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Xiao Jiu rubbed his right arm in a foolish attempt to lessen his pain. As usual, the day before he received yet another round of Qiu Jianluo's 'favoritism', which covered most parts of his body with purple deep bruises that ached at every move. Luckily, that day he didn't have to do much manual labor, but he still had to sit up straight in front of the young master's desk as he wrote appreciation letters for every single gift Master Qiu received for his 60th birthday. The gifts could fill two whole carriages and writing to every single benefactor was a monumental job. Nevertheless, Qiu Jianluo was quite clear when he told him the letters had to be finished that day and Xiao Jiu had to do his best regardless of his wounds.
He wasn't even halfway through when he was interrupted by Qiu Jiuanluo's retainer.
"Hey, brat! Master Qiu needs you at the visitor's hall right now!"
The old master had never asked for him before, but Xiao Jiu knew it was useless to ask the retainer for more information. Chances were he had no idea why Xiao Jiu was being summoned and, even if he did, he would have no need to tell him.
Xiao Jiu hurried behind the servant as he prayed he wasn't about to get into another beating. He found it hard to believe that anything regarding Master Qiu could be good news.
He feared his suspicions were right the moment he entered the visitor's hall and noticed they had guests. They were three young cultivators, two dressed in black and gray uniforms and another one in a beige and muted green one. He did his best not to stare at them as he walked to where Master Qiu was. Such a thing was extremely difficult to do considering he could feel their heavy gazes on him.
Qiu Jianluo stood next to his father and, judging by the scowl on his face, he just heard some disagreeable news. On the other hand, Master Qiu showed a very disturbing smile as he waved him to come closer to him.
"Here he is, Xiao Jiu," said the man as he presented him in front of the cultivators. "He's the one my son saved from the handlers' mistreat."
Already used to the lie that helped the Qius save face, Xiao Jiu chose to focus on something else. Mainly, the three cultivators in front of him. The first to draw his attention was the oldest, woman close to her twenties and one of the two dressed in dark colors. Her face was stoic and seemingly uninterested, but her eyes were sharp and Xiao Jiu knew she was seeing right through Master Qiu's amicable façade. The second one, the one dressed in green, was a couple of years younger. He seemed much tamer than the woman, but he fiddled nervously with his robes as if he was ready to pounce at any second. The third one was the youngest; perhaps sixteen years old. He must have been the stupidest one of the three because he could barely control himself. His eyes were wide and shone with anticipation and his mouth was slightly open as if he was about to whisper an unknown name.
It took Xiao Jiu a couple of seconds to recognize that stupid, dorky face.
His eyes opened wide as he mouthed Qi-ge's name. He tried to run to him, but Master Qiu's hand laid heavily over his shoulder and he didn't dare to shove it away.
"My daughter is particularly fond of him," explained Master Qiu. "She will miss him, but who are we to stay in the way of Cang Qiong Sect's wishes?"
The woman in gray nodded solemnly. "Cang Qiong will be in debt with you and your family, Master Qiu. You can assure your daughter that we're doing this in the boy's best interest."
"No doubt, no doubt," Master Qiu patted Xiao Jiu on the back as he pointed the guests with his free hand. Xiao Jiu interpreted the action as an order to move towards the cultivators and he was quick to comply.
Xiao Jiu instinctively walked towards Qi-ge, who along with his companions had already risen from their honorary guest seats. Fearing Master Qiu could change his mind, the boy had to use all his willpower to keep himself from running. He thought that if Master Qiu had any idea of the severity of the wounds on his body, he wouldn't be as eager to let him go. After all, it wouldn't suit well for his reputation if the abuse within his own household was revealed.
Perhaps these cultivators could do something about it? Xiao Jiu might have experienced their worst, but almost every child and woman suffered at the hand of the Qius and it would serve them right to be exposed as the abusers they really were. He kept those thoughts for the future as he approached Qi-ge. He was about to extend his hand to reach for him when he was stopped by a pair of firm arms around him.
Xiao Jiu didn't even have a chance to wonder who had stopped him. The desperate cries of Qiu Haitang gave it away even before he could turn around to face her. The girl must have spied on them for a while now, but only dared to reveal herself now that Xiao Jiu was so close to his freedom.
"You can't leave, Xiao Jiu! Don't leave Tang’er alone! Tell them you're happy here! Tell them we treat you well!"
Xiao Jiu wasn't used to see her crying. She might have sobbed and whimpered whenever she was sad or scared, but this time she was really crying her heart out. Her eyes were red and her hands shook as she held him close to her. Xiao Jiu was so shocked he couldn't even laugh at her ludicrous supplications. For a moment he tried to tell her he was sorry for leaving her behind, but he couldn't find neither the strength nor the intention to lie to her. He was reuniting with Qi-ge and that was the only thing he cared about.
"Goodbye, Miss Haitang," he said instead as he untangled from her grip. The girl was stronger than he'd ever imagined.
