble family’s young mistress when he found out about Liu Qingge’s involvement. Ah, and Binghe had such a sour look on his face that day too. Maybe they were too noisy for him?

A rough tug on his hair brought him back to the present. The scowling face of his older brother immediately let him know who was the perpetrator. In retaliation, he threw his fan at him. Before the other could scold him for it, he threw a brush. And every time he would try to scream at him, he’d throw the next thing his hands manage to grab.

As aggressive as he was, Shen Jiu wouldn’t dare rough house with him; so in these cases, he always wins.

Oh look, another point on his end. Hah.

seven;

The day to head towards Huan Hua Palace for the Immortal Conference has finally come. Multiple horses were out in the open waiting for the master to ride them. Carriages for their resources were also scattered around and one elaborately designed carriage was in the middle ready for the ladies to take.

Without a care as to the purpose of said carriage, Shen Yuan entered it and primly sat at the soft cushions. He fanned himself as he lightly leaned back to give himself some rest. He was, however, intruded on his time of leisure at the arrival of his shijie, Qi Qingqi who sat in front of him.

“What are you doing inside here? These are for the maidens! Get out!”

Before Shen Yuan could defend himself, Qi Qingqi was unceremoniously shoved to the side and Shen Jiu took more than half the space beside her.

Qi Qingqi fumed, “You shameless, shameless men!”

“I am a sick patient,” said Shen Yuan and made his features look pitiful.

“I am sick of nature,” voiced Shen Jiu and held his head high uncaringly.

“The both of you are pampered and spoiled!” seethed Qi Qingqi, “Able bodied and yet intruding on this space! What - is someone also going to come along and serve you food and refreshment?!”

Shen Yuan nodded his head, “Ah, you reminded me,” and with his fan, he tapped on the side of the carriage twice.

The window’s curtains were lifted and Luo Binghe’s handsome face appeared, “Would you like your mantou now, Shizun?”

The younger lord of Qing Jing Peak merrily took the offered food and started munching on them.

Luo Binghe noticed his older peak lord and smiled at him as well, “Would Shifu care for some as well?”

“I don’t eat shit,” grunted Shen Jiu.

“This shit,” said Shen Yuan as he deliberately took a big bite which he knows would piss of the decorum stiffness of both his companions in the carriage, “is good.”

Luo Binghe’s grin met his ears.

Shen Jiu sneered.

“Get out of the damn carriage!” screamed Qi Qingqi.

-

The Immortal Alliance Conference has officially started with the entrance of the sects’ disciples in the Jue Di Gorge. With the typical pleasantries between sect heads and senior disciples of each sect done, they have started to settle down. Everyone had their favorites whom they’d like to be included in the top ten list at the end of the event. With such, the biggest question on the betting pool was as to who’d top this year.

Shen Yuan got all of his 300 spirit stones and proceeded to shamelessly get 300 more each from his brother (“What a waste.”) and Liu Qingge (“Well, his swordsmanship was refined the last time I sparred with him.”). Wanting to close it to a thousand, he made grabby hands for 100 more from Yue Qingyuan.

With 1,000 spirit stones in his possession, he betted everything on one name - Luo Binghe .

[‘This is fate.’]

Darkness fell as the seven day event continued on. A lot of his fellow senior disciples were meditating and he tried doing the same.

(When he opened his eyes, he clenched his fist at the familiar surrounding of being in the middle of the destroyed bamboo house and everything painted in red from all the blood shed on his surroundings. He had seen this scene multiple times ever since he was given a vision by the gods dominating Qing Jing Peak’s sacred temple.

Calloused hands that had a scar on its palm brushed his hair. He looked up and - )

[‘This is fate.’] [‘No, it’s not.’]

“-an! A-Yuan!”

He snapped out of his reverie and found his older brother right up at his face with a concerned look. There was a flurry of movements all around them and he blinked away the daze.

“What’s happening?” he asked.

“There’s a Nu Yuan Chan in the Jue Di Gorge,” replied Shen Jiu.

He frowned, “What’s that doing in there?”

“That’s the issue. And it isn’t the only demon inside.”

“So we’re opening the Jue Di Gorge to let the disciples out?” he asked as he stood up to join the other senior cultivators.

“We can’t,” was the response, “There are towns nearby and those creatures might get out as well if we lift the barrier.”

Shen Yuan’s hands started getting clammy and sweaty as realization sunk in, “We’re going in then?”

“What, you’re scared? I’ll defend you, don’t worry.”

He didn’t respond and just held on to his older twin’s hand as they entered the chaos.

-

Shen Yuan’s attention is halved. On one hand, he’s rushing to get to where Binghe is wherever that is and on the other, he’s trying to ignore the loud shouts of his brother and shidi. Both of them were running after him but he cannot afford to pause even for a second because he has to be with Binghe before anything happens.

“Shen fucking Yuan! Get your weakass shit back here!”

“Oi! You can’t be left alone with your current qi issues!”

He looks at his hand that received the brunt end of the attack five years ago and then quickly diverted his attention away. He knows he isn’t at his best and with the amount of pushing he’s been doing the past minutes, he’s definitely going to suffer its consequences later. But he cannot stop. Not now. Not when -

[‘This is fate.’] [‘No, it’s not.’]

He sees some Huan Hua Palace Sect and Zhao Hua Temple Sect disciples huddled a few meters away from him being cornered by some strange looking demon. He doesn’t bother unsheathing his sword and merely waves a hand on the trees along the way. The leaves twitched and with a snap of his fingers, they sharpened and attacked the creatures; effectively piercing its weak spots.

He nod in acknowledgement to the juniors and continued forward. He almost bumps head on to another demon which had agonized human faces all over its body. Goosebumps swept through his skin at the disturbing sight and with some quick thinking of merits and demerits of whether to fight with it, he decided to run around it undetected.

Besides, he’s felt his twin’s and Liu Qingge’s spiritual energies from behind and determined that those two can deal with it. Mentally sending an apology to the two, he carried on. Shouts on his left side grabbed his attention and jumped through the trees to get to the source of the sound.

He was met with the sight of the person he’d been wildly looking for all this time. Luo Binghe stood valiantly in front of the other disciples and his own Zheng Yang was held steadily in front of him. The Ghost Head Spider bared itself on the considerably smaller form of his head disciple.

With a deep breathe, he reached out to a spiritual pouch and took out the one weapon he was most confident in. The hand crafted bow and arrow his old archery master had made for him shined brightly under the full moon. The special thing about this weapon was that it resonated to what the user’s soul and aura had that even the drawn arrow adjusts its form accordingly.

His own bow was predominantly white and thin with its center being the color of verdant green with vines wrapped around it. Its seeds would serve as the source of the arrows which matched the looks of the bow itself. Corresponding to his own nurturing and calm nature, the plant based bow and arrow heeded his call.

With one draw and intense focus on the center of the Ghost Head Spider as its target, the vines on the arrow looked like sharp teeth and flew towards the creature.

It hit dead center with a loud thwack !

Luo Binghe startled and his eyes widened when he found out where the attack came from. Long silky black hair and light green robes flowed with the breeze. With his drawn spiritual bow and arrow, the gentle teacher that had been teaching him for years was changed into a warrior.

Amidst the light of the moon and the cold winds of the approaching winter, Shizun’s form was like a beacon of the gods.

He was breathtaking .

-

Shen Jiu gave another curse as he sliced down one of the detached heads from the disgusting monster he had to deal with. Twisting the white bladed Xiu Ya on his right hand, he bolted to the next groaning head and proceeded to shave a chunk of them. He shouted a new curse when the creature squirted its black blood on his robes.

“Shut your damn mouth, Shen Jiu!” Liu Qingge growled as he cut more of their opponent.

“I,” he shouted shouting, “am going to be as noisy as I want! Especially if my idiotic brother who isn’t at his best condition decided to run off on his own! You! Bet! Your! Fucking! Ass! I’m! Going! To! Be! Noisy!”

In the middle of his screaming, he didn’t notice a protruding rock on the soil and he tripped over it. Liu Qingge’s instinct acted on its own and scurried over to him in an effort to catch him before he fell. And catch him, he did - only their position ended up like the War God was about to bridal carry the older twin lord of Qing Jing Peak.

With their faces close to each other, they stayed still and silent for a while.

Then hastily let go of their tangled limbs and started barfing.

-

Luo Binghe didn’t have the luxury of time to wax poetics about Shizun’s form when suddenly, smaller forms of the ghost head spider emerged from the trees. The other junior disciples on his back yelped at the about seven new ones that appeared and he himself wasn’t exactly sure which one to strike first.

“I know you have consciousness,” addressed Shen Yuan who was still above the trees to the ghost head spiders, “Your leader is dead. And I must warn you that I have never missed a target.”

The bow’s vines seeds started opening and sprouted new arrows for his ammunition. He drew all seven and let his voice reverberate around their area, “If you still wish to attack, then, by all means, please be my guest .”

-

With the two peak lords’ attention dwindling, the demonic creature moved to attack the nearest one - Liu Qingge. Seeing what was about to happen, in his fit of anger and annoyance, Shen Jiu set the white bladed half of Xiu Ya to the ground and put out a weapon that’s best for long distance and the one he’s most comfortable in.

A dark brown bow adorned with red tassels and beads appeared on his hand. Smoothly running his point and middle finger on the beads along the way, once he drew it, an arrow with the same color appeared and on its pointy end, flames blazed. He shoots it without adjusting his posture and it embedded itself  in the middle of the creature’s eyes.

“You almost hit me!” exclaimed Liu Qingge, “You’re lucky it missed!”

Shen Jiu sneered at him, “Fucker, that was intentional. I never miss .”

-

“The senior disciples have set up a path of safety that you must stay on and follow until you exit. It’s imbued by the Thousand Leaf Cleansing Snow Lotus which would serve as a barricade against demons.”

The juniors hurried over to the lane pointed by one of Cang Qiong Peak’s Lord. Shen Yuan held out his hand to the person beside him and let out a breath of relief when Luo Binghe eagerly took his offered hand. As they let the others scuttle along the path, the both readied themselves to join the group.

Then the ground quakes.

And soundly splits .

The force of the unevenness of the ground threw teacher and disciple on the far end of the area away from the path of safety. Shen Yuan watched in panic as dark energy poured out from the place where the ground split.

The Endless Abyss has come.

[‘This is fate.’] [‘No, no please , it’s not.’]

Ice covered the plains and the coldness in the air tripled. Confident, heavy footsteps resounded as a figure emerged from the abyss. Clothed in thick white fur, an obvious ice demon stood before them. He had his hands crossed behind his back and once he noticed the two in front of him, he cocked his head to the right.

“Well, well, what do we have here? A righteous cultivator,” he commented as he roamed his eyes on Shen Yuan and then looked at the younger one, “And oh, an interesting one.”

He maniacally grinned and in a split second, he sent out an attack on them.

Shen Yuan tried lifting his hand to deflect it but the price of using his most powerful weapon earlier has finally caught up with his Without A Cure ailment. Noticing the trembling of his hands, Luo Binghe shielded his shizun and used Zheng Yang to block the attack. Zheng Yang’s handle trembled at the strength of the force.

“Luo Binghe, stand down!” yelled the Qing Jing Peak Lord.

“No.”

At first, Shen Yuan thought he heard wrong. But with the other standing firm still in front of him in a heroic act to serve as his defense, it seems that the refusal did indeed come from him.

He gritted his teeth in ire, “That ice demon is of Saint class. His name is Linguang Jun and he is the brother of the incumbent ice demon king. You will not stand a chance. Now, get back here with me.”

“Whether it’s dying for Shizun, or dying with Shizun, this disciple is perfectly happy to do.”

Linguang Jun laughed at the declaration, “What a dedicated child. But what’s the point of giving that loyalty to some human when your demonic lineage is far superior? Come with me, child and I will give you power.”

[‘This is fate.’] [‘No, no please , it’s not.’]

“Binghe! Listen to this teacher. Stand down!”

Seeing the determined look on the young man’s eyes as he stared down at the demon, Shen Yuan has had enough. He rushed forward and roughly grabbed Luo Binghe’s arm to put him behind him. He’d be damned if he didn’t try to protect him even at the cost of his life. Those gods are wrong. And he will prove it.

The demon smirked at his actions and spread his arms. Ice spears formed on the cold air as some floating weapon. And with a sinister smile, the ice spears rained down towards them.

Feeling that the Without A Cure poison is still hostaging his meridians, Shen Yuan opened his fan and through purely physical martial arts, he jumped in the air, twisted his body to gain momentum and flapped his fan through the air making the ice spears break before they could reach them.

Dampening the confident smirk on Linguang Jun, said ice demon finally moved forward and gathered more ice in the vicinity. The peak lord cultivator and Saint demon parried it out with just physical attacks from the former. He managed to stand his ground as he cracked the atmosphere in the air to stop the formation of more ice spears and breaking off the rest with another flip of his fan.

Linguang Jun clicked his tongue in annoyance and brought his hands together. Dark energy formed on his palms and when he drew them apart, an elaborate looking ice sword was formed. With just one look at it, Shen Yuan knew he wouldn’t be able to counter it without spiritual powers.

He felt an equally dark energy from behind him and he looked back in alarm, “No no no no! Binghe, no! Stop!”

With his attention diverted, Linguang Jun directed his fingers to the older cultivator. Realizing his mistake of turning back, Shen Yuan tried to avoid the incoming attack instead. However, with his currently non-existent spiritual energy and tired body, he couldn’t fully stop it from grazing him on his cheek - drawing blood .

Seeing the bloodied look of Shizun made Luo Binghe’s own blood run cold. Tearing apart the careful seals that the Dream Demon and he had worked on for five years to keep his secret, he roared in fury. His own demonic seal glowed bright red on his forehead as some sort of anointing.

Linguang Jun laughed at the sight and grandly opened his arms, “Yes! Yes, that’s right! Return to where you truly belong - back to the demon realm!”

Paying no heed at the mockingly gregarious invite, he concentrated a large amount of demonic energy on Zheng Yang and sliced the wind to aggressively attack their opponent. With an abrupt end on his laughter, the ice demon was blasted back deeply to the abyss.

Shen Yuan felt tears well up his eyes.

[‘This is fate.’]

He has failed Luo Binghe.

-

The thing was that Shen Jiu knew how bad on directions Liu Qingge was but he had no time to cater to that certain brand of idiocy as of the moment. As such, when he realized that he was walking alone, he didn’t bother looking for his companion. His brother’s safety was his foremost concern.

Just then - a blast of dark energy had him almost toppling backwards had he not drawn his sword on time.

Which demon was responsible for that?

He honed his senses and focused on the energies floating around. Once he identified where it came from, he ran on its direction. Knowing his idiotic brother, he’d definitely be at the center of the biggest problem.

-

“Are you conscious enough now?”

Luo Binghe blinked the rage out of his system at the sight of Shizun very much alive and well. He smiled at him and was about to respond when he noticed the cold look on his eyes.

“Tell me Luo Binghe, how long have you been practicing cultivating through demonic techniques?”

With a desperately shaking body, the genius disciple knelt on the ground, “Shizun, I -”

“Do not kneel to me!” (I have failed you.)

In all his time with him, Shizun has never raised his voice to the level of screaming. Hearing the loud, harsh sound from the same person who lovingly, gently called out to him before, made him rear back closer to the big split on the ground in shock.

“But Shizun,” he implored, “You’ve said before that people can be good or evil, and that demons can also be good or evil.”

Shen Yuan stepped closer to the abyss as well with Luo Binghe almost chest to chest with him, “Yes, I did say that. But you are no ordinary demon,” his eyes glanced at the bright red mark on his forehead, “You are part of the Ancient Heavenly demon line who is on a whole nother level.”

Luo Binghe couldn’t bear the unfamiliar look in his shizun’s eyes and held on to him (like how he always hugged him in greeting; like how he’d playfully bury his head on his chest; like how - ) , “Shizun, please.” A crack on his voice. He draws the green half of Xiu Ya and pointed directly to the other’s heart.

[‘This is fate.’] [‘Is it?’]

Shen Yuan trusted his head disciple (his favorite, his golden one, his loved one) to dodge the incoming blade as he had personally trained him to hone that defensive instinct.

Luo Binghe trusted his Shizun (his life, his most precious person, his beloved) to never deliberately hurt him as he had been defended by him countless of times.

(Here’s what the gods know - they are both wrong.)

A clean stab through the younger man’s chest with his palms holding on to the blade - and then he tips back to the abyss. As Shen Yuan sees the painful look on the other’s eyes, it felt like he stabbed himself instead. Out of instinct, he reaches out to cradle the back of his neck to stop his fall.

Hope.

[‘This is fate. If not, he will -’]

Shen Yuan resolutely looks Luo Binghe in the eye. He leans forward and kisses his forehead.

“Be strong, Binghe,” was the soft whisper on the glowing demonic mark.

With only the hand behind the other’s neck that paused the moment, Shen Yuan lets go.

Crushed hope.

Luo Binghe falls.

-

“Qing Jing Peak’s disciple, Luo Binghe, was harmed by demons and died.”

-

“Gē Ge, can I tell you something?”

Shen Jiu immediately looked at his previously catatonic brother, “What is it?”

With a shaking voice, he whispers at the dead of the night, “I pushed him.”

The confession shook Shen Jiu to the core. He wants to ask more. (Why? You loved him so much you fought with me. So why? Why? Why?) But he knows he can’t and so he stays silent - letting the weight of the confession burden the both of them.

Soft sniffles escaped his younger brother’s lips which quickly turned into an all out bawling as he breaks down. Shen Jiu feels his own heart breaking at the sounds he’s never wanted to hear from his brother echo through the room. In their shared bed, he gathers his broken little brother in his arms.

“It’s going to be fine dì di.”

Shen Yuan wants to believe his brother, he really does.

“It’s going to be fine dì di.”

But then he remembers that betrayed and desperate voice shakingly calling, “Shizun?” and he just wants to die.

“It’s going to be fine dì di.”

“No...no it’s not going to be fine.”

Chapter Text

eight;

(On his knees, he clenched his fist on his lap as he took in  the familiar sight of being in the middle of the destroyed bamboo house and everything painted in red from all the blood shed on his surroundings. He had seen this multiple times ever since he was given a vision by the gods dominating Qing Jing Peak’s sacred temple.

Calloused hands that had a scar on its palm brushed his hair. He tried looking up but the owner of the hands grabbed a fistful of his long locks and steadied his head back to the bloody image in front. He swallowed the sound of the wince he was about to let out.

