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Luo Binghe gathers up his courage and calls out for Shen Qingqiu. He hears a few items being dropped on the other side of the sliding doors, then the tiniest note of panic in his master's voice.
"Who is it?"
"It's Luo Binghe, Shizun."
"Come in. Shut the doors quickly."
In the middle of the room sits Shen Qingqiu, swathed in splendid green and white silks, a wooden comb in his hand.
Luo Binghe has to take a few moments to steady his heart, using that time to place the tray he was carrying down on the table in front of his master. His gaze inevitably slides back up to watch Shen Qingqiu wrestle with his own tails, dragging the comb through white fur with increasing agitation.
Luo Binghe just recently came to know Shen Qingqiu's true form, a seven-tailed fox spirit, due to a small mishap. He hides a little smile, thinking about his dearest dashixiong undergoing punishment for misplacing their master's medicinal tea during the trip to Shuang Hu City. He hopes he's having fun cleaning the muck out of the monster pens on the Beast Taming Peak.
Luo Binghe wipes the smile off his face. "Shizun, this disciple has prepared your medicine for you."
Shen Qingqiu casts a hateful look at the teacup as if his gaze could make it disappear. He turns his attention back down to his fur, the fox ears on his head pressed down against his scalp. "Leave it there, I'll drink it later."
"Shizun, forgive this disciple's insistence, but you must drink it now while it's still hot. Mu-shishu said it won't be as effective if it cools down." Luo Binghe takes out a box of handmade sweets, setting them on the table next to the teacup. "I've made some sweets as well if Shizun would care to have some after his tea."
"Bribing me, are we?" Shen Qingqiu sets the comb down, moving to the table. He takes a sip of the tea, his face twisting into a grimace. He forces himself to drink the rest of it. "It's a pity not even you can make this taste any less vile. It's exactly like Ming Fan's brew."
"My apologies, Shizun. Mu-shishu said I mustn't make any alterations to the brewing method." Luo Binghe slides the box of sweets closer to Shen Qingqiu, his stomach fluttering nervously as his master eats one, then another, eager to wash the taste of the tea out of his mouth. He ducks his head, trying not to think about Shen Qingqiu's petal pink lips and that little tongue darting out to lick his fingers.
"Your sweets made it a little more bearable. Thank you, Binghe."
Luo Binghe's chest tightens, the sight of Shen Qingqiu's rare smile sending his heart soaring through the clouds. He lifts a hand to rub his chest, nodding mutely, for he momentarily lost the ability to speak.
"It's already been a few days since we've returned yet I'm still finding splinters." Shen Qingqiu picks up the comb again. He lays one of the seven pure white tails across his lap, picking out bits of wood stuck from their fight with the Skinner demon.
"Shizun, would you like me to comb them for you?" Luo Binghe keeps his head bowed low so Shen Qingqiu wouldn't notice the flush on his cheeks.
Shen Qingqiu drops the comb into his hands and turns his back on Luo Binghe, silently giving him permission.
Luo Binghe plucks out the debris from Shen Qingqiu's fur, slowly amassing a little pile beside him. "Shizun, that tea…"
Shen Qingqiu lets out a little sigh, the simple mention of it enough to bring back the taste. He picks up another sweet and pops it in his mouth. "Have you heard of Corrupted Ambrosia?"
"No, Shizun."
"It's a special plant found within the Demon Realm that can convert demonic energy to spiritual energy. It certainly keeps the Bai Zhan brats busy finding demonic beasts to fertilize them."
"The tea is made from that plant?"
"That's correct."
Luo Binghe lays one of Shen Qingqiu's tails across his lap and runs the comb through his fur as carefully as he could manage. "Shizun is a demon?"
"My body, though demonic by birth, has long been circulating spiritual energy because of that tea." Shen Qingqiu turns his head slightly, looking back at Luo Binghe. "Are you frightened, Luo Binghe?"
Luo Binghe shakes his head vigorously. "Shizun is too beautiful to be frightening. Sublime, even."
Shen Qingqiu lets out a soft laugh, Luo Binghe nearly snapping the comb in half at the sound. "Don't waste such words on this old master. There are plenty of lovely girls your age who would appreciate them more."