"But Xiao Jiu!" Qiu Haitang cried. "Please don't leave! I love you! I-"
For once Qiu Jianluo did something good in his life, as he reached for her sister and held her in his arms as he walked away.
"Not now, Tang’er," he muttered before sending Xiao Jiu a bloodcurdling glare. The young boy knew if it hadn't been for the cultivators' presence, Qiu Jianluo would've killed him at that very moment.
"I apologize, young masters," muttered an embarrassed Master Qiu. "As I said before, my Tang’er is very fond of the boy."
"We understand," said the female cultivator as she took out a heavy leather bag from her left sleeve. She offered it to Master Qiu. "I'm sure this payment will be more than enough to cover the boy's expenses, both from his purchase and his maintenance."
Without much subtlety, Master Qiu weighed the contents of the bag. "Cang Qiong Sect surely is as generous as it is powerful! You can be certain that my family will always do whatever is on our hands to support you."
The woman thanked him and paid him her respects, followed by Qi-ge and the other young man. As for Xiao Jiu, he opted to hide behind the cultivators to put additional distance between him and the Qius. The cultivators led their way out just like that, without further goodbyes or threats.
For months Xiao Jiu wondered how it would be when Qi-ge finally went back for him. Usually, he imagined he would receive a secret note or hear an unexpected whisper from out of nowhere telling him to wait for him in the courtyard by midnight. Then they would escape gliding through the roofs, flying on swords or clumsily jumping to the other side of the fence. Other times he imagined it would be while he walked behind Qiu Haitang on the market. Qi-ge would take advantage of the crowd and would take his hand as soon as the girl and her other servants went out of sight. Very rarely he imagined Qi-ge would come back for him through the front door. He would demand Xiao Jiu be freed and then they would walk together hand in hand as Qiu Jianluo watched helplessly. Yet, he never imagined he would bring other cultivators with him.
Xiao Jiu never thought anyone besides Qi-ge would be interested in helping him.
Certainly, he never imagined the Qius getting something out of the abuse they subjected him to. He understood it was the best way to get them off their backs, but it annoyed him to no end that they had that satisfaction. He would make sure to berate Qi-ge for that later.
For now, Xiao Jiu had to focus on his steps as he hastily walked behind the cultivators. Together they crossed the outer courtyard, the main entrance and, as soon as they walked through the threshold, Xiao Jiu wondered when it would be the right moment to embrace his Qi-ge.
He had no chance to consider his options, though. It was at that moment when Qi-ge turned around and hugged him so tightly that Xiao Jiu had difficulty breathing. It didn't matter. He hugged him back and buried his face on his chest. Qi-ge had grown a lot on the time they were apart, but he still felt safe and warm and as everything Xiao Jiu had dreamed about for the last year.
"You came back," Xiao Jiu said.
"Of course. Of course Qi-ge came back", Xiao Jiu laughed when he felt teardrops falling over his head. Cultivator or not, Qi-ge was still a crybaby! "There's no way I could've left you behind. Qi-ge is nothing without his Xiao Jiu."
"I know. You're lucky you survived so far," he tried to say, but the truth was he was crying as hard as Qi-ge and his words were completely unintelligible.
They held each other for a long time and they allowed themselves to satiate the longing they shared for an entire year. Xiao Jiu would've stayed like that until the night came, but he knew they were being watched. Yet, he only allowed himself to part from Qi-ge once he was able to restrain his sobs.
"Excuse me, young one," the man with the green uniform caught Xiao Jiu out of his guard. He blushed as he realized the shameful scene he'd just made. Qi-ge should've waited until they were alone before dragging Xiao Jiu to his cheesy reunion! "May I hold your arm? I would like to check your pulse."
Well, that was an odd petition. What was this creep about? What was the point of checking Xiao Jiu's pulse when he was clearly alive?
"It's alright, Xiao Jiu," said Qi-ge. "Mu-shidi comes from our medical peak. He can tell a lot about your health with a simple touch."
That explanation didn't make it sound any less creepy, Xiao Jiu thought. Then again, these people came out of their way to help him. It would probably be all right.
Cautiously, Xiao Jiu extended his right arm and the so-called 'Mu-shidi' placed his hand around it. He was startled when he felt a strange warmth spreading from his arm to the rest of his body, but forced himself to remain in place. The man's amiable expression slowly turned into a grave one and Xiao Jiu was curious as to how much he could've discerned from the simple action.
"Thank you," said the man before turning his attention to the woman. "Xing-shijie, I would like to spend a night in the city before going back to Cang Qiong. The boy has several wounds that should be treated right away."
The woman nodded curtly. "The inn next to the city gates seemed decent enough. Let's go there."
Xiao Jiu wanted to tell them he didn't need any medical help. He was hurt, but he'd had it worse. He would rather go to the sect and leave that damned city behind once and for all. Unfortunately, he feared this 'Mu-shidi' wasn't the kind of man that would allow his medical recommendations to go to waste.
