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Chapter Text

The darkness that covered his eyes disappeared and his gaze fell on his sword plunged into Wu Yanzi's back.

How did he return to this moment?

The last thing that Shen Jiu remembered was the shards of Xuan Su ripping his throat. he has withstood all the beast's torture without giving him the satisfaction of seeing him in pain, he never begged either, he knew he deserved this. maybe it was the repeated cycle of torture by the beast that put him in some sort of odd comfort that nothing could happen now that he can't handle, that the shock of grief when he saw the broken Xuan Su was so great. 

Yue Qingyuan was a good person, he didn't deserve this.

.

A sudden hand on Shen Jiu's wrist pulled him out of his thoughts, as Yue Qingyuan pulled him and started running away from Wu Yanzi's corpse. By the time they stopped running both of them were heavily breathing and a good dozen of li away, only then did Shen Jiu allow himself to take a good look at Yue Qingyuan. He was younger, closer to Yue Qi then Sect leader Yue Qingyuan. dressed in the Qiong Ding succeeding disciple robes.

Shen Jiu felt a wave of guilt and relief wash over him. He doesn't think that this is a dream, it was far too realistic to the beast's creation, and he didn't care if it was.

Shen Jiu tried to control his voice so it wouldn't tremble, to say the name that he refused to ever say again decades ago.

"Qi-Ge?"

Yue Qingyuan stiffened and slowly and reluctantly met Shen Jiu's eyes "Xiao Jiu..... are you hurt?" 

Shen Jiu didn't know how to reply, his brain latched on to the familiar name, and as if the exhaustion of a lifetime of pretending that he doesn't feel, crashed down on him, Shen Jiu found himself unable to control his emotions and tears trailed down his face. Yue Qingyuan looked panicked at the sight of his friend crying (Xiao Jiu never cries! not unless he is faking but these tears weren't fake)

Yue Qingyuan crept closer to the crying boy with his hand nervously hovering over him. "Xiao Jiu! What's the matter?! Are you injured? did he hurt yo…."

"I waited for you!"

Yue Qingyuan froze, "I looked for you! I thought you were dead! I thought that your body was reduced to bones in a ditch that I'll never find!"

he didn't even think the words, they just came out on their own, maybe it was the desire of his mind at this age to get answers. he didn't get to ponder for long about what he wanted when he was engulfed in a bear hug.

Yue Qingyuan felt a knot form in his throat as Shen Jiu spoke between the tears and hiccups. Xiao Jiu was thin, his bones were easily felt against his body, his clothes were dirty and ragged. He didn't like the way his friend looked. And he was the cause of this, he left Xiao Jiu to suffer.

"I'm sorry! imsorryimsorryimsorry, i tried to come back as fast as i could but i had a qi deviation and shizun wouldn't let out of the caves!! i begged them but no one would listen! for a whole year they let me fall into madness and when i finally managed to leave the Qiu house was just ash and they told me that no man survived. Qi-Ge is useless and weak and couldn't protect Xiao Jiu!"

he spoke so fast that Shen Jiu barely managed to comprehend what Yue Qingyuan said. and just stood there in Qi-Ge arms, eyes wide and vision blurry with tears.

he wasn't abandoned. He wasn't ditched for a better life at Cang Qiong. All the resentment he had was for nothing. Why didn't Yue Qingyuan ever tell him? Did he think he was so cruel? That he wouldn't forgive him for failing? Didn't he know the fact that he tried was more than enough for Shen Jiu? 

"Qi-Ge… you are here, you are finally here.." Shen Jiu hugged back and his tears seemed to have replenished themselves and started wailing and was crushed deep into Qi-Ge's embrace.

.

Night descended and both of the now calm and red eyed boys sat around a campfire. Yue Qingyuan split the food that he had on him between them and finally broke the silence

"Come with me ... To Cang Qiong mountain"

Shen Jiu looked at him "People will speak" 

"I don't care"

"Your reputation will be damaged if you bring a boy who is too old to cultivate to the sect"

"I don't care" Yue Qingyuan repeated "All i want is Xiao Jiu by my side" 

Shen Jiu couldn't help but blush at that (cursed this teenage body) and Qi-Ge's intense stare didn't help at all. "Okay.."

Silence was again rose between them and was once again broken by Yue Qingyuan "How was it?? Living in the Qiu household?"

Shen Jiu shuddered, he knew that this question was coming, he just hoped that it wouldn't be so soon. Should he lie? He wasn't ready to share what happened; he isn't sure if he'll ever be ready! But Qi-Ge told him the truth and he didn't want to repeat his past life's mistakes.

He knew he wasn't good at communicating and wondered half of the time if people around him were being sincere or simply mocking him with sweetened insults. Still he braced himself and spoke "It wasn't good, but i survived"

He stopped for a sec trying to figure out how to voice his next thought, something he never thought he'd ever struggle with. "After a while things became bad, really bad … and when I no longer could withstand it, i snapped" 

Yue Qingyuan looked at him attentively and gave him time to talk at his own pace. "I killed Qiu Jianluo and i set the house on fire" 

Shen Jiu waited for Qi-Ge's response and kept his gaze to the fire, he didn't dare to look at Qi-Ge. And then once again he was hugged.

"I'm sorry, It must have been awful, it's all my fault, i let Xiao Jiu go through so much pain"

Yue Qingyuan's voice was muffled as he buried his face in Shen Jiu's hair. Shen Jiu looked puzzled "Did you not hear me? I killed him and many people at the house! I'm a murderer, why do.." 

"They hurt you"

Tears started to gather in his eyes, he tried to blink them away "Why does it matter? I'm a monster!"

"You are not, they deserved it. Xiao Jiu wouldn't hurt anyone innocent, not willingly or without a cause" 

Shen Jiu felt himself start to tremble "You are an idiot" 

And buried his face in Qi-Ge's neck hoping that the other won't notice that he started crying. He was tired.

Chapter Text

The barrier around the gorge vanished, signaling the end of the conference. Although Yue Qingyuan was distracted the last day of the conference, he still managed to be the first by a vast margin.

As Yue Qingyuan and Shen Jiu walked out of the gorge holding hands, they kept getting side eyes and questioning looks by the other disciples. All wanted to know who was the boy that was with the celebrated future sect leader.

Shen Jiu felt his face heating, he never liked being the center of attention. Worse now that his clothes clearly didn't show a noble born young master, so the faces around him felt more judging. Shen Jiu stood next to the stage where the top ten were being congratulated by the sects' leaders.

He recognized some of his past (future) martial siblings. Liu Qingge (now still called Liu Mingyu) scored the third, right now considered a genius at only fourteen. Wei Qingwei was the fourth. And Qi qingqi (Qi hua) was seventh.

In his last lifetime, Shen Jiu never showed up to see who made it into the top ten, choosing to wait outside the celebration until Qi-Ge came to drag him to his Shizun and kowtowed to beg for Shen Jiu to be taken into the sect. He hated it. He felt like a charity case, and he knew he would've never made it onto the sect if it weren't for Qi-Ge.

.

Yue Qingyuan came down from the stage and walked towards Shen Jiu, seeming completely unaware of the many eyes focused on him. "Come on, let's leave"

"Where are we going?" Asked Shen Jiu innocently 

"The sect members are staying at a local inn, I have a room. Rest today and tomorrow, I'll introduce you to Shizun" And took Shen Jiu's hand and walked out of the place. 

----

"Mu shidi, Do you know who that was?" Mu Ling turned towards Qi Hua, he didn't participate but was inside the gorge's medical tent.

"I don't know, i haven't seen him before"  Liu Mingyu and Wei Qingwei approached them to join in on the conversation.

"He doesn't seem like a disciple, he wasn't wearing a uniform." Qi Hua noted as she looked at the retreating figures.

"Maybe he is a rogue?" Wei Qingwei chimed in

"He seems to be close to Yue Shixiong." Mu Ling said.

"Humph, he wasn't a part of the top ten and didn't seem to make it into the top 100 at all! He isn't worthy of Shixiong's friendship!" Liu Mingyu exclaimed with furrowed eyebrows.

"Liu shidi! That had to be the longest sentence I ever heard you say!" Wei Qingwei laughed while Liu Mingyu's face turned red.

"I'm just saying!!! Shixiong's friend should be as strong as Shixiong is!"

"Maybe he is, but still, Yue Shixiong looks happy! He always had a sad air around him. So how did that boy manage to make him happy??" Qi Hua couldn't restrain her curiosity, she needs to know! 

----

"Qian Cao is the medical peak and Bai Zhan is the warrior peak, i think you would like it, you always were a fighter! Liu shidi is from Bai Zhan, he was the third today. I am the succeeding disciple of Qiong Ding, if you want I can ask Shizun to take you in, but I wouldn't stop you if you wanted a different peak, Ku Xing peak is ….." 

It was weird to hear Qi-Ge ramble about things he already knew but without the animosity that Shen Jiu had towards him, he yearned for this for so long. Qi-Ge kept looking at him while talking and his eyes were full of excitement rather than guilt; his smile felt warm, not strained.

"You shouldn't ask for too much, I'd be happy to be accepted anywhere" He didn't care anymore, he was already a peak lord in the last lifetime, and it wasn't a great experience.

If he ended up as an outer disciple of any peak, he would be okay with that. He already exhausted all his ambitions.

Yue Qingyuan paused when Shen Jiu spoke "Xiao Jiu doesn't have to worry about anything, I'll take care of it. Xiao Jiu deserves only the best." 

A warm smile covered his face that a stunned Shen Jiu didn't notice they already made it to the inn "come, I'll ask the innkeeper to prepare you a bath" 

They made their way to Yue Qingyuan's room and minutes later, a servant came to fill the bathtub with hot water. Yue Qingyuan took out spare black robes that he had and handed them to Shen Jiu. "My clothes are a bit big on you but they will made due for now, tomorrow everyone will depart back to the sect, we'll go to shizun first thing in the morning"

"What if he refuses to accept me?"

"Then I'll just leave the sect with Xiao Jiu" Yue Qingyuan looked dead serious at the shocked Shen Jiu

"Don't be an idiot" 

"Xiao Jiu is my priority. I came to the sect for Xiao Jiu and if they won't let you in, then I'll leave with you"

Shen Jiu blushed once again. He wasn't used to intense Qi-Ge. "Stupid! It's better to have one of us inside, what good are you without a sect backing you?"

Yue Qingyuan looked at Shen Jiu fondly and smiled. "Whatever makes Xiao Jiu happy" 

His face turned into a deeper shade of red. "shut up! Now get out i need to bath"

Yue Qingyuan laughed and left the room. Shen Jiu buried his face in his hands waiting for the embarrassment to leave.

"Stupid Qi-Ge"

A while later Yue Qingyuan came back with a food tray. Shen Jiu has finished bathing and was combing his hair on the bed.

"I was lucky that i managed to get go the vendor before he left."

"Huh?" Shen Jiu looked confused and then Yue Qingyuan presented him a plate of Tanghulu.

"I know you love Tanghulu, …. Do you still love them..?" 

Yue Qingyuan looked expectingly at Shen Jiu, while Shen Jiu's eyes sparkled at the sight of sweets "Yes! Thank you, i still love them"

He gave Qi-Ge a smile that made Qi-Ge's heart beat faster.

They ate in a comfortable silence and after Yue Qingyuan bathed and when time came to sleep Yue Qingyuan said

"Xiao Jiu can take the bed, i will meditate" 

Shen Jiu looked at him as if he just offended him and then proceeded to drag Yue Qingyuan to bed, pulled the quilt over them and hid his red face into Yue Qingyuan's chest.

"Good night" Said Xiao Jiu in a muffled voice.

Throughout the entire interaction, Yue Qingyuan was frozen. They used to sleep into each others arms all the time when they were children and he never thought it would happen again. It felt like a blissful dream. He tightened his arms around Xiao Jiu and went to sleep.

"Good night Xiao Jiu" 

Chapter Text

The majority of the members of Cang Qiong mountain sect stayed awake till very late at night. The conference always benefited the surrounding villages as more and more people flooding there, thus making their economy bloom. And while the disciples and their masters were enjoying the festival-like atmosphere, sect leader Zhao Tanghong was enjoying a friendly game of go in the balcony of his room with his shidi, the peak lord of Qing Jing peak, Li Tanghuan.

Sect leader Zhao took his focus away from their game to gaze at the street below. "Where is Qingyuan? I haven't seen him since the ceremony?" 

If Sect leader Zhao was judged based on his expression, people would think that he is enraged. But the reality is that this is how his face is.

Peak lord Li raised his head "I believe some disciples mentioned that he left to his room as soon as the ceremony ended" Peak lord Li's voice was soft and gentle yet Sect leader Zhao's face still scrunched up

"He isn't a child, Shixiong shouldn't worry that much." 

Sect leader Zhao grimaced and got up "Shidi will have to excuse this Shixiong, I won't be late"

Peak lord Li sighed "This shidi will wait"

Shortly after, the peak lord of Xian shu, Chen Tanglin entered the room with her disciple Qi hua

"Where did Shixiong go?" 

"To check on his troublesome disciple" 

Peak lord Chen's eyes widened "Oh." 

Peak lord Li couldn't help being concerned "What's wrong?" He said with furrowed eyebrows

"Oh, nothing to worry about, just .. I am sure that Shixiong noticed the young man that was waiting for Yue shizi" 

"Yes.." He did notice the boy, a sharp faced boy dressed in peasant clothing and either looked at Yue Qingyuan or kept his face to the ground, occasionally glancing at the other disciples with a mysteriously knowing eyes.

"Well, many disciples saw that Yue shizi took him after the ceremony straight to his room" Qi hua stood behind her Shizun with the expression of a satisfied cat on her face.

It was peak lord Li's turn to widen his eyes 

"Oh dear!"

------

Shen Jiu can easily admit that this was the best sleep that he ever got in his life. He was so comfortable, he could die there, surrounded by Qi-Ge's arms and his cinnamon scent.

He was so deep in sleep that he didn't hear someone knocking on the door and only whined in his sleep when the warmth of the arms that were holding him disappeared. Then he heard a voice speaking that caused him to get up in bed, half asleep.

"Qingyuan are you…" Then the door slammed and he heard a shout 

"GET DRESSED!"

"Wait Shizun!, you misunderstood!! We were just…….. sleeping." Yue Qingyuan's panicked voice managed to finally fully wake Shen Jiu and he realized what just happened.

He was in bed, with Qi-Ge, wearing what is obviously Qi-Ge's oversized inner robes and they both looked disheveled. 

"Was that your shizun?"

.

.

"Are you in trouble?"

Yue Qingyuan's face was red. "We should get dressed and meet him, guess we won't have to wait till morning" 

------

"I told you not to be reckless!!! Your cultivation just started healing and you are not supposed to be dual cultivating now!!!!! Do you have no regard for your health, boy!!!?" 

Shen Jiu's face turned completely red, he didn't want to have this conversation in front of two peak lords, his previous shizun and what seemed to be a Qi qingqi who was holding herself from screaming at him! (Not realizing that she was actually trying to hold herself from squealing in excitement at this progression of events)

"Shizun please! Let this disciple explain!" Said an equally red Yue Qingyuan "we were just sleeping!! We weren't doing anything! This is Shen Jiu, he is my sworn brother, he saved this disciple's life during the last day of the conference and this disciple was hoping to introduce him to shizun and that maybe Shizun would consider accepting him into the sect .." Yue Qingyuan spoke so fast that he was panting when he finished.

Sect leader Zhao eyed his disciple and the other boy "Saved your life you say, how?"

The sharpness of his question made Shen Jiu flinch "This disciple was attacked by a rogue called Wu Yanzi and Xia.. Shen Jiu managed to kill him and gave us both the chance to escape." The peak lords' eyes widened with shock

"Wu Yanzi! Inside the barrier!!" 