They might appreciate them, but Luo Binghe thinks none would be more deserving than Shen Qingqiu, the sight of his master wreathed in glorious blue flames as he saved him (and Ning Yingying) forever emblazoned into Luo Binghe's mind.
Luo Binghe moves Shen Qingqiu's tail off his lap, switching to the next one. He combs through the white fur until it feels like strands of silk between his fingers, gleaming like spun moonlight. "Shizun...may this disciple ask why you choose to live as a righteous cultivator instead of a demon?"
Shen Qingqiu stays quiet for a long time, a wave of dread suddenly washing over Luo Binghe. Did he overstep, getting too comfortable with this new Shizun, all of his former sharp edges and vitriol burned away by the fever? He slowly removes his hands from Shen Qingqiu's tails.
"In truth, I don't remember. Perhaps the memories of it have been burnt away by the fever. All I know is that both the Sect Master and your Mu-shishu insisted I drink that awful tea at least once a day or go through another qi deviation like the one in Shuang Hu City."
Luo Binghe relaxes, working on the rest of Shen Qingqiu’s tails. "This disciple would be happy to prepare sweets to go with your tea every day, Shizun."
Shen Qingqiu laughs. "You're quickly learning how to spoil this master. Preparing my medicine and sweets to go along with them, brushing my tails, what's next? Cooking my meals or washing my clothes?"
"This disciple would be happy to serve Shizun in any way required."
Shen Qingqiu turns around and strokes Luo Binghe's hair, not noticing the little flinch when he raises his hand. "Binghe, ah, you are not my servant. Focus on your cultivation."
Luo Binghe stretches a little, pushing his head against Shen Qingqiu's palm, finding his touch warm and comfortable. "This disciple won't let them interfere with my studies, Shizun."
Shen Qingqiu sighs helplessly, shaking his head. "If you're that insistent, how could this master refuse? Go pack your things and move into the side room. It'll be easier for you if you lived closer to me."
Luo Binghe surges up and wraps his arms tightly around Shen Qingqiu's torso, tears springing forth. "Thank you, Shizun!"
"Luo Binghe, control yourself!"
Luo Binghe sniffs and extracts himself from Shen Qingqiu, wiping his eyes with his sleeves. "Apologies, Shizun."
"Go on. Get your things. I'll have someone clean the side room for you."
"That isn't necessary, Shizun. I can do it myself. Simply allowing me to stay so close to you is enough." Luo Binghe quickly excuses himself, bringing the empty teacup along with him. He leaves the box of sweets with Shen Qingqiu, making a mental note of which flavours he ate.
He comes across Yue Qingyuan on the way out.
Luo Binghe greets him politely. "Zhangmen-shibo, please forgive my insolence, but may I ask a few questions regarding Shizun's...condition?"
Yue Qingyuan looks a little surprised, but he nods, motioning for Luo Binghe to follow him into one of Qing Jing's libraries. He makes sure the room is empty before speaking. "Is there a reason you're asking me instead of your shizun?"
"Shizun's forgotten many things since that fever, including the reason why he lives as a righteous cultivator rather than a demon."
Yue Qingyuan's expression grows grim. "Your shizun has his reasons for renouncing his demonic nature. It's better if he doesn't remember those painful memories. Please don't remind him." He leaves Luo Binghe alone in the library.
A gust of wind from his departure sends a few papers flying. Luo Binghe grabs them before they can float out of the library. Coincidentally, the papers contain the answers he was looking for. He locks the doors and windows quickly, spreading the papers out on a table.
Luo Binghe had half a mind to throw them away after reading through three full pages of nothing but descriptions of a female fox spirit's physical appearance, her nine white tails spun out of moonlight, how the sun itself would be jealous of her radiance or how the flowers close their petals out of shame when compared to the blossoming beauty. How absurd, those descriptions would be better suited to his shizun.
Still, his persistence pays off, for the last page holds a short summary of the tragedy that occurred over two decades ago. Both demons and humans believed that consuming the flesh of a fox spirit would greatly increase one's cultivation and their blood acted as an antidote for nearly all existing poisons in both realms. The last clan of fox spirits were driven out of their lands, hunted down like beasts.
