Chapter Text
Zui Xian Peak is ranked twelveth of the twelve peaks of Cang Qiong Sect.
That is, to say, though it can technically be considered part of the first ranked sect in the world, Cang Qiong Sect, no self-respecting cultivator would really like to join them.
“The Cultivator Graveyard.” “The Peak that ruins talents.” “Drunk on life, Ill-disciplined cultivation.”
With such coal black reputation, the Peak Lord, Shen Yuan, really has no place here at the entrance exams.
The first moment he flies down from the skies on his sword, late as can be, a flurry of murmurs breaks out amongst the examinees.
“Look, look! Isn’t that the Zui Xian Peak Lord, Shen Qingjiu?”
“Ssh! Don’t look! You don’t want to bring his favour upon yourself!”
Shen Yuan pays their ushered whisperings no mind, gracefully landing on the platform where all other peak lords watch from.
Shen Qingqiu, Shen Jiu, massages his temples.
“You’re late.” He says simply. He tosses his younger twin a scowl. “What excuse is it this time?”
Shen Yuan’s eyes curve.
“Gege really does understand me. This one was enraptured watching a frog croak in the rain.” The Zui Xian Peak Lord easily takes the seat allocated for him.
“What rain?” Qi Qingqi snorts. “The way I see it, someone must have been drinking all night and day again.”
“Shijie, you know my sect released a new batch of wine recently. How crude would it be to let such fine specimen go without a taste?” Shen Yuan frowns with a distressed flutter of his lashes.
“Your peak’s always indulging in such luxuries. Crude is just the word to describe you.” Liu Qingge spares no pleasantries.
“Is that so?” Shen Yuan’s expression does not change, fan lifted to cover half his face. He draws another object from the depths of his clothes. “Then, I suppose you don’t need this—”
The Zui Xian Peak Lord abruptly cuts off when the wine jars are swiped out of his grasp.
Qi Qingqi barely keeps up with her manners as a refined lady as she bends over the arm of her throne, excitably watching Liu Qingge pour out cups of wine for his shixiongs and shijie. Pausing at the luxuriating look of the lesser Peak Lords, Liu Qingge rolls his eyes and tosses the second flask at them.
Truly, good things are meant to be shared.
Shen Yuan watches with twinkling eyes, smile hidden behind his sleeve. With such family by his side, who needs disciples?
Shen Jiu is the only one not swayed by his bait.
“Enough. What are you here for?” The elder twin asks.
“Disciples. What else?” Shen Yuan easily replies.
“You haven’t shown your face here in more than ten years. Even when you do, those rascals run as if they’ve been chucked horse dung. You seriously think you can get a disciple?” Shen Jiu bites out slowly with a glare.
To that, Shen Yuan can only smile, eyes misting over.
Ah, all the good memories.
It’s no secret how Zui Xian Peak has been getting its disciples for decades.
Zui Xian Peak, whilst being the cultivators’ last choice for a cultivation peak, also happens to be the cultivators’ first choice as a resort, of sorts.
Blessed with a good geography, many merchants have set shop below this peak for its ideal location. Cultivators thus visit for its good food, fine wine, and resort-like hot springs. Once one steps in there, it’s forewarned that one may never step out again, due to one wanting to luxuriate for eternity in there.
It’s why tonnes of disciples who’d given up cultivation from other peaks apply to transfer to this peak.
But of course, before they can even step a foot into this peak, they’re met with an entrance exam far harsher than digging holes.
“Our Zui Xian Peak’s gates are opened to all disciples able to get drunk on life. As for digging holes… Who’s to say that’s not a method of getting drunk, too?” On stupidity, that is.
Shen Jiu narrows his eyes.
“Don’t use that cryptic bullshit on me.” Shen Yuan ducks the hand reaching to pinch his ear. “What’s your real purpose for coming here?”
“Just wanted to see your faces.” Shen Yuan laughs gingerly, catching his brother’s hand. “Don’t tell me… Gege, you didn’t miss me at all?”
“Not one bit.” Shen Jiu huffs, turning pointedly to the examinees. “You might want to cover up your face. Those examinees look as if you might kill.”