"This is a great preach in the conference's defence if Wu Yanzi managed to enter" Peak lord Li spoke in serious mannor 

Sect leader Zhao looked at the other boy "boy. Is what my disciple speaking true?" 

"yes sir" 

Sect leader Zhao's face darkened "Chen shimei, call the rest of our siblings and get your disciple to inform the other sects, we need to have a meeting tomorrow, and get Wu shidi to retrieve the body" 

While the Sect leader gave his orders, peak lord Li noticed that the boy was eyeing their unfinished go game.

"Do you play?"

Shen Jiu jumped at being addressed so suddenly by his previous shizun. "Yes"

"Are you good at it?" 

"This one hasn't played against many opponents to measure his skills, but i wouldn't call my skills bad"

Peak lord Li smiled softly and looked at Sect leader Zhao. "Shixiong, do you mind?"

"Go ahead" replied the sect leader with a wave of his hand.

It took a moment for Shen Jiu to understand that his previous shizun was inviting him to a game of go. He stood up nervously but not ungracefully and took his place on the other side of the board.

He was given the first move.

He placed a stone

"Who taught you how to play, young man?" 

Shizun placed a stone

"No one did sir, this one learned by observing others play" 

This was not a lie, he always felt a sense of superiority when he observed Qiu Jianluo struggle during his Go lessons, while Shen Jiu looked from the sidelines knowing many ways that he could've destroyed the opponent.

Qiu Jianluo's Art and calligraphy were always exemplary, but go was never one of his strengths.

He placed a stone

"How remarkable" Peak lord Li smiled.

Shen Jiu found himself between two fronts. He could give it his all against his shizun, but that would draw too much attention. And he hoped to lay low in this life. Or he could lose on purpose, but if shizun noticed it would not be good either. At best, he would be offended that a junior dared to take it easy on him, and at worse, shizun would be disappointed.

There wasn't much of an option really. Unbeknownst to the two, A crowd of four peak lords and their disciples gathered, watching with awe as a boy manage to keep up for a couple of hundred moves against their Shixiong, who is a master at go. They did not know that the said boy is also a master himself.

After a few more dozens of moves, Sect leader Zhao looked at the board like it offended him somehow.

"It's a draw!" 

The room erupted in an uproar at this conclusion, while peak lord Li's face was split in a delighted grin. "Zhangmen Shixiong. I hope you don't mind me stealing this boy from you? After all, the sect seems to be indebted to him for saving Yue shizi's life" 

Sect leader Zhao glared at the boy with a hint of amusement. "shidi can have him if he wished" 

Peak lord Li smiled once more and turned to Shen Jiu. "I hope Shen Jiu accept this master's invention to join his Qing Jing peak."

Chapter Text

After being questioned by the peak lords, welcomed into the sect by his martial siblings and yelled at by Sect leader Zhao (for heaven's sake, get this boy something proper to wear!!) Shen Jiu sat behind Yue Qingyuan on his horse, dressed in a spare Qing Jing peak uniform that was borrowed from one of the disciples and headed with the Cang Qiong delegation back to the sect.

Fortunately, neither Shen Jiu nor Yue Qingyuan were summoned to the sects meeting. They only had to guide the Bai Zhan peak lord, Wu Tangliang to where Wu Yanzi's corpse was and recount the event to the peak lords. 

Apparently, him riding on horse and not in the carriage with his shizun, gave his martial siblings the false impression that he was open to socializing. He was not.

He couldn't describe how awkward he felt, and he knew that Yue Qingyuan was aware of that, because that bastard kept glancing back at him with amusement but did nothing to save him from this friendly chat. These were people that he was never close with, even though he knew them for decades. And now they were being very courteous towards him.

"So, how long have you two known each other?" Qi hua asked with her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"This Shixiong knew Xiao Jiu since he was eight!" Yue Qingyuan looked fondly over his shoulder at Shen Jiu.

"Oh, so you two grew up with each other?" Mu Ling asked.

Shen Jiu's eyes widened for a moment before he managed to school his expression. Oh no. He can't let them know.

"This one used to be a servant in the Yue household" Shen Jiu replied quickly before Yue Qingyuan said anything. He felt Yue Qingyuan's back stiffen.

He wasn't going to let Qi-Ge's reputation be damaged. "There weren't any other children there, so we were very close" 

The others shifted on their horses uncomfortably. Only Liu Mingyu didn't seem to care. "Then why didn't you come with Yue Shixiong?"

"Pardon?" Shen Jiu was confused at the question.

Liu Mingyu seemed annoyed for having to repeat himself. "When Shixiong came to the sect's entrance exam, why didn't you come with him? You obviously know how to cultivate, even if you are weak"

The three other disciples wanted to smack their stupid shidi on the head for his brashness.

"Oh, this one left the Yue household before Qi-Ge departed to the sect. And never got to cultivate at the proper age." The disciples looked sadly at the boy's lost potential. While Liu Mingyu's cheeks turned red over asking about something sensitive.

Qi hua was the only one riding next to the two and only she saw the guilt marring Yue Qingyuan's face or his knuckles turning white from his grip on the reins.

"Shidi will like Qing Jing peak, it has a very large bamboo forest and there is always soft music to be heard around." Wei Qingwei steered the conversation away, hoping that the awkwardness would disappear.

"Indeed, it's one of the most beautiful peaks! Always so calm and quiet… I guess it's in the name… lucky. There is always chaos on a medical peak." Mu Ling said in an Exasperated manner.

"oh quit your whining, at least you are not on An Ding!" Qi hua Chimed in.

"I don't remember what quiet feels like. At this point I cannot sleep without hearing the sound of clanking metal! And still not at Bai Zhan level of noise" Wei Qingwei added.

Liu Mingyu looked confused "Bai Zhan is not that noisy" The other three erupted in laughter and even Yue Qingyuan smiled a bit.

"Of course you wouldn't be aware! I don't think there is a single Bai Zhan disciple that isn't noisy!!" Laughed Qi Hua.

Liu Mingyu turned red again. His expression made Shen Jiu chuckle lightly. He could get used to this. It was nice. Feeling included.

------

Peak lord Li sneakily looked from the window. "They seem to be getting along" 

The sect leader who joined him in the carriage also eyed the boy. "You felt his meridians"

Peak lord Li let go of the curtain and looked at his companion. "They were a mess!" Sect leader Zhao continued "Yang shimei said that he had at least 14 broken bones that healed incorrectly!. He would be bedridden for a long time before he is able to cultivate properly"

Peak lord Li's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "This Shidi is aware, I will devise a practice method for him to cultivate while recovering. He will never reach his full potential. But even then he could be one the best of his generation." 

"You are too optimistic!"

Peak lord Li smiled mischievously. "Shixiong.. It has been …. Well, never! since someone managed to tied with this shidi, indulge me a bit. I don't wish to let go of such an interesting boy yet."

He paused, then added. "Even without this shidi, I'm sure that Shixiong would have spared no expense on the boy… seeing how your disciple looks at him."

The Sect leader sighed with exhaustion. "Hopefully with him here, Qingyuan will stop being so distracted and take his position seriously! I need some rest. I deserve some rest!" 

Peak lord Li laughed "Not today I'm afraid, this shidi guarantee that the rest of our siblings will be far too curious about the Xiao Jiu that Nearly led our future Sect leader into madness, for Shixiong to rest"

---------

Within the sect and specifically the disciples sleeping quarters on Xian shu peak, gathered a bunch of disciples exchanging melon seeds while listening attentively to their head disciple.

"There is more to the story I'm telling you!!!"

He is so beautiful, no wonder Yue Shixiong fell for him! They kept calling each other with pet names, Qi-Ge and Xiao Jiu, how romantic! He said he left before Yue Shixiong came to the sect, and he had a melancholic expression while Yue Shixiong looked guilty! You want to know my theory? They were obviously childhood sweethearts! 

I bet he didn't even leave the house! I think that Yue Shixiong's parents did not approve of their relationship, not wanting their son to be with a servant and kicked Shen shidi out of the house!! And that is why Yue Shixiong came to the sect!" 

All the girls gasped 

"The forbidden love between a young master and his servant, how sad" 

One girl said "Shijie, I think you are right! I remember right after Yue Shixiong left seclusion, he immediately left the sect and then came back a few days later looking depressed. A shijie in Qiong Ding asked what was wrong and he said he was looking for someone and couldn't find them! I bet he was looking for Shen shidi!!" 

The girls gasped once again and some shed a few tears. "Shixiong must have been trying to be stronger so he could take care of Shen shidi!" 

All the girls nodded to themselves, assured that their conclusion was correct.

Unbeknownst to them that their equally gossipy matrial aunts and uncles were in their meeting room, coming to the exact same conclusion much to the dismay of the sect leader who really wanted to go to sleep. 

Chapter Text

It has been a month since Shen Jiu entered Qing Jing peak and he has to say. Fixing three broken ribs and an arm was painful. He had many broken bones, and they had to be corrected in sessions. Some bones were broken more than once and all healed incorrectly. He never even realized that he had trouble breathing until his ribs were corrected and he managed to take a deep breath. 

In his last life, he never let any of the peak lords other than his shizun, feel his meridians. And they didn't care either. He was taken in because Yue Qingyuan begged not because he made a profound impression on them. And therefore Shen Jiu never told anyone about his bones and just lived with them and the fact that everyone thought he just simply had poor aptitude.

Now on the other hand, he can feel his meridians correct themselves, despite their weakness. So far, four people knew about the extent of his wounds and of the scars on his back. His shizun, Yue Qingyuan, the Qian Cao peak lord Yang Tangbai and Mu Ling.

---------

A month ago

Peak lord Yang sat on the chair next to the examination bed and took the pulse of her Shixiong's new disciple. After a moment of concentration, she turned to her head disciple, Mu Ling

"A-ling, please get me some bruises salve and bandages and prepare a cast." 

"Yes, shizun" 

After the Mu Ling left, peak lord Yang, gently closed the door and re took her place on the chair. "Young man. Do you mind telling me where you got these injuries?"

Shen Jiu passively met her patient gaze. He knows that the changes he made so far would expose all his secrets. It would be very easy to hide that from everyone else (he knows from experience), but he can't hide it from a healer. That was the main reason in his past life that he avoided Mu Qingfang like the plague.

"Does it matter where I got them?"

"Yes. Because someone hurt you and they need to be punished"

"That won't be necessary" Peak lord Yang frowned slightly

"You have a sect's backing child, you don't have to be afraid."

"They are already dead, shigu"

"Did that happen when you Qi deviated?"

Shen Jiu's eyes darkened, he thought her face would be cold and judging but it was filled with sympathy. Pity.

Shen Jiu felt the old familiar rage start to bubble inside of his chest. Yet he quickly and forcefully calmed himself.

"You don't have to put on such an act, I know you are trying to be courteous and mask your anger." 

"You don't know any….." 

"It happened a year ago didn't it? You see your broken bones weakened your meridians, but the final blow to them was done by a massive qi deviation about a year ago. Am I correct?"

Shen Jiu stayed silent

"Did you kill anybody else?"

"The other servants, they knew and did nothing."

"And with Wu Yanzi?" Shen Jiu flinched, her eyes were cold. That's it, his attempt at a better life was over.

"I didn't.."

"There was a journal on Wu Yanzi. Zhangmen Shixiong was merciful enough and didn't show it during the sects meeting. So, did you kill anyone else?" 

Shen Jiu lowered his head and didn't answer, and peak lord Yang gave him time. Shen Jiu wanted to cry, he didn't want this to end so fast. But nonetheless, he answered.

"I…. I used to help him set the traps and.. then come back to rob the bodies"

The room fell into silence.

"You can relax Shen shizi, you won't be kickedouf of the sect yet." Shen Jiu raised his head in surprise

"You are lucky that you get to use the excuse that Wu Yanzi would've killed you. His journal was very extensive. He was planning on making you his cauldron." Shen Jiu was still 

"What about the Qius? The ones who gave me ……the injures"

"Is there anyone who knows that you are responsible?" 

"the mistress, she saw me. I didn't…. She was kind to me" Peak lord yang nodded her head

"I will inform the sect leader. Don't think you got away easily, Being a victim doesn't absolve you of any responsibility. You will be in this sect for the rest of your life to repent." 

"Now, take off your top, I need to assess your bones." She turned around to get her notebook.

Shen Jiu swallowed nervously and began to remove his robes. When peak lord yang finally took a look at his back she paused.

"Were you….." She was interpreted by the door opening.

"Shizun, I got what you asked for.." Mu Ling and the two other visitors behind him froze. 

On Shen Jiu's back was an extensive map of scars and in the middle of his spine was a brand with the name qiu. Shen Jiu turned around but it was too late. 

"Xiao Jiu…." Yue Qingyuan's looked devastated and his eyes welled up with tears. But before he could approach Shen Jiu, peak lord Li's hand clamped on his shoulder.

"Come on shizi, it is inappropriate to be here during a medical exam." And steered Yue Qingyuan out of the room to hide his own pained face.

--------

Nonetheless, out of respect for his privacy, they promised not to share the truth about his background that was evident by the existence of the brand scar. He should have been fully prepared for his next healing session a week ago, but he is yet to recover, for the simple fact that he slept like shit. 

His inability to sleep next to other men never faded, it actually became stronger. His nightmares vared from Qiu Jianluo to the beast to the beast's wives. And he already decided not to visit the brothel in this life, for he learned the hard way that people who defended him even if they were women, were not treated mercifully.

And that's why he was here, in the woodshed in the middle of the night, hoping to at least take a nap. Shen Jiu kept going in and out of sleep. But the bundle of wood that he was leaning on was uncomfortable. After several hours he finally accepted that he won't be sleeping and sighed. He opened his eyes and made to get up. But was welcomed with his shizun's face. 

Shen Jiu jumped back.

"Why is A-Jiu sleeping here??" His shizun has been crouching on the floor with one of his hands supporting his chin and eyes filled with curiosity. Peak lord Li best resembles a cat, with an unnerving gray eyes, which ensured that despite his soft appearance, he still invoked fear.

"Th-this disciple was just trying to get some time alone, apologies if this disciple made shizun worry" 

Peak lord Li seemed unconvinced "This master noticed that A-Jiu isn't getting enough rest. Are the other disciples harassing A-Jiu?" Shizun's eyes darkened at the possibility of bullying in his peak.

"No! No one is harassing me sir!" Shen Jiu answered in a haste. The disciples didn't like him, even now when he treated them with no animosity.

The news of him being Yue Qingyuan's supposed ex-servant spread like wildfire, thanks to the popularity of Yue Qingyuan and certain Shimei. So it was inevitable that the Qing Jing peak disciples, who were mostly of noble and wealthy backgrounds, disliked him.

He already heard several comments like 

"Do you even know how to read?"

"That is a qin, shidi. Perhaps you cleaned one before you came to the sect?" 

"Maybe you should take the laundry as your permanent chore? I'm sure you have a lot of experience in that." They weren't very smart since most of them were cleaning related so they stopped being amusing and became an annoyance rapidly. But these were all just young masters being petty, it won't escalate more than that.

"Then why isn't A-Jiu resting in his room in the sleeping quarters?" Peak lord Li asked again relentlessly.

Shen Jiu bit the inside of his cheeks, he doesn't want to share the reason. He said that he would be honest from now on rather than letting things escalate into fatal misunderstandings. But this is a subject that in his past life, he would've rather died than spoke about. But this is not his past life. So forced himself to speak.

"This disciple is just.. not used to sleeping in a place filled with other boys, there is nothing wrong with everyone. I'm sorry"

Peak lord Li's expression became pained. "This master have been neglectful.."