At the corner of his eyes he can see the sinister looking sword that the gods have constantly warned him about. Whoever wielded it would always be subjected to its destructive wiles. No matter which path it was, that was the end goal of the sword and the reason why it was sealed into a slumber.

But then again, everything and everyone would always find their way back one way or another.

It was only on that one path that a light could extinguish it - yet he failed to find that light. And now he’s here subjugated to the miserable scene he constantly sees. Light. Light. Light. What was it?)

-

Qing Jing Peak’s official copy of the crimson proclamation list given after the Immortal Alliance Conference held three years ago lay opened on the corner of the wooden table. A part of the thousands of spirit stones (those who weren’t thrown in a fit or later, buried) sent over from a won bet were settled inside a spiritual pouch above the letter.

The tranquil place was home to the younger Shen Qingqiu for decades already and has borne witness to his delirious fevers, harsh coughs, and still form. It also saw the progression of the relationship of two individuals starting from that cold night with a crying young boy and the gentle words of the older one until the bitter end of a weeping figure clutching the remaining shards of a broken sword.

In the middle of the cool atmosphere brought about by the autumn winds, the bamboo house remained warm inside due to talismans and spells invoked on it when it was first made. Well trimmed nails ran across the door to check the protection of the humble abode.

Shen Jiu huffed at the realization that his brother wasn’t inside as he was supposed to be given that his usual sickness has kicked in again. He looked at the sky outside the opened door and gripped the door frames tightly. Oh, he knows where that twin of his was right now. After all, that’s the only place he ever goes to religiously besides that temple.

He walked over to the table and got two spirit stones inside the pouch and then swiftly turned around. Without a backward glance, he stepped outside and started hiking up at the top most part of Qing Jing Peak.

Inside, the sun filtered through the window left open in lieu of the shut door. Its rays glided through the crimson proclamation list making its content be given light. In golden ink, the name Luo Binghe was at the top of the list.

-

At the summit of Qing Jing Peak, the sun has just risen and has broken dawn with its brightness. Soft green robes swayed with each fluttering of the wind. The owner of the clothes was kneeling in front of a mound of soil which had a hilt of a sword protruding from it. Colorful leaves brought about by autumn were woven in some sort of garland in lieu of spring and summer flowers and was hanged on the sword.

A figure stared unseeingly at the sword with loosely clenched fists on his lap. He knows he doesn’t have the right to mourn for the broken Zheng Yang’s owner; not after being the one to push him to that dark abyss, not after that heartbroken, “Shizun?” . And yet as some sort of penance and a selfish way to cope, he comes here everyday talking to the one who was gone as if he was just beside him.

He speaks about mundane things (“Today, I tried cooking. Gē Ge said he liked it.”) ; about new things he learned and wished to impart just like back then (“Apparently those with ancient heavenly demon bloodline can enter dreams.”) ; about his usual day (“Liu-shidi tried my cooking and he spat it out of surprise. It seems I’m not really a good cook. Ah, but I think I’ve gotten even better in making Liu-shidi and Gē Ge stop fighting.”) -

- about things he wish he could say (“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry .”) ; and sometimes about questions he knows he’ll never ask (“I haven’t seen you in my dreams. Are you still unable to do it? Or...you just don’t want to see me?”)

Before he leaves, he buries one spirit stone from the thousands he’s won (one for each day; for each story and dedication). He reacted negatively to them when he first got them but after being calmed down by his twin, he decided to put the stones to better use and brought one each day as he went up to their peak’s zenith.

He breathes in and continued staring at the sword tomb before him.

This was how Shen Jiu found his brother upon arriving. The past five years had honestly been the biggest struggle of his life. While he had undergone pain under the hands of that obsessed Qiu heir, at least A-Yuan was safe in that old dingy room. Seeing the younger silently suffer was the worst experience.

While they were both similar in fearing the idea of vulnerability when it’s not with one another, he was more prone to lash out and use harsh words and unlike him, the other was always more quiet and tended to keep everything in. It was just like when they were children and he wouldn’t tell him if he felt bad or sick because he didn’t want him to worry. That idiot truly shows how much of the younger one he is between them because only an older brother would understand the unspoken oath that they take on regarding their siblings.

Wan Jian Peak has knocked on their doors multiple times to ask for Zheng Yang as per customary practice for the swords left behind by dead owners. The younger peak lord kept giving excuses each time on why he cannot give the sword - he wanted to clean the shards first, he wanted a few more days with it, oh well will you look at that he forgot to clean it so that’s another week.

This kept going on for half a year before Shen Jiu finally had enough. The next time Wan Jian Peak disciples came, he put his foot down and declared that Zheng Yang wasn’t going anywhere but Qing Jing Peak. When the disciples reiterated the rules and one even boldly stated that they had no use for it anyway, Shen Jiu shouted that he wanted new higher quality set of toothpick anyway. Apparently that was enough to convince them to leave the sword alone. Hmm. Or it might have been his glare.

After shutting himself in the bamboo house for the first months directly after the incident, Shen Yuan has decided that he wanted to go travel and was thus often away. With the worry over his persistent issue on Without A Cure poison and his state of mind, one or two peak lords will accompany him which was mostly either Liu Qingge (the man didn’t really have disciples waiting for him) or Shang Qinghua (paperwork is the only thing waiting for him).

Shen Jiu himself wasn’t allowed to leave as often because Qing Jing Peak had one of the most number of disciples. And well, a part of it was also due to Shen Jiu letting Shen Yuan get away with anything - including keeping demons they met along the way be invited inside their mountains for tea.

For some reason, Shen Yuan had developed an interest on demons. He would read countless of books about them and learning as much as he can. He would then impart them to Shen Jiu and while the latter doesn’t understand the younger’s enthusiasm on that topic, he’d indulge him as it may be another one of those things that pass his fancy much like those botanical stuff, traditional practices topic, and so much more in the past.

Recalling how Yue Qingyuan tried his best to calmly inform him that he wouldn’t be allowed to leave every time Shen Yuan decided to travel with all the other peak lords peeking from their sect head’s back like the cowards that they were made him scoff when he still technically had the last laugh when on one of the returns of his brother together with Liu QIngge and Shang Qinghua, he brought with him a disgusting looking snake hybrid demon.

Naturally it wasn’t allowed to bring such creatures inside the sect territories but the bright smile of the younger Qing Jing Peak Lord made everyone else reconsider. In the end, Shen Jiu concluded that his brother lost a part of his sanity for finding deformed creatures as cute. He also sent a sneer to his fellow peak lords (most especially to the war freak one) when they all agreed to let Shen Yuan keep the thing. How dare they complain about how easy he bends to his brother’s requests when they themselves were extremely susceptible to it as well.

(The naming process to that kept demon was another matter entirely -

“What are you going to name it?” “Bing-” A glare. “-bing.” “You’re naming it ‘Bingbing’?!” “Yes?” A judgmental stare.)

In the end, they kept Bingbing for three years before it suddenly disappeared a year ago. While everyone else was frantically looking for it, Shen Yuan had calmly asked everyone to stop and proceeded to detail on how demons are somewhat like cats wherein they leave their homes when it was time for them to shed an old skin or die. (“Fucker didn’t even bother saying whether he was shedding an old skin or dying.” “We might be bound to meet again in the future.” “Still a fucking ingrate, that one.”)

Snapping himself back to the present, Shen Jiu walked towards his brother and closely knelt beside him as well. He ignored the startled look he received and looked straight at the protruding sword hilt.

“Today, my brother was supposed to be bedridden and yet I came to an empty bamboo house. This one,” he took out one of the spirit stones from his sleeves, “is for the idiot beside me. And this,” he took out the other spirit stone and paused for a while before continuing, “is for you.”

Shen Jiu buries the two spirit stones together.

He didn’t mind added weight on his shoulder as his twin rested his head there. The older one extended his left hand to his side as an offering. The younger one unhesitatingly took the offer and clasped his right hand on it. The two Shen Qingqius, Twin Peak Lords, and brothers watched as the sun finally rose to the skies.

All may not be well right now, but it will be.

-

“So to recap,” started Shen Jiu as he looked at all the other gathered peak lords sitting in a circle in Qiong Ding Peak’s meeting hall, “Jinlan City where rivers Luo and Heng meet has been having an issue of closing its gates affecting trade and the like because of a plague that supposedly turns you into a skeleton for already two months and yet we’re only hearing this now?”

Yue Qingyuan nodded, “Yes we were only given a missive by Zhao Hua Temple a few hours ago asking for our help.”

“Isn’t Zhao Hua Temple closest to Jinlan City? Why ask for our help now?” questioned Qi QIngqi.

“Zhao Hua Temple and Huan Hua and Tian Yi Overlook sent disciples to oversee the issue at hand and yet no one has returned,” replied Cang Qiong Peak’s sect leader.

A considering silence followed as the thirteen peak lords digested all the information they received.

“With such a curious case, I’m guessing that it’s not a normal human being that’s behind this or it may even be the works of anyone in the demon race,” concluded Qi Qingqi, “How do we deal with the perpetrators once they’re caught?”

“I’m not saying we should kill them,” started Shen Jiu.

Everyone looked at Shen Jiu disbelievingly. Shen Yuan put his palm on his forehead to check his temperature while Liu Qingge grabbed his wrist to check his spiritual energy flow. Mu Qingfang has opened his first aid kit, Yue Qingyuan looked like he was having a nightmare, and the rest of the peak lords had their swords half drawn.

Shen Jiu glared at all of them as he continued, “But we really fucking should.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief and went back to drinking their teas.

“We should worry about how we’re going to deal the perpetrators when we already have them,” said Wei Qingwei.

Seeing that no one seems to be against helping, Yue Qingyuan spoke once more, “One thing’s for sure, we’re going to need a healer to help cure the plague,” Mu Qingfang dipped his head in a show of acknowledgment, “Is there anyone else who wishes to go?”

“I’ll accompany Mu Qingfang as we’re not just going to be dealing with humans here,” volunteered Liu Qingge to no one’s surprise.

“I’ll go too,” a soft voice said.

Some rolled their eyes while others just sighed. Of course, the younger Shen Qingqiu would also want to go. In the past years, he has always injected himself in the middle whenever a demon is in question perhaps due to some strange fascination. At first, everyone thought he was going to hate the demon race as his favored disciple was killed by them and as such, they were surprised when he presents himself to peacefully mitigate anything that has got to do with the demons. And since the incident might involve such, naturally he was going to want to come.

A fan snapped close and they redirected their attention to the older Shen Qingqiu who then firmly declares with challenging eyes to Yue Qingyuan, “I’ll be there as well.” Another round of rolled eyes and exasperated sighs occured between the peak lords. As if Yue Qingyuan ever managed to say no to him.

Besides, what could go wrong with this ensemble?

nine;

A lot. A lot could go wrong with this ensemble is apparently the correct answer. Mu Qingfang looked up at the skies with a forlorn expression in an effort to ask the heavens to help him and also to avoid looking at his companions. They were currently in a small boat in Luo river and it seems he’s the only sane one around.

“Do it faster!”

“I’m your shixiong! Show some respect!”

There happens to be a competition between Liu Qingge and Shen Jiu on who’s rowing the boat better. On a normal day, Shen Jiu would be taking the other seat of the pillow princess throne and condescendingly demand others to do the hard labor for him. But there would be those rare moments where he’d be metaphorically and literally pulling on his sleeves to prove a point. Basically every time Liu Qingge was involved.

Mu Qingfang had to hold on tight to the sides of his seat in order to not get thrown off with the speed they were going just because of the two competitive freaks. Well, at least the two weren’t trying to murder each other with those paddles and -

Clang!

- he spoke too soon.

He sneaked a glance to his supposed only help in this type of situation. Ah. But it seems Shen Yuan has decided to turn on his dramatic switch today as he morosely looked at the Luo river and had his right hand dipped on the water. His slumped figure on the side of the boat was indication enough that he was having another Luo Binghe episode.

With the sounds of clashing wooden paddles from two idiots and the depressing aura of the younger Qing Jing Peak Lord as his companions, Mu Qingfang rubbed his temples. He doesn’t know how Shang Qinghua manages to survive each trip with these people. Or it could also be that his need to run away from An Ding Peak’s paperwork (and he can’t blame him with the amount of damage that Shen Jiu and Liu Qingge make) is simply stronger.

“Ah. The body does turn into a skeleton.”

Mu Qingfang snapped from his daze as well as the previously fighting pair at the voice of Shen Yuan who then proceeded to gesture with the hand previously submerged in the water towards the corpse they’re passing by. Shen Jiu held in a full blown screech and rushed to his brother all the while lecturing him how dirty the water was and that he shouldn’t be putting his hand just about anywhere because hello, did he fucking want to get sick again?!

“Leave this place!”

The peak lords startled at the shout and upon turning, they found a wet kid entering their boat.

“Oi! Did you not hear me?! I told you to leave this place! Leave now! Leave! Leave!”

Liu Qingge stepped forward ready to shut the kid up when a paddle hit the kid in the gut and was sent out of the boat and back to the river. Mu Qingfang blinked. He looked back to their twins and was unsurprised to find Shen Jiu on the other end of the wooden paddle with an unimpressed look on his face.

“Gē Ge!” admonished Shen Yuan.

“He was noisy.”

Shen Yuan heaved out a sigh and was about to give out another lecture on patience and the softness of children when he felt their boat moving faster again. He shifted his attention to Liu QIngge and asked, “Why are you paddling already?”

Liu Qingge didn’t even bother looking at him, “To get away from the noise.”

The appearance of a clear emotion on Shen Yuan’s face almost made Mu Qingfang laugh but managed to hold it in because basing from that aghast look, his amusement wasn’t going to be welcomed.

“I think,” started Shen Yuan, “all peak lords should have a workshop on dealing with children.”

“I think all children should have a workshop on dealing with peak lords,” Shen Jiu mockingly replied.

“Hey! I wasn’t done talking! You need to leave now!” Oh. Looks like the kid was more persistent than they initially thought as he has successfully chased after them and is holding onto their boat. He looked like an aggrieved kitten and Shen Yuan made a move to go over to him however Shen Jiu beat him to that task.

The older Qing Jing Peak lord slammed his paddle down to the kid again but the kid seemed to have expected it and dodges under the water. When he his resurfaced, Shen Jiu slammed the paddle down again and he went under water once more.

“Oh?” Shen Jiu gave the paddle and the kid a considering glance before a malicious grin appeared on his face, “Just like whack-a-mole . Oi, Liu Qingge, we should do this as a swimming training to your little legion of idiots.”

“You have your own disciples!” tsked Liu Qingge but his face definitely looked interested with the suggestion.

Shen Yuan gently pushed his brother aside - making the other wrinkle his nose distastefully - and helped the kid up, “Hello. What is your name?”

The kid looked at Shen Yuan’s gentle looking expression and deemed him saner than the two with paddles or the other one still seated that had grabbed one of the corpses floating and was looking at it in disturbing fascination.

“I am called Yang Yixuan. And I’m the son of the boss of the Finely-Crafted Weapons shop.”

“We are cultivators from Cang QIong Peak,” introduced Shen Yuan, “and we’re here to help regarding the issue of the plague inside your city.”

“I know,” grumbled Yang Yixuan, “and I’m telling you to leave because if the other cultivators couldn’t do anything then what can you do? Even those Huan Hua Palace people arrived yesterday and still there’s nothing. You’re just going to be added in the casualties.”

A paddle lightly hit his chest and as he was ready to scream again, he met Shen Jiu’s cold eyes.

“Don’t you look down on Cang Qiong Peak. Now shut your mouth before I sew it -”

“Gē Ge, you can’t sew.”

“- and just lead us to the town since you already know things. But don’t come near me with your wet clothes -”

“Gē Ge, you’re the one who hit him to the water.”

“- because I don’t need your dirt. You can go hang out with either the corpse enthusiast over there or with the battle freak in front.”

“Gē Ge, it isn’t nice to call our martial brothers such names.”

Yang Yixuan furrowed his eyebrows at the strange people in front of him. Were cultivators really like this?

“Liu-shidi,” called Shen Yuan, “This child has healthy energy to match his latent talent and a good heart. Wouldn’t he make a good disciple for Bai Zhan Peak?”

“Moldable talent is useless. I don’t accept disciples. Kids are too troublesome.”

Shen Jiu smirked at the response and directed his words back to the kid, “Wet and dirty child. Come to Qing Jing Peak and be my disciple instead.”

Liu Qingge stops rowing and rushed to the kid before shaking him, “No! Come to Bai Zhan Peak!”

“Ha? Didn’t you just reject him a while ago?” commented the petty form of Shen Jiu, “See here, child, obviously I’m the better choice.”

“You can’t even defeat me!”

Shen Yuan hides his smug face behind his fan.

Mu Qingfang cooed at the corpse.

-

After meeting the other cultivators from Zhao Hua Temple and getting more information on the current events inside the city, Mu Qingfang said he needed to see more people infected in order to try and make an antidote. Liu Qingge nodded and grabbed a random person wrapped in bandages serving them tea by the scruffs of their neck and presented them to the healer. Said healer gave him an impassive face whilst the twins exchanged glances.

Did they really expect anything else from the Bai Zhan Peak lord?

Deciding that Liu Qingge was more than enough to accompany Mu Qingfang and attend to his requests, the twins exited the shop and started roaming around to look for clues.

“How are you feeling?”

“My season sickness is already done for autumn two weeks ago, which you already know.”

“Don’t give me that sass or I’ll smack you.”

Shen Yuan gave an amused smile at his older brother, “Sure.”

“I fucking spoiled you,” sneered Shen Jiu.

As they rounded the corner, a cloaked figure bumped into them. Shen Yuan reached out to help steady the person but Shen Jiu interjects between them and used the tip of his fan to right the cloaked one. He sent a dispassionate gaze to the other and with mumbling apologies, the twins were left alone.

“Wha -”

Shen Jiu stopped his brother midway by tapping the younger’s cheek with the other end of his fan. Shen Yuan looked at the part of the fan that touched the figure and saw that it was blackened.

While they both had their own set of fan collections with Shen Yuan changing from one to another in a span of days, Shen Jiu only ever uses one. It was a beautifully hand carved specialized creation that detected malicious energy and supposedly protects the one it was made for albeit it wasn’t really strong. The older Shen Qingqiu preferred using it and never parted with said fan because, as he claims, it was the most useful. Shen Yuan nods his head on the claim and indulges him by not commenting that maybe another reason was that it was made and given by their sect leader.