Luo Binghe stuffs the papers in his robes to burn later. If this account is to be believed (even if it was written by a besotted madman), he needs to get rid of as much evidence as he can to protect his master.
So far, the only ones who know of Shen Qingqiu's true existence are Luo Binghe, the Sect Master and Mu Qingfang. Ning Yingying was unconscious when Shen Qingqiu lost his hold over his transformation, and the Skinner demon had been burnt to ashes by Shen Qingqiu himself.
Luo Binghe stops by the woodshed to pack his meagre belongings, returning to the bamboo house. He hears Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu's voices as he passes by. He pauses to listen in.
"Shidi, perhaps it's best if you stay within the sect for a little while. I can send someone else out to supervise your disciples for you. Liu-shidi's due to return this week, I'm sure I can convince him to take them out for a night hunt with his own disciples."
"Liu-shidi's hardly around to stop his little terrors from running amok and you expect me to let him watch over mine?" Shen Qingqiu scoffs.
"Xiao Jiu--"
"It's Qingqiu, Shixiong. I'll pack the tea myself this time so we won't have another mishap. I'll even pack two, no, three jars as long as you let me watch the Silver Mist Snakes' hatching."
"Shidi, I thought you wanted to take your disciples out on another mission since the one in Shuang Hu City didn't go as planned?"
"...yes, I'll take them on a mission to see the Silver Mist Snakes. Is that not what I said?"
After a long silence, Yue Qingyuan relents. "Very well. But please wait for Liu-shidi's return so he may escort you and your disciples."
"If that's what it takes for you to let me go, Shixiong."
The sliding doors open, Luo Binghe quickly hiding in the bushes lest he gets punished for eavesdropping.
Yue Qingyuan steps out of the bamboo house, Shen Qingqiu coming to see him off. Yue Qingyuan turns back, his expression full of concern. He reaches out to take hold of Shen Qingqiu's hand, lifting it so he could check his meridians. "Shidi, are you certain you wish to travel again so soon?"
"The next time those snakes will lay their eggs will be a thousand years from now. Why wait that long when I can see them next week?"
"...I could escort you myself if you wish."
Shen Qingqiu flicks his fan open. "Shixiong, you have far more important things to do than accompany me on this silly little trip. Things such as running the sect?"
Yue Qingyuan simply nods, a little dejected at Shen Qingqiu's quick refusal. He bids Shen Qingqiu goodbye, returning to his own peak without further ado.
"Luo Binghe."
Luo Binghe jolts, a full-body shiver coursing through his body when he meets Shen Qingqiu's piercing gaze. He quickly comes out of the bushes to kneel before him, his head bowed and holding his hands in a white-knuckled grip on his lap. "Sh-Shizun! This disciple didn't mean to eavesdrop! I'll receive any punishment Shizun deems appropriate!"
"Nevermind that. Since you already know about it, go make preparations. Or pass the message on to Ming Fan; he should be suitably punished by now."
"Thanking Shizun's leniency, this disciple will make preparations for the trip right away!" Luo Binghe scrambles to his feet, eager to leave Shen Qingqiu's sight in case he changes his mind.
"Wait, Binghe. Come here first."
Luo Binghe walks towards Shen Qingqiu much like a rabbit approaching a fox (pun not intended).
"You're a disciple of my Qing Jing Peak, don't wander around as if you've rolled around in the dirt." Shen Qingqiu's nose wrinkles delicately as he plucks leaves out of Luo Binghe's hair and pats the dust out of his robes.
"Y-yes, Shizun!"
A gentle warmth wraps around Luo Binghe's shoulders like a soft blanket. He looks up, confused. It doesn't feel like a transfer of spiritual energy, but it doesn't make his skin crawl like the Skinner demon did.
Shen Qingqiu straightens up and flicks his fan open once more. He hides his face, avoiding Luo Binghe's questioning gaze. "Go on. You're dismissed."
Luo Binghe startles at the sound of his voice. He excuses himself, running off to fulfill his task.
Shen Qingqiu speaks once he's out of sight. "System, since Shen Qingqiu is a demon in this world, can I enter the Endless Abyss with Luo Binghe?"
[There are no restrictions regarding Host's entry into the Endless Abyss.]