Shen Jiu panicked and knelt on his hands and knees infront of peak lord Li "No! It's not shizun's fault.. this disciple will go ba…" 

"Follow." Peak lord Li interpreted Shen Jiu's rambling and stood up and turned to leave.

Shen Jiu scrambled up his feet and followed his shizun. Shen Jiu and peak lord Li walked through the quiet bamboo forest all the way to peak lord Li's bamboo hut. But instead of entering his shizun walked around it and stopped next to the back.

"This is the side room, it has its own door to the outside, A-Jiu can stay here if it makes him more comfortable." And then he opened the door for Shen Jiu to enter, then left.

Shen Jiu knew exactly what was inside the room, after all in his last life, he inherited this hut. A bed, a simple desk and a dresser. A moment later something slid under his door. Shen Jiu turned around and picked it up.

Protection talisman.

He held the paper and tried to suppress the shaking in his shoulder. "Thank you, shizun"

.

The next morning Shen Jiu invited Yue Qingyuan during his obligatory daily visit to his new room. Surprisingly Yue Qingyuan was not happy about this.

"If Xiao Jiu needs a place to sleep, then he can sleep in my room." Then immediately turned red at what he said.

"Stupid!" Replied an equally red Shen Jiu. "Do you have no regard for your reputation? What would people say if another boy kept going in and out of your room?" And hit Yue Qingyuan on his head with his fist. And remembered right away that there is something missing from his hand.

"I don't care if they talk.." Yue Qingyuan murmured as he rubbed his head. "anyway, i came to inform you that I'll be going on a mission for a while so I won't be visiting. I'll be back by next week" 

"Does Xiao Jiu want me to bring him anything?" For the last month Yue Qingyuan proceeded to spend his entire disciple allowance on buying Shen Jiu, gifts and useless trinkets. And has kept pestering Shen Jiu by asking him for things he wants. Shen Jiu sighed looking at the pleading puppy eyes of his stupid friend and his perfect timing.

"Fine. A fan" 

Chapter Text

Shen Jiu (now Shen Qingqiu) walked with his shidi, Qin Qingguan from the beast taming peak back to their client.

It has been two years since he joined the sect. His recovery took a whole year and even though he is not as strong as Yue Qingyuan or Liu Qingge. He is still far more powerful than his past life. His recovery made him further regret his stubbornness in the past.

At first he couldn't help but resent his shizun for giving him the name Qiu despite knowing about his history. His shizun told him to turn his greatest weakness into his strength. Or else that name will always have a hold on him. It appears that some things are simply unchangeable. But he is not going to be like the Shen Qingqiu of the past. He will be better.

This has been his first mission after being named succeeding disciple. "It does not make any sense!"

"Shen Shixiong, it makes total sense" Qin Qingguan skipped next to Shen Qingqiu through the forest. He was a hyper energetic man, a year younger than Shen Qingqiu. With big bright hazel eyes and a blinding smile that worked like a magnet. 

They were on a mission to dispose of a two headed winged demonic ram that has been feeding on people from the nearby village. A wealthy resident sent a request on behalf of the village, asking Cang Qiong mountain for help.

"It is an insult to the human mind! That's what it is. It feels like a child looked at these beasts and named them accordingly and people just went with it!!"

"but Shixiong! That is the whole point!" Shen Qingqiu looked at his shidi as if he just said the most scandalous thing ever.

"Think about it! You are looking at this from an aesthetic point of view. Sure the name is very simple and dumbed down but that is the point!!! You can name a spider legged panda a more sophisticated name but then no one is going to remember it! Or associate it with the said beast. While now they get to look at a panda with eight legs and immediately think, oh yeah that's a spider legged panda!

The people who report these beasts are not cultivators, so they are gonna report what they see. If we give a non self explanatory names to beasts, then that will just create unnecessary confusion. Plus it helps us too! Instead of spending hours reading descriptions of beasts with fancy names. We just look at the name!! It's just easier for everyone"

Shen Qingqiu had a constipated look on his face that pretty much said 'damn it! That actually makes sense, but I'm still not happy about it'.

Qin qingguan laughed at his Shixiong's expression. "If it makes you feel any better, you are not the first Qing Jing peak schooler that mentions this" 

"let us just get this over with" 

-------

"please daozhangs allow us to prepare a feast on your honor, we must show our gratitude!" 

Before Shen Qingqiu could refuse, Qin Qingguan jumped in front of him. "We would love to!"

And that's how Shen Qingqiu found himself socializing and desperately trying to ignore the obvious advances that their host's daughter kept making towards him. It is only three hours later that he finally managed to drag his shidi and excuse themselves to their chambers. As it was too late at night to travel back to the sect.

"Honestly shidi, I don't know how you do this" 

"It's fun talking to people!!!" As he ponders upon where his shidi get's all this energy. They heard the sound of small footsteps running behind them.

"Wait!" They turned around to a kid no older than twelve, running towards them with a book hugged to his chest.

"What was it??" The boy asked 

"What was what?" Qin qingguan asked back

"The monster!!! No one would tell what it was!"

"Oh! It was a Two headed winged demonic ram."

The little boy cringed "who keeps naming beasts these stupid names?!" 

Qingguan blinked at the boy then exploded in laughter. "hahahahaha aren't you a little schooler in the making!!"

The boy's cheeks turned red for being laughed at. "What!! It's a stupid name and an insult to the human mind!"

Qingguan laughed even harder. "Shixiong! He is basically a small version of you!!!" 

Shen Qingqiu's eyebrow started twitching at his shidi's antics. The little boy turned a deeper shade of red and turned around and ran away.

.

In the middle of the night after an obvious inability to sleep, Shen Qingqiu left a deeply sleeping Qingguan and took a walk in the estate's garden. He walked slowly while lazily fanning himself, until he reached a gazebo in the middle of the garden.

After a while of sitting there and enjoying the breeze on his skin, Shen Qingqiu heard the small footsteps once again. He opened his eyes and looked at the deep shade of blue of the boy's eyes, who was standing outside of the gazebo and staring at him.

"Hello" The boy seemed surprised to be talked to and answered back with a shy "hello". After a minute of silence and the boy awkwardly fidgeting.

"Umm, can I ask you a favor?" Shen Qingqiu looked curious

"Go on." 

"Can you take me with you? To your sect?" Shen Qingqiu eyed the boy for a moment before softly saying 

"Give me your hand" The boy, who seemed to know exactly what Shen Qingqiu was intending, entered the gazebo and presented his wrist to Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu placed two fingers on the boy's wrist. "Well, you certainly have great aptitude for cultivation"

The boy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "If you want, I can talk to your father to send you to the entrance exam in a month. I have no doubt that you would be accepted." 

The boy's eyes dimmed with disappointment and shook his head. "No! I meant to take me without telling my father!" 

"I cannot do that, you are a minor."

"But he won't let me cultivate! He wants to be my brother's assistant after he inherits the family business." The little boy's lower lip started to wobble.

Oh god no! Please don't cry! Shen Qingqiu's entire past life was doomed because he didn't know how to deal with kids! Noticing that the boy is still holding the same book from before, he used it as an excuse to distract the kid.

"What are you reading?" The boy looked up, then sat next to Shen Qingqiu.

"It's a beastiary" Shen Jiu frowned beastiaries weren't really available that much to the public. Because the last thing that sects wanted was for mortals to read a beastiary and think they can handle a beast themselves.

"Where did you get that?" The boy's face scrunched up and answered Sharply

"I didn't get it anywhere! I drew it myself! You think my father would buy me one??" Shen Qingqiu raised an eyebrow and took the beastiary from the boy and started flipping through it.

It was filled with a messy ensemble of beasts and drawn by an obvious amateur but still impressive when knowing it was drawn by a child. "Have you seen all these beasts???"

"No, i just heard or read about them and drew them based on description" Shen Qingqiu looked with surprise at the boy's talent. Rich, a young master and talented! Younger him would've hated this kid.

But as in the now established fashion he decided to do the opposite of what old him would do. So he took out his cultivation manual and gave it to the boy. He didn't need it anyway, having taught it for several decades.

"This is a cultivation manual, hide it from your father. Use it to cultivate. When you are older come to Cang Qiong mountain, whether it is my master or me after I ascend as a peak lord, I promise you'll be taken in."

The boy looked at the manual as if he was just handed treasure and looked at Shen Qingqiu with hope on his face. "For real? Do you mean it!?!"

"You have my word." Shen Qingqiu was not prepared for a little boy to jump at him and hug him.

"Thank you gege!!" Shen Qingqiu was flustered for a moment, he was not used to being liked by children or being called in such a familiar way. He awkwardly patted the little boy's back.

"Um ok, very well, … you're welcome.. anyway.. let me explain the manual to you so you won't mess up using it." 

By the time Shen Qingqiu finished explaining everything to the boy who was looking at him super attentively and aggressively taking notes in his beastiary, the sun had already risen. He got up to go wake his shidi up but then turned around. "You haven't told me your name, kid?" 

"Shen Yuan" Shen Qingqiu smiled at the boy and turned around to leave.

"what about you gege?" Shen Yuan yelled after him.

"Shen Qingqiu" Unfortunately, Shen Qingqiu said his name without turning around, therefore he didn't see Shen Yaun's face pale with panic. And he was too far away that he didn't hear him whisper

"The scum villain!"

Chapter Text

Yue Qingyuan walked the path leading to the bamboo hut where Xiao Jiu is living. His shizun has given him a high rated mission and told him to take another succeeding disciple with him.

Although he did not name a specific disciple, there was no question as to who Yue Qingyuan was going to take.

Xiao Jiu changed. Ever since he found him in the immortal alliance conference. He feels like a ghost of what he used to be. Healing was great for him but at the beginning He was withdrawn. He flinched a lot, his nightmares are no secret. In the four years when he didn't see him, it felt like Xiao Jiu aged 20 years. Whenever he speaks with him it is as if Xiao Jiu knows more than he let out.

It's still hard to hold back his guilt, but he had to learn to mask it, Xiao Jiu always had an uncomfortable look on his face when Yue Qingyuan showed his guilt. the state of Xiao Jiu's body was worse than he imagined. It not as if he was unaware that the Qius mistreated him. But the broken bones, the whip marks, the brand it was beyond cruel. And he knows it was more than that, Yue Qingyuan wasn't blind. He can see the way Xiao Jiu stiffens when someone comes near him. And this reaction was only towards the men. When you are a slave it is a huge misfortune to be beautiful and Xiao Jiu held a beauty that the longer you look at it the more it become pleasing to the eye. Xiao Jiu used to be outspoken and aggressive, now he can almost be called timid if it weren't for how fast he composes himself.

He wished that the Qius were still alive so he can kill them personally.

He reached the bamboo hut and walked around the back and gently knocked on the door. Shen Qingqiu opened the door and immediately smiled "Qi-Ge, you're early."

Yue Qingyuan felt his heart skip a beat. When it comes to Xiao Jiu, if he wasn't feeling guilt then he is feeling shame. Whether it was because the thoughts that filled his mind whenever he saw him or the dreams that ruled his sleep. Xiao Jiu is indeed beautiful. And he went through a lot. It is inappropriate to have such feelings. It became a part of his routine: visit Xiao Jiu, cold bath, meditate or meditate while having a cold bath.

"Unfortunately I'm not here for tea this time. But i did get Xiao Jiu his sweets" And pulled a box out of his qiankun bag.

"Of course you did, otherwise you know not to show your face here." These femiliar barbs always warms Yue Qingyuan's heart. It's an evidence that the Xiao Jiu is still there, they didn't manage to fully break him. Unfortunately the mixture of barbs and a softer Xiao Jiu meant that Yue Qingyuan's shameless mind kept interpreting Xiao Jiu's words as flirtatious. 

"Well don't keep standing there like an idiot, come inside" Xiao Jiu's room looked more personal now than when he first got it. It was now filled with scrolls, books, drawings and above all a huge amount of trinkets (specifically fans) bought by Yue Qingyuan.

"So, what is it?" Shen Qingqiu talked after he launged on his bed and kept popping cakes into his mouth.

"I was wondering if Xiao Jiu would like to go on a mission with me?"

"What's the mission?" 

"The main river supplying water to baihe village is occupied by something. Villagers keep falling into the water and not surfacing and boats are being sunk." 

"Do we have a theory about what is causing this?" 

"No, we thought of water ghouls but the only sighting said that it was big, very big" 

"A water monster, that is feeding on villagers and sinking boats.., ok, seems simple enough" Yue Qingyuan laughed

"simple doesn't mean it's easy or not dangerous otherwise we wouldn't be sent." 

"I know, but I have you, right?" Xiao Jiu tilted his head and smiled. Yue Qingyuan's face heated up.

"Of course! I wouldn't let Xiao Jiu get hurt!"

"But you usually go on mission alone? How come you want me to come?" 

"Shizun said to take another succeeding disciple with me, and … Baihe village has a very famous hot springs. I was wondering if Xiao Jiu would like to go after we finish the mission?" Yue Qingyuan once put on his best pleading eyes.

Shen Qingqiu's eyes sparkled. "Well, you wouldn't have caught me dead declining a trip to hot springs! Specifically knowing i don't have to pay anything!!" 

Yue Qingyuan laughed again, not that he would mind spending his money on Xiao Jiu. He wouldn't use it otherwise anyway.

-----

They embarked four days later. The journey was long but pleasant. Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu made their way towards the riverbank. They chose a wooded area away from civilians. The water was still, abnormally still for a river, and seemingly devoid of life. And the fish were abnormally still.

"Could be demonic, it didn't target the fish, only ate the humans who came near the bank." Said Yue Qingyuan 

"Not necessarily, this is not an animal, this is a beast, beasts are different, they are territorial. They don't travel when they are adults. So this is either a child or a native beasts, one that has been here long enough not to scare the fish" 

Yue Qingyuan's was uncomfortable. Shen Qingqiu kept observing his expression and smiled.

"Either way, you don't like it. If it's a child then it is just exploring. If it's a native, then who knows if it wasn't provoked? There was no history of significance about water deaths.

.

We are human cultivators Qi-Ge. It's not our job to sympathize. If something is a threat to humans then we eliminate said threat. Regardless of its motives."

"Heavens" Yue Qingyuan laughed "do you have any idea how much you sound like shizun right now? When did you get so wise?" 

Shen Qingqiu frowned playfully "I'm a Qing Jing peak schooler. It's my job to be wise. So, now, shall we lure it?" 

"How?"

"Correct me if i am wrong, our future Sect leader was planning on sending a qi attack at the water and provoking the beast out and wasting his qi. Correct?" Yue Qingyuan blushed in shame and scratched the back of his head.

"I assume you have a better idea?"

"Observe." Shen Qingqiu approached the water, took out a stack of talismans from his sleeve and threw them into the water. The paper scattered on the surface and glowed softly.

"I haven't seen this talisman before" 

"Call it a sensory trick, for the beast, it will appear as if a crowd of people are standing in the water."

"Now we wait." Shen Qingqiu sat on the ground near the river. Unaware of Yue Qingyuan's look of awe at him.

A moment later Yue Qingyuan joined him.

.

.

It took less than 10 minutes for a giant shadow to appear under the water.

"It's here" said Yue Qingyuan and got up, Shen Qingqiu calmly stood next to him and placed his hand on Xiuya. The shadow crept closer and closer until it pooled under the talisman, before it shot out of the water with a shriek.

The first thing that they noticed was the iridescent scales. "White Water serpent!" Shen Qingqiu exclaimed "be careful, that things shoot qi from in-between its scales! Aim for the eyes!" Yue Qingyuan sped up towards the serpent, bringing his palm to its right eye. But the beast felt their presence and already shot qi over its body. The qi caused Yue Qingyuan to be knocked back several meters and his back hit a tree.