“I told you not to trust anyone,” commented Shen Jiu and in a split second, they went after the direction the cloaked person ran to.

-

“How was it?”

“A failure. This one apologizes.”

A chuckle.

“Well, based on your stories, it makes sense. There are other chances. Relax.”

-

The Qing Jing Peak lords entered the large establishment they came upon and out of habit, they held hands as they went up the stairs. There were no signs of the cloaked figure but the path lead them to this place so they might as well check it out. Liu Qingge can go with them later when he’s done helping their resident healer.

A few steps before the second floor, they heard young voices talking. They both snapped their fans open and slowly went up until they caught parts of the conversation.

“- Qiong Peak is here. What if that bad teacher is part of their entourage?”

The twins stopped their ascent curious as to what these seemingly junior disciples were talking about regarding their sect.

“Another one of the four great sects is definitely welcome to aid us,” responded a deep voice.

If it had been anyone else, perhaps the pang of familiarity wouldn’t hit immediately with just one sentence. If it had been anyone else that didn’t guide the owner of that voice grow and develop their skills then most probably they wouldn’t recognize whom those words were from..

But Shen Yuan wasn’t just anyone else.

His heart thumped loudly against his chest as happiness filled his entire being. For the last five years, he has visited his grave everyday in a way to simultaneously punish and comfort himself. He has also never missed a call from the gods governing Cang Qiong Peak in hopes to be given information on how his disciple was and how he can help. He let go of his brother’s hand in an effort to run to his Luo Binghe and -

“But surely, seeing your horrible teacher - that Master Shen Yuan would be disgusting wouldn’t it?”

- he stopped.

“Ah, we really should be focusing on what’s important,” the same voice responded.

And Shen Yuan felt every inch of his previous happiness wilt. Because of course...of course…

He went back one step downward and he stamped down the crushing pain in his heart. How could he have thought that anything but hatred would be given to him upon their reunion? How could he have thought that a warm hug was what would welcome him once they meet? How could he have thought anything else?

Tears threatened to fall from the corner of his eyes and he stifled his sobs.

And then a flash and crash -

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened at the burst of energy and when he realized what happened, he felt his panic go wild.

- his brother had attacked Luo Binghe.

-

“Are these enough?” asked Liu Qingge and gestured to the pile of people affected by the plague that he grabbed.

“ More than enough actually,” replied Mu Qingfang.

“Do you need any more help?”

“No. You can go find the twins before Shen Jiu offends half of the population and before Shen Yuan decides to invite more strays to have tea with him.”

Liu Qingge quickly bid the healer goodbye and conveniently ignoring the muffled groans and complains of the people he carelessly stacked up. He jumped on the roofs and tried to figure out where the Shen Qingqius have gone off to. A strong burst of spiritual energy that was definitely familiar to him almost made him lose his footing. He managed to find his balance once more and rode his sword to the source of the blow.

He arrives on the street outside a big looking establishment just in time to see the clash of the two Xiu Yas .

“Move out of the way!” shouted Shen Jiu.

Surprised at the very rare clash of the green and white swords, Liu Qingge threw Cheng Luan towards the older twin as he’s more sure that it’s going to get deflected easier since his own sword clashed with that one more.

“Oi! What’s happening here?” he immediately questioned once he landed on the ground.

Neither of the siblings answered him as they were both too busy glaring (Shen Jiu) and impassively looking (Shen Yuan) at each other. And knowing how the two functioned, Liu Qingge knows there’s a whole ten foot scroll of transcription on that form of communication they had.

He took that time to examine the other participants in the crowd and found them all to be Huan Hua Palace disciples. They must have been the ones who arrived yesterday. His gaze reached the one directly behind Shen Yuan and saw a tall young man with jet black hair that had slight waves - but it was his eyes that bothered him. He seemed familiar but he can’t seem to pinpoint how.

An annoyed huff exited Shen Jiu and he resheathed the white half of Xiu Ya. Seeing his brother’s actions, Shen Yuan put the green half of Xiu Ya in its scabbard and walked forward to pick up Cheng Luan. He walked towards Liu Qingge and gave him his sword back before peering at his twin with an extended hand to act as an invitation.

Shen Jiu cast one last cold glare at the cowering Huan Hua Palace disciples and a hard glance at the only one unmoved. He answers his brother’s invitation by deftly clasping their hands together.

“What the hell? I can’t even trust my shixiongs to be left alone and not terrorize other people?”

“I’m cutting your tongue, you impudent shidi! I already said we don’t want a threesome with you,” came the familiar mirthless teasing that started back when he was saved by the Shens, “Anyhow, we’re leaving now or else I’m going to need to come up with a proper explanation to Huan Hua Palace why the disciples they sent found their end on my sword.”

A quiet whimper was let out by the junior disciples.

Shen Yuan took hold of Liu Qingge’s on his left arm and pulled both of the competitive cultivators away from where he feels his heart might break any minute.

Liu Qingge let himself be dragged and he gave one last glance at the Huan Hua Palace disciples they were leaving behind and felt a shiver run through his spine. There really was something with that tall young man’s eyes who remained unmoved that he noticed a while ago - its intense focus never left Shen Yuan.

-

“Gē Ge…”

Uncontrollable sobs.

A helpless sigh.

“Oh, you fool. Come here.”

-

“So you’re saying that the same disciple that Shen Yuan mourned for over five years is alive, has somehow transferred to Huan Hua Palace, and is bad news?”

“I didn’t say he was bad news, you fucker. I said he might be bad news” grumbled Shen Jiu.

Both he and Liu Qingge decided that they needed to finish the case inside the city as soon as possible to get back home. Since Mu Qingfang already identified the perpetrators to be sowers , they only had to find their encampment to get it over with. They left the other two peak lords because Mu Qingfang needed all the energy to finish the antidotes tomorrow morning and Shen Yuan...well, he needed all the rest after the revelation that afternoon.

The moon served as their light as they traversed the city in search of their goal. And Shen Jiu took the time to relay the story of the events earlier to Cheng Luan’s wielder.

“If you think he might be bad news then shouldn’t we confront him?”

“No.”

“Huh?” asked a confused Liu Qingge because if there was someone always down to do the dirty deed then he can count on Shen Jiu to be his partner especially if it involved the welfare of his brother.

“I promised,” replied the older one, “I promised that I’ll trust him. I snapped a while ago but now that I’m calmer, I guess I have to see the good in that kid who apparently didn’t die...wherever that is.”

[Later - much, much later, Shen Jiu will scream himself hoarse at how he had been a fool at this time.]

-

“Shizun.”

Shen Yuan blearily opened his eyes and swallowed the surprised shout from his throat at the sight of Luo Binghe hovering on top of him with an unidentifiable smile plastered. His long hair was spread on the bed and his hands lay on his stomach stiffly as he watched the looming figure above him. The bigger male leans down to him and each second it took felt like hours.

Luo Binghe lightly bumps his forehead with him and their eyes are glued to one another. He can feel the puffs of air from the other fanning across his own breathing. Despite the weather and the fact that he was only wearing his thin inner garments, warmth spread throughout his body as if blessed from his newly returned disciple.

“Shizun.”

The demon mark of Luo Binghe slowly appeared like a drawing of some lava flowing. He leaned closer making their faces align - their eyelashes overlapping and the tip of their lips a strand of air away from touching. It seems he’s been calling him for quite a while now. It would be rude not to respond, wouldn’t it?

He opened his mouth; his own lips lightly dragging on the other’s lips as well.

“Binghe.”

The smile on his disciple morphs into an ominous grin.

- and then Shen Yuan wakes up for the second time.

He hastily sat up from the bed with labored breathing. He clutched his inner garments closer to his body and let his gaze run across the room.

He found no one.

His eyes traveled to the window.

It was open.

-

Morning came and Shen Yuan came down from his room greeted by the sight of Yue Qingyuan.

“A-Yuan, I heard what happened. We can immediately address before dinner time later,” Cang Qing Peak’s sect leader said as he offered him breakfast.

Shen Yuan took a small bite, tried to erase the odd event last night, and blinked at the older man, “There is no need. We all have to concentrate on the issue with sowers.”

“That can be finished within the next hour. Xiao-Jiu and Liu-shidi have already rounded up the sowers in the city plaza. This is precisely the reason why I immediately flew here as well as Huan Hua Palace’s master.”

“Did those two even sleep?” he asked worriedly, “I mean, I know we don’t really need it that much but gēgē always makes sure to have his beauty sleep or else he becomes cranky.”

Yue Qingyuan fondly shook his head, “It was their choice to wrap this up immediately. Knowing them, they definitely would have had sadistic fun in chasing their preys. They’re already in the plaza together with Mu-shidi who has the antidotes ready along with the other cultivators.”

“Hmm,” he hummed in response and didn’t bother finishing half of his food, “Let’s go. We left two of the worst candidates for diplomatic affairs, after all.”

Once they arrived at the city plaza, it was like there was a cold war brewing with the way that Huan Hua Palace sect and Cang Qing Peak sect were looking at each other. The sowers were in some sort of cage and were currently discarded on the side like they weren’t the reason why the parties have gathered there.

Huan Hua Palace’s master stood in front of their crowd and seemed to have been saying something derisive (based on the glare from Liu Qingge and the cold flash on Shen Jiu’s eyes) and was gesturing at someone beside him. On the other hand, Shen Jiu was a step forward from the Cang Qiong Peak group with Liu Qingge on his right and Mu Qingfang on his right plus some disciples from the peak lords present.

“I hope there aren’t any issues?” questioned Yue Qingyuan when they walked over to their sect mates.

“I don’t know,” sneered Shen Jiu, “why don’t you ask the old man in front of me?”

A scoff came from said old man, “I would hope that there aren’t any issue, Sect Leader Yue. But then, some things have come to light from the incident five years ago, this sower issue, and the arrival of a very important whistleblower.”

“What is happening?” inquired Shen Yuan.

Upon hearing his voice, everyone’s focus went to him like some moths to a flame making Shen Yuan mentally wonder how he’s involved. Shen Jiu went over to his side (as if to shield him, as if to protect his little brother - like he did in the past and like how he’s always done).

“There’s no need to act innocent, Master Shen,” jibed the old palace master, “These sowers have identified a certain Shen Qingqiu to be their ring leader.”

“And of course you immediately believed them like the objective and sane person you clearly are not?” taunted Shen Jiu.

“The appearance of this dear lady right here have also confirmed our suspicions in your involvement. My lady?”

The person beside him finally fully stepped forward and removed her cloak, “What I am about to say are all true as I swear on my murdered family’s name and the chance the gods have bestowed upon me to get justice.”

Shen Jiu’s eyes widened as he recognized the woman and Shen Yuan hid the lower half of his face behind his fan.

“My name,” the woman continued fiercely as she gazed fiercely to where the twins were, “is Qiu Haitang. Out of the goodness of my family’s heart especially my elder brother’s, we adopted the Shen twins away from poverty. And yet, after taking care of them, the one you all revere and call as Shen Qingqiu has decided to give back by murdering the entire Qiu household and destroyed everything in fire!”

Loud murmurs and scandalized gasps scattered from the crowd consisting of even the townspeople both affected and not affected by the plague alike.

“Lady Qiu, your anger is fully justified. However, these are just your words against the spotless record of the one you’re accusing,” stated Yue Qingyuan as he himself tried his best not to look at Shen Jiu because even he knows that anything involving his younger brother would make him capable of absolutely anything and everything.

“Spotless record?!” cried one of the Huan Hua Palace disciples identified as the young palace mistress, “What about the years of torment he’s given Luo Binghe?!”

A collective “yeah!” resounded from the young disciples making Cang Qing Peak’s own juniors, notably leaded by Ming Fan and Ning Yingying, shout, “liars!” in defense of their peak lords. Both Qing Jing Peak disciples thought that while Master Shen Jiu had a disagreeable relationship with Luo Binghe and let him get hurt for a month, he had actually stopped actively doing so once Teacher Shen Yuan declared him to be his head disciple.

The old palace master looked smug, “As you can see, Sect Leader Yue, these piled up evidences must be investigated thoroughly. And in the meantime, may I humbly suggest that the accused be held within Huan Hua Palace’s Water Prison as we do so?”

“Huan Hua Palace’s Water Prison?! You dare?!” shouted Liu Qingge who had his Cheng Luan already unsheathed.

“Liu-shidi, calm down,” called out Shen Yuan and breathed a sigh of relief when the other did lower his sword a bit. He turned to his brother to determine how they were going to deal with this but found him and Yue Qingyuan wordlessly staring at one another. There seemed to be some challenge and defensiveness in his brother’s eyes and an easy acceptance on the older ones.

“Palace Master is right that we must conduct proper investigation,” Yue Qingyuan agreed after a while and turned to the ones opposite them, “but the whole prison is unnecessary. Cang Qiong Peak is more than enough to keep Peak Lord Shen Jiu in seclusion.”

“Oh? Sect Leader Yue is confining both of them? I suppose it’s only right as the other would definitely help the perpetrator escape due to some misplaced loyalty on blood relation.”

Yue Qingyuan frowned at the statement, “Were you not accusing our Shen Qingqiu ?”

“Of course not the both of them!” screamed an offended looking Qiu Haitang and let out a soft look on Shen Jiu, “A-Jiu isn’t vile,” and then she glared at Shen Yuan, “compared to that one!”

The entire Cang Qiong Peak delegation seemed to have broken their brains at that revelation. Because if there was someone who had a ninety-nine percent chance of doing what they were saying then it definitely wasn’t the younger twin. A lot of confused blinking was involved before Liu Qingge finally found his voice.

“Listen, woman. You might have mistaken which one’s the demon,” he gestured rudely towards Shen Jiu who sneered at him but didn’t refute anything, “and which one’s the angel,” he then gestured at Shen Yuan who had his usual poker face on.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” hissed Qiu Haitang, “I’m certain it’s Shen Yuan! A-Jiu has accompanied my brother so many times and everything is normal and yet the moment that one goes with him, the next thing I know is that the entire estate is on fire and my family is butchered to death!”

Shen Yuan saw how his brother stiffened at the remembrance and at the blatant reveal of their past in a crowd. His hands moved over to his own sword just in time that Liu Qingge raised Cheng Luan again in anger.

“So you didn’t really see anything. Everything in the end is hearsay and this is a complete waste of time. You lot can deal with these sowers because we’re leaving. And if anyone of you tries to stop us, you can talk with my sword.”

“Liu-shidi, lower your weapon,” ordered Yue Qingyuan and Shen Yuan watched in reassurance as Bai Zhan Peak’s lord did so begrudgingly for the second time. But his assurance stopped short when Yue Qingyuan withdrew his own infamous sword and continued, “I, alone, will be enough for anyone who wish to stop us.”

His declaration sent a shiver amongst everyone present and it seemed to have been exactly what snapped Shen Jiu from his rumination, “Oi! You sheathe that back. I’ll take care of anyone who thinks they can prevent us from leaving.”

Seeing that Liu Qingge has once again raised his sword and this time together with his brother - and if basing from the clangs he’s hearing behind him, then the rest of the Cang Qiong Peak delegation are also gearing themselves up for a fight together with the unsheathing of Huan Hua Palace disciples’ own swords - notably, Luo Binghe wasn’t there; Shen Yuan took three sure steps forward and threw his Xiu Ya half to the middle.

“There is no need for violence. This one will willingly enter Huan Hua Palace’s Water Prison.”

“Shen Yuan!” “A-Yuan!” “Idiot!” “Teacher!”

“I’ll be fine,” said Shen Yuan when he turned to them and then held his brother’s hand and looked him in the eye, “I’ll be fine.”

Shen Jiu held to his hand tighter refusing to let go and glared at him as if offended that he thinks he’s going to let this happen.

Before anyone else can say or do anything, a loud screech reverberated. Everyone scrambled to look for the source and found that the sowers cage, which everyone had initially neglected, was torn open. And the sowers themselves looked possessed and were growing in size.

“What in the world?!”

“Why are they evolving?! Their demonic energy is increasing!”

Yue Qingyuan turned to Mu Qingfang and the Cang Qiong Peak disciples, “Protect the civilians. Get them out of here. Now.”

With Qian Cao Peak’s lord leading them, the disciples rushed to the civilians and started leading them out. The four peak lords were left in the middle of the plaza together with the Huan Hua Palace disciples waiting for their master’s orders. The old man glowered at the events and then pointed an accusing finger to Shen Yuan.

“He’s definitely the one orchestrating this! Get him!”

With the Huan Hua Palace disciples gunning after Shen Yuan as well as the start of the evolved sowers attacks, the four scattered.

Shen Jiu pushed Shen Yuan away, “Return to Cang Qiong Peak!”

“I will not leave -”

“I have no time for your sentiments! Right now, I’m ordering you as your older brother! Show some filial piety, you idiot!”

“We’re the same age and -”

“I swear to the gods I’m stabbing myself right here and right now if you don’t leave in three seconds. Three -”

“Gē Gē please -”

“Two -” he flipped the gleaming white half of Xiu Ya to himself.

“Fine!” with a frustrated shout, Shen Yuan hopped up to his sword and flew away from the carnage as the three peak lords blocked the cultivators and demons alike.

He flew as fast as he can and when he saw the running figures of the rest of Cang Qiong Peak’s disciples leading the civilians away, he made a move to fly down to them -

- only to be blocked by a figure.

The appearance of the one on his way surprised him enough that he fell to one of the roofs. Xiu Ya went down after him but was a few feet away. He reached out for it but the Without A Cure poison decided it was the best time to make itself be remembered and Xiu Ya remained unmoving on the edge of the roof.

The younger twin peak lord internally growled and stood up just in time to identify the figure who heavily landed in front of him.

“Shizun.”

Both master and disciple were now all alone together on top of one of the highest roofs in the city under the blazing heat of the sun at noon. The temperature was mitigated by the cool winds of autumn blowing mixing the hot and cold feeling. Shen Yuan wasn’t able to fully observe Luo Binghe on their one (two?) brief encounter due to circumstances and now he let his eyes feast on him.

His shoulders are now more broad and his body definitely toned and more developed compared to the more slender form he had before. His hair was tied in a half pony - lengthier, and the tidbits of wave on its tips have grown as well. His facial features have become more chiseled and defined; no longer were his baby fat present and yet the bright gleam in his eyes remained constant as he himself eagerly studied his master back.

“Did Shizun have a good night’s sleep?” he asked with a semi tilted head to the right.