Once at the inn, the woman asked for two rooms. As she and Qi-ge remained downstairs to order some food, Xiao Jiu had to go upstairs with the man with the green uniform. He weighed him down, but even though he didn't look tough, he was still a cultivator. He probably could beat the crap out of Xiao Jiu if he wanted to. It seemed he had no option but to trust Qi-ge's judgment. For whatever reason, he seemed to like this 'Mu-shidi'.
The man asked him to take most of his clothes off and he buttered him up with something that smelt like burnt wood and dead flowers. The ointment was soothing and refreshing, but even more incredibly, it worked wonders on Xiao Jiu's bruises. Most of them disappeared almost instantly and those who didn't diminish greatly on their size. He also gave him a pill that would supposedly help him to regain his strength (not like he needed it) and asked him several questions about how he was treated in the Qiu Mansion, his eyes getting darker each time Xiao Jiu answered.
"Most of your wounds will heal in a matter of days," he assured him, "but some of your bones have been severely damaged. I can't do much about it here, but we can treat you back at Qian Cao Peak. It'll take time, but my shifu and I can rehabilitate you until there are no signs of mistreatment left."
Xiao Jiu didn't want to think about how on earth he was planning to fix his poorly mended bones (he had a pretty good idea about how; he just didn't want to think about it) so he limited himself to nod in agreement.
Once the examination ended, Xiao Jiu was able to reunite with Qi-ge. They ate together a hearty dinner, though Qi-ge didn't allow him to eat to his heart content.
"You'll get sick if you keep eating like that. Trust me, I know."
He introduced Xiao Jiu to his martial brothers. 'Mu-shidi' was actually Mu Shuiqing and the woman was Xing Hua, the head disciple of Qiong Ding Peak. They were there by the Sect Leader's orders. Apparently, Qi-ge begged for her help as soon as he felt in confidence and she immediately organized a team to look for her disciple's long-lost brother. Xiao Jiu never expected Qi-ge to do so well in the sect. It made him feel even happier that he'd gone back for him. Any other person would've forgotten about him after reaching such a privileged position, but not his Qi-ge. His Qi-ge would never leave him behind.
It was nighttime by the time they finished eating and Xing Hua sent the young ones upstairs with the excuse that she had something to discuss with Mu Shuiqing before joining them.
Xiao Jiu feared the doctor would tell the woman about his injuries, but Qi-ge didn't allow him to dwell on that thought. He held him by the hand and guided him to their room, where they quietly prepared for bed.
Despite there being three beds, the young men knew they only needed one of them. They laid down together the same way they did when they were still slaves and they were trying to protect each other from the cold. That night Xiao Jiu was dry, warm and had a full stomach, but all those were little comforts as compared to Qi-ge's embrace.
"I missed you, Qi-ge."
"I missed you too, Xiao Jiu. Don't worry anymore, okay? Everything is going to be alright from now on."
Xiao Jiu nodded before squeezing Qi-ge a little bit harder. He had no reason to doubt his words. After all, they were finally back together and he knew that was the only thing he needed to be happy once again.
The future had never seemed brighter.
Shen Qingqiu was startled awake from his dream. It hadn't been a nightmare, but the day Qi-ge rescued him was the most bittersweet memory of his entire life. On one hand, it was the day he reunited with Qi-ge, but on the other, it was a stark reminder of what he went through with the Qius. It took him months to physically recover from what happened in that cursed mansion and even now, ten years later, he still suffered from the mental scars that were left behind. He had gotten better, of course, but there were still nights where the painful memories kept him from going back to sleep.
He got out of the bed and lazily walked towards the open window. The moonlight shone shyly over the private courtyard of the building and the wind shuffled the bamboo seedlings he planted three days ago. Thanks to its inhabitant's spiritual powers, Cang Qiong Mountain was blessed with eternal spring. For that night to be so chilly, he could only imagine how cold it would be at the foot of the mountain.
"Xiao Jiu?" A groggy voice interrupted Shen Qingqiu's thoughts.
"It's alright, Qi-ge. Go back to sleep."
As usual, the man didn't listen to him. He instead roused out of bed and walked towards him.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Qi-ge asked as he hugged him from behind.
"Not really," Shen Qingqiu turned around and placed his arms around Qi-ge's waist. "I dreamt about the day you saved me."
"I'll never forgive myself for taking so long. If I had known my shizun was so kind, I would've told her about you the same day I got admitted into the sect."
"I've told you it's alright. I would've waited five, ten, twenty more years as long as I knew you were coming back for me," Shen Qingqiu sealed his words with a kiss on his lips.
"Of course I would've gone back for you. How could Qi-ge leave his Xiao Jiu behind?" there was a second kiss, longer and much more intimate than the last. "Come. It's getting colder."
Shen Qingqiu nodded and together they went back to their bed. He rested his head over his husband's chest and huddled as close to him as he could.
They went back to sleep just like they did on that blessed night when they were reunited; just like they did when they were unfortunate little slaves.
They went back to sleep together, just like it was always meant to be.