"Qi-Ge!!" Shen Qingqiu ran towards Yue Qingyuan but was met with the serpent's head that hit him so hard that he was pushed off the river bank and fell violently into the water.

"XIAO JIU!" Shen Qingqiu felt his body in shock and his head was ringing, it took a moment for him to compose himself and resurfaced to the riverbank only to be met by the most peculiar sight ever.

The air was heavy and felt unbreathable, the sky was covered in what can be described as a net of black qi, it was terrifying, pulsating and unimaginably beautiful. Then the serpent's severed head fell next to him and the last thing he heard was Yue Qingyuan calling his name before the darkness claimed him.

-----

Shen Qingqiu was laying on something soft, there was a hand on his back feeding him qi. He was surrounded by the smell of cinnamon. He opened his eyes and groaned when was hit by the light. His stirring caused his mattress to stiffen.

"Xiao Jiu? How do you feel?" His mattress (Yue Qingyuan) spoke in a low voice and his hand climbed up to cradle his head.

"Headache" he buried his face in Qi-Ge's chest to hide from the intensity of the light. Yue Qingyuan's fingers scratched lightly at the base of his head.

"You hit your head" 

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"half a day"

"Hmm, that's not so bad. Where are we?" 

"The hot springs." Shen Qingqiu raised his head to stare at Yue Qingyuan. "You should've workers' faces, pretty sure they thought I kidnapped you." Yue Qingyuan laughed and his chest pleasantly vibrated.

"The serpent?" 

"Dead" there was silence, Shen Qingqiu closed his eyes and rested his head on Yue Qingyuan's neck.

"You made me worried Xiao Jiu. Why did you jump in front of me?" 

"It would've attacked you again!" 

"I can take care of myself!!" Shen Qingqiu stilled and looked at Yue Qingyuan's face, he had never snapped at him before. "I don't need you to get hurt for my sake!" Shen Qingqiu sighed and got off of Yue Qingyuan.

"Is this what's all about?"

"What.."

"The Qius weren't your fault Qi-Ge!"

"What does the Qius have anything to do with this??"

"Apparently a lot, …. You always blame yourself and it always bring you back to them!" 

.."but it was my fault…" 

"No it wasn't!"

"I know you don't blame me but that doesn't chan…" 

"Yes I do." Yue Qingyuan stopped talking and looked devastated.

"well, used to.." Shen Qingqiu sat in front of Yue Qingyuan who was looking at him attentively. "I thought that you found a better life and didn't want a reminder of the filth you came from… I thought that you left me there on purpose." 

Yue Qingyuan looked offended for a second "I would never.."

"I know, I'm glad you explained things when we met again. Because if you didn't,.. i would've resented you" 

"You should hate me, I failed you."

Shen Qingqiu came closer and took Yue Qingyuan's face in his hands. "I will never hate you, I can't. You tried Qi-Ge, no other person would try for me." 

Yue Qingyuan's eyes darkened and he placed his hands on Shen Qingqiu's waist and smashed their lips together. Shen Qingqiu gasped for a moment before he looped his arms around Yue Qingyuan's neck and returned the kiss. It was warm, soft and wet. The craving that lasted for years in both of them was finally sated. Yue Qingyuan's lips moved from side to side in a slow and gentle manner while his arms brought Shen Qingqiu closer to him.

When their lips finally parted, they were panting and flushed. Shen Qingqiu spoke without moving from his place. 

"have you done this before?" 

Yue Qingyuan was far too good compared to the amateur that is Shen Qingqiu. "Only to my pillow" then he went back to kissing Shen Qingqiu.

.

.

Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan sat opposite each other in the hot spring.  

"You know, shizun is going to be very pleased to know that we finished the mission in five days" Yue Qingyuan spoke while looking at Shen Qingqiu fondly while Shen Qingqiu kept staring at Yue Qingyuan broad chest with a red face.

"But we finished it on the first day." Qingyuan smiled

"He doesn't need to know that" Shen Qingqiu smiled back.

His investigation will have to wait. He remembered what he last saw before losing consciousness. At that time, he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him. But now he is certain. That black net was coming out of Yue Qingyuan.

Specifically out of his unsheathed sword.

Chapter Text

The four remaining days in the hot springs were something that Shen Qingqiu never thought he'd ever experience, not even in his dreams.

Although he didn't get to enjoy the aftermath that much, since he was in a hurry to get back into the sect and investigate whatever the deal was with Yue Qingyuan.

He didn't bother to ask him, it was more than clear that it's a thing that Yue Qingyuan didn't wish for him to know about, with the way he kept glancing at him and repeatedly asking him if he remembered anything. Shen Qingqiu was enjoying his time with Yue Qingyuan and didn't want anything to disturb the peace between them.

It doesn't need a genius to guess that whatever happened to Yue Qingyuan, was during his imprisonment in the Ling Xi caves. Therefore there are three ways to get information about what happened.

The first was Qiong Ding peak, they kept a record of every person who enters the Ling Xi caves and of course if anyone were to know, it would be Yue Qingyuan's shizun.

But going to Qiong Ding peak was out of the question, he might as well ask Yue Qingyuan.

The second is Qian Cao peak, if the future Sect leader were to Qi deviate and end up being locked up for a whole year because of it. Then Qian Cao would know for sure, they kept a file on every disciple for any future medical examination and the explanation would definitely be in their record room. 

But although in this life, Shen Qingqiu was very close to Mu Qingfang and can easily call him a friend. Qian Cao healers are required to swear secrecy to not share private medical records.

This leaves the third and last resort.

An Ding peak. If anything happens in the sect, they would know. If anything needed replacing, if anything is damaged or missing or running out. They would know.

And Shen Qingqiu has been delaying this for a while.

Might as well visit the traitor.

.

—-----------

Shang Qinghua didn't know how his actions managed to create this much change in the world. 

It all started eight years after he had the misfortune of transmigrating into his own novel. And as a canon fodder at that. 

He was hiding away in the woods near his house from a bunch of nine years olds who were trying to beat him up. It didn't matter that he was nearly a thirty years old man stuck in the body of a child. He will always be a scrawny kid with a face just begging to be bullied. 

He appeared to have wondered too far that he got lost.

After walking for a while he heard a rustle and the faint sound of sobbing.

Shang Qinghua froze and nearly pissed himself.

'you can't seriously tell me that I'm going to die before the plot even starts!!!?? System! Help me!' 

The sobbing of what seems to be a child continued, while Shang Qinghua kept praying to every known god while backing away. Then he heard the sound of many steps and shouting.

"Where is he?"

"Are you even sure you saw it?"

"I'm sure!" 

"There is nothing here!"

"I know what I saw! And the damned thing was here! It was clearly a demonic child!"

Shang Qinghua stopped. The voices walked far away for now but they will come back. He knows they will come back. Because he remembers this scrapped plot line.

The system flashed a new mission. Shang Qinghua accepted it.

Now, instead of walking away, Shang Qinghua quietly walked towards the sobbing that came from a bush.

"Hey, kid, psst." 

The sobbing stopped

"I'm not gonna hurt you.

You need to come out, they will come back" 

Shang Qinghua crouched next to the bush, he can see parts of the kid but not his face.

"What's your name? I'm Shang Lishu" 

.

.

"Mo Bei."

It was spoken like a whisper but Shang Qinghua heard it.

"Ok, nice to meet you Mo Bei, we need to leave, those cultivators are gonna return and will hurt you! So please come out of the bush"

A few seconds passed and the anxious Shang Qinghua was getting more anxious. Then a small child crawled out towards him.

He was around five years old, his rosy cheeks popped against his pale nearly blue skin. There was a blue demonic mark on his forehead.

He was sniffling and teary eyed and there were lines of tears running down his cheeks, his appearance was heartbreaking.

Shang Qinghua stared wide eyed at the child form of his favorite character then shook his head violently. 

"Alright, lets go'' And extended his hand for Mo Bei to hold.

They walked hand in hand away from the sound of cultivators.

"Gege, where are we going?"  

Shang Qinghua held himself not to coo at the tiny Mo Bei.

"I don't really know, I'm lost too. But at least away from them.

.

Do you know how to get back to the demon realm?"

"I summoned my father" Tiny Mo Bei held up a blue amulet that was glowing. 

"You summoned the northern demon realm Junshang….. great.

I am going to die.."

Shang Qinghua mumbled

.

"Gege, why did you help me?"

Shang Qinghua looked at the wide eyed Mo Bei.

"They would've hurt you. You're just a kid"

"You're a kid too.

If they saw you helping me, they would hurt you too.

Father always said that humans hate demons."

"He is not wrong, but we don't all hate demons, I think you are rather cute!"

Shang Qinghua only noticed what he said after he said it. He cursed himself for it. Who knows that Mo Bei won't remember that when he grows up and comes to teach him a lesson for daring to call him cute.

Lost in his thoughts, Shang Qinghua didn't notice that tiny Mo Bei was blushing.

"Mo Bei.." 

A deep cold voice all of a sudden called from in front of them.

The children looked to see a tall handsome demon with long black hair and a cold expressionless face. He was wrapped in a fur cape and seemed to freeze everything around him.

"Father!" Tiny Mo Bei let go of Shang Qinghua's hand and ran towards the demon.

"What are you doing here?"

The demon looked at the child that was hugging his leg.

"Ling Guang brought me here and left me! There were cultivators! But Gege helped me escape."

The demon lifted his head and in the next moment he teleported in front of Shang Qinghua.

"What is your name, little human?"

Shang Qinghua gulped and looked up with terror at the demon.

"Sh-Shang Lishu, sir"

After a few seconds of being stared down by the northern Junshang. He disappeared with Mo Bei.

.

.

.

Shang Qinghua found his way back to the village, he was stunned the whole way that he didn't notice the system's voice registering points and going into hibernation after the too early of a meeting with Mo Beijun.

.

After his encounter, Shang Qinghua woke up to find an amulet similar to the one that Mo Bei was holding, around his neck. And for the next few years his life was invaded by a tiny teleporting Ice demon who seemed to have too much free time and no one to spend it with. Not that Shang Qinghua was complaining, he was glad to have a smooth beginning to his thigh-hugging quest with Mo Beijun. He is confident that he was not going to get killed! At least not by Mo Beijun.

Yet he doesn't understand how changing his relationship with Mo Beijun changed Shen Qingqiu!!

The supposed villain of the story doesn't have a complicated relationship with the future Sect leader, apparently they were lovers!?!? (And when the hell was Shen Qingqiu, Yue Qingyuan's servant!?!) He isn't hated by their martial siblings, he doesn't go to brothels!!! Has a civil relationship with Liu Qingge and isn't salty about his cultivation! 

Still with all that, he doesn't understand why he is now being cornered by Shen Qingqiu, who looked like he could murder with the sheer force of his stare.

"Shang shidi, do you mind if we have a chat?"

Chapter Text

Shang Qinghua fidgeted nervously from where he sat across Shen Qingqiu, who was calmly sipping his tea.

He was simmering in the uncomfortable silence for the past 10 minutes. 

Shen Qingqiu was lazily eyeing his messy room. His desk was overloaded with paperwork, the floor was covered with open boxes. Even the table between them was covered with ink spills.

Shen Qingqiu's eyes finally fell on him.

"This Shixiong is hoping that Shang shidi could grant him a request."

Shang Qinghua jumped in his place, what the hell could Shen Qingqiu want from him?

"Of-ofcourse! What does Shen Shixiong need?"

"I need the records for any damage repair requests that were ordered from 6 to 2 years ago to the Ling Xi caves, also the records for the medical bills of each Qiong Ding peak disciple of the same time period."

6 to 2 years ago? 

"Was the request for these records ordered by Li shibo?"

Shen Qingqiu looked at him coldly

"No, and you will not mention it to my shizun or your shizun or anyone"

Shang Qinghua's eye twitched, he was used to being dismissed by his martial siblings but being looked down at to this extent was excessive! So he steeled himself and refused his villain son!

"My apologies, Shen Shixiong but I cannot give you the records, you have no authority to request, thus they are considered classified.

.

If Shixiong needs the records, then he has to formally send a request and state his reasoning for needing them."

Shen Qingqiu put his tea cup down at the table and smiled so sweetly that he made a shiver run down Shang Qinghua's spine.

"Let this Shixiong rephrase.

Give me the records or I'll inform sect leader Zhao about your side job as a spy for northern demon Junshang."

Shang Qinghua was both terrified and perplexed. 

He wasn't a spy, he managed to pass this plot line! He was just friends with Mo Beijun! He was a sweet seventeen years old kid, (who is rapidly becoming uncomfortably attractive) no sane person would look at him and think of a demon Junshang! (He was in fact very threatening)

Could it be that Shen Qingqiu saw him meeting Mo Bei and thought he was a spy?!

"Shi-shixiong I don't know what you are talking about, this shidi doesn't have any side jobs! Does it look like I have time for any side jobs!" 

He pointed towards the stacks of paper on his desk "let alone a side job with a demon!"

Shen Qingqiu's eyes darkened and he leaned in until his face was a few centimeters away from Shang Qinghua's face.

Close! Too close!!

Shen Qingqiu lifted his hand and pulled on the string around Shang Qinghua's neck and let the amulet slip from under his robes.

Shang Qinghua flinched and grabbed the amulet and hid it back in his robes.

"Do you take me for an idiot, shidi?

I can smell the stink of that ice demon on you from the moment I walked in. He was here right before I came, wasn't he?"

Shang Qinghua panicked

"It's not what you think!! I'm not his spy! I swear!"

"Then what are you?" Shen Qingqiu stood and spoke in the most mocking tone he could muster "what are you going to tell me? That you're his friend? That you sneak out of the sect to enjoy his companionship?" 

"Yes! I swear!"

"Enough with your pathetic excuses! I know you are a traitor!" 

Shang Qinghua was frightened so he did the only thing he could think of. He hugged Shen Qingqiu's thigh.

"Please don't tell the sect leader!!!!! I'm not a traitor, I swear! I worked really hard not to end up in the same fate of the original goods! I would never betray the sect!.." 

Shang Qinghua kept mumbling and speaking at a super speed while holding onto Shen Qingqiu with an iron grip. Shen Qingqiu was bewildered. He didn't remember the rat being like this. In his past life he was cold and introverted and seemed to always hold a resentful expression whenever he thought that no one was looking.

"What are you doing! Get off of me!"

Shen Qingqiu tried to shake him off but to no avail.

"Please have some mercy on your father! I can't die before the protagonist gets here!!! I'll even help you escape Luo Binghe's wrath. Just don't get me ki….."

"What did you say?" Shen Qingqiu froze. "Did you just say Luo Binghe?"

Shang Qinghua stopped and looked up at Shen Qingqiu's face with wide eyes.

"Um….no?"

Shen Qingqiu bent down to be at eye level with Shang Qinghua and grabbed him by the collar.

"You just said that you will help me escape Luo Binghe's wrath…how do you know the name of a person that isn't even conceived yet?"

Shang Qinghua's eyes widened even more.

"Bro……. ARE YOU A TRANSMIGRATOR TOO!!!!?"

Shen Qingqiu looked in confusion at him "what is a transmigrator? Is that what you call people like us who returned? What do you know?"

"What do you mean returned? Were you a fan of the novel??? Who were you?"

"I'm …Shen Jiu…?"

".... I'm confused…"

"How. Do. You. Know. Of. Luo. Binghe.?" Shen Qingqiu was getting frustrated but somehow relieved that someone else is in the same situation?"

"He is the protagonist, of course I know him??? Isn't that how you know him!?!?" 

"He tortured me….."

Shang Qinghua paused, seeming to try to understand what Shen Qingqiu was saying.

Shen Qingqiu continued "I died and then found myself back here in the immortal alliance conference. Isn't that what happened to you too?"

Shen Qingqiu observed his face with curiosity.