Shen Yuan curiously follows his gaze to see a group of examinees timidly peeking over their shoulders at them.
Upon seeing one Shen Qingqiu with his natural resting bitch face staring at them, then another one with that same face now smiling encouragingly and lifting a hand to wave at them, they feel as if cold water has been dunked down their backs. What’s scarier than a smiling Shen Qingqiu?! A Shen Qingjiu beckoning you into his bosom, that’s what!
They hurriedly turn their backs to the peak lords, digging holes as if their lives depended on it.
“Haha…” Shen Yuan lightly fans himself with refreshing, calm “haha”s as he lords over them. “It’s been a long time since I came out to see the entrance exam. These examinees are hard at work, as always.”
“…” Says the glum Shang Qinghua at the side.
Compared to the disciples of Zui Xian who are seen drinking and playing every day, who wouldn’t seem hardworking to you? If only this guy knows about the sufferings of An Ding Peak…
Withdrawing a brocade pouch from his sleeve, Shen Yuan begins to eat pastries. These pineapple tarts made by the disciples of Zui Xian are naturally amongst the best of the culinary world. Ignorant to the envious eyes on him, Shen Yuan places the bag on his throne’s arm and lets Shen Jiu take a few.
Meanwhile, a certain noob’s eyes scan the vicinity eagerly.
If only the protagonist will show up now, that will truly make this a spectacular show.
After some time of searching, this Zui Xian Peak Lord finally comes upon a little munchkin of a child with a headful of curls. His eyes light up! There he is! It’s the little white lotus! So cute and lovable!
Off to his side, Liu Qingge is another one who has found that child.
“There. That one there seems good.”
With mouth full of pastries, Shen Yuan glances at him out of the corner of his eyes. This really is quality 3D experience!
“That kind of stinky brat… What good is there to him?” Shen Jiu, naturally, is opposed to everything his arch-enemy says.
Liu Qingge’s eyes turn to Shen Jiu.
“Ironic that you’d say that.” He scoffs, muttering. “No matter what, at least that little ‘stinkbag’ has more talent than you.”
Ka-ching! This admirable shixiong of his really knows how to hit Shen Jiu’s buttons.
“I want that kid.” This declaration makes all in his presence want to hide their faces out of second-hand shame. How childish!
Shen Yuan munches on his pastries as he side-eyes this scene. So this is how the little tiny lotus comes into being!
“You – If you can’t identify talents by your own, then don’t bother attending.” Liu Qingge’s face darkens.
“Just one child. Isn’t your Bai Zhan Peak full of talents?” Shen Jiu sneers, sharp face making him seem dignified rather than petty. “Or, are you really lacking so much in talent, you feel a need to barter?”
Liu Qingge’s eyes flash, and for a moment, he seems eager to take out his sword for a little picking at Shen Jiu.
Shen Yuan understands very well why he’s been placed between these two atomic bombs despite being ranked twelveth of the twelve peaks.
“Liu-shixiong and Gege are both right.” He nibbles on a crumbly edge, diligently studying Luo Binghe. “That child has a bright future ahead of him. I also want him.”
Hearing his words, the faces of all accompanying disciples and peak lords change comically at once.
You want that immense talent? You, the peak lord of Zui Xian Peak? Wrecker of all talents? The man governing the Cultivator Graveyard?
“Liu-shidi, this will be Qingqiu-shidi’s first pick of the day. Please tolerate and let him have this child.” Yue Qingyuan coughs.
Liu Qingge is reluctant, but glancing at Shen Qingjiu again, he can only tersely nod. No matter how bad the teacher, it still can’t be worse than this talent wormhole.
Things being settled, Shen Yuan sits back calmly and eats.
The noob is satisfied. All things are proceeding as they are supposed to. Now, all this Peak Lord has to do is to use this face he shares with his brother to occasionally – and rather corruptly – pull Luo Binghe away to Zui Xian to raise his battle stats. Raising Luo Binghe’s good feelings for Shen Qingqiu, he will help his brother and Cang Qiong escape death!
Little did he know, his plans are going to be wrecked.
-
“In the end, what the hell are you here for?” Shen Jiu asks, eyeing him suspiciously.