“Binghe…” breathed out Shen Yuan. But his attention was snatched away from their reunion to the sword on his disciple’s hand.

Oh, he knows that sword . It was the same sword that he’d dreamt of for years. It was the same sword that - His thoughts came to a screeching halt at the remembrance of what path the sword has for its wielder. He searchingly looked at the now taller man and worriedly noted the increasing red specks on his eyes and the glowing demon mark on his forehead.

“Binghe, put down that sword.”

For a second, Luo Binghe looked like he was going to do exactly what he asked but then his eyes hardened and a sinister look passed his face that further highlight the crazed look on his eyes.

“No.”

Shen Yuan tried motioning for Xiu Ya again but in a flash, Luo Binghe was in front of him holding his left wrist tightly.

“I would suggest that Shizun not do anything rash.”

“With the way things are going, it seems that it’s this disciple doing rash actions.”

Luo Binghe’s eyes widened and the specks of red in his iris lightened, “So this teacher still considers this one as his disciple…”

It was Shen Yuan’s turn to look surprised, “What? Of course I do.”

Just then, the sword on Luo Binghe’s hand emitted a strong demonic energy which seemed to be seeping inside Luo Binghe. The half demon scrunched up his face and seemed to be in pain. Shen Yuan gasped at the sight and made a move to hold Luo Binghe down before the latter gripped his wrist harder making him wince in pain.

Luo Binghe opened his eyes once more and his eyes had turned into blood red ones. Without relenting his grip on Shen Yuan, he dragged him towards his chest and much like how it was the night before, he leaned his head down and bumped their foreheads together that they had no choice but to just focus on one another.

“Binghe, listen to this teacher. That sword is corrupting you and isn’t meant to be held by anyone. Put it down.”

The sword emitted more miasma as if mockingly laughing at Shen Yuan’s attempts and the two of them were surrounded by such dark energy.

[It was only on that one path that a light could extinguish it - yet he failed to find that light. And now he’s here subjugated to the miserable scene he constantly sees. Light. Light. Light. What was it?]

It seemed that the sword had full control of Luo Binghe’s darkest parts right now as said wielder only continued obsessively gazing straight to Shen Yuan’s eyes and gave no indication whether he knew or cared about the growing miasma and how it was slowly but surely destroying everything on its path.

[Light. Light. Light. What was it?]

“Shizun,” Luo Binghe repeated like some starved animal.

[Light. Light. Light. What was it?]

And then Shen Yuan saw it - the flicker of recognition on Luo Binghe’s eyes as he murmured the same thing again and again.

[Light. Oh. He knows it now.]

Shen Yuan raised his right hand that wasn’t gripped by Luo Binghe and slowly cupped the latter’s cheek with it.

The miasma had reached the entire establishment they were up on and was moving to the streets.

“Why does Shizun look at me like that? Has shizun missed me as well?”

Shen Yuan gave him a fond smile as a tear rolled down his own face, “Can’t I look at what I raised?” and then his hands trembled, “...what I’ve hurt?”

He mouthed his last words to the recovering Luo Binghe and with every last bit of his core - he blew himself up.

The sheer strength of an immortal’s pure spiritual energy against the already weakening miasma shattered the entire block. Above, the sun shone brightly as if everything was fine and the skies continued flowing with the wind. The temperature continued to be the perfect mix of hot and cold and on the skies, birds flew to the across the heavens.

On a perfect looking day, Luo Binghe’s despairing look watched as his one reason for living in the past, for surviving the abyss’ hell, and for thriving in present day - his shizun - fell from the rooftop with a satisfied smile on his face.

-

There is a howling sound akin to that of a wounded wild animal and when asked, the witnesses will described the terrifying image of Qing Jing Peak’s Shen Jiu as he screamed for his brother.

-

[A decade into the future from this moment, the older brother would calmly walk on the halls of a palace and uncharacteristically softly say, "I want my brother's body," - and the young demon lord will crumble at that request. ]

Chapter Text

ten and eleven;

“Have you heard about Cang Qiong Peak?”

“If this is about that peak lord who died, then yes. Honestly, aren’t you the one who’s late? It happened a year ago already.”

“No, no! This is a new one! So remember how that lord has a twin who went wild back then in Jinlan City that they had to lock the city? Well hear this - apparently that twin has also passed away!”

“What?! In a span of a year?! What happened?”

“See, here’s the weird part -”

-

In the stillness of the rising sun, not even birds chirping could be heard and no wind passed by the area. All shades of green foliage collected at the ground while more stayed up. The golden hue of the bright star’s rays slowly started to flood the place and yet the land remained quiet and unmoving.

And then - a hand shot up from the soil and started parting the area around it. Minutes passed before the hand’s shoulder surfaced and with that limb freed, the self-excavation became easier. It swept forward and removed the soil in that area until eventually a head appeared. If anyone were to witness this event, they’d have long since concluded it was a demon and either ran away from fright or killed the one under the bedrock immediately before it can even move up.

With an hour or so passing, a figure of a human being finally emerged from the ground. Bleary eyes took in his surroundings and mentally frowned at the thick canopies of the trees inside the forest he seemed to be at. The sun has just risen and the light hasn’t poured fully yet so he used the nearest plant near him to help himself stand up.

He patted from the top of his head (all those mud on his hair are atrocious), his shoulders (the soil clinging to his skin is not welcome at all). Crap. He continued doing so lower on his body until a gust of wind blew and the figure only then realized that he was...naked. Double crap.

He can already mentally hear the screeching lectures of his brother. At the remembrance of his literal other half, he blinked and looked at both his open palms confusedly. He wasn’t sure where exactly he was nor how he ended up wherever this place was. The last things he could remember were still vague in his mind and he’s not interested in a headache.

With how he came up from - he dubiously looked at the soil - that place , then he’s sure it definitely wasn’t normal which in turn, makes this entire experience trickier than he initially considered. His eyes ran over his hands again and noted that it was his own if that tiny scar mark when he accidentally cut himself whilst helping some junior disciples in the past was still there. Oh, and his brother was definitely unimpressed with his sudden bleeding then.

His thoughts returned to his older twin and his hands unconsciously grasped thin air as if asking for the other’s hand like how it usually was for the two of them. Upon receiving no answering grasp back, he blinked and tried his best to stamp down his rising panic. He let out a deep breathe and sat down in a meditative pose back on the ground as he willed himself to remember what has happened and why his brother wasn’t around.

“Why does Shizun look at me like that? Has shizun missed me as well?”

“Can’t I look at what I raised?” and then his hands trembled, “...what I’ve hurt?”

He mouthed his last words to the recovering Luo Binghe and with every last bit of his core, he -

Shen Yuan startled and physically grasped his abdomen where his core lay. The silent thrum of something not supposed to be there anymore - not after his last act - sent shivers down his spine. As he recalled the events that the last bits of his consciousness grasped, he felt the need to throw up.

Cang Qiong Peak.

Qi ge, Liu-shidi, Mu-shidi, and their juniors had been left to deal with that wreckage. There would be issues against Huan Hua Palace and the demons and the political ramifications of that is something he didn’t think of before he did what he did. He wonders if his makeshift family (one consisting of a tired shixiong, an abrasive shidi, a corpse enthusiast shidi, and so much more) will be able to forgive him for the troubles.

Luo Binghe.

Oh god, what has happened to his beloved disciple? Was his light enough to extinguish Xin Mo’s influence? He needed to clear so many things up with him and the way it ended between them would most probably insanely confuse him. And…

Gē Ge.

As the light faded from his vision, he’s certain that his brother witnessed him blowing up. That shrill scream was something he was already acquainted with. And no, it wasn’t from when he got scolded nor when the older would snide at others. It was the exact same sound he heard the night they burned down the Qiu household.

Trying his best to ignore the elevating panic within him, he started deeply breathing in and out as the most basic technique in meditation. However, just the thought of both his brother (would he have welcomed Qi ge and the rest of their peak’s comfort?) and his disciple (who did he even have now that he just returned from that abyss?) is enough to send him to a hyperventilating mode.

He can’t breathe.

Oh god. He really cannot breathe.

His eyes started seeing black spots on the corner. The familiar feeling of frustration and helplessness clouded his thoughts and he started aggressively hitting his abdomen in an effort to ask what lay beneath (what wasn’t his) to help him. Just as he was about to lose consciousness with the lack of air, his vision shifted to the plants surrounding where he was buried and the wild thumping of his heart considerably slowed down.

He semi-crawled on his fours to the lean and long plant (his brother was going to give him a scolding litany on how undignified and dirty he was and he’d gladly welcome that voice back). He rested his forehead to his destination. His breathing was the only sound in the area and has fortunately mellowed it. He wrapped his arms around the plant as if it can stand in as a proxy to the human bodies he wants to hold on to right now.

Bamboo.

They buried him between bamboo groves just like the one back in Qing Jing Peak.

A smile appeared on his face and he chuckled lightly against the bamboo poles. Breathing started to become easier with his realization and he continued inhaling and exhaling deeply as his mind slowly cleared up. All the while, he never eased his body clutching on the unsuspecting plant.

When he finally felt more like himself, he thought about his next course of actions. He knows he isn’t in Cang Qiong Peak because the feel of the area is extremely unfamiliar; but he also knows that majority of the people he needs to see are going to be there and as such, he needs to get back home. He stood up with a newfound determination and was about to take a step forward before he internally groaned.

He almost forgot he was still naked. For heaven’s sake, he had such a dramatic episode without clothes on and he’s never been more thankful of the absence of anyone and anything in the area. How was he supposed to find clothes and -

The sound of feet crunching on the leaves on the ground in the distance made him believe that maybe the universe doesn’t hate him that much after all. He sent a mental prayer to karma to be forgiven against the transgression he’s about to commit on the person arriving. He needs clothes and resources, okay.

He sneaks on the side and when the individual stepped into the clearing, he pounced and -

- Shen Yuan felt his world twirl as he was caught in his middle by strong arms and his eyes met a handsome face with an unabashedly smug grin.

“Gotcha.”

-

The rising sun’s rays sneaked inside a bamboo house where a man sat on the back of his feet on the floor ignoring the untouched bed on the corner and the pillow cushions surrounding a low table on the other side. His posture remained undisturbed as he methodologically ran his right hand on the sword that was carefully held by his left and tilted sideways upon his lap.

The up and down repetitive motions of the hand whilst only barely touching the unsheathed sword served as some sort of calming practice by the one doing it who has elected to have his eyes closed the entire time. The green sheath of aforementioned weapon which matched its hilts color and carving is laid by his side propped up by a pillow cushion.

“Can’t I look at what I raised?” (a tremble) “...what I’ve hurt?”

Luo Binghe’s eyes snapped open.

“Shi-” and then he abruptly stopped himself from calling out.

His dull blood red eyes looked at the sword on his hand once more and breathed out as he continued running his hands on the blade. Every day, for the past year, his ritual of coming over to the pathetic copy of Qing Jing Peak’s bamboo house (Shifu’s words to which he agrees with) was something he did without fail.

Ensuring a meticulous way of cleaning the sword by being extremely careful to not give it too much nor too little spiritual energy to maintain it was something he had mastered thanks to his experience with another recipient of said energy. The sword, much like Shizun’s body, is severely sensitive as there was no soul that balanced them out.

Xiu Ya housed as much of Shizun’s soul as his physical body had and they showed so much similarity that the moment when it happened, both ended up in an identical state. When he dived after the falling form of his teacher, the vessel weighed next to nothing and Xiu Ya itself shattered even before it hit the ground somewhere near.

They were like two halves of the same coin. Ah, but the sword was neither warm nor soft.

(Or was the body as cold as well and he had just otherwise fed himself a delusion?)

A crackling sound that immediately dissipated after a few seconds echoed in the silent bamboo house copy. Luo Binghe looked at his left arm and saw smoke from where the sound came from exit as a mark previously engraved there started disappearing. The shadow of a curse that was put there half a day ago is now on its last breath as his demonic blood ate the parasite. Gods, humans, and demons - he thought in disdain - all had the ability to give life to a curse through sheer spite (isn’t it funny how humans and gods thought themselves better than demons when they were equally as evil) and their patheticness truly were their identicality..

Ten years.

“Be strong, Binghe.”

Ten years passed by like a blink of an eye.

The demon lord gritted his teeth in an attempt to stop the tears threatening to flow from the corners of his eyes. Shizun’s last words and his own conviction to bring the former back remains as his sole motivators to continue stepping forward. His glowing red demon mark met the encroaching rays of the sun that has fully entered the small shack.

His left hand grasped for the sheath on the cushion while his right raised the blade parallel to his face and he looked back at his own reflection. For the past decade, he has fought off Liu Qingge (he ignores the remembrance of the war lord who taught him the basics of battle); he has shut down his doors against his fellow disciples (he disregards the past where they all learned together under the tutelage of the twin peak lords); and he has slashed down more opportunities than he care to count.

He has created this space for Shizun - all from what his memory could desperately grasp for in an attempt to relive his time during his happiest days. As  much as Liu Qingge pushed through very often to retrieve the body the latter believes belong to Cang Qiong Peak, he has never come close to the bamboo groves deep inside his palace in the demon realm. And no one else has or can.

Except that person.

If there was one person he crumbled for, it was the reappearance of that very familiar face. In his own grief, he didn’t have the energy, time, nor interest to look at others; ah, but yes, he has heard of a mourner matching his (all that pain, all that anger). When he caught the rumors that the other person has wasted away, he gave in the urge to hysterically laugh.

As if.

As if that person will die just like that when multiple times, they had ended on the same side hunting down shadows of gods. As if that person will die quietly without destroying everything else he believes to be at fault for his misery. As if that person will die and bid immortality goodbye when he hasn’t torn Luo Binghe to pieces yet.

And he was proven right time and time again especially during their last meeting when he appeared directly before him a year ago.

That person regally traversed through the demon realm without a care (he doesn’t even know how he managed to make demons carry him like some royalty through a golden carriage). His footsteps barely made a sound as he calmly walked on the halls of the new demon lord’s palace. He looked at him unyieldingly in the eye and in an uncharacteristically soft voice said, "I want my brother's body.”

Luo Binghe saw the disdain and the exhaustion in those eyes and he can only picture them on his Shizun's own eyes. He recalls the fondness that the twin peak lords had with each other; on how they revolved around one another - and with that poised (tired) walk, quiet (tired) entrance, and in that soft (tired) voice - the young demon lord had no other choice but to crumble.

Shaking those thoughts away, Luo Binghe resolutely sheathed Xiu Ya back on its scabbard and slipped it on his back. He is ready to set out once more to search for answers, to hunt down past gods, humans, and demons alike just as he had done for the past ten years. He exits the bamboo house ( “A pathetic copy” hisses a cold voice.) and on his back, Xiu Ya and Xin Mo remain separated by the width of his hair.

-

Shen Jiu’s shaking form matched his hoarse voice from all the screaming and blind attacks he’s done all the way from Jinlan City even until back in Cang Qiong Peak. It felt like he wasn’t even in his body and he was seeing everything as an outsider. He isn’t sure how long it has been but it seems that Yue Qingyuan was still attempting to talk some sense to him.

Hah! Sense?! What even the fuck was that?!

The universe doesn’t make sense! And it certainly doesn’t care too! Because if it did...if it did…

His fellow peak lords - all of them are assholes! - have long since confiscated both Xiu Yas from him. He’s going to get back at Liu Qingge for wrestling those away from him! And that Qi Qingqi bitch as well! Then he’s going to gut this deceptively gentle fucker trying to make a conversation with him.

“- this is your fifth qi deviation and your body is taking so much toll. Please listen to -”

His senses were overloaded and his gaze snapped to the ten figures he can sense behind the closed doors. All of them. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. He’s going to fucking kill this lot. It was their fault! It was everyone’s fault! It’s this fucking world’s fault! Thief! Thief! Thief! They stole his brother!

His palms gathered energy and he growled in anger. Thieves! Thieves! Thieves!

He’s going to spill all of their fucking blood!

-

“Gē Ge and Luo Binghe’s way of preparing my tea is my preference. They both know me best, after all.”

The newly resurrected Shen Yuan commented when he looked at the tea in the cup. He sniffed in a subtle disdainful way to show his disapproval. He knew he was being petty because while he did have certain predilections on a lot of things due to being spoiled (yes, he’s aware he is) by the people around him, the tea being offered wasn’t anything that bad actually.

He can’t help it though. These people saw him naked and vulnerable! He’s telling them on his brother, he swears. And recalling Liu Qingge and Shang Qinghua’s old observations about him wherein he ends up projecting his brother’s prissy attitude when he’s put on an uncomfortable situation does hold true in the end.

And finding out he’s supposedly been dead for a decade is another big blow so he can’t really be blamed for being out of it.

“I will brew it once more to fit Master Shen’s tastes.”

Seeing the humble acquiescence of the other, he instantly felt bad and reached for the cup before it could be thrown. The earnest look his companion had on his face made him feel like he was bullying some child and it didn’t help that Zhuzhi-Lang did stay with them in Qing Jing Peak for quite some time.

Well, technically it was “Bing-Bing” whom he brought back and nursed back to health disregarding the snide comments of his twin (which is funny because he’s seen said twin cuddle with Bing-Bing’s animal form when he thought no one was looking). He sighed and drunk the tea prepared for him and pleasantly praised the snake demon with a quiet, “It’s good.” The beaming look he received made him let out a small smile

A booming laughter filled the tent they were in which conveniently reminded Shen Yuan on who exactly he was very much really pissed off. He tried not to twitch in annoyance at the one who literally saw him naked and even carried him like a sack of potato in his indecent state from the bamboo grove to the other side of the forest where they had set up camp. (“Oh, Little Shen , you do have a perky ass, eh?” “You -!” )

“Little Shen is actually a softy just like the stories of him that I’ve heard.”

“Hm,” he replied nonchalantly as he hoped the demon lord will get his disinterest for a conversation. But then again, based on his interaction with the man in such a short time, he knows it’s for naught -

“So, Little Shen -”

- because Tianlang-Jun has his own world with rules only he’s aware of.

“Please stop calling me Little Shen’.”

“Little Shen is Little Shen,” said Tianlang-Jun declared before a sly grin appearing on his face, “I assure you that the name has nothing to do with the size of your dic-”

“Stop!” shouted Shen Yuan indignantly. He huffed in irritation at the shameless demon. He really swears he’s filing all his complaints to his brother and let’s see if he’s still going to be laughing when his twin hears all about this!

