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In a very distant land, hidden among the Twelve Peaks of a Mountain Range, a group of twelve paladins lived in harmony with their brothers and sister. They were true legends among men, all beautiful as the pale moon. Some, like Liu Qingge, stood out for their courage and power, others, like Shen Qingqiu, for their cunning and intelligence.
These two were the perfect opposite of each other. Shen Qingqiu, the only man in history with a body made of pure Yin energy, was cold, dark, intelligent, and calculating. He possessed a delicate beauty that rivaled the only lady among the paladins' Qi Qingqi. Qingqiu was the strategist, the calming force behind the leader's recklessness, the musician who accompanied the battle, lighting the fire in the blood of his brothers. But he was also the one who played soft ballads that kept nightmares away, the scholar that memorized more than 10,000 books on topics ranging from medicine to politics to the arts of war to help his brothers. He was the one who accompanied Mu Qingfang in the search for new cures and then, with his silver tongue, sold them with the help of Shang Qinghua.
Liu Qingge, on the other hand, had a body that held only pure Yang energy, he was brave, bold, strong, and righteous. He was the God of War, capable of annihilating more than a thousand demons with a slash of his sword, his tall and strong body emphasized that point, but his face held a soft and delicate beauty like that of a young prince, a duality that did not end with his appearance. Qingge was harsh with big, callused hands, but his touch could be soft when one of his brothers was injured, his voice was harsh, but could be so charming when he sang softly following Qingqiu’s notes.
And they clashed.
They clashed as expected from two people whose base values were so intrinsically different. For serious and foolish reasons, they sometimes seemed to argue for sport. But something that no one ever expected to happen, or rather, something that Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu expected to happen was that, during one of these shocks, they realized how well they… fit… together .
Shen Qingqiu learned that, although righteous and impetuous, Qingge was able to follow orders and bring a plan to completion. And even though he was impatient, his patience seemed to be infinite for his brothers. And Liu Qingge learned that Qingqiu, despite having a cold and snobbish appearance, his interior was pure ish and he truly cared for the people who were important to him. And that his acts of kindness usually came hidden in a bundle of sarcasm. However, these lessons were not easy to acquire, it was necessary to send them on several joint missions so that they could see beyond their prejudice.
This was a long, long, long introduction to a story that will only start now.
Although inwardly fuming, Shen Qingqiu continued to walk elegantly and calmly down the road of the Bailu Forest that would lead him to Huan Hua's palace. His face, partly hidden behind a paper fan, has a mask of serenity. And, for the first time since the start of this journey, the reason for his mood wasn't his companion. But the disgusting individual who was waiting for them in their destination. Lao Gongzhu was the type of man that Qingqiu despised with all his strength greedy, selfish, arrogant, and cruel. A man capable of raising a girl and desire her when she grows up.
The man sent a message to several sects, asking for help in finding his precious Su Xiyan who disappeared a few days ago.
And as it should be expected Yue Qingyuan decided to send the most intelligent and cunning mind in their sect to assist the search. With a self-delivered side quest, of course, as Qingqiu is also interested in investigating the reasons that led to his, somewhat , friend disappearance. But, as Qi-Ge still thinks Shen Qingqiu is a seven-year-old child, he claimed that he needed to bring a companion. His escort, of course, was no other than Liu Qingge.
It wasn't a surprise, really. Most of the missions given to Shen Qingqiu came with the added bonus of spending more time with the brute of the sect. Apparently being a perfect YinYang pair was enough reason to stick two intrinsically different men together regardless of whether they hate each other, or not.
Not that they hated each other, at least not anymore .
After the fact that Qingqiu saved the bastard's life in the spirit caves and their quick encounter with a group of a succubus, both events that still make the tip of the scholar's ears turn pink, Qingge started to act inexplicably towards him. Brute started the process by bringing him gifts, such as beautiful trinkets, skins, and meat from mystical beasts. But the strangest thing was when Liu Qingge invited him to a training duel. Shen Qingqiu thought it was a conspiracy to humiliate him and, although he wanted to refuse, he couldn't do it in front of all his other brothers! He would look like a coward! And so he accepted.
However, that duel ended unexpectedly .
Standing in the middle of a half-destroyed clearing, Shen Qingqiu hid his sweaty, pink face behind his paper fan. His appearance was far from his usual elegant state, the hem of his garments was stained, the same could be said of his back and regrettably his knees. On the other side of the clearing stood of Liu Qingge, who, despite being breathless and sweaty, was much more composed. And that irritated Qingqiu. The young man in green clothes just wanted to push the warrior and get that ensemble that was still practically intact.