Shen Yuan only closes the brocade bag which is emptied of its contents and smiles calmly.
From start to the end, the Zui Xian Peak Lord has not selected one disciple. This makes everyone both sigh in relief, glad to have escaped Zui Xian’s clutches, as well as wonder what exactly the Zui Xian Peak Lord is here for.
Is he here just to look at his potential disciples? The examinees who thought this shuddered and slapped themselves in the face. Better not jinx their cultivation.
“Didn’t I already say it before?” Shen Yuan chuckles, walking along. “I’m here to see Gege, Shixiong, and Shijie’s faces.”
Shen Jiu is suspicious, staring at him through appraising eyes. Qi Qingqi sighs.
“Intersect relations are important.” She says.
“Intersect relations are important.” Shen Yuan parrots, retrieving his empty jar with astute eyes.
“It would be good if Shen-shidi could participate in more of such events.” Qi Qingqi gingerly wipes the crumbs off her lips with her handkerchief. “Xian Shu Peak always looks forward to your visits.”
Shen Yuan shakes his head and bows respectfully. “This shidi owes Qi-Shijie too much for taking care of our female disciples.”
Somewhere at the base of the tower, a certain white lotus child is panting, running after his excited shijie.
“N-Ning-shijie! P-Please wait a moment. I’m still in no shape to greet shizun with this appearance!” Luo Binghe wipes his dirty hands on his clothes and rubs his face with a sleeve. Sweaty and dirty, what if the clean peak lord scorns him for this unsightly appearance?
“Hurry up, A-Luo! Shizun is right there! Shizun is still waiting for us!” Ning Yingying weaves through the feet of the other peaks’ disciples with grace.
Faced with this unusually excitable shimei from Qing Jing, some disciples only shake their heads, while others smile and move on.
“H-Hold up!”
Shen Yuan has not even finished uttering his farewells to the other peak lords before a small weight flops on the back of his robe, the tiny form uttering out a yelp, “Oomf!”
The Zui Xian Peak Lord freezes. He peers down over his shoulder at the small form that has thrown himself in his back, now burying his face in his white robes.
A single dark, large eye peeks out of his robe, face flushing, aghast.
“…Shizun?” Luo Binghe’s voice trembles.
Shen Yuan stones.
‘Shizun’…? Who’s your shizun? Who’s my shizi? Shen Yuan’s not anyone worthy of someone like you to kow-tow to as shizun. Can you please don’t?! AAAAAH
There is a gasp from somewhere off to Shang Qinghua’s direction.
Shen Yuan lifts his head hesitantly and finds himself freezing at the icy-cold look Shen Jiu is directing down the boy.
“We still haven’t even stepped through the Peak’s doors, and already, you are accepting someone else as master?”
Horror dawns upon Luo Binghe when he realizes who he’s gotten wrong.
Shen Jiu, in this life, has three things he hates in ascending order:
1) Talent, for he was accepted into the sect too late.
2) People who are born fortunate, because he and Shen Yuan suffered the opposite.
And 3) People who mistake Shen Yuan and him for each other, because too many times back in the Qiu’s family, they’d been faced with the line “Whatever. You look the same anyways. Come. You will do.”
Therefore, while it is forgivable in the eyes of everyone else, this mistake which Luo Binghe has just made really cannot be salvaged.
“S-Shizun, I’m – This one apologizes – I really didn’t mean to mistake you—” Luo Binghe is in a flurry, panic welling in his eyes.
Shen Jiu, on the other hand, only sneers.
“Since you want to take other people as your master so much, why don’t you scram and go off to others’ teachings? Qing Jing refuses to take such an undiscerning disciple.” With a toss of his sleeve, Shen Jiu sends Shen Yuan a disgusted look, purely meant to share some of his disgust towards the child. He picks Ning Yingying up, flying away on his sword.
“Shizun, wait, please! A-Luo is—” Ning Yingying’s flustered defence can still be heard as they take to the winds.
“Shizun, I… I didn’t…” Luo Binghe is stunned, hand extended, reaching out.
“…” Shen Qingjiu is also stunned as he stands beside the child.
Did he… just ruin the entire plot of the story just by standing there?