He ignored the loud laughter and tried to regain his bearings, “Going back to our discussion earlier, how exactly did this esteemed demon lord find out about Xin Mo and your...son?”

Tianlang-Jun settled down more comfortably on the couch he was in before replying, “Xin Mo was supposed to be a sign of goodwill between the gods and demons back when chaos was the norm. The gods of old joined forces to create the sword and gave it as a gift to the demon lord so that peace can finally reign. And so, the sword was passed down to that demon lord’s descendants.”

“The Heavenly Demon bloodline,” concluded Shen Yuan as he fanned himself (honestly, he’d have to find a way to steal Zhuzhi-lang if only for providing him of one of his indulgences).

“Only direct heirs of our line are able to wield it, yes,” said the calm demon lord as he chugged some alcohol, “However, since the sword was forged by the all the heavenly beings back then partnered with the type of cultivation we demons have which focuses on sacrifices and consumption, it has become extremely powerful - in fact, too powerful that one demon alone cannot contain its strength. As such, my ancestors usually die younger than what’s expected for someone our caliber. This is the reason why a thousand years ago, it was sealed off into the center of the abyss.”

“Sealed...” considered Shen Yuan, “Because it’s too powerful to be destroyed? And you cannot give it back to the gods because that would be taken as an insult from their supposed goodwill.”

Tianlang-Jun nodded and set aside the cup he was drinking from, “My predecessors did all sorts of things to keep it from going awry and it only responded to one thing - sacrificing their one main vice in order to appease it. The wielder is given an excessive unimaginable power and as a payment, they have to let go of that one thing they’re most attached with.”

“Balance,” observed Shen Yuan.

“That sword regained the balance of power between gods and demons. So, in turn, it also has the capability to tear down that equalized power dynamic.”

“Then why did that ancestor of yours still seal it? He could have continued on the tradition and appease the balance as it was always meant to,” asked the younger man.

A lazy grin was his answer, “Little Shen, we’re demons . We don’t do sacrifices in the long run. Our nature is to consume. Don’t tell me that those gods residing in Cang Qiong Peak didn’t tell you that.”

Shen Yuan stiffened and covered his lower face with his fan, “How did you know that?”

Tianlang-Jun let out a bark of laughter, “My nephew’s stay with you wasn’t all pleasure vacation. I knew that the sword issue was going to be a problem sooner or later once more. But I didn’t expect that the gods of your sect will actually use a human cultivator as an instrument against it. Ah, but you do have a very large impact on my son so I suppose I shouldn’t be that surprised.”

The Qing Jing Peak lord gave the snake demon an unimpressed stare to which the latter bowed his head in both apology and embarrassment, “And how did you know that the sword was going to be an issue now?”

“You’re not the only one the gods have tried communicating with.”

“Demons get visions from gods as well?” frowned Shen Yuan because as far as he knew, that wasn’t possible.

“Not me of course,” he snorted, “Demons and gods don’t do visions to one another. But well, Su Xiyan was a human. And oohhh basing on that reaction, you know of her as well. Damn, those Cang Qiong Peak gods are really such gossips.”

Shen Yuan’s fan remain unmoved from its stationary position on the bottom half of his face. When he had his first vision on two possible paths regarding Luo Binghe, he had prayed upon the sacred temple in the middle of Cang Qiong Peak every single day without fail in hopes to lighten the burden from his disciple.

And yet, the two paths never wavered. Its focal points were also the same through those years - Luo Binghe, The Abyss, and Xin Mo.

If Luo Binghe did not fall, then some other demon would wield Xin Mo and wreck destruction for everything and everyone. In that scenario, Luo Binghe never gets to open his demonic skill and his strength’s growth remain stunted. In the end, he, along with everyone else surely dies by the sword.

On the other hand, if Luo Binghe does fall into the abyss, he’ll be the one to wield Xin Mo after getting his demon seal awakened and trains on the demonic arts. The sword will still try to goad its user to consume and destroy but compared to the other path, this one made his disciple stronger and thus more probable in resisting. Moreover, a chance to save everyone also presents itself in this track - if he finds the light.

And now, they have tread the second path and he himself have utilized the light - his light . The issue now lies on the fact that the predetermined ways were fulfilled already and yet what happens next remains unknown. It was like surviving the first blow of the storm but the eye of it remains at large and waiting for the perfect time to strike; this time, he has no idea on how it’s going to be.

Which reminds him that he still hasn’t brought up the question he should have asked first, “Why do you have my body? And how did you get my soul back to it?”

“You give me far too much credit, Little Shen,” responded Tianlang-jun, “I didn’t know you were going to resurrect at all.”

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, “Then what were you doing where I was buried a few hours ago?”

Tianlang-jun shrugged, “I walk along that path everyday to see the sunrise. I sensed something different this morning and redirected from my usual path to where I felt it. And there you were.”

“Am I supposed to believe that you were just there coincidentally? That you have no hand on my resurrection and -” he paused before he can mention his new golden core that he’s certain isn’t his.

“Aiyo, Little Shen, you can believe whatever you want. Admittedly, I was hoping to get you back in Jinlan City because I knew you were going to be vital with the whole sword vision that Su Xiyan used to have.”

“What are your plans now then?”

“Me? I go wherever the wind takes me. I like this place for now which is why we set camp but who knows where we’ll go next. Don’t get me wrong, I still want that sword destroyed but it’s back to a somewhat sealed state since that son of mine hasn’t used it for a decade so as long as there’s that then I’m chill.”

He can see that the answer fits someone like Tianlang-jun but there were still a lot of questions in his mind that’s giving him a migraine. He just went with one of his most basic questions, “Where have you been all the years that Luo Binghe was believed to be an orphan? I know you supposedly got sealed but how are you roaming now?”

“All seals have an expiration date and mine reached the moment your beloved disciple fell into the abyss. Hmm, well I also think that the gods gave some underhand help to speed up that process in hopes that I’ll join in on the crusade against Xin Mo rioting. But while I’m after its destruction to just end this bullshit, those gods of yours want to retain the status quo of Xin Mo getting appeased by demon wielder’s sacrifice of some sort.”

“And you don’t like that.”

“Of course not!” guffawed Tianlang-jun, “When I got unsealed, I immediately understood how the gods were involved and I was hoping to get inside Cang Qiong Peak to give those gods a piece of my mind. Ah, but it’s all moot now.”

Shen Yuan started fanning himself, “What do you mean?”

The same unabashed grin on that handsome face when they first met reappeared, “Because someone already beat me into destroying that sacred temple both physically and spiritually making those gods scatter.”

He snapped his fan shut and protested, “The sacred temple is literally inside the heart of Cang Qiong Peak. As strong as someone is, I doubt that they can get past all the peak lords at the same time.”

Tianlang-jun grabbed himself another cup of alcohol before answering, “Funny you should ask that when the one who went wild and destroyed it is that rogue cultivator that would sometimes travel with us; you know, the one that has your face .”

-

“Zhangmen-shixiong! Zhangmen-shixiong! It’s Shen-shixiong!”

“Mu-shidi? Shang-shidi? What happened?!”

“He’s tearing down the Sacred Temple!”

“The Sacred Tem - what?!”

“Liu-shixiong, Qi-shijie, and Wan-shixiong are trying to stop him!”

BOOM!

“What is it this time?!”

“Zhangmen-shixiong, Mu-shidi - look! The sky near the temple is  filled with orbs!”

“Wait...those aren’t orbs…”

“Ah! Those are ancestral spirits! Those are the spirits of Cang Qiong Peak’s gods!”

-

Luo Binghe let the cool breeze of the approaching spring pass through him as he rode another new sword that will last who knows how long this time. His senses were on a high look out as usual for anything that might allow him to resurrect Shizun and of course, to his ongoing god hunting.

He was extremely lucky that the curses thrown to him by those he managed to slice down were easily taken cared of by his demon blood so it wasn’t a bother. He’s always wondered how Shifu dealt with the ones he got when he didn’t have the same body constituency.

Recalling a dumb move on his end, he once asked Shifu if he wanted to drink his blood so it will counter the curses from the gods. It instantly triggered another one of their many one-sided fights. The flash of utter hatred in the other’s eyes the moment the words left his mouth made him instantly realize his mistake. He isn’t surprised at the reaction. (But he was surprised with his own question.)

Just as he was thinking on his past god hunting, he suddenly felt something warm on his back. He tapped his shoulder blades and realized that the heat came from one of the swords strapped to his back. Specifically Xiu Ya’s green half.

He grabbed it and held it with both his hands as he tried to determine what was happening. There was a light pulse it let out traversing whatever was under the clouds he was currently in. He wasted no time in diving down and followed where the sword may be leading him. The spiritual energy from the pulse was something he was familiar with but he’s not sure why Xiu Ya was acting up.

He lands on a barren land where a forest laid on the farther right and grassy hills on the left. In the middle of trying to determine which way to go, a wave of spiritual attack came at him. He deftly jumped out of the way, twisted the new sword he commissioned in his hand, and met the headlong attack of his assailant.

Two swords clashed and Luo Binghe effortlessly sent back equally ferocious strikes against his opponent who aggressively and relentlessly sent one after another. This was a scene he’s not a stranger to and most especially not with whose blade he was confronting. A particular stab cut his cheek and in annoyance, his bare hand grabbed Cheng Luan’s blade in the middle.

“Liu Qingge.”

The Bai Zhan Peak Lord clicked his tongue in ire at the sight of his stuck sword. He let go of his sword, squatted down to gain momentum, and in a split second, kicked Luo Binghe in the chest. The act made the half demon stagger backwards and eventually released his hold on Cheng Luan.

Liu Qingge immediately straightened himself and caught the white sword before it could fall to the soil. Once he had it back in his possession, he transferred his hold to it to his other hand as he ran straight to his enemy. He made a stabbing motion which was intercepted by the other’s blade (a new one again).

The War Lord growled when his hits were defended against and decided to level up his attacks. He increased the spiritual power he put on his motions and Cheng Luan aimed for the head. Luo Binghe swerved and ducked in order for the stabs to miss him and both their speeds were gradually rising with each second. One particular thrust had the previous disciple of Cang Qiong Peak get slashed again on the same cheek that was already hit a while ago.

Luo Binghe’s red eyes flashed and aggressively threw his entire sword straight at the Peak Lord. The action surprised the latter and he barely dodged the aim to his chest. Before he can even ponder why the other was so careless with his weapon, demonic aura flared up on his back and his eyes scrunched in pain when the thrown sword broke from the pressure and some of the broken blades managed to stab him on his sides.

Without his newly commissioned weapon, Luo Binghe reached to his back and grabbed the hilt of Xin Mo. He was halfway in drawing it out when a cold voice called out.

“Oh? Planning on using the sword that ended him ?”

Both Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge faltered in their steps as a figure dressed in a typical all white taoist robes materialized in the middle. His hair was tied in a loose high bun with some strands falling to frame his face. On his back, a dark brown bow with red tassels and beads was propped. And finishing his entire ensemble - covering his face was a white wooden mask painted with a vermillion phoenix.

Luo Binghe lets go of Xin Mo and the sword is back on its scabbard once more. He looked straight at the newcomer and subtly gulped down the tense air.

“Leave.”

The young demon lord ignored the tantalizing whisper of Xin Mo, mentally apologized to the call of Xiu Ya, and without breaking eyes contact with the figure in white, he took a few steps back with his hands on his side. He gave him a low bow, activated the transportation talisman he had, and promptly left.

After a few seconds where only the two people remained in land, Liu Qingge went near the other and extended a hand to touch him. It was immediately rejected with a quick slap on his wrist.

“Stop picking fights on someone you’ve never won against.”

Bai Zhan Peak’s War Lord raised an eyebrow, “That coming from someone like you? Ironic or hypocritical?”

“You fucking choose.”

While in the past, this line of conversation would have prompted an immediate sparring session between the both of them, Liu Qingge let go of the jibe and instead, asked the same question he and their Cang Qiong Peak family had been asking for years.

“Oi,” he started, “let’s go home. Everyone’s been waiting. ”

Beneath the mask, the former Qing Jing Peak Lord’s eyes glistened at his words. The memory of a kneeling Yue Qingyuan under the torrential rain outside a bamboo house asking that for the first time sparked in his mind. But not even the sight of a desperate Qi ge can ease the ache in his hollow heart.

“Home? ” he questioned and sullenly looked in the same direction where the demon disappeared, ( we -) “I’m still looking for it.”

-

Shen Jiu could barely see where he was flying with the amount of miasma in the area. He scratched at his palms and hissed in pain when he remembered that he still had the curses from his supposed blasphemous act. He scoffed. Those fucking gods can fly off all they want but he knows he’s weakened them considerably with the destruction of their one temple.

He cruelly smiled at the fact that their complacency of just staying within Cang Qiong Peak became the start of their downfall. No worshippers besides the sect? They really believed that that would be enough? Gods, his ass. Those fucking old peak lords who have ascended will get what’s coming for them.

A new wave of miasma came upon him and out of habit, he reached out behind him to offer his hand, only -

He let out a pained gasp and  stamped down the wave of nausea that hit him at the recollection.

-

Liu Qingge hopped off Cheng Luan the moment he entered Cang Qiong Peak’s property and looked up at the setting sun. While he could ride on his sword all the way to Qiong Ding Peak to report back, he saw no point in rushing. Not when he doesn’t have any good news, not when his trip had the same formula, and definitely not when he returns empty handed once more.

He maintained his straight posture as he walked through the Rainbow Bridge. While he was mentally reviewing what happened back there to see if there was anything amiss, he heard a loud, “Shizun!”. He looked at the middle of the bridge and sure enough, his two disciples were there with one wildly waving at him whilst the other bowed in greeting.

“Shizun! You’re back!”

“Yang Yixuan,” he nodded in acknowledgement then turned to the other, “Gongyi Xiao.”

“How was your trip, Shizun?” asked the former Huan Hua Palace disciple.

“Fruitless,” he replied as the three of them started walking forward.

“Shizun had a scuffle?” inquired the Jinlan City local when he saw the blood marks on his side, “Perhaps visiting Mu-shishu should be your first destination?”

He shrugged off the discomfort on the wounds, “They’re already healing fine. How are the integration sessions that I tasked the both of you to help Shang-shixiong’s An Ding Peak?”

Gonyi Xiao took the initiative to give the update as he was the most involved, “It’s considerably better and improvement was seen on the acceptance of the original Cang Qiong Peak disciples to the few Huan Hua Palace disciples that got transferred here after aforementioned sect’s fall five years ago.”

Liu Qingge grunted in response at finally something positive that’s happened. His only two disciples talked some more of what they’ve done when he was away and after scheduling another hands on training he’d give them, they arrived at the other end of the Rainbow Bridge. He bid both of them goodbye and continued on to Qiong Ding Peak.

With three knocks at the main quarters of Yue Qingyuan, one of the sect leader’s disciples ushered him to the inner rooms. He was then left alone once they arrived outside the room of the head of Cang Qiong Peak and the junior disciple had opened the door for him.

“Liu-shidi,” greeted Yue Qingyuan who was staring at the expanse of their peak from the garden.

“Zhangmen-shixiong, I have returned,” he bowed respectfully.

“You are injured. Was it Luo Binghe again?”

The War Lord flinched at the easy identification of his loss, “I’m sorry.”

Yue Qingyuan sighed, “What is there to apologize for? Luo Binghe is a formidable enemy and your undisputed strength remains sound as ever. And besides, we already got what we wanted from him. Well, he ended up getting it without our help.”

“Shen Jiu appeared when I was in the middle of the fight,” revealed Liu Qingge and made no mention at the stiffening of their sect leader’s form, “And he also still wouldn’t come back.”

“Of course not,” Yue Qingyuan responded softly and ran his hand at the gleaming white sword that was laid paralleled on his lap beside Xuan Su.

-

Once he exited the clout of dark energy, he saw the new demon lord’s palace and his eyes hardened. With little to no regard to the safety of his landing, he pinpointed where the fucker was and crashed in through the roof. The debris haven’t even cleared yet and Shen Jiu hastily moved to stab the one seated on the throne.

The demon drew Xin Mo and defended himself. Amidst the aggressive onslaught of his attacks, the other never raised his sword to attack him in turn. The observation irked him more than ever. He twisted mid air and Xiu Ya’s white half clanged against Xin Mo’s oppressive aura.

His eyes accidentally met his opponent’s own and what he saw made him freeze.

His own misery was reflected on those dull burgundy eyes.

In a fit of rage, Shen Jiu threw Xiu Ya to the side and physically attacked the demon with a hard push from both of his hands. Upon seeing Xiu Ya dropped, the other also let go of Xin Mo and let himself get toppled backwards and fell to the cold floor in the empty throne room.

Shen Jiu straddled the demon and started punching him as he shouted insults upon insults as the other lay there taking it all in.

“How dare you,” hissed Shen Jiu, “What gives you the right to mourn?!”

The half demon shifted his eyes away as he cannot handle looking at the immortal on top of him. Accepting the repeating lines of anger, it was only then that he felt wetness on his own cheeks. He doesn’t remember crying so why -

Oh.

Oh. It wasn’t...

It wasn’t his tears.

He finally looked at the older male and he stifled his own cries at the sight of the once high and proud Qing Jing Peak Lord sobbing without control.

“He loved you,” the older twin peak lord cried in a whisper.

Luo Binghe remembers when this same person poured a boiling hot tea on him and yet, he thinks that having his tears poured onto him now infinitely hurt more.

“I love him too,” he can only respond quietly with a shaking voice.

Shen Jiu wails.

-

With barely a flutter on the wind, Luo Binghe landed silently on the same area where he felt Xiu Ya warm up. When he left this morning, Xiu Ya had quieted down and now that he was back here, said sword started giving out small pulses once more. Now that he had no distraction, he identified where it was pointing to with little effort.

His instincts made him enter the forest and the deeper he went, the more Xiu Ya reacted. This was the first time in a decade that something like this was happening and his heart started beating fast at the possibilities. He sped up his journey and seamlessly avoided uneven soil, hanging branches, and the like despite the pitch black sky that hid the moon.

He neared a clearing and his eyes narrowed at the sight of a set up camp. The last time he ventured in this area was years ago and he didn’t think much of it. The presence of the lesser type of demons surrounding the place together with the pulse from the sword on his hand made him uneasy.

How was Shizun connected to all of this in any way?

He frowned and proceeded to step forward with the biggest tent as his goal.