"Three victories? I didn't expect that much." Said Liu Qingge, his tone bland. But the bastard looked like he was truly impressed. And that was enough to ignite the fire of righteous outrage in Qingqiu.
The scholar threw his mask of elegance away, along with his paper fan, and threw himself at Liu Qingge with the goal of scratching his pretty gray eyes out!
The warrior not prepared for that ambiguous attack, especially after such gracious compliment of the scholar's fighting ability, ended up in the floor of the clearing with Qingqiu on his lap, acting like an enraged kitten. But Qingge was not going to let himself be the victim! He was not going to let himself be passive! Even when he thought that Qingqiu green eyes looked especially pretty when enraged. And so the warrior used his core muscles to turn the...situation.
Now he was on top of an enraged kit...Shen Qingqiu, using one hand to press both of the scholar's wrists against the grass. But as soon as the warrior realized his position he froze. Looking like a jade statue. Immovable even when Qingqiu exerted more strength.
"Unhand me in this instant!" Ordered Shen Qingqiu. The small crown that usually adorned the scholar's hair had fallen out, and his long silky black hair was spread out on the grass, creating a black halo around his pale face. "Are you deaf? Let me go!" the scholar pressed a knee between Liu Qingge's legs, ready to hit him where it hurt most. But the movement was enough to break Qingge's of his daydreaming, and the brute, with his face red, has an apple, jumped up, and walked away without saying anything.
Leaving a disgruntled and furious scholar behind, plotting his ultimate revenge.
After that odd incident, Liu Qingge persisted in his endeavor to invite Qingqiu to duels and other sorts of friendly competitions, that always ended in some spectacular manner. To which Qingqiu always accepted, and even proposed some friendly competitions as well, in order to get revenge on that Brute of a man. And it wasn't until the fifth duel that Shen Qingqiu realized that the barbarian was actually being friendly. The dumb brute behaved similarly with brothers that were closer to him, like Wei Qingwei, Yue Qingyuan, and, surprisingly enough, Qi Qingqi. And that, for some strange reason, made Qingqiu's cold heart melt a little bit.
But his thirst for revenge had yet to be quenched. The were tied 25/25 and this was Qingqiu's oportunity to rise above that savage.
“You are looking at me like a snake at its prey.”
"Liu-shidi, don't be silly. This master would never look at another martial brother like that."
Qingge made a noncommittal, and very unsure, sound.
The pair kept walking in silence until the sound of a flute being played reached their senses. Gray eyes met green. Both of them knew that the Bailu Forest was infested with several beasts that took pleasure in capturing distracted and vulnerable humans. And while Qingqiu was not particularly concerned with a beast that plays the flute that badly, Qingge was ready to pounce.
And so, the end up pursuing the sound. And their destination was a clearing (isn't it always?) with nonother then Su Xiyan sitting (is that a picnic set?) next to the man, clearly a demon, playing the flute. The demon stopped his concert, and turned is black eyes on the two new figures, that rudely interrupted his date with his precious Su Xiyan. But seeing that the love of his life didn't make a move to attack, he also remained in his place.
"Shen Qingqiu...what are you doing here?" Questioned the woman who looked particularly plump around the middle.
"Your master asked for our help to find you." the scholar answered. Apparently the fate was in Shen Qingqiu's favor now. At last, he will not need to see that disgusting man. "But seeing as I already did, my mission is complete."
Qingqiu turned to live, but Liu Qingge stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Hey! Where are you going? Don't you see that that man is a demon?"
"I am not blind shidi. However, you must be to not notice their...situation." Both of them turned to look at the woman whose face was a cold and flawless mask of indifference, whoever her eyes told a completely different story.
"Do not mind this silly fool. He is useless." Said Su Xiyan leveling Tianlang Jun with a look. Not that the demon would say anything that would leave his wife unhappy.
Qingge's face, apparently, didn't have an expression that would fit his feelings and thoughts about this whole situation, and so the dumb brute placed a blank face on. Deciding that the best solution was to leave it to Qingqiu. Wich to be fair is, as always, the most reliable solution available.
Shen Qingqiu nodded "Well, then I'll leave it to you." Then he turned to leave, being followed by Liu Qingge. But when he was about to leave the clearing he turned once again and said, "Be cautious of your master, he was selfish designs for you and your future".
The pair of paladins left the clearing, then the Bailu Forest region, before mounting on their horses and start their path back to the Twelve Peaks of a Mountain Range. When the night approached, Qingqiu decided that they should stop by a small town in their way. He didn’t feel like sleeping in the woods, or worst, ride through the night like de savage by his sade is prone to do.
"Let's stop and rest, Liu-shidi." This would be the night where Shen Qingqiu would quench his thirst for... revenge.