Shang Qinghua's mind was blank. "You're Shen Qingqiu…. Like from the novel Shen Qingqiu!!!! I guess as well from the future!??! 

You're telling me that you lived the original timeline and then traveled back in time?!??"

"Yes." Shen Qingqiu pulled back and sat. 

"Now, what novel are you talking about, shidi?"

Shang Qinghua gulped.

"You are not going to believe me…"

"Try me.. mouse"

—---------- 

"No"

''What do you mean no..?'

"I mean no! 

I refuse to believe that you are my creator!!!! You are not my god!"

"But I am.."

"No you are not!!!!!!"

"You shouldn't be so disrespectful towards your father..." Shang Qinghua murmured.

"Stop  saying you are my father!!!! So you are not a spy?"

"No, I saved Mo Beijun's life when we were kids. He is my friend, not my boss. So far, I don't think this world is going to end the same way the novel did. Things are very different from what they are supposed to be."

"no…, I will never feel safe until Luo Binghe ceases to exist."

"I mean… he still hasn't existed yet.. and I am not killing Su Xiyan!"

"If my calculations are correct, Luo Binghe is set to be born in three years. He is not important now. 

I'll figure something out before then.

.

.

You said you wrote this novel. So supposedly you know everything about this world, correct?"

Shang Qinghua scratched his head and laughed.. 

"Not really… I wrote a lot so it's kind of impossible to remember everything…"

"Doesn't hurt to ask anyway.

Do you know what's wrong with Yue Qingyuan's sword?" 

Chapter Text

Shen Qingqiu walked silently towards Qiong Ding peak. The sun was setting and the peak was nearly empty except for the disciples on nightwatch. His face was emotionless as he was digesting what he just learnt. 

His mind kept going back to his past life and to how he treated Yue Qingyuan. 

He was truly selfish, wasn't he? All the time after thinking that Qi-Ge left him he kept thinking about how much he suffered but never once did he think about Yue Qingyuan. How did he get to the sect? Was he treated fairly? Did it hurt when he Qi deviated? Shen Qingqiu knows from experience that it is painful but he was never stuck in one for a whole year. And he didn't get his soul bound to his sword afterwards. Did he ever unsheathe his sword before? He unsheathed it when he was fighting the serpent.

Qi-Ge unsheathed Xuan Su to protect him. Knowing full well that it will consume a part of his life.

No. Qi-Ge ended up in this situation to begin with because he was trying to save him.

This is all his fault.

Shen Qingqiu woke up from his dissociative state and knocked on the door in front of him. 

"Come in" 

Shen Qingqiu entered.

"Shen shizi, does Li shidi need anything?" Sect leader Zhao asked without raising his head from the paper he was working on.

Shen Qingqiu was fully awake now

"No Zhangmen shibo, this disciple was hoping to talk to you." 

Sect leader Zhao looked up curiously

"What does Shizi wish to talk about?"

 "Yue Qingyuan's sword." 

Sect leader Zhao's face stilled.

"What about it?"

"His soul is bound to it."

"Who told you about this?"

"No one did Shibo, He unsheathed it in our last mission."

Sect leader Zhao rubbed the space between his brows "that idiot!"

"Is ..is there really no way of breaking the bond?"

Sect leader Zhao looked pained. "Not in any way that we are aware of." 

Shen Qingqiu's face was still blank.

"Was there no other way to save him from the Qi deviation?.

.

This was my fault wasn't it?"

Sect leader Zhao looked with as much sympathy that his face allowed

"No. It pains me to say it but this was no one's fault other than Yue Qingyuan's and myself.

He kept begging me to let him get a sword, said that he was ready and I believed him. He was doing everything so fast I thought he was a prodigy and he was to some extent, it didn't occur to me that he was rushing everything, or that he was attempting a cultivation path secretly. 

I didn't understand why he was in a hurry, he never told me anything.

When i had to lock him up in the caves otherwise he would parish, he kept begging to save a Xiao Jiu"

Shen Qingqiu breath hitched.

"I tried so hard to get a single coherent sentence out of him. A last name, an address, anything. But he was too lost in his madness. 

In the end, I had to seal his life. I didn't want to lose a disciple, it is not a thing I ever want to go through again. After he came out, He left the sect and then came back a week later, locked himself in his room for a month and refused to say a thing."

"Shibo said it wasn't my fault. I fail to see it as anything other than that."

"That was not a situation you could control, boy. You weren't in your own situation by choice. There is no need to blame yourself."

Shen Qingqiu lowered his head and sect leader Zhao looked at him and sighed. He stood up and walked to Shen Qingqiu and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"For what it's worth, I know that Yue Qingyuan doesn't regret it. That you were worth it. He Cherishes you, boy and I know that you do too. If you really want to repay him. Make sure he never has to unsheathe that sword again."

—------------

Yue Qingyuan didn't know why Xiao Jiu showed up all of sudden to his room, hugged him and fell asleep. 

Not that Yue Qingyuan is complaining. He sat at his low table and worked on his paperwork, while Xiao Jiu was sleeping in his lap with his arms tight around his shoulders and face buried in his neck. Every breath Xiao Jiu took tickled his skin and he felt like he was in heaven. 

He finished his work so fast that he knows his calligraphy looks hellish. Then carried Xiao Jiu to bed, undressed them both down to their inner robes and hugged Xiao Jiu to another day of peaceful sleep.

Yue Qingyuan wokeup in the middle of the night after he noticed the body next to him missing and looked to see Xiao Jiu sitting near the bed with Xuan Su between his hands.

Yue Qingyuan panicked.

"Xiao-xiao jiu?"

"This thing is heavy, no wonder you never use it" Xiao Jiu answered without looking at Yue Qingyuan. "Can you even use Qiong Ding's sword techniques with it? Do they fit a wide sword?"

Yue Qingyuan laid his head back on the pillow "I don't need to use it that often"

"Too powerful?"

"..... Something like that."

"You or the sword?"

Yue Qingyuan smiled at Xiao Jiu who was looking at him teasingly.

"You should get another sword. A lighter one. They are easier to maneuver, you know? Or you can just use Xiuya."

Shen Qingqiu looked intensely at Yue Qingyuan who laughed "why are you looking at me like this? I'm going to get the wrong idea." 

"Just imagining you with Xiuya.

You'd look good." 

"oh….so i wasn't getting the wrong idea." 

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes and put Xuan Su back on its rack and walked towards the bed then sat on Yue Qingyuan's stomach.

"Enough talk about your sword."

Yue Qingyuan placed his hands on his hips to balance him while mischievously smiling.

"But our conversation about my sword was just getting interesting!''

"Qi-Ge?"

"Yes?"

"Are you happy?"

Yue Qingyuan looked at him warmly "Xiao Jiu, everyday since i found you, i fear that i might wake up to find it was all a dream. Because you're just too good. I might be in heaven. There is nothing in this world that can make me happier than when I am with you." 

Shen Qingqiu's eyes were wide open. It was odd that he felt young at this moment that all the weight of his past life was gone and he was really just an eighteen years old having a touching moment with his childhood sweetheart.

He bent over and gently kissed the lips of the foolish man under him.

"I love you" 

Chapter Text

"How about the soul shattering ring?"

"For the one hundredth time! We don't want to shatter or split his soul! We need something that breaks bonds!" 

Shang Qinghua scratched another item off the list, while Shen Qingqiu kept pacing back and forth inside the room.

Every third day of the week, peak lord Li practices his singing. During this time, the entire peak and most of the nearby peaks would be quiet and gather next to the pavilion where he sings to listen to the voice that is dubbed the voice of gods. Making this time the perfect opportunity to use the library without the other disciples noticing them.

Shen Qingqiu is capable of singing, almost as good as his shizun. But neither in this life nor the last did he have the courage to sing in front of people, not even in front of Yue Qingyuan. So when his shizun ascended, singing disappeared from Qing Jing peak and became another thing that he was criticised for. Even though his Qin playing was also heavenly. 

Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua sat for the last hour, storming ideas and researching anything that Shang Qinghua remembered from writing and anything that Shen Qingqiu knew that could help them solve Yue Qingyuan's problem.

"Bro.. I don't want to sound like I'm giving up.. but I really didn't write any solution to Yue Shixiong's bond with his sword. It was kind of meant to be a permanent thing."

Shen Qingqiu stopped and looked Sharply at him.

"One. Don't call me bro! Why do you always manage to find an annoying way to address me!

Two. You are an idiot who doesn't remember his own writing! There has to be something! Otherwise I wouldn't be wasting my time here with you!"

Shang Qinghua bit his brush "maybe we could look for an alternative rather than a cure?? There are many heavenly unclaimed swords that could be as powerful as Xuan Su! It is possible to seal Xuan Su, you know."

"No. We can't guarantee that a new sword wouldn't attack him as well, his meridians aren't in a state to bond with another sword and sealing Xuan Su is not a solution! It is still a vulnerability! As long as the bond existed, knowing Yue Qingyuan, there will always be a chance of him unsheathing it and a seal will not stop him! I'm not risking it again"

Shen Qingqiu sat down in front of Shang Qinghua and looked defeated.

Shang Qinghua looked at him guilty, 

This situation is kind of his fault, if he had known he would have written them all with happy back stories!! His villain son looked so wrong like this! But he was correct. If an emergency would come and Yue Qingyuan was cornered he would definitely unsheathe the sword. And even if he survived, his life would be cut significantly.

So awkwardly cleared his throat, this might count as giving false hope..

"There might be a way." Shen Qingqiu looked up with hope and Shang Qinghua added in hurry "but I'm not sure if it would work on a bond with a sword!"

Shen Qingqiu straightened up and gave him his full attention. "What is it?"

"In one of the plot lines I wrote, one of Luo Binghe's wives was a heavenly beast who was tricked into bonding with man that proceeded to use the bond to control her and treated her as a weapon rather than a companion, when the wife met Luo Binghe, she begged him to save her. The bond between a man and a heavenly beast is an eternal deal. But of course I cannot have the stallion protagonist failing in something, so naturally he was able to break the bond." 

"How!?"

"He used an item called the essence of the womb fountain and he was able to reveal the bond in a physical form and cut it down with Xin mo."

Shen Qingqiu looked like he was deep in thought for a moment. "Where can we find the essence?"

Shang Qinghua coward as he delivered another piece of setbacks 

"That might be another problem…the whereabouts of the fountain isn't known and the only vial left of the essence can be found in the holy mausoleum, and only the Junshang can enter." 

"So what you're saying is that the only plausible solution that we have, requires us to enter the mausoleum which no one other than the demon realm Junshang can enter and obtain Xin mo which according to my knowledge is in the endless abyss.." 

"Guess we are going to have to deal with Luo Binghe parents earlier than we thought."

"How the hell are we supposed to track down Tian langjun?!''

"Quite easily actually"

Shen Qingqiu glared at him and Shang Qinghua rolled his eyes.

"The immortal alliance conference is in less than a year, and last time I checked you are participating!

If you want to find Tian langjun then you find Su Xiyan.

By then they should have met and if this world is accurate to my drafts then that man will follow her like he is her pet!"

Shen Qingqiu cringed

"Wonderful. The southern Junshang is a smitten idiot."

—--------------

In the middle of a crowded street two gentlemen exited an auction house. The younger one was desperately trying to stuff a huge amount of trinkets into a qiankun bag. They were dressed in an odd assortment of robes as if they tried to fit in and miserably failed.

The older one stopped and sneezed.

Then cheerfully turned towards his younger companion.

"Zhu Zhilang! Did you in human culture, they say if you sneeze out of nowhere it means someone is talking about you!? I wonder what whoever's talking about me is saying?"

Zhu Zhilang answered in a soft voice

"They would most definitely be praising Junshang."

Tian langjun rubbed his chen " wisely said, nephew.

Now come! I saw a library that selled the most delightful assortment of books!"

Zhu Zhilang cried desperately in his mind as he was calculating how much money they have left.

"Yes, Junshang" 

Chapter Text

Shen Qingqiu guessed that the peak lords are now aware that he knows about Yue Qingyuan's sword, judging from his shizun's reaction when he asked him to leave on a mission to find the life rejuvenating tree. 

Shizun proceeded to pat him on the head, give him a hug and told him to take as much time as he wants. It was bizarre but he appreciates the hug. the rest of the peak lords were weirder. They kept looking at him like he is a cat to coo at.

The worst one was peak lord Chen, who is always surrounded by other Xian shu fairies and they all kept giggling at him. 

Qi Qingqi was vastly different in this life. Guess a first impression really mattered. In his past life, due to all the rumors about him going to brothels, she avoided him most of the time and the few times they interacted she was cold and sharp tongued. And not so subtly warned other female disciples about being alone with him. He never hated her, in their generation, she was the only female peak lord and though he never spared against her, Shen Qingqiu wasn't confident that he would win.

In this life however. She was extremely friendly and it's fun to watch her eviscerate people with her words. But he prefers if she stopped with the weird questions she kept asking about him and Qi-Ge.

'What were Yue Shixiong's parents like?'

'Did Shen Shixiong sleep in Yue Shixiong's room when they were kids?'

'was Shen Shixiong, Yue Shixiong's personal servant?'

'how did your reunion go?'

'Do you like Yue Shixiong?'

Because of this, each interaction between them ends in Shen Qingqiu making up stuff on the spot then running to Yue Qingyuan to make sure their story is consistent.

And then she keeps giggling behind her sleeve and writing something in a notebook she keeps carrying. He thought she was gathering blackmail about him. But he is sure that he saw Qi-Ge reading the notebook once.

The trip to get the leaves was fairly fast. Yue Qingyuan has unsheathed Xuan Su twice so far. When he received it and during his mission with Shen Qingqiu. And Shen Qingqiu doesn't know how much of his life was consumed because of that. So since he can't really do anything about the cure or Luo Binghe right now, the life rejuvenating tree became a priority.

Shang Qinghua finally proved himself to be useful and managed to remember the exact location of the tree but in the classic fashion of the hack author the tree was in an area infested with beasts.

And that's why right now, Shen Qingqiu is treating an injured Liu Qingge that he managed to drag with him for security only for a tiger wolf to gnaw at his leg.

"This Shixiong is at fault. I should've been faster"

Liu Qingge became flustered at Shen Qingqiu's guilty expression while he was applying a salve to his leg.

"It is not that bad. Doesn't hurt anymore." 

Shen Qingqiu stayed silent and started bandaging his leg. He was clearly still shaken up from whatever he saw.

—------------

"What exactly do you need the tree for?" 

Liu Qingge asked as both he and Shen Qingqiu walked through the cavern. The place was filled with luminescence plants and small rabbit-like creatures with four ears. They followed a path that was lined with red mushrooms.

"It's a personal project I'm working on. In theory, the leaves can instantly stop death because it's as in the name rejuvenates life. It's not really known how, like, does it just heal a person or does it strengthen their soul? I'm trying to find out. Mu shidi said he will help, it can be of great use if we figured it out."

The best decision that Shen Qingqiu made in this life was to get closer with Mu Qingfang. Throughout the six months that he spent bedreddin in Qian Cao, Mu Qingfang became the only other person that knew about his past, on an intimate level. He can easily now say that they are almost best friends. So when he learned the truth about Qi-Ge's sword, he told Mu Qingfang after making him swear to not share this information with anyone. Clearly it was the right decision since Mu Qingfang was immediately all in and was the one who found out about the tree and Shang Qinghua supplied the location.

The cavern extended further deep and now the sides were completely covered with the red mushrooms.

"I thought you said there were going to be beasts here?" Liu Qingge whined through his boredom as they have been walking for a while now.

"There are. We might be walking towards a tiger wolf den. Unless they are dead…"

They were not dead. As finally in front of them, The tree became visible. It was situated on a small island surrounded by a few meters of water. The leaves were red and green and its stem glowed and the water glowed with it in a blue light. 