-

Shen Yuan tried digesting all the information he’s gotten but it seems that the number of questions he had didn’t diminish. So far, this conversation only made him find out the basics and yet onto the bigger questions such as how he got resurrected and the appearance of his new golden core remain unanswered.

The things he managed to get about Luo Binghe was also very minimal and limited to only three things.

First, apparently he kept his body for years which resulted in a war between him and Cang Qiong Peak and it was only when his older brother got it that things mellowed down a bit. Second, if Xin Mo has somewhat retained its slumber state then it means that he hasn’t been using it. And third, he’s the new demon lord back in the demon realm and has set up his residence there. Tianlang-jun himself isn’t interested in the position and stayed on the shadows which makes sense on his personality.

On the other hand, regarding his brother, he knew only one thing. The general public thinks he’s dead either because he wasted away or that he was cursed. According to Tianlang-jun, only the upper echelon on the cultivation world and select disciples of Cang Qiong Peak knew the truth of his disappearance and decision to become a rogue cultivator; and he only knew of that because they ended up traveling with him a select few times (he has yet to ask on how that was possible).

The news of the four great sects being reduced to three surprised him. He couldn't get more information on this because his source wasn’t that interested in that part which he found ironic given that the heavenly demon’s past lover had been from the fallen sect. He fanned himself in contemplation and wished he had either his custom bow or Xiu Ya with him to at least be his anchors on familiarity on this new world he seem to be in.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, chitter and howling noises from the lesser leveled demons outside suddenly filled the air.

Tianlang-jun paused mid-chug to his tenth jar of alcohol, strained his hearing, and then boisterously snickered, “Oh-hoh?”

In contrast to the old demon lord’s carefree reaction, Zhuzhi-lang seemed to have considerably paled. The snake demon hastily stood up and started to wipe the table and even managed to procure some sort of feather duster somewhere and tried cleaning anything within his reach.

With a murmur of, “...should have cleaned. He’s going to get mad again,”, he patted his hair and straightened his sleeves in an effort to look more presentable.

Before Shen Yuan could ask what was happening, the tent flapped open and he felt his throat clog up at the person who entered.

A berating voice started going off as the person ran his finger on the sides of the drawer, “Look at all this dust! Are you living in a pigpen? Even the pigs’ quarters seem better than here!”

“Why are you always complaining? You’ve travelled enough times with us to know how we dwell,” whined Tianlang-jun.

“Filthy animals!”

The insult earned him a hearty laughter, “Hahaha thank you~ That spiteful attitude of yours really does turn me on~”

The white robed individual sneered and grabbed the nearest item he could touch, which happened to be a pot, and threw it at the lounging demon - who only chortled harder as he let the pot hit him straight in the forehead without a care. Zhuzhi-lang gasped and hurriedly stood up to check on his lord but his loose long hair was pulled back aggressively making him stumble back to where the perpetrator was.

“Oi, Bing-bing! Have you not seen this dust and look - even the entranceway has soil on it!”

“I’m sorry, Lord Shen,” Zhuzhi-lang apologized.

“And your hair! How many times must I tell you to tie it up?!”

“I’m sorry, Lord Shen.”

“You also don’t put pots on top of wooden drawers unless you want bad aesthetics!”

“I’m sorry, Lord Shen.”

“Also -”

“Aiyo, Big Shen is nagging like the resident mistress that he is,” complained Tianlang-jun who slid further into the couch he was on.

“Mistress?!” Shen Jiu repeated, aghast, “Didn’t I already tell you to stop hitting on me?!”

“But you give me that attitude and you know that it makes me really hard-”

Shen Jiu gave a stifled shout, made his way to the moron in the couch, and proceeded to start hitting him with the cushions his hand managed to get, “Filthy! Filthy! Filthy! ”

“Relax hahaha Your husband, that scary Xuan Su wielder, will definitely cut off one of my best assets if I do something to you,” Tianlang-jun cackled in mirth and made a pointed look at where his dick was.

If anything, the statement made Shen Jiu shake in anger even more, “Cease this kind of talk! And that fucker is not my husband!”

“Hey, hey, why is the emphasis on the “my husband” part? Did you actually finally accept his pathetic attempts in courting?”

The mask at the back of Shen Jiu’s head was violently snatched by its owner and threw it as hard as he could directly where one of Tianlang-jun’s “best assets” was. The heavenly demon howled in pain and clutched his jewels as he curled up halfway from the couch to the floor.

Zuzhi-lang watched worriedly and called out, “Lord Shen, please, you know that at the end of the day, actions like that would just excite my lord more.”

Shen Jiu huffed both in anger and embarrassment and swiftly turned around ready to give the snake demon a piece of his mind only to falter at the sight of another individual he didn’t notice upon his entrance. As much as Tianlang-jun was an asshole and a bad influence to Zuzhi-lang, he knows that he wasn’t the type to do joke or lie something about this.

His eyes widened when he registered just who he was seeing. The one in front of him had the same expression as the one he had on his own face and suddenly, there was nothing but silence. The chitter and noises of the lesser demons outside had died down and the two demons’ presence in the tent considerably minimized.

Honestly, he can easily scream impostor accusations because how many times had he prayed to gods he didn’t believe in just to get him back; how many times had he consumed curse after curse at each heavenly being he sliced down in a fit of rage as if it will return his other half; and how many times had he clawed at his heart demanding for it to stop beating so he can finally join him.

He shared the womb with him, his first steps, and all his heartache. He knows that face because it was the same one that greeted him back a decade ago when he last looked at his reflection. And most of all, that spiritual energy and soul thrumming resoundingly against his over sensitive senses spoke volumes of the other’s identity.

"Gē Ge?"

His facade falls (he is tired) , his tears fall (he is tired) , and on the ground, the brothers fall to each other's arms (he is tired - but he’s finally home.)

-

“You have no right to cry!”

“I know.”

You have no right to mourn!”

“I know.”

“You have no right to be sad!”

“I know.”

And Luo Binghe does know. He takes his penance and carves his promises to the grieving older brother who was trying to be firm and act strong on top of him whilst weeping his heart out. Luo Binghe knows. Shizun would be upset if he could see his twin right now and it’s all his fault. Luo Binghe knows his promises.

Not once, for a  decade had he cried.

-

Burgundy eyes glistened as he watched the shadows from outside the tent. He wants nothing more than to go in and throw himself at Shizun (he’s back, he’s back, he’s back) and he had to forcefully stop himself from doing just that. With as much effort as he can exert, he willed himself away from the reunion that wasn’t his; one that he is ashamed to ask for.

As he took his first step backwards, he finally sheds his first tear after ten years.

(For the past decade, his eyes are dry but his heart was wet and bleeding.)

When he left, he made sure not to look back.

(He failed in that regard.)

Chapter Text

twelve;

Luo Binghe reverently laid the green Xiu Ya perpendicular to his kneeling form on the floor of the makeshift bamboo house (“A pathetic copy,” reminds a dark whisper.) He stared at it with a despairing look for quite some time before closing his eyes. He let out a shaky breathe at the remembrance of the voice he just heard - the very same voice that haunted him for the past ten years.

He wanted him back.

Every waking moment, every dream bordering nightmare, every breath he took - he had imagined seeing his shizun alive again. He had longed to hear his voice whether it was to chide him, to teach him, or to even let the blame fall upon him exit from those lips. He had wished to feel the same warm hands pet his head, touch his hand, or to even let it strike him from the impudence of his previous actions.

He wanted him back.

His fingers touched the floor as he recalled his sudden decision to gather the best and most fitting bamboo from the human realm in an effort to recreate the one place he considered home. Qing Jing Peak’s bamboo house had been the place where he had the best and happiest days of his life and he thirsted for those memories to be his reality again.

He wanted him back.

“Be strong Binghe.”

His lips trembled at the last words he heard before he was abandoned in the abyss. And again, the same words that was whispered to him before light exploded and he held the empty shell of his shizun’s body. He wonders if he’s strong enough for him now. Oh, how he missed him; how he longed for him.

He needed him back.

A broken short laugh escaped him as his thoughts started getting murkier. The other would definitely not want him in the same way. Not after everything. Perhaps he had a chance if it was his younger self - the one robed in Qing Jing Peak’s white and green clothes, the one who didn’t awaken his demonic seal, and the one who met the younger twin peak lord in the middle of a cold night.

But Luo Binghe has grown up as the monster his shifu had always warned his shizun about.

“This is your fault!” (it is), “I should kill you!” (he deserves it), and a whole lot of “You devil! You monster! You demon!” ( he is ).

What was it again that Shifu always said back in Cang Qiong Peak?

“I will never accept you.”

Ah, yes. Luo Binghe kowtowed to the green half of Xiu Ya as his breathing started to be more erratic.

Shifu was right. But… He kowtowed over and over again to show his apology, his despair for forgiveness, his hopes. Shifu was right. But… He has lost count on how many times he had bowed to the bamboo house, the sword, and who they represented. Shifu was right and still he admittedly is still selfish enough to need Shizun with him. He is the devil, a monster, and definitely a demon altogether and yet as he wrapped his arms around his body with his forehead still on the ground, he craved for Shizun’s warmth.

The tantalizing murmurs at the back of his consciousness flared up from the muddle of his thoughts. He’s always had them ever since his hands wrapped around the hilt of Xin Mo and now they seem to be back louder and more beckoning than ever.

His vision started going black and the pounding on his head increased. He tried sitting up to reorient himself but the action proved to be detrimental when his darkening vision turned into flashes of memory - “devil!”, Shizun’s last kiss on his forehead as he let him fall, ”Be strong, Binghe”, the image of Shizun’s blank face on their reunion in Jinlan, “monster!”, Shizun’s lifeless body, “Can’t I look at what I raised...what I’ve hurt?”, an unholy scream of anger and disbelief, the nightly routine of praying to an empty shell to come back again, “demon!”, the parting with what he held on for a decade…

Luo Binghe’s right hand clutched his head and his left hand grasped at his stomach. His breathing turned to ragged shortness. His left hand moved up to his chest and he started beating it down to try and free up the clog he felt. Unfortunately, it didn’t help alleviate his discomfort and soon enough, that discomfort turned into pain.

“Ugh..!”

He fell back to the ground and his eyes went to the green sword near him. He tried focusing on it but for some reason, his gaze moved from it and zeroed in on the pitch black sword propped on the wall. As if strings attached themselves to his limbs, he rose up from his curled up position and walked passed the calming green sword for the other one that seemed excited to egg him on.

‘He’s back but he won’t be back with you.’

The memories keep on replaying in a faster manner and soon enough became just flashes of black and white.

‘This world is useless, after all, isn’t it? Let me help.’

His hands lifted the sword against the wall -

‘Wield me.’

- and he unsheathed it.

The next seconds turned into a blur. He just knew of two things: first, he was in his fake home; and second, he needed to go to where his real home was. He thinks he might have called for his bannermen and the demons under his command must have heeded the call base on the presence behind him.

His demon mark flared up like hot lava was flowing through it and his sclera had turned to the same color.

On his hand, Xin Mo’s blade glinted ominously.

-

Despite the general public’s belief that he was a benevolent and patient man, Yue Qingyuan knows how false those claims were. His supposed benevolence wasn’t primarily rooted from a kindness within him but more on the towers of guilt on being unable to save the two people he cared about the most.

He knew he was easier to soften and to bend for the twins compared to the other peak lords. The gifts, the favors, and the leniency he had given the Shen twins were blatant to the public eye no matter how much he speaks in a whisper. The gruff acceptance of his fellow peak lords only existed because they all learned together and their bonds with one another cushioned the sharp talons of his guilt.

Letting A-Yuan take demons (the very creatures that cultivators shouldn’t be associating themselves with) back to their sect (the place where strictness of cultivation laws should have been seen) was his guilt taking over in seeing the melancholy form of the younger Shen twin on the death of his most beloved disciple. And isn’t it ironic now that the source of both the happiness and sadness he had was also the same reason for his own death.

And then there was Xiao-Jiu.

Yue Qingyuan sighed deeply. His eyes stared unseeingly at the white Xiu Ya laid on a cushion inside his quarters. He remembers kneeling - begging for the other to come home on that one stormy night. He thinks that the older Shen hesitated for a moment before refusing; that the wetness on the other’s face that night wasn’t just due to the rain drops but also from his tears; that he didn’t imagine the trembling whisper of “Qi-ge…” before he turned around and left.

That wasn’t his first rejection from Shen Jiu in any form. But it was the one that hurt the most.

When he and two other peak lords saw the familiar form of a rogue cultivator in a white mourning robe beside two well-known demons, he didn’t bat an eye. He had a more pressing matter. He threw away shame and privacy when he asked him to come home in front of that crowd. He wasn’t even given a verbal response as the other walked away from them; from Liu Qingge’s yells, from Shang Qinghua’s calls, and from his wish.

And even when he saw the same masked individual sometimes visiting Qing Jing Peak not saying anything to the disciples there but checks on their calligraphy, form, and knowledge - he couldn’t get the “yes” he pleads for. A series of events and multiple meetings throughout the years and all of them filled with one rejecting after another. It happens again and again but it didn’t hurt any less with each “no”.

But he isn’t tired. He doesn’t deserve to feel that way when he left his Xiao-Jiu bleeding at the hands of the Qius.

From the stillness of the night, he suddenly felt Xuan Su thrum beside him and he picked it up. He blinked curiously at the reaction of his sword and wondered why he was feeling the anxiety of it. Then there was a steady beat of shaking on the ground. The brushes and scrolls stacked on his table looked in danger of falling from some sort of...earthquake?

He hastily stood up and moved towards the exit just in time for a frantic knock to resound.

“Zhangmen-shixiong?!”

“Shang-shidi?” he asked as he opened the doors.

A sweating Shang Qinghua looked at him, “Camps of demons are marching towards us .”

“What?” he frowned.

“And at their forefront is -”

-

“Luo Binghe.”

“Are you seriously bringing him up now when we’re having a moment?” scowled Shen Jiu.

The twins were cuddled together on the stacks of pillows and blankets on the floor of the large tent. They were easily left alone by a smiling Zuzhi-lang after he got patted by the two cultivators (“Bing-bing is cute.” “Not when his hair is untied like I’ve scolded him a million times about already.” “You’re a hard person to please.” “And this is news?”).

Making Tianlang-Jun leave was another matter entirely. The demon was adamant in joining their cuddling session (“This is not a ‘cuddling session’! This is merely a reunion!” “Aw, Big Shen is embarrassed.”) no matter how many times he was rejected verbally (Shen Yuan) and physically (Shen Jiu). Once his balls got targeted by the impeccable aim of the older Shen, he finally went for the tent’s exit (“So in case you both want a threeso-” “Get the fuck out!”) .

“Yes, I’m bringing him up now. Gē Ge, you know it isn’t his fault, right?”

Shen Jiu’s left hand reached for the nearest pillow and promptly slammed it into his brother’s face.

“Gē Ge!” squaked Shen Yuan.

“Are you still going to talk about him?” questioned Shen Jiu.

Shen Yuan furrowed his brows, “Of course! As I said -”

Shen Jiu brought the pillow down the other’s face again.

“Stop being so childish! Gē Ge, stop!” protested the younger as he tried wrestling the pillow from his brother’s clutches.

“I refuse to talk about that scum!”

The younger Shen maneuvered himself from the side of the older one, threw the pillow mindlessly behind him, and straddled his companion, “Gē Ge, please,” he asked as he looked at the eyes similar to his own.

The only response he received was a scowling one. But given that his twin wasn’t reaching for another ammunition to slap him with, he considered it as a win and an opening.

“Tianlang-Jun said -”

“Don’t trust everything that fucker says.”

“- that Cang Qiong Peak was at war with Luo Binghe for the past years. Did you fight against him as well?”

“I’m certain that my other half isn’t an idiot who will ask equally idiotic questions,” replied Shen Jiu nonchalantly.

Shen Yuan ignored the tone of his voice, “And apparently you became a rogue cultivator. You disliked the disadvantages being one posed before hence why you were adamant we join a sect.”

“Just because I dislike the discomforts it presented doesn’t mean I can’t survive it.”

He doesn’t say that he’d rather have the casual discomfort of looking for your own food, earning your own money, and losing all your influence rather than the pain he undergoes each time he opens his eyes in the familiar place where he used to hold someone’s hand. He doesn’t say that he hears his brother calling for him so often that hope surges within only to have it crushed when he looks and there’s only the empty hall behind him.

“Of course you can survive anywhere. You’ve always been the stronger one between the both of us. But you’re a creature of comfort as much as I am. Just look at your clothes,” he chuckled lightly as he gave it a one over beneath him, “Plain white robes, really? You hated my utensils before because it wasn’t made of intricate gold carvings. These robes are definitely not aesthetically pleasing by your standards. I mean, you look like you’re in an eternal mourning or something.”

Shen Jiu shifts his eyes’ attention to the left refuting nothing.

The previous teasing mirth of Shen Yuan drops, “Gē Ge…” He settles down beside his older twin and holds his hand. “I’m sorry.”

With a heavy exhale, Shen Jiu clasps his other hand and shifts on his side before placing a soft kiss on the younger’s forehead. He still doesn’t respond on the last question but as he rests his chin on top of the other’s head, he speaks clinically,

“I fought with that demon of yours with all the intention of killing your murderer.” (He doesn’t say that Luo Binghe doesn’t raise his sword against him. Or that Shen Jiu himself never fully took any of the openings he was given.) “I told you that I knew his kind . Not his lineage, but his personality - those that change when the doors closed and you didn’t listen to me.” (He doesn’t say that he blames himself for letting it get too far.)

“Why are you hiding from me?” the younger twin suddenly asked.

A quiet surprise passed by Shen Jiu’s face.

Shen Yuan grasps his twin’s hand tighter, “You’ve never hidden from me before. Tell me what you really want to say. It’s me, gē ge.”

“You...of course it’s you,” he lets out a shaky laugh, “I hate him. I hate him so fucking much.”

Shen Yuan bites his lip in an attempt to not defend Luo Binghe when his brother needed to let out his rage and all his other pent up emotions for the past years.

“Fuck, dì di, I hate him with every fiber of my being,” Shen Jiu hissed as he clutched the other’s hands in a bruising grip with each word, “But…” he pauses and tries to recompose himself, “but I saw my own heartbreak in his eyes.”

Unable to help himself from the confession that was just uttered, the younger Shen hugged his twin tightly with repeating whispers of “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

Once they had both calmed down, they started talking again and the issue regarding the gods were touched upon. His brother had questioned him mercilessly about the visions he got and as he answered them, he also opened about his worry for the present because of the potential for danger and this time, he didn’t know his choices.

“Just choose whatever path you want. Those gods and other shit can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”

“We have to discuss this whole thing with you hunting down gods. That’s too reckless! And they were only doing what they can to save humanity in their own ways. I was just unfortunate to be the collateral damage at that crossroad.”

“Collateral damage?! Excuse m-” Shen Jiu huffed and tried to regain his bearings. People always thought that he was the stubborn one between the two of them but clearly they never experienced his twin’s own brand of stubborness. And he just knows that he was already set on his stance regarding what happened. So he just decided to throw another one into the pit of judgment, “Your Luo Binghe hunted them down as well, you know.”

He felt the other grin on his skin as a teasing voice spoke, “Did you team up with him?”

“Shut up.”

Just as Shen Yuan was about to poke more about their inevitable cooperation, he suddenly sat up and aggressively opened the other’s robes.

“Oi! What the hell are you doing?!”

“What you did was blasphemy!” he cried as this realization only hit him now, “You’re going to get cursed! In fact, I’m sure you already are. Where are the curse marks? How many did you strike down? We have to do something about your curses!”

“Stop tearing my clothes like some barbarian! I don’t have any curse on me!”

Shen Yuan abruptly paused, “Huh?”

A roll of eyes was the immediate response, “Even I’m not completely certain as to why but no curse stays on me. My theory is that since in the natural order of things, the humans' role is to worship the gods and the gods' role is to protect the humans. Seeing as I’m a human, a god trying to hurt me goes against that natural order and that is why it disappears.”

The younger frowned at the theory, “While that makes sense, it is also part of the natural order to let any creature gain their rightful retribution. And since your actions were blasphemous then the curse should stay.”

Shen Jiu finally sat up as well and touched the other’s chest, feeling his beating heart and softly says, “Maybe the universe also recognizes my own rightful retribution when they took you from me.”

The twins stew on it for a few seconds before Tianlang-Jun’s head popped inside the tent.

“So uh are you guys done with your cuddling session?”

With practiced reflexes, Shen Yuan managed to stop Shen Jiu before the latter could throw a knife (“Where in the world did that knife even come from?” “My spite.”) towards the demon.

Seeing that the younger twin had the older one controlled in a way, Tianlang-Jun fully opened the tent grandiosely with a grin on his face. As he was about to speak, he then noticed Shen Jiu’s robes removed halfway and pouted.

“About that threesome I sa-”

Shen Jiu growled, “Out!”

“Big Shen, you don’t have to be embarrassed about anything. While Little Shen surely has a perky ass base from what I’ve seen, those two lovely fruits on your chest are as beautiful.”

Shen Yuan’s face burned in remembrance of their first meeting while Shen Jiu was letting out incoherent screeches because he didn’t know which one of Tianlang-Jun’s statements he wanted to fight first.

“Ah, but we can discuss that further later,” Tianlang-Jun nodded to himself.

“There will be no later! The only “later” that will happen is when I chop off your dick and shove it on your throat! What did you do to my brother?!” screamed Shen Jiu. He hurriedly closed his robes and put his twin behind his back.

The demon continued speaking as if he hadn’t heard the angry Shen, “We sort of have an emergency,” he then nodded to Shen Yuan, “Xin Mo is reaching its peak.”

The statement sobered up the mess of Shen Yuan’s thoughts, “What? But that means -”

“It’s been unsheathed,” tsked Shen Jiu.

“We have to go to him,” declared the younger cultivator as he looked at the one beside him with resolute eyes. Shen Jiu held his ground for a moment before standing up.

He extends his hand to his back (a habit that Shen Jiu never got rid off) and after ten years, another hand finally grasps it back.

thirteen;

The disciples of Cang Qiong Peak were gathered together before the Rainbow Bridge’s end that was closer to the paths towards the twelve peaks. They were clumped depending on their peak together with the head and higher ranked senior disciples a few steps in front of the rest of them. No weapons were drawn yet as they looked in apprehension towards the other end of the bridge where the peak lords stood.

The cohorts of demons were slowly marching forward and while the figures of the infamous ones like Sha Hualing and Linguang Jun were prominently on the lead, their lord had disappeared somewhere. When every peak lord had gathered in defense of their sect, Luo Binghe had literally faded from their eyes as if he was just showing them who had lead this army and couldn’t be bothered to deal with the rest.

“That’s quite a crowd,” commented Mu Qingfang from beside Yue Qingyuan.

“Linguang Jun is there but I don’t see his nephew who’s supposed to be the one ruling their lands now,” said a squinting Qi Qingqi.

“Hnng-!”

“What is it Shang-shidi?” Wei Qingwei asked.

Shang Qinghua gave out a sheepish laugh, “Ah...haha nothing, nothing.”

“Who cares about those other demons?” growled Liu Qingge who was pacing way ahead in front all of them the entire time, “They can easily be handled by us. The real question is where is their ring leader? Where has Luo Binghe gone?!”

“Don’t go too far away from us. And maybe he isn’t interested in fighting?”

Liu Qingge tactfully ignored the first statement and maintained his distance due to his antsy feeling. He rounded to his shixiongs and shidis and gritted out, “If he wasn’t interested in fighting then why bring the hoard of those approaching demons?!”

The Zui Xian Peak Lord hiccuped as he closed the jar of alcohol on his hand, “Who knows what’s going on with his mind? First he kills his shizun and then he kidnaps his body. No one truly understands the machinations he has.”

“Well if he isn’t showing himself then that’s one less problem for us,” replied Qi Qingqi and then she turned to their Sect Head, “Do you want to wait until they arrive or..?”

Yue Qingyuan heaved out a sigh. “The nearer they are then the more likely they can get to our students. We might as well anticipate them midway.” He looked at the Bai Zhan Peak Lord and nodded his acquiescence to the aggressive energy in need for fighting that he’s been letting out ever since the news about the demons came. Cang Qiong Peak’s War Lord perked up and moved his hand to touch the hilt of Cheng Luan.

However, because of their momentary distraction with each other, they failed to detect a demon who suddenly appeared behind Liu Qingge.

“What the -!”

“Liu-shidi! Watch out!”

“A teleporting demon!”

Liu Qingge lost his momentum to draw Cheng Luan as he barely twisted out of the way from the oncoming slam of the demon’s large fists. He was outbalanced and the demon quickly tried hitting him again. He gathered spiritual energy in his palm and confidently met the demon’s fists with it.

But the demon dropped to the ground before that happened.

The War Lord stared at it in confusion and his eyes widened when he saw a very familiar arrow that struck the demon on its head. In the background, he can feel the other peak lords being as frozen as he was. The delighted shouts of “Shifu!” by the Qing Jing Peak disciples made him snap back. He immediately drew his attention to the other end of the arrow’s trajectory and was met with an unmasked face on top of a tree.

Worried that the other would leave again immediately like how he’s done the past years. He looked back to Yue Qingyuan and wordlessly asked for help and the sect leader met his gaze and seemed to be communicating something to him. Liu Qingge scrambled his brain to try and convince the rogue cultivator to stay and vaguely recalled being told by Cang Qiong Peak’s sect leader that straight words of wisdom usually gets into Shen Jiu’s psyche because that was what Shen Yuan used.

Squaring himself, Liu Qingge looked back to the cultivator who still had his bow ready and solemnly stated the wisest words he can muster.

“Death saddens the face but deepens our understanding.”

Shen Jiu frowned, “Huh? What the fuck?”

Liu Qingge growled away his embarrassment, “I said screw you and come down here!”

“Is that any way to talk to your savior?”

“You’re no savior of mine! I had everything under control!”

“So you tripping on your own feet was just my imagination?”

“Trippi-! I did not trip! I was dodging it! Successfully!”

“I think he was trying to be nice and sympathetic to your woes, gē ge.”

Cang Qiong’s War Lord  was about to declare that it wasn’t as if he was trying to be nice or something but his mouth slacked open when the new voice popped in. The Xian Shu Peak Lord let out an incoherent screech or, to be fair, that could also have been the sound of the Zu Xian Peak Lord choking on his alcohol.

“Death saddens the face and blah blah,” mocked Shen Jiu, “What in the world is that supposed to be? Some wise words? Sounds like shit.”

Shen Yuan lightly tapped his brother’s arm in reprimand, “Be nice.” And then he turned to his fellow peak lords, “Hello.”

Liu Qingge finally found his voice back during the twins’ exchange. “What…”

“What ‘what’?” asked Shen Jiu with a raised eyebrow as if he didn’t know what exactly they were talking about.

Liu Qingge did some vague hand motions to try and convey his bewilderment.

Shen Jiu rolled his eyes in response.

“Xiao-Jiu, don’t tease your shidi like that,” came Yue Qingyuan’s clear voice, “I believe we have the same questions.”

The older Shen murmured under his breath which suspiciously sounded like, “don’t ‘xiao-jiu’ me”.

“Yeah! You owe us a lot of answers!” cried Qi Qingqi. “But the demons have come closer and we need to defend.”

“Is there any other surprise you have for us?” questioned Mu Qingfang with a hint of humor because of course Shen Jiu would be doing something out of this world again.

The ground shook and a large snake rose from it together with other lesser demons. A man stood atop the head of the snake and grinned as he looked down. Tianlang Jun’s own demon mark glowed and he laughed heartily at the wide eyed expressions of the cultivators of Cang Qiong Peak.

Shen Yuan whispered something to his brother and when the latter nodded, he bowed to the others and rushed away. The older twin jumped down from the tree and walked closer to Liu Qingge with a smug aura.

“Close your mouth. It’s disgusting.”

And then he flipped his hair making it hit the pretty face of the Bai Zhan Peak Lord.

-

Shen Yuan barely kept his exasperated sigh as he caught some of the exchange going on with his brother and the other peak lords. His twin was always so aggressive against Liu Qingge - okay, granted, he was aggressive to everyone but still - and the latter was the same with him. Remembering how Mu Qingfang stated before that their spiritual auras had similarities that they can be mistaken with a far off blood relation, he wonders how it holds true for those two.

The thought of spiritual energies made him stop on his tracks.

He reached towards his abdomen and felt the foreign golden core inside of him.

He knows for a fact that he lost his at Jinlan City when he blew himself up. He isn’t sure how he got this new one and one of the reasons he could think of is that it might be either because he had a special case with his resurrection. A light frown appeared on his face as he ran his thumb over the tiny inconspicuous scar on his index finger.

The other reason he could think of is as wild as his initial guess. Days where he and his twin were pouring all their attention on all the scrolls and tomes they could find runs through his mind. They have always loved learning and would spend sleepless nights just to finish whatever topic managed to catch their fancy.

One topic he can recall during a time where they were huddled together one day was of golden cores.

And how theoretically an operation to transfer a golden core was possible. The dark scroll spoke of the willingness of the giver, how they had to be awake the entire time, and how the process could be ranked as one of the most painful experiences someone could undergo.

He turned around to the general direction of where the Cang Qiong Peak peak lords were. The whole golden core business slipped his mind because of the succession of events the past day. He wasn’t able to ask nor check his suspicions but…

With great difficulty, he went back to his original destination.

(He isn’t sure how he got this new golden core. But he hopes, he fervently hopes , it’s because of his first speculation.)

He hurried on his way to Qing Jing Peak’s bamboo house. His eyes lingered for a while when he traversed the grounds of his home. The foundations were the same, the courtyard was clean, and it may be because he’s not looking intently but he couldn’t see a single speck of dust as well. In a way, it was still the same. It was as if a decade hasn’t passed by.

Except he knows it has - from the pure white robes of his brother, the absence of his most beloved disciple, and the feeling of loss within him.

When he finally arrived at the bamboo groves leading to the bamboo house his brother made for him, he slowed down. There was an unnatural stillness in the area and it was then that he knew he came at the right place. Hearing bits and pieces of what Luo Binghe had been doing for the past decade, it felt like someone was squeezing his heart. He clenched and unclenched his fist as he steeled his resolve when he saw the door slightly ajar. With a silent big exhale, he pushed said door and stepped one foot inside -

- only to find it empty.

He froze for a few seconds and only regained his composure when he felt a dark thrall ahead. He stepped outside the undisturbed bamboo house and casually noted how impeccable it looked. He’d have to thank whoever had been keeping it clean and in order. Closing the door behind him, he trudged forward to the zenith of Qing Jing Peak.

Despite being quite certain that Luo Binghe was on top of the path he trekked, the sight of the reigning demon king still made his heart flutter in nervousness, in worry, in surprise.

(In love)

Luo Binghe was standing beside Zheng Yang’s makeshift grave with his hands clasped on his back as he looked over the vast expanse of Cang Qiong Peak from the topmost part of the place he once considered his home. Xin Mo was stabbed to the ground on the other side of the broken hilt of Zheng Yang and the dark thrall continued swirling around it bypassing the other sword and clinging on to the demon lord.

“Binghe…” he called out softly.

Much like how it was in the past, the younger man was so attuned to him and would respond immediately. The dark clothed male turned around to face him and the corner of his lips lifted in amusement.

“Shizun,” came the greeting in a low baritone voice.

Shen Yuan controlled the gasp that would have escaped him as he took in the form of his disciple. Everything about him looked perfect. His clothes were well pressed and the silver linings complimented the predominant obsidian black. His hair was was tied in a simple high ponytail neatly making his handsome facial features be further accentuated. His aura was as powerful or perhaps even more so compared to the last time in Jinlan.

Everything looked flawless indeed.

Except the wild unhinged look in his eyes partnered with his glowing demon mark betrayed his facade.

“Binghe,” he called out again in an effort to ground himself and try to forget how this scene seemed extremely familiar as their last reunion.

Luo Binghe tilted his head to the right and ran his eyes on the newly resurrected form of Shen Yuan. “You look as beautiful as ever, Shizun.”

“Binghe,” he breathed out heavily. He wanted to curse himself for being unable to talk clearly. He knew he needed to let him understand a lot of things and yet the words felt heavy on his tongue. Why couldn’t he let words steam out effortlessly like his brother? And he hated himself for his inability to speak in this vital moment of all times.

“Shizun,” the other responded as if in a mocking tone.

Memories of this same image of Luo Binghe when Xin Mo corrupted him played through Shen Yuan’s mind. “Binghe, listen to this teacher. I need you to disconnect yourself from Xin Mo.”

“Shizun went up all the way here just to give me advice about my sword? I feel blessed,” he replied in the same mocking voice.

“It’s corrupting you. Binghe, you have to see this,” he insisted, “Look at you. This isn’t you.”

A flash of emotion passed Luo Binghe’s eyes. “And who am I supposed to be?”

Shen Yuan took a step forward as he answered unhesitatingly, “You’re the child who I met on a cold night with a tear stained face,” another step, “You’re the young boy who grew up as my head disciple and inspired his age group to be better,” another step, “You’re my most favored one that I -” he almost slipped but he continued, “ - the one that I pushed to the torments of the abyss. You’re -”

“I’m no longer that weakling,” hissed Luo Binghe making Shen Yuan stop. But it didn’t matter as it was the demon lord who took two steps forward to almost close the gap between them. “I no longer have to limit myself to humanity. Because now I have Xin Mo and not this trash,” and he grabbed the protruding hilt of Zheng Yang and threw it on the cliff.

“No!” shouted Shen Yuan and he tried grabbing the broken sword before it fell.

An arm wrapped itself around his waist to tug him back.

“Why would you do that?!” the younger Shen twin screamed in frustration as he watched Zheng Yang fall out of sight. This was the same sword that the teenaged Luo Binghe had proudly shown him; the same sword that he desperately clutched onto despite the incessant knockings of his fellow peak lords; and the same sword that kept him sane for the five years of hell he knew he subjected the person he never wanted to experience it.

He dropped to the ground and his tears gathered at the corner of his eyes. His hands dug to the ground in aggravation. His left fingers suddenly bumped to something small and hard under the soil. He latched on to those within his grasp and lifted his hand to look at it. His eyes widened in remembrance the moment he took a look at it.

Spirit stones.

These were the spirit stones he won in his bid for Luo Binghe’s name written in golden ink in the crimson paper.

And the ones he buried to Zheng Yang’s grave for every wish, for every story, and for every wisp of hope he offered for its owner.

He destroyed the once pure lotus and unknowingly floating in a dream state during his death puts a lot into perspective. He knew it was his fault that the man standing behind his fallen form has continuously suffered and yet…

Calloused hands that had a scar on its palm brushed his hair. He tried looking up but the owner of the hands grabbed a fistful of his long locks and steadied his head back to the cloud and stormy image of Qing Jing Peak’s cliff in front. He swallowed the sound of the wince he was about to let out.

At the corner of his eyes he can see the sinister looking sword that the gods have constantly warned him about. Whoever wielded it would always be subjected to its destructive wiles. No matter which path it was, that was the end goal of the sword and the reason why it was sealed into a slumber.

But then again, everything and everyone would always find their way back one way or another.

It was only on that one path that a light could extinguish it - and wait. He already found that light and paid for with his death for a decade. He pushed Luo Binghe precisely so that this scene would not happen. So then why in the world - then his hands felt more of the spirit stones he buried and it was as if something shifted in him.

He uncharacteristically let out a growl (oh, gē ge would be proud) and unminding of the dirt entering his nails and sticking to his hands, he dug out more of the spirit stones. He felt Luo Binghe stiffen behind him in confusion but he had no time to address it and violently ripped his hair away from the other’s grasp. It hurt, oh yes it definitely hurt. When he glared at Luo Binghe who had stumbled backwards from his sudden maneuver, his frustration only grew.

And then he threw one of the spirit stones straight at Luo Binghe’s chest.

The action took the both of them in surprise - both in disbelief that Shen Yuan was capable of something like that.

“Shizun..?” came the unsure inquiry of Luo Binghe which gave clarity on his reddened eyes.

But ten years of being dead trapped in that unending dream (nightmare?) and more years of being a puppet for the gods and yet the damn sword was still here and his influencing his disciple. Everything just pissed him off. And he needed to let it out.

With that in mind, he dug more of the spirit stones and threw them at the frozen Luo Binghe as he screamed his frustrations by retelling the words he buried with those stones.

“That,” he yelled as he threw a stone at his companion, “was for the story when I tried cooking for the first time!” He threw another. “ That is when I first ran away from my fellow peak lords to try and hide Zheng Yang! You know - the sword you just fucking threw!”

On and on he continued throwing and shouting to a still Luo Binghe who never took his eyes away from his vulnerable form.