Around the water sat 5 tiger wolves. They were huge, the smallest one still was bigger than them both, their backs were striped with red and black and their teeth were as big as a forearm.

Liu Qingge didn't need to be told and immediately unsheathed Cheng Luan and charged towards the closest beast.

While the wolves were occupied with Liu Qingge, Shen Qingqiu managed to slay one of them and jumped next to the tree. 

It was pulsating and the air was cooler around it. The moment that Shen Qingqiu touched it and started to collect the leaves, he felt his qi recharging. 

Unfortunately he was so focused on collecting the leaves that he didn't notice the wolf that was creeping in on him from behind until Liu Qingge shouted "LOOK OUT!"

Shen Qingqiu managed to dodge the wolf but was pushed into the water, he hoped that this was not going to be a habit of his. He kept desperately trying to reach the surface but he was being pulled further down until it was only darkness above him. Then his back hit the floor and he noticed the absence of water.

It was darkness all around him and the only thing that he could hear was the sound of breathing. 

Shen Qingqiu got up with a groan and tried to sense anything around him, then he suddenly felt light behind him and turned around.

Fire.

It was Qing Jing peak on fire. His disciples' bodies littered the ground.

The entirety of Cang Qiong mountain was falling down. The sky was a horrifying mixture of human and demonic.

Shen Qingqiu started hyperventilating. All he could comprehend was panic.

"Shen Qingqiu?"

He froze. And slowly looked to his left to meet the red eyes of the person who held the painfully familiar voice, the voice that permanently resided in his nightmares. The figure in black and red robes was standing in the middle of the burning building, staring at him.

"You look…. Younger. 

You are real aren't you?"

The beast looked at him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

"No…"

"No?" The beast replied almost coyly and walked with lazy steps towards the petrified Shen Qingqiu.

"No, I shouldn't be here, why am I here?" 

The beast gripped his shoulder and forced him to stand up.

Shen Qingqiu flinched and awoke from his stupor. He couldn't get away as the beast held his face in an iron grip. 

"Tell me little Qingqiu. How did you escape? Last time I checked, you ripped your throat with Xuan Su's shards." 

Shen Qingqiu is positive that his jaw broke from the force of the beast's grip. His demonic mark was shining and his eyes were filled with rage. 

His other hand that was still on his shoulder started to exert more force.

Shen Qingqiu knew what was coming, he had felt this pain before and started struggling.

"LET ME GO! THIS IS NOT REAL! I GOT AWAY!"

The beast's hand lowered and wrapped around his neck. 

"You used to be so quiet and never made a single expression until Yue Qingyuan foolishly walked into the trap." He was visibly angry and his eyes were glowing red as he spoke through gritted teeth "What is so special about him!!?

And now you show fear. Must have a lot to lose."

The beast smiled and brought his face closer to his. 

"Enjoy your time Shen Qingqiu, because I promise.

I will find you

And when I do. I will destroy everything and everyone around you"

Then he felt a hand around his arm and next thing he knew, he was being pulled out of the water by Liu Qingge.

Shen Qingqiu sat next to the tree and violently coughed while feeling Liu Qingge's hand patting his back.

"What the hell was that! Why didn't you get out of the water!? You nearly died, you idiot!!!"

Shen Qingqiu looked wide eyed at Liu Qingge, slowly comprehending his surroundings. He was back in the cavern. The wolves were dead, Liu Qingge had to deal with four tiger wolves on his own and rush to pull Shen out of the water. He was dishevelled and his right leg was bleeding.

"Liu shidi?"

"Yes! What's wrong with you?!?" His tone was angry but his face showed how worried he was.

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and slumped on the ground.

"My apologies. It was an illusion."

Yes, just an illusion. It had to be.

—------------

Liu Qingge kept staring at him. He admired his Shixiong a lot. He came from an unfortunate background, but still managed to become a succeeding disciple. And he has done that while rumored to be injured and in recovery. 

Liu Qingge never found out what injured him. Apparently it happened before Yue Shixiong found him in the immortal alliance conference. And for some reason that he cannot comprehend, the idea of something or someone hurting his Shixiong made Liu Qingge very angry. 

Even now looking at his Shixiong's hands that were slightly trembling and remembering the look of pure fear on his face when he pulled him out of the water. He felt like a failure for failing to protect him.

Shen Qingqiu is an enigma to say the least. When he first showed up, he gave the impression that he was a boy that needed protecting and that's how Yue Shixiong acted around him, like he might break at any moment. Yet, when he finally entered Qing Jing peak he completely destroyed any competition. He was the talk of the sect. The supposed ex-servant of the future sect leader bested all of the Qing Jing schoolers. His calligraphy was the best. His qin playing was heavenly. His qi skills were on par with Li shibo. His drawing looked better than reality. 

And when Liu Qingge first sparred with him, a mer five months after Shen Qingqiu finished his recovery and officially joined the sect, he lost within minutes.

It felt as if Shen Qingqiu had been sparring with him for years and memorized all his moves. It didn't take long for Liu Qingge to start winning but that didn't stop him from viewing his Shixiong with awe.

Exactly how much more powerful Shen Qingqiu would've been, if he cultivated at the right time?

Then there was his whole relationship with Yue Qingyuan. It wasn't a secret that those two are lovers. At first it was a rumor but now seeing how they look and smile at each other. It reminded Liu Qingge of the way his parents look at each other.

Liu Qingge didn't understand why he feels tightness in his chest whenever he sees them together.

After Shen Qingqiu finished bandaging him, got up.

"Shidi should rest. We will return after shidi recovers or at least in a condition to travel. I will go get us some food."

Before he made it out of the door Liu Qingge spoke.

"Wait."

Shen Qingqiu turned around to face his shidi

"Are you ok? You seem startled.

What exactly did you see in the illusion?"

Shen Qingqiu smiled sadly

"Nothing that shidi should worry about. Just some unpleasant memories."

Chapter Text

"I heard you were banned from future immortal alliance conferences?"

Yue Qingyuan turned around to see Shen Qingqiu walking through the entrance of Qiong Ding peak.

"Xiao Jiu!" He smiled and approached his shidi, Xiao Jiu was dressed in very beautiful dark green robes adorned with a white and green fan gifted to him by Yue Qingyuan. He walked and met him half way through.

"I wasn't banned…"

" (Disciple Yue is not to participate in any future alliances for the remaining years of his position as succeeding disciple..) in other words… banned

And here I was hoping for easy protection during my first time joining."

"Xiao Jiu says this as if he isn't confident that he will do well on his own. I don't doubt that you are going to be one of the top three."

Yue Qingyuan held his hand while talking. Usually Shen Qingqiu doesn't like public displays of affection but here it is a must. Qi-Ge is too popular for his own good and he has attracted the attention of many female disciples and a few male disciples. He knows it is petty but he will not rest until the entire mountain knows that Qi-Ge is his. 

"Your excessive flattery is not going to get you anything from me… at least not here. 

You are free right? Let's go"

"Go where?"

"You'll see when we get there."

"Xiao Jiu has a surprise for me!?" Yue Qingyuan seemed to beam happiness at the idea.

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes at him and pulled him towards the rainbow bridge.

—-----------

After a short walk down the mountain through a wooded area they arrived at a small clearing next to a riverbank. The place was completely isolated by thick trees giving them total privacy and the ground was covered with a beautiful array of wild flowers.

This place was a memory from his past life that he looked back at fondly. A couple of jiejies from the brothel had told him about it and he considered it his sanctuary whenever things in the sect got too heated for him.   

"This place is beautiful" Yue Qingyuan broke him out of his musing. "It is. I stumbled upon it by accident during a mission."

"Xiao Jiu wanted to show me this place?" 

"Mm. Not only that." Shen Qingqiu opened his qiankun bag and pulled various items from it. A tea set, food containers, eating utensils and what was clearly a bed sheet that he laid on the ground. "I also bought tea!"

According to the mouse the leaves are safe to consume. Even though they don't know exactly how they work, that part was left for Mu Qingfang as he is attempting to reverse engineer their effect and grow some more. 

Yue Qingyuan sat on the sheet looking very delighted as Shen Qingqiu brewed the tea with a fire talisman then poured it into two cups.

"Now don't make fun of me…" Shen Qingqiu said but was immediately interpreted by Yue Qingyuan who spoke in a very serious tone "I would never make fun of Xiao Jiu!" Shen Qingqiu sighed and lightly hit him on the head with his fan.

"If it's bad don't tell me, i worked really hard to make it!" He opened the wooden food containers to reveal rice covered with veggies and chicken. The other one had Noodles and the last container had dumplings and zongzi in it.

"Xiao Jiu…. Cooked for me?" Qi-Ge stared at him with big sparkling eyes that made Shen Qingqiu turn red "Stop looking at me like that! And taste it already!" Then he stuffed a dumpling in Yue Qingyuan's mouth.

Shen Qingqiu stared at him for a few minutes as Yue Qingyuan took a bite out of everything and occasionally took a sip of his tea (is his eyes tearing!?) He delightfully squirmed in his place and made a sound of a satisfied moan as he stuffed his mouth with so much food that his checks became perfectly round. At which Shen Qingqiu turned more red and became more nervous. 

"Well??? How is the food!?" Yue Qingyuan looked at him with a joyous expression "It's great! Xiao Jiu is a wonderful cook!" 

Shen Qingqiu looked skeptical. "really? You're not just being nice?"

"This Qi-Ge swear! That Xiao Jiu's food is the most delicious thing he has ever tasted!" In turn Shen Qingqiu became delighted as well and had a smug smile on his face

"It took me four failed attempts to get everything right! Shizun was nice enough to give constructive criticism."

Yue Qingyuan swallowed his jealousy at the fact that Li shishu tasted Shen Qingqiu's first cooking attempts and focused on the fact that Shen Qingqiu was practicing cooking to make him a meal. His heart was filled with so much joy he could explode. 

"What is the special occasion?"

Shen Qingqiu looked at him with a raised eyebrow and picked a piece of chicken and held it for Yue Qingyuan to eat. "Are you insinuating that I need a 'special occasion' to treat you to something nice? How ungrateful." 

Yue Qingyuan decided not to question his good fortune and enjoy being hand fed by his Xiao Jiu. 

The romantic atmosphere was broken by the sound of shouting. It was far away that a normal person wouldn't hear, but both Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan were powerful cultivators and their ears easily picked the sounds. 

They set their food down and moved quietly towards the source.

Along the riverbank and at a distance from where they sat, was a group of four men circling two women who clearly were there to wash laundry judging from the clothes that were scattered on the ground. The older of the two women was shielding the younger one who on closer inspection seemed to be no older than thirteen.

"Why are you being so defensive! I'm just asking you to do your job! Aren't you a whore?"

Both Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan stopped.

"No need to be so afraid, see! We'll pay handsomely"

One of the men held a money pouch in front of the older woman's face, who were looking at him resentfully.

Despite the lady's clear anger, she spoke calmly. She realized she was at a disadvantage here.

"I don't want young master's money. You were banned from the brothel and are no longer a customer and this one is not working right now and holds the right to refuse service."

The man who wore expensive clothing and looked like the leader of this group stepped forward.

"Why are you being so stuck up? Do you even know how many women would beg to join my bed?"

The lady did not falter 

"Then this one suggests that the young master go for one of these said women, since they are so willing. Young master wouldn't be wasting his money then."

"Lian-er doesn't have to worry about my money. I have a lot of it." The man smirked, "I'll even pay double for my associates to enjoy the little one."

The lady didn't get to reply as a stone all of a sudden hit the man in the back of his head.

"WHO'S THERE!''

The four men went on high alert yet they still didn't see the second stone being thrown at them and hit one straight in the forehead.

"SHOW YOURSELF YOU COWARD"

Shen Qingqiu took a blank talisman from his qiankun bag and started drawing on them while Yue Qingyuan calmly fused another stone with qi and threw it at them and hit the young master in the throat.

Shen Qingqiu finished making the talisman and let go of the paper for it to gently float towards the men.

From it, what seems like the mirage of a weeping woman manifested. The four man now froze in their place as they stared at the horrifying 'ghost' that was slowly approaching them. 

The 'ghost' cried and shrieked loud enough to scare the men away. And just as the two women started to back away the mirage disappeared and her freaking voice was replaced with the sound of laughter coming from Shen Qingqiu who stepped out of the bush he was hiding in.

"Was the theatrics really necessary!" Yue Qingyuan asked with a fond smile on his face as he stepped next to Shen Qingqiu.

"Of course! Now they'll think this place is haunted and won't show up again."

Shen Qingqiu turned to look at the two women, who were eyeing him with curiosity. "Are you alright?" 

The lady stared at him suspiciously "this one thanks the two daozhangs for the help." 

Yue Qingyuan picked up the laundry from the ground while Shen Qingqiu handed the lady a talisman he drew.

"This is a protection talisman. It's not a very powerful one but it will block unnecessary pests."

"This one is Shen Qingqiu and my friend is Yue Qingyuan. If the Miss needs anything, we are not sitting very far away." 

Then he cupped his hands to her and walked back to their food.

"Xiao Jiu is very kind." Yue Qingyuan said as they sat back down.

"Humph. No, I just hate rich young masters who think they are entitled to everything and I will do everything to spite them." 

They were also harassing Lian jie and xi mei. Two brothel ladies that were very kind to him in his past life. 

Back in Yue Qingyuan's room, Shen Qingqiu kept staring at Qi-Ge's sleeping face under him and pessimistically recalled his conversation with Shang Qinghua.

—------------

"Then this shidi will get going. Remember to make him drink the leaves once every two days."

"I will. Thank you Mu shidi."

Mu Qingfang left the Qing Jing private pavilion that peak lord Li allowed them to use.

"So. What did you want to tell me?"

Shang Qinghua looked at him expectingly. His villain son looked distressed since he came back from getting the leaves.

"I fell into the water of the life rejuvenating tree….and i saw something. I can't exactly call it a vision. I don't know what to call it."

Shen Qingqiu spoke slowly and seemed lost in his thoughts. "What did you see?''

"Luo Binghe." 

Shang Qinghua paled "how???" 

After telling Shang Qinghua exactly what happened, they both sat in silence.

"Why would the water of the tree show me such 'vision'?"

"Bro, i don't know!"

Shen Qingqiu frowned "If you are really the creator of this world then your thoughts themselves are a bases of the fabric of reality. Now think!" 

Shang Qinghua rubbed his chen "i might be speaking out of my ass here. First, i agree with you, I don't think that it was vision. The life rejuvenating tree is directly linked to well, life! If my assumptions are correct you are not completely cut off from the previous life. Somehow you're being is it still connected to there. so you're meeting with Lou Binghe might have took place in the dream realm." 

Shen Qingqiu paled more and started having difficulty breathing. He composed himself enough to ask. "He said he will find me. Can he?"

Shang Qinghua fidgeted nervously and averted his gaze. 

"Probably? He is the protagonist and the universe kinda tend to bend to his will. Not to mention Xin mo's ability to cut through space."

"But can it cut through space to this world? Have you written anything like that??"

"No?" He seemed like he was asking more than answering "but…"

"But what?" Shen Qingqiu snapped and Shang Qinghua flinched in response.

"with two Xin mos existing, he might be able to open a channel. The good thing is that our Xin mo is still sealed in the abyss."

"But we need it…."

"I know.."

"and if we take it out of the abyss, we might be opening the door to the beast to come here."

—----------

In the process of trying to fix Qi-Ge's condition, he might put him in more danger. 

Shen Qingqiu get up from where he slept on Yue Qingyuan's chest and placed a soft kiss on his lips, Yue Qingyuan awoke in surprise but then pleasently kissed him back and wrapped his arms tight around him.