-

Shen Jiu flicked his hand and the only fan he has ever used materialized to replace his bow and arrow. He swept his fan once to drive away the demons coming for him. The peak lords ended up meeting the horde halfway and with the help of the demons under Tianlang-Jun, they were successful in containing their opponents further away from the entrance of Cang Qiong Peak and subsequently its disciples.

Qi Qingqi and Liu Qingge were on either of his side as the Bai Zhan Peak Lord lead the offense. He’s not going to say it to anyone but he did miss these people. Shutting himself alone for the past years made him realize how attached he had been to this crowd no matter how he stubbornly denied it.

“Are you seriously just going at it with that fan of yours?!” bellowed Liu Qingge as he slashed the entire left flank of the demons. “Just go ask Zhangmen-shixiong for it!”

The older Shen twin frowned at him and proceeded to ignore the other peak lord.

“Oi, why the hell are you being such a bitch again?!”

Just as Shen Jiu was about to give him a piece of his mind on getting called a “bitch”, a roaring laughter echoed. He didn’t even have to guess who it was.

“If you have the time to leisurely eavesdrop on conversations then you should get down here and actually help,” snided Shen Jiu.

Tianlang-Jun wiped a tear from his eye from too much laughter, “Big Shen, you never fail to amuse me.”

“Glad I could be a source of amusement,” Shen Jiu sarcastically replied and knocked a demon jumping at him with a wide snap of his fan.

“How are you even friends with this one?” questioned a bewildered Liu Qingge.

Shen Jiu scoffed, “‘Friends’ is such a generous term for pest acquaintance.”

“Ahh, Big Shen you’re hurting my sensitive maiden heart here,” Tianlang-Jun put a hand on his chest acting like he was offended but immediately perked up after a split second, “Although I must say that your conquests are notable on their own,” he looked at Liu Qingge’s frowning face, “Is this your other lover?”

Shen Jiu almost slipped and swiftly turned around with burning eyes, “Shut up!”

“What?” asked the confused War Lord.

Tianlang-Jun continued as if nothing was amiss, “Hmm but this one looks like he knows nothing about the joys of the flesh.”

“Shut the fuck up!” hissed the older Shen.

“A virgin, huh,” concluded the demon and nodded to himself, “You must top him then. Oohhh, and your legitimate husband,” he gestured freely at the back where Yue Qingyuan was, “seems like the power figure who'd get it off by watching you two.”

Shen Jiu’s next attack completely missed the creature in front of him as he directed his hit instead on Tianlang-Jun’s direction.

“Didn’t I fucking tell you to shut your damn mouth?!”

“Yeah!” joined in a furious Liu Qingge, “And I’m definitely the top!”

"That,” gritted Shen Jiu, “isn't the issue here and excuse you, if anything, I am the top if we really have to talk about this."

Liu Qingge knocked down another group of demons and smugly replied, "You've never won against me so obviously I'm the top."

"Calm down. No one is topping anyone" interjected Yue Qingyuan as he sighed at the sparks of clash brewing between the two problematic peak lords. Shen Jiu redirected his glare at him and Yue Qingyuan quickly retracted his words in hopes of placating him, "Except for Xiao-Jiu who can top anyone he wants.”

“That’s favoritism!” shouted Liu Qingge who lost his smug aura to a now smirking Shen Jiu.

“Men truly are trash,” commented a deadpan Qi Qingqi.

The other peak lords acted like they weren’t hearing anything and continued with their own businesses.

Just then, an ice spear struck the tree branch that Tianlang-Jun was previously sitting on. The demon landed cleanly beside the two arguing peak lords of Cang Qiong.

“Well, well, I thought we were only going to be dealing against humans but it looks like you’ve decided to join the fray, Tianlang-Jun.” A demon dressed in pure white fur clothing parted the hoard of demons in the middle as he strode forward with a superior looking smirk on his pale face.

Tianlang-Jun smirked in turn, “Linguang-Jun,” he greeted.

Shen Jiu snapped his full attention to the ice demon approaching. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the name from when his younger brother confessed about the events during the opening of the abyss in the Immortal Alliance Conference. With a huff, he sidestepped the demon on their side and moved to anticipate Linguang-Jun.

“I will deal with this one,” he declared.

Linguang-Jun laughed, “Haven’t we already fought before? Your arrows couldn’t even land a single hit on me.”

Shen Jiu grinned ferally, “I’ll fucking tear you to pieces, you liar.”

Before he could move forward again, Yue Qingyuan appeared near him and held on to his wrist. He was about to tell him to piss off when he was presented his sword as a clear offering to be used against the fight. Shen Jiu looked at it for a moment before he clutched at his abdomen.

He hasn't used his sword nor his spiritual powers in years now.

He shook those thoughts away and drew Xiu Ya's cold white half.

(His golden core responds.)

-

“ - that is for when gē ge and Liu-shidi had another taboo event, that is for when Mu-shidi finally had a breakthrough on that rare medicinal plant with weaved leaves which supposedly stitches wounds instantaneously - “

Throw after throw of the spiritual stones, Shen Yuan kept his infuriated tirade of stories every time he buried the stones he won. How can this disciple of his just say that everything in the past was trash like Zheng Yang just because he had Xin Mo now?! Did he seriously think that the accursed sword has his well-being in mind?!

“ - that is for when we accidentally found out that Shang-shidi has a beau -”

Granted, he was the one that pushed him to his five years of torment in the abyss and he most probably is the least credible to talk about keeping Luo Binghe safe - but still!

When he could no longer easily access the more shallow buried spiritual stones, his pissed off self got more annoyed. He carelessly dug more on the ground with abandonment as he angrily muttered, “Where are those stones?! There was a lot! Where the hell is it?!”

Directly before him, Luo Binghe slowly blinked in wonder at the sight of his teacher in a rumpled state. He has seen him weakened by the Without A Cure poison and even lightly injured through some of their missions. But this... this wild mess he was in was something very new. And he’s not sure how he feels that his shizun is in an unkempt situation because of him.

For some reason, the headache he was sporting for a few hours had now gradually lessened with each stone thrown at him.

“Shizun…I -”

Qing Jing’s younger peak lord sent him a glare that made him freeze.

“Don’t you move from where you are. If I see you take another step towards that sword,” he spat that word as though it was poison, “I will..I will…” and then he paused. The realization that he had never handed out any punishment to Luo Binghe made him flush as he recalled all the snides and teasing of his fellow peak lords regarding his favoritism. “I will...uh...I…”

The Xiu Ya wielder’s initial anger quickly left as fast and abrupt as it came. When he regained some of his cool, Luo Binghe took his chance to take a few steps forward. Thinking that said action of moving was to get Xin Mo, Shen Yuan lost the calmness he thought he had back and acted without thinking.

Luo Binghe found himself flat on his back on the ground with the older cultivator straddling him.

“Please...not this time again,” he whispers as an errant tear comes down.

“I wasn’t going to touch it,” replies the demon lord, “I was going to you.”

And he lifts his right hand to gently (very, very carefully) cup the cheek of the one above him willfully wiping the tear track on it. Shen Yuan grasped the other’s hand with both of his own and pressed a light kiss on it -

- and stiffened in shock.

Slowly, he touched the younger’s wrist and tried feeling for something. When he couldn’t feel what he was looking for, he did it multiple more times. As the seconds tick without the response of what was supposed to be there, his actions grew frantic and resorted to hastily lowering his hand on Luo Binghe’s abdomen.

There was no response of it.

“Binghe,” he starts shakily and met his gaze, “Binghe, where is your golden core?”

Oh god, no.

“Where it’s supposed to be,” Luo Binghe replies unwaveringly.

He responds as if it didn’t matter, as if it was nothing; but it was not nothing.

“What did you do?” he shivers in disbelief. “Do you even know what you’ve done?”

“Yes. And it’s where it’s supposed to be,” he repeats.

“The process,” Shen Yuan cries, “is extremely painful. Why would you do that? Please believe me when I say that I don’t want you in pain.”

“There is nothing more painful than with Shizun not by my side,” he holds the hand on his stomach, “No curse, no wound, no words would ever give me agony but your absence in my life,” he tightens his hold in an effort to make the light of his world understand, “My golden core is where it’s supposed to be.”

Luo Binghe moves their connected hands to the other’s abdomen. “It’s home.”

Shen Yuan breaks down.

He cries for the tears that did not fall from the person he loves. He cries for the excruciating pain of the one underneath him must have undergone as he offered his connection to his humanity to him. He cries for the loneliness and despair that swallowed the younger throughout the years.

Shen Yuan hopes his dearest disciple (his favorite, his golden one, his loved one) will come home to him after all these years.

Luo Binghe hopes his Shizun (his life, his most precious person, his beloved) will always be there to welcome him back into his arms.

(Here’s what the gods know - nothing.

Here's what the demons know - nothing.

Here's what they both know - everything.)

The newly resurrected cultivator touched the other's abdomen once more. He clutched onto it through the black robes of his companion and breathed anew. Five years of separation through the abyss puts a lot into consideration. A failed reunion blew up a jarring realization between them. And the ten years of steadfast waiting was filled with the repercussions of one's gift of light and the other's golden gift to balance it out.

This might be fate or not and he’s honestly tired of that. But at least now he knows for certain that this is his choice.

Shen Yuan resolutely looks Luo Binghe in the eye (just like then). He leans forward and kisses his forehead (just like before).

“Welcome home, Binghe” was the soft whisper on the glowing demonic mark.

Luo Binghe's lips trembled at the warmth that burned hotter than his golden core.

"Shizun...I'm home."

-

“So what were you going to say on how you’d punish me a while ago?”

A teasing voice.

“I’ll tell you to gē ge.”

A swift, merciless answer.

“Ah.”

-

fourteen;

“Sooo,” Tianlang-Jun drawled out as he looked at the gathered peak lords and demon leaders, “Now that we’re here together again, Sect Leader Yue and I have something to say.”

“Why do you have something to say? Get out of our sect already. You’ve overstayed your welcome hmm actually you never were welcomed,” butted in Shen Jiu who was impatiently tapping his fan on his palm and ignored the perked up faces of the peak lords when he said ‘our sect’.

“Big Shen is being so mean to me. Ahhh, your foreplay is duly noted,” the older demon lord grinned salaciously.

“You-! Show some respect to your hosts!” Liu Qingge shouted as he slammed his fist on the table. The creaking sound it made upon contact made him pause and cool down. He’s not interested in paying for damages again because that was too much paperwork.

“Tianlang-Jun, please refrain from sexually harassing anyone,” rebuked Yue Qingyuan, “Moving back to the topic at hand - three things are in order. First, almost all the demons during the attack have been sent away already either through Luo Binghe’s command or through our sheer force.”

“Good fucking riddance to that Linguang-Jun,” sneered Shen Jiu. No one disagreed with his comment. He then turned his judging eyes to Shang Qinghua who started sweating buckets. “But who’d have thought that the secret beau you had was the rightful successor of the northern lands.” Mobei Jun’s eye twitched but said nothing.  

“Second,” continued Yue Qingyuan after determining that the Qing Jing Peak Lord was done judging, “is the matter about the gods.” Uneasy looks were shared by the peak lords. “The balance of nature must be renewed. And thus, the gods of Cang Qiong Sect must be rehomed to the new temple we’re rebuilding. There might have been bad blood with them but we must move forward and create the equilibrium between all of us.”

“Are you okay with this?” Liu Qingge cautiously asked the one beside him.

Shen Jiu huffed. “Stop showing concern to me. Frankly, it’s disgusting.”

Liu Qingge’s pretty face immediately scowled, “You’re disgusting.”

Not to be outdone, Shen Jiu bit back, “No, you’re disgusting. Your hair’s disgusting. Your non-existent brain is disgusting. Your ass is disgusting. Your -”

“Okay, that’s it! Stop!” Qi Qingqi raised her voice. Because god knows no one else is going to put an end to these childish displays.

Their sect leader would just let it continue until Shen Jiu decides he’s won and knowing the latter for decades, that’s not happening anytime soon. On a normal day, Shen Yuan might be of help. But the younger twin peak lord was currently busy silently exchanging shy flirty glances with Luo Binghe. And based on the pinch Shen Jiu just gave his brother, those exchanges weren’t unnoticed. She sighed. Men, as she has said multiple times before, are trash after all.  

Seeing that it’s somewhat settled down, Yue Qingyuan spoke once more. “And the third matter is about decisions on designations and the attached extraneous issues with it.”

A collective groan was echoed by the peak lords.

“I know, I know,” Yue Qingyuan tried to placate as the group simultaneously gave an unimpressed pointed stare at the two people who’d been quietly flirting the entire time. The current demon lord and the younger Shen twin didn’t seem to notice the focus that were given to them by the table.

Shen Jiu tsked and pinched his twin’s arm again.

“Hey!” Shen Yuan complained and rubbed his arm, “Why are you being violent?”

The older scoffed. “You think that’s violent? I’ll show you ‘violent’” He grabbed one of the tea cups and threw it full force to the source of all his problems.

“Gē Ge! Don’t be mean!” scolded Shen Yuan and rushed to Luo Binghe’s side. “Binghe, it didn’t hit you, did it?”

The recipient of the cup merely smiled, “No it didn’t Shizun,” and then he cast a glance at Shen Jiu and his smile got an added tilt to it, “Shifu’s aim missed, after all.”

Shang Qinghua choked on his tea. Qi Qingqi’s eyes widened. Liu Qingge didn’t know whether he should ride with the apparent Shen Jiu mocking or continue fighting against the demon. Tianlang-Jun was the only one roaring with laughter. And Yue Qingyuan wonders whether he’s going to end up drawing Xuan Su in line of this scene.

“I think,” Shen Jiu stared coldly, “that about the designation issue it’s obvious that A-Yuan and I are to reclaim our peak lord status because no one else would be better and yes it’s a proven fact from my brain. For the attached extraneous issue, I say we ban the trash from being a continent near A-Yuan.”

“I agree,” came Liu Qingge’s easy acquiescence as if he wasn’t contemplating siding with the other a while ago.

“We’re being very bias with that suggestion,” replied Shen Yuan who was now patting Luo Binghe’s hair when he acted hurt at the proposed recommendation.

“That wasn’t a suggestion. That was the decision already,” said Shen Jiu scornfully.

“Of who?” came the challenge.

“Me.”

“A decision needs majority of the votes.”

“Anyone who doesn’t agree with me?” Shen Jiu didn’t even bother to look at the others, “No one? I thought so.”

“Gē Ge,” admonished Shen Yuan.

But Shen Jiu was unrelenting.

"I still hate him and the only difference from back then is I have more proof now that he doesn't deserve you."

"No one can declare who deserves whom."

"I just did."

"So we may not have had an initial good reunion back in Jinlan -"

"Understatement of the century given that he killed you."

"- but that doesn't mean we aren't going to journey to try and improve ourselves together."

"I don’t think I like where this conversation is going."

Shen Yuan stood firm. "I chose to be his light back then. And even now. And beyond this."

The silence and tension inside the room was palpable. The peak lords ended up huddling together on one corner as they watched the twins go at it like some sports festival. The demons ended up close together as well beside the arguing brothers and even Tianlang-Jun was quiet. Well, he wanted to speak but Liu Qingge’s and Zuzhi Lang’s hands were slapped over his mouth.

Shen Jiu sighed heavily. "I believe in retribution."

"Yes you do.”

"And this is the only time I will say this..." Shen Yuan tilted his head in inquiry. “Cover your damn ears and turn your back, you filthy demon,” barked Shen Jiu. To almost everyone’s surprise, Luo Binghe did do just that and the wielder of Xiu Ya’s white half spoke softer back to his twin, "He did give an equal repayment to you."

Shen Yuan thinks of the gradual development of their affections and was about to agree when Shen Jiu looked at his abdomen. The younger peak lord stiffened. Ignoring the curious looks of the other occupants of the room, he replied just as quiet.

“You know…”

The memory of hugging his brother's dead body as he buried him floated through Shen Jiu. He’d be a fool not to notice the thrumming of spiritual energy around said body which shouldn't be possible because he saw with his own two eyes when the blowing up happened.

He doesn’t deem that a response and communicates through their eyes as they’ve easily always had since kids. He doesn’t say it out loud that it was then that he realized who else could have had the access, the opportunity, and the dedication enough to give such a gift. He doesn’t say that no matter how unwilling he was, the one who empathized with him the most during those ten years was the little demon he hated.

But his brother understands. (He always did.)

“Gē Ge…” the younger whispers.

In a snap, Shen Jiu regained his composure and bitingly ordered. “Make the fucker face me.”

With a light tap on the demon lord’s shoulder, Luo Binghe smiled brightly at his Shizun and removed his hands from his ears to face off against the one person he knew he needed to convince and impress.

“Shifu,” he acknowledged.

“Do you think you deserve my brother?” asked Shen Jiu menacingly.

“Gē Ge!” Shen Yuan was about to step in but Luo Binghe held his hand tightly to ask him to let him handle it. With a concerned heart but recognizing the need for this confrontation, Shen Yuan relents.

“No. No, I don’t deserve him.”

Shen Jiu was silent for a few minutes as he looked at the demon.

“No, you don’t deserve him,” he agreed, “But you’re his choice.”

The younger man  felt a lump on his throat.

Then, as if he tired himself from the conversation, Shen Jiu flicked his wrist and started fanning himself.

“Luo Binghe,” he spoke in a commanding voice, “You are to finish three hundred laps around the peak every morning before the sun rises. Then, you are to clean the courtyard, arrange the library, and prepare the necessary miscellaneous things for Qing Jing Peak for the rest of your life.”

Luo Binghe grinned.

-

“Oi, Shen Jiu, is Shen Yuan and that brat kissing out there?”

“Wha -?! That fucking bastard!”

“Ah, shixiong please stop throwing things from the window! Careful! Half your body is already hanging out! And Liu-shidi, please stop providing ammunition for him to throw! No, not that! That’s the hand crafted pottery of the first generation of Cang Qiong Peak’s sect leader!”

-

[ “It’s going to be fine dì di.”

Shen Yuan wants to believe his brother, he really does.

“It’s going to be fine dì di.”

Then he remembers the warmth of Luo Binghe's core inside him and his beautiful smile as he called him, "Shizun" between their entangled lips. He looks at the clasped hands of him and his older brother - the one that never let go; the one that was always offered; and the one he would always take.

“It’s going to be fine dì di.”

“Yes...yes it’s not going to be fine - in fact, it's going to be more than fine.”]