Last time Shen Qingqiu lost before even realizing he was a part of the game. This time, if the beast dared to show up. He will be ready.

Chapter Text

Every three years, disciples and rogues from all over the land gather to participate in the immortal alliance conference in the hopes of making a name for themselves. It normal for a young cultivator to participate in two 

Conferences but three are frowned upon, as the space should be left for the younger generation. Because of the vast margin that was between the first (Yue Qingyuan) and second winner of the last conference. The remaining sects has politely requested that Yue Qingyuan refrain from joining, and Sect leader Zhao obliged as his succeeding disciple has established a strong presence as the future sect leader.

At the entrance of the Jue Di gorge, thousand of young cultivators gathered to prepare for entering. Cang Qiong mountain participated with 43 disciples. Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu stood to the side from where the disciples gathered.

"Make sure to keep protection talismans on you. It's best to team up with other disciples, that way you will be more safe. I already informed Liu shidi to keep an eye on you!"

Shen Qingqiu's eyebrow twitched in frustration at Yue Qingyuan's excessive fretting as closed his fan with a snap and hit him on the head with it.

"I'm not weak! And it's not like there is anything deadly in there!!!" 

Yue Qingyuan had the odasity to pout 

"I don't want Xiao Jiu to get hurt…"

Shen Qingqiu sighed. In the past year he managed to make Yue Qingyuan drink all kinds of core mending teas, elixirs and cultivation stabilizing medicine. Along with life rejuvenating leaves that were now growing nicely on Qian Cao peak thatnks to Mu Qingfang's efforts and started accumulating the same odd water at its roots, which Shen Qingqiu also made Yue Qingyuan consume as it proved to be just as effective as the leaves.

He convinced Yue Qingyuan that he is doing all of this because Yue Qingyuan looks pale (he does not)  after every mission he comes back from. And he needs more strength specially since his sword is 'too powerful to use', under the influence of all the medication he was feeding him, Yue Qingyuan grew more powerful than he ever used to be. Shen Qingqiu is positive he can make him more powerful than in his past life. 

The big oaf looked at him with sparkling eyes and took his actions as a challenge, saying his honor dictated that he must one-up Shen Qingqiu and completely smother him with food, gifts and basically attempting to do everything for him. In the end his shizun had to put an end to Yue Qingyuan's excessiveness, when he attempted to take over a part of Shen Qingqiu's responsibility.

"I will be fine. Matter of fact, i will be teaming with Shang shidi since it is also his first time participating and he definitely needs protection."

Yue Qingyuan frowned "it's not Xiao Jiu's responsibility to povide protection to other disciples." 

"But it's Liu shidi's responsibility to provide protection for me?!!?!" He bonked him on the head with his fan again.

"And..i have a feeling that you have ulterior motives for teaming up with Shang shidi" 

Yue Qingyuan got closer and squinted his eyes "Xiao Jiu, what are you Scheming?"

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes. "Nothing, i just don't want to deny myself the entertainment during the conference." 

Before Yue could replay they were interpreted.

"Forgive this master for intruding, but he was told that young master Yue wouldn't be joining the conference?"

The two of them turned around to see the old palace master approaching them.

Yue Qingyuan smiled and cupped his hands. "This disciple greets the old palace master. And answering the old palace master, no. this one in not participating just giving a few words to my shidi"

Shen Qingqiu did not want anything to do with this man but he wasn't going to embarrass Qi-Ge or his shizun. So he stepped forward.

"Disciple Shen Qingqiu greets the old palace master"

"The young master is Qing Jing peak succeeding disciple, correct?" 

"Yes."

"Such an inspiring young man. To raise to such a position dispite your humble background."

The story of him being Yue Qingyuan's ex-servant, was not confined to the sect, specifically whenany disciples saw him when Qi-Ge found him at the conference three years ago.

The old palace master stroked his beard and his eyes trailed across Shen Qingqiu.

In the past life Shen Qingqiu didn't like this man. He always made him uncomfortable, and he couldn't say anything about it because then he would be acused of stirring up trouble. And then he started laothing him. While Shen Qingqiu was on trail from conspiring with demons and many other things, this man was actually conspiring! He was positive that he was aware of the beast's demonic origin.

But right now, he must wear a mask.

Shen Qingqiu turned towards the old palace master's companion and smiled sweetly. "Disciple Shen Qingqiu greets Lady Su Xiyan."

Her face made Shen Qingqiu feel at unease. The beast looked too much like her. She looked too cold and utterly unimpressed by everything around her.

From the corner of his eye, Shen Qingqiu saw the fake smile drop from the old palace master's face, when he greeted her. 

Su Xiyan bowed down politely "this disciple greets young master Shen." 

Before any conversation happen the old palace master spoke

"It's better if this master leaves, the conference is about to begin. Excuse us."

And turned around and left with Su Xiyan following him.

It doesn't matter. He has a whole week to pry information from her. And he might not need to, Tian langjun might be close by. His plan is already in motion.

He faced Qi-Ge. "You should go too. You are starting to make the sect leaders nervous."

He got closer and hugged Yue Qingyuan.

In a low voice, he spoke into his ear. "After this, you are taking me to the hot springs again." 

Yue Qingyuan pulled back with a surprised smile a glowing eyes before turning around and leaving managing to hold himself from skipping in happiness. Shen Qingqiu found out that he can pretty much make Qi-Ge do anything he wants by making such promises to him.

If only he knew about this in his past life. 

Chapter Text

-Shen Qingqiu's past life-

"It is best if shidi teams up with other disciples…" 

Shen Qingqiu interpreted Yue Qingyuan with a glare.

"Why? Does Shixiong think this one is so weak that I cannot go through the conference without being a burden?" 

Yue Qingyuan shrinked under his glare and tried to correct himself. "No no! This Shixiong, only meant that since it is Qingqiu shidi's first conference that it's best to work wi.."

"I don't need you to question my competency!!" Shen Qingqiu snapped his fan closed and walked away.

Yue Qingyuan's shoulders slumped in defeat and he looked quite pathetic. Soon after Shen Qingqiu was far enough, the surrounding disciples who were enjoying the show started murmuring. 

"How rude! Yue Shixiong was only trying to give him advice!"

"Does he think he is so powerful that he doesn't need guidance? And from the future sect leader at that?"

"From what I heard, he is quite weak!"

"He probably bought his way into becoming a succeeding disciple."

Shen Qingqiu heard them all. And he didn't care. He was used to this kind of treatment. He and Yue Qingyuan would have a 'conversation' and he would snap and people would call him ungrateful. He didn't understand why Yue Qingyuan bothered? It pretty much became a routine, yet that idiot keeps coming back, as if he wants to be insulted.

Yet at the same time, he doesn't want him to leave him alone. He remembers that one time when Yue Qingyuan didn't come to annoy him as he always does, so Shen Qingqiu made up some excuse to go to Qiong Ding while convincing himself that he is not worried about the oaf, only to regret doing that immediately because there was a succeeding disciples gathering and he wasn't invited. But that wasn't what hurt him. 

It was Yue Qingyuan's genuine smile and how he freely spoke with no guilt lacing his words. At that sight he promptly turned around and left for the brothel. He felt like such a pathetic creature, curled up in the arms of a courtesan, sobbing, because he saw Yue Qingyuan smile.

Shen Qingqiu hates himself, for all the supposed hate he has for Yue Qingyuan, he knows that he is the center of his world. 

.

After killing a four legged hawk, Shen Qingqiu walked towards the middle of the gorge, where the monsters are the thickest. Rather than taking a rest as he should. 

The hawk did a number on him and he was walking with a limp. But he needed to get going, he'll be damned if he doesn't make it into the top five.

He reached a small clearing, where he spotted a Huan Hua disciple. 

She was so occupied with fighting a three eyed fox that she did not notice another one creeping in on her from behind.

Shen Qingqiu unsheathed Xiuya and struck the fox from behind. A dishonorable move a lot would say.

The disciple, in the meantime, had killed the fox she was fighting and turned around with narrowed eyes.

Shen Qingqiu recognized her as the Huan Hua head disciple, Su Xiyan. And respectfully bowed.

"This one apologizes for intruding, the young lady was going to be attacked.''

Su Xiyan flicked the blood off of her sword and resheathed it.

"No need to apologize. You helped this one. 

This one is Su Xiyan, head disciple of Huan Hua palace."

Her voice was devoid of emotions and cold, so was her face.

"Shen Qingqiu, Cang Qiong mountain, Qing Jing peak succeeding disciple. It's a pleasure to meet Lady Su. This one will not intrude any further. Excuse me." 

As he turned around to leave, Su Xiyan noticed him limping.

"You are injured." It wasn't a question, more of a statement. Shen Qingqiu turned to face her.

"It's nothing that lady Su should worry about. This one is fine.''

In a moment she was next to him. "You helped me, I must repay you. We will rest and I will treat your wound."

Shen Qingqiu frowned. "this is unnecess.." 

"You are bleeding." Shen Qingqiu looked away from Su Xiyan deadpan expression to his left leg, which he didn't notice was soaked in blood. Before he could replay, Su Xiyan grabbed his wrist and started moving. "Come."

At this point, he was too tired to argue, so he allowed her to lead him to wherever they would rest.

Su Xiyan led him towards a rock and forced him to sit, knelt in front of him and Then began to remove his boot.

"Lady Su!! This is unnecessary!" He was flustered, he knew that the entire cultivation world was watching the disciples inside the gorge, he could only pray that the spirit eagles weren't focused on them now.

Su Xiyan promptly ignored him and rolled his pants up to reveal his calf. "Sit still." 

There was a deep gash in his leg that was oozing blood. 

"You shouldn't have been walking on that. Why didn't you bandage it?"

Su Xiyan asked with furrowed eyebrows while cleaning his wound with a cloth. 

"I didn't think it was that serious.."

"SHEN QINGQIU YOU SHAMELESS BASTARD!" 

Shen Qingqiu and Su Xiyan snapped their heads towards the newcomer that was none other than Liu Qingge.

Naturally the brute saw Su Xiyan holding his leg and thought the worst of it.

"What do you mean you mindless brute!" Shen Qingqiu sneered.

Liu Qingge exhaled through his righteous rage.

"Pretending to be injured to pray for the kindness of women! That's a whole new low you've reached!"

Shen Qingqiu was about to reply when he was interpreted

"And prey tell, young master Liu, how can he fake a wound that is clearly done by a beast?''

Liu Qingge's eyes widened and he took an actual look at Shen Qingqiu's leg but before he could say anything, Su Xiyan continued.

"Unless you are suggesting that he purposefully threw himself at the beast to get injured in hopes that he would, as you said… 'pray on the kindness of women'? 

I am almost impressed at the extent that young master Shen would go through to have some time with this one."

Liu Qingge looked shocked and Shen Qingqiu shared the same expression. He was not used to people defending him. 

Su Xiyan was not done.

"Well, who am I to refuse such a sincere man? Bardon us young master Liu, this is a private moment."

Liu Qingge's face did its best impression of a tomato. "SHAMELESS" he yelled and ran away.

Shen Qingqiu was frozen in place, staring at where the brute was standing. Then he heard Su Xiyan softly giggle.

"This will not end well, you know. He believes everything he hears. He might tell disciples from your sect."

"I am not worried."

Shen Qingqiu stared at her as she applied ointment on his leg.

"Lady Su's reputation is very misleading."

Su Xiyan looked at him and smiled. The coldness of her face dissipated.

"I've been told that it used to be quite accurate but recently, I've been basking in the company of very interesting people. I must say that their demeanor is rubbing off on me."

She finished bandaging his leg "but I can say the same about young master Shen's reputation."

Shen Qingqiu grimaced.

"I don't usually indulge in gossip but I must admit I am curious. Almost everything I heard about young master Shen is negative. A leecher, a spoiled lazy young master, disrespectful to his Shixiong, Rose to power through nepotism. And all these rumours are spread by your sect."

"Lady Su can tell i am not all these things by solely looking at this one?"

"Young master Shen. You are blushing for mearly having your leg touched by a woman"

He blushed further

"So my question is why do you stay in Cang Qiong if you are so antagonized?" Su Xiyan gazed at him from where she knelt intensely. Yet there was no judgement in her eyes. And true to her word, she looked curious and he could swear a little bit worried.

"I made a promise that I would." 

"A Promise that does harm to you, is not a promise but a curse."

Shen Qingqiu smiled miserably. "And yet it is a curse that I consciously wallow in."

"They must mean a lot to you." 

"Unfortunately…"

They fell into an oddly comfortable silence that was broken by the sound of an approaching beast. 

Su Xiyan turned to Shen Qingqiu once more. "care to join me young master Shen?''

"gladly."

Shen Qingqiu never experienced the thrill of fighting beside another person without tension in the air. When they finally defeated the beasts.

Shen Qingqiu and Su Xiyan went their separate ways.

"Lady Su!" Su Xiyan looked at him. "Thank you,for the conversation. People around me don't usually listen."

"Young master Shen, you should really start surrounding yourself with better people.''

-----

 -Shen Qingqiu's current life-

Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua observed from where they hid, Su Xiyan fighting the three eyed foxs and waited for the fox to strike her from behind to approach.

When the Fox finally leapt, Shen Qingqiu quickly sent an attack and brought the fox down. Su Xiyan turned around with narrowed eyes.

"My apologies to Lady Su for intruding, you were about to be attacked." 

"No need for apologies, you have helped this one." 

“We shall not intrude on your time any longer, excuse us.”

He turned around to walk in a way that emphasized his limp. Unlike his past life, this time he really did get himself injured on purpose.

“You are injured.”

“It’s nothing that lady Su should worry about. We will be leaving.”

“Nonsense, you helped me, I'll treat your wound.” and as if mirroring his past life, she grabbed his wrist and started walking towards the rock.

Hook, line and sinker.

Shen Qingqiu did not talk, he only gazed at her while she was treating his wound, waiting for the right moment to draw her in. it was a bit unsettling being this close to her, she and the beast looked so much like that he found himself going stiff under her hands. 

If it wasn’t for Shang qinghua standing behind him, he might have pushed her. She must have felt that because she looked at him and awkwardly stepped away. 

“You shouldn’t have been walking with your wound not bandaged.”

“Excuse this one’s foolishness, I didn't think it was that bad.”

And just like clockwork Liu Qingge stepped into view. He took one look at Shen Qingqiu's leg and frowned as he stepped close and knelt in front of him.

“I knew we should’ve teamed up! How did you get yourself hurt so fast?!”

Shen Qingqiu looked at him fondly and a little bit sadly. His musing was interpreted by Su xiyan coughing. “I will be going then.”

“It is almost midnight” shen qingqiu said and stopped her in her tracks “and there don’t seem to be any more beasts around.” liu qingge smiled proudly “would lady Su care to join us in camp? I’m sure she could benefit from a rest.”

Su Xiyan looked hesitant but a second she nodded.

The four of them sat around the fire in uncomfortable silence that was exacerbated by Liu Qingge's fidgeting. After 10 minutes of it, shen Qingqiu sighed and leaned in towards Liu Qingge and spoke quietly. “Go.”

Liu qingge looked startled “what”

“I know you wanna hunt, you don’t have to stay here for me.’’

After a moment of conflection, liu qingge pulled a first aid kit from his qiankun bag and handed it to shen Qingqiu. “I brought an extra one, in case you .. I!! Needed it. You should take it.”

Shen Qingqiu stared at him for a while before softly smiling and taking the first aid kit “you’ve changed shidi.”

Liu Qingge appeared skeptical. “I don't feel different. How so?”

“You are better.” Liu Qingge's face turned red as he turned around and left (ran away).

Shen qingqiu turned to su xiyan when he heard her soft laugh. 

“You have quite the caring martial siblings, young master shen.”

“Lady su doesn’t have any?”

Her eyes moved to look at the fire and coldly answered “no, this one is not close to any of her martial siblings.”

“That’s strange, I thought the opposite, seeing how many admirers lady su has.”

“Admirers are not friends, people don’t usually approach me.”

“Maybe they are intimidated by you? You have quite the ferece reputation.”

Su xiyan eyed him and smiled warmly “if we are talking about reputations than young master shen is far more intimidating than this one.”

That took Shen Qingqiu by surprise. “Me?”

“It seems like young master Shen is unaware of the fact that he is the talk of the sects since the last conference.”

Shen Qingqiu frowned, “I don't see what is so interesting about me.”

“Young master Yue showed up out of nowhere and destroyed any competition in every sects event, and yet whenever anyone approached him, he was withdrawn and cold, and then you showed up in the last conference and it seemed that young master yue couldn’t stop smiling.

I must say that you are quite an admirable young master shen.”

Shen Qingqiu was silent for a minute. “It looked like people’s fascination with me is a side effect of their fascination with Yue shixiong.”

Su xiyan looked hesitant “don’t ….. Don’t you fear what others might think? About you being in a relationship with someone that the people say you shouldn’t?”

“Well, I'm not in a relationship with the people, so no, I don't care what they think. If I have learned anything, it is that people will always find something to talk about. If I started trying to please the masses then I would die from stress. It’s just not worth it. And I would be withholding myself from happiness.”

Su xiyan smiled sadly and they fell into silence once more before she turned to Shang qinghua.

“What about you young master shang. You’ve been quiet the whole time.”

Shang qinghua jumped in his place at being addressed and looked at her with wide eyes.

“You know my name??? I mean I'm quite boring, there isn’t anything interesting about me.”

Shen Qingqiu decided to do some mischief. “don’t you have a huge crush on that icy friend of yours?” 

“I DON’T HAVE A CRUSH ON MO BEI!!!!” Shang Qinghua shouted laudly and turned red. 

“He is all that you talk about!!”

"He is a kid!" 

"He is nearly eighteen!" 

Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu continued to bicker. 

Su Xiyan smiled at the interaction, it was not something she experienced often with how isolated she is. She wished this could be a regular.

The next day, when they were about to go their separate ways Shen Qingqiu excuted his second part of the plan. 

"It was a pleasant time we had, hunting with lady Su. If you would like, in the next month, Shang shidi and I will be going on a night hunt near Yue village, we would love if lady Su could join us." 

Su Xiyan's face softened 

"It would be my pleasure." 

Chapter Text

“Junshang! Is it really ok to spy on lady Su like this???” Zhuzhi-lang whispered nervously from where they hid in a tree.

“That is the northern realm’s heir, Mobei-jun. He might have known her connection to me and is targeting her” Tianlang-jun had a rare serious expression on his face as he monitored the individuals walking the road underneath them. 

Su Xiyan has told him that she was going on a night hunt with a couple of cultivators from another sect, she seemed excited about it, that it made him curious, since his lady almost never reacts with excitement towards anything. So out of boredom he decided to do a little bit of stalking to see what is so interesting. Imagine his surprise when he sees her with two cultivators, one is a sharp faced man dressed in green and holding a fan and the other is a small, bright eyed man dressed in blue, who was walking unusually close and happily chatting with the northern prince with no concern to that fact that he is a demon.

Maybe they are unaware of the fact that he is a demon since Mobei-jun was masking his demonic energy.

“Should we attack him?” Zhuzhi-lang asked and readied his snakes.

Tianlang-jun remained silent and after a minute of failing to stab Mobei-jun in the head with the force of his stare, he masked his energy and hid his demonic mark. Zhuzhi-lang followed suit.

He can’t just sit around and do nothing, Xiyan might be in danger and not realizing, sure she is one of the most powerful cultivators of her generation but Tianlang-jun won’t risk it. 

He jumped from his place on the tree and promptly hugged Su Xiyan from the back as he landed. 

“Xiyan! What a surprise seeing you here!” Su Xiyan yelped and her face turned red at being hugged in front of others “A-Tian? What are you doing here?” his sudden appearance caused the others to drop in a defensive stand. The Mobei prince seemed to recognize him as he paled and surprisingly, stood in front of the blue one. At his reaction, Tianlang-jun momentarily forgets why he is there as his brain vibrates in curiosity. Then he let go of Su Xiyan to face her. 

“Nothing really, Zhuzhi and I were just passing by. Didn’t think i’d run into you. My apologies for not introducing myself. This one is Tian Lang"

He put his arms around her shoulders and looked at Mobei and spoke in a dangerously low voice "Xiyan’s lover."

They all fell silent for a few seconds.

Mobei-jun looked confused, Shang Qinghua chocked on his own spit and Zhuzhi-lang gave a tired sigh, while Shen Qingqiu spoke teasingly to the rapidly blushing Su Xiyan. “I didn’t know that shijie is in a relationship!” 

“Tt-that’s not!..... I’m not……, YOU, why would you phrase it like that?!?!”

Tianlang-jun disturbingly pouted as if he was a child “Xiyaaaaan are you ashamed of me?"

Xiyan became slightly agitated and Shen Qingqiu took the chance to jump in and dispel the tension. “will, the more the merrier, would master Tian and his companion...?”

Shen Qingqiu stared at the quiet young man the stood behind Tianlang-jun 

“where are my manners! This is Zhu Zhi, my nephew.” Said Tianlang-jun and pointed to Zhuzhi-lang who respectfully bowed but said nothing. 

Shen Qingqiu did his best impression of Qi-Ge’s soft friendly smile “pleasure to meet you, would you like to join us? We are hunting jumping poppies”

Before Su Xiyan could intervene, Tianlang-jun answered “we would love to!” 

Resigning to her fate, Su Xiyan sighed and resumed walking while Tianlang-jun and Mobei-jun intensely looked at each other before giving a nod that vaguely translate to ‘you don’t hurt my human, I don’t hurt yours’ and began walking as well, not noticing the smirk that Shen Qingqiu wore behind his fan.

----------

Jumping poppies looked just like regular poppies except for on difference that was in the name, they jump. Jumping is a simple way to describe their movement, it was more of leaping out of the ground when approached and running away on legs made from their stems.

They look cute and easy to catch, but they have humbled many seasoned cultivators with their speed. To the point that catching one became a challenge that young cultivators loved to go through to show off their agility, especially with the added benefit of the euphoric feeling accompanied consuming the poppies. Hence, it is the perfect mission if you want have fun (or potentially lulling a demon lord into a false sense of security so he would give some of his treasure.)

It was very easy to get his shizun's approval for the mission, he even praised Shen Qingqiu for fostering a friendly relationship with Huan Hua's succeeding disciple. And with Yue Qingyuan on a diplomatic mission to some sect, all that was left was to get Mobei-jun to join them and be the perfect bait to lure the heavenly demon into showing up.

Naturally Mobei-jun didn’t need much coaxing as he will literally do anything to please the oblivious mouse.   

They arrived at a large meadow filled with a sea of multiple flowers, but it was easy to find the poppies, as they were the only red flowers there. The moment they approach one of them, it jumped and started running and the rest of the poppies followed suit. Soon the three cultivators and the three demons broke into a run, when the night fell all of them were sweeting and exhausted with qiankuns filled with poppies.

Shen Qingqiu kept secretly observing Tianlang-jun, who was watching the interaction between Shang Qinghua and Mobei-jun with great interest. The said two, were sitting very close together and Shang Qinghua was leaning towards Mobei-jun to poke the struggling poppy that Mobei was holding between his fingers. Tianlang-jun’s face was marred with longing at how publicly close those two were. 

“I have to admit.” Su Xiyan’s voice brought focus on to her. “this is the first time I had fun in mission with other cultivators!” she had a breath taking smile that made the heavenly demon swoon over her. 

“We should do this again. Maybe next time I could introduce shijie to Yue shixiong, I think you’d get along.” Shen Qingqiu smiled softly at her fostering his best ‘I am a trustworthy angel’ face. 

“Yue shixiong?” asked Tianlang-jun, Su Xiyan tilted her head towards him with a mischievous smile “Yue Qingyuan, he is the next Cang Qiong mountain sect leader, he is also Shen shidi’s…. ‘friend’”

Tianlang-jun frowned. “wait. Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu…. I knew your name sounded familiar!! Aren’t you the young master and servent cutsleeves couple!!?” 

Shen Qingqiu’s eyebrow twitched but he maintained his smile “I guess there is no sugarcoating the truth.” He let out a dry laugh “Yes, it is us.”

Tianlang-jun’s eyes sparkled “I have been hearing your story everywhere! A wonderful yet tragic love story! Is it true that his parents did not approve of your relationship and kicked you out of the house??”

“A-Tian!!!!! That is inappropriate to ask!!!!” Su Xiyan looked with a scandalized face at him and nudged him with her elbow in the stomach.

Shen Qingqiu lightly laughed “something like that.” His eyes showed deep sadness “he knew where I was, he just couldn’t come and get me because he went and got himself injured with his recklessness in trying to get to me fast.”

“I’m sorry Shen shidi… it sounds serious and I’d never would have guessed that young master Yue is injured, he always looked healthy and powerful.” Answered Su Xiyan with furrowed eyebrows. 

“It is years ago at this point. Qi-Ge has long recovered, but he pretty much cut a good amount of his lifespan….” The atmosphere became somber. 

“well! It is night and it seems like it is about to rain. Care for a challenge?” his sudden change in demeanor woke the others from their woeful state. 

“what sort of challenge?” Tianlang-jun was intrigued.

“see those rocky terrain over there? Mature jumping poppies usually hide between rocks. So we split into three teams, and the team that collects the most in 3 hours, wins” 

“chasing small fast flowers, in a rocky terrain, at night and in the rain. Seems like a really reckless thing to do.” Su Xiyan interjected

“well that what makes it a challenge.”

Tianlang-jun rubbed his chin “what would be the prize?” 

“I haven’t decided yet, I guess the two winners can ask anything they want from the rest” this was completely planned beforehand.

“fine, I’m in, A-Tian and I will be team.”

“Qinghua will stay with me” Mobei spoke his first words since he joined them.

Shen Qingqiu turned to look at the silent Zhuzhi-lang.

“guess that leaves me and young master Zhu.”

“Alright!!! Let’s do this!” yelled Tianlang-jun enthusiastically.

Chapter Text

Zhuzhi-lang didn’t care for this challenge, nor did he like the idea of competing against his uncle. He thought of doing the bare minimum but that might disappoint his uncle. So he is going to catch as much poppies as he could and hope that the cultivator can keep up.

And not that he ever had a chance of winning against his uncle, Junshang was good at everything (excluding handling anything financial).

It was completely dark by now, the only thing that lights their way the occasional lightning in the sky and the night pearl that the cultivator was carrying.

The cultivator’s hand extended in front of him to stop him.

“there they are...” he spoke in a low voice.

Zhuzhi-lang looked at the direction that the other was looking at. There were four poppies hidden between two rocks, completely still, pretending to be regular flowers.

“I will take this side you take the other.” The cultivator side, Zhuzhi-lang nodded and give a determined “hm.”

Zhuzhi-lang walked in extremely silent steps and blocked the other side of the two rocks.

They nodded at each other and in swooped in at the same time. The poppies sensed the close movement and jumped to run away. The cultivator managed to catch two, but one managed to escape from Zhuzhi-lang’s grasp.

Quickly, he deposits the poppy into his qiankun bag and runs after the other. He doesn’t have light, so now he has to completely depend on lightning. The poppy seemed to have no issue with running in the rain. But the it’s no issue to Zhizhi-lang as well, as a half snake demon, there is nothing that he likes more than cold and humid environment. So he stealthily releases some of his snakes, his heavenly blood helps to enhance their speed. In no time, manages to catch the poppy.

In his focus on his pursuit, he did not notice that he went further into the rocky terrain. And that the rain turned into a storm. The cultivator was nowhere to be seen. Zhuzhi-lang didn’t care for him, but he was lady Su’s friend and he won’t risk angering her and angering his uncle in turn (which never happens).

Zhuzhi-lang started walking to the place he came from and shouted “young master Shen?”

There was no answer.

He shouted again

“young master Shen, are you there??” Zhuzhi-lang didn’t know why he was worried, the cultivator isn’t weak and according to lady Su, he scored third in the immortal alliance conference. Yet for some reason dread was filling him.

Lightning was getting louder and louder. Unusually louder. And then he heard the screech of a beast.

Zhuzhi-lang is a general of the southern demonic army, and naturally that made him familiar with many beasts, so the lightning and the screeching made it easy for him to realize that he was about to be attacked by a thunder eagle. And sure enough, in a second he barely managed to dodge the claws that were aimed at his back. What the hell was a demonic beast doing here? And near a village at that!

He launched one of his snakes and took the eagle down but before he could celebrate he was attacked by a second beast that managed to dig its claws into his left arm.

He was surrounded by three thunder eagles. And there was no place to escape.

The three eagles opened their beaks and their wings and thunder started to seep out of their bodies. They were going to strike him. As the light grow brighter, Zhuzhi-lang resigned to his fate and closed his eyes. There was no use of calling for help. His uncle won’t make it in time and the cultivator is probably dead.

Then he sensed the light fade behind his eyelids followed by the dying screech of the eagles.

Zhuzhi-lang snapped his eyes open to see the cultivator standing over the corpses of the eagle with his sword covered in blood and smoking talismans hanging in the air.

He casually flicked the blood of his sword then turned to Zhuzhi-lang with a concerned face.

“young master Zhu! You are injured!” Shen Qingqiu approached him as he fumbled through his qiankun bag for a first aid kit. “you took off too fast and didn’t hear me when I called after you.” Shen Qingqiu led him to sit on a rock “stay still” he said and began to clean his wound.

After he finished bandaging his arm he kept sitting in front of Zhuzhi-lang. his intense gaze made Zhuzhi-lang feel uncomfortable. “thanking young master Shen for his help.”

Shen Qingqiu smiled a soft smile that managed to run a shiver down Zhuzhi-lang’s spine.

“you should probably hide that before we go back” Shen Qingqiu said and pointed to his forehead. Zhuzhi-lang froze. During his fight against the first eagle he used his demonic qi and forgot to mask it, leaving his demonic mark exposed on his forehead.

Without breaking eye contact he readied his snakes but all Shen Qingqiu did was laugh lightly. “there is no need for that, this one was already aware that you and Su shijie’s partner are demons. As well as my friend’s companion.” Zhuzhi-lang’s pupils dilated and he exerted a lot of killing intent. “How?” he asked a single question.

“Tianlang-jun is quite famous between the sects. After all he is a pure blood heavenly demon and he wonder the human realm a lot. Even if he masks his qi, he will eventually attract the attention of powerful cultivators. Also, he didn’t even bother change his name.” Zhuzhi-lang stayed quiet. “anyway, we should return to the others. We should not continue with this challenge if there are dangerous beasts around.” Shen Qingqiu got up and started walking, Zhuzhi-lang kept staring at his back, he had a lot to think about, especially about this peculiar cultivator. After a moment he got up and followed.  

The others meet them half way through, apparently they heard the screeching and came to check. After informing them of what happened, Shen Qingqiu turned to Su Xiyan.

“shijie, I found these summon talismans on the rocks we were near, they are Huan Hua made. Someone from your sect is following you and means to harm you.” Su Xiyan froze as she looked at the talismans as she appeared to recognized who made them.

“That’s impossible…. Shi…….. he will never hurt me! I have to ask him!”

“shijie.” Shen Qingqiu spoke calmly as he too knew who made them. Su Xiyan looked distraught “it is not wise to do so, even if you trust them, if they truly had malice intent then asking them directly would put you in danger.”

Su Xiyan looked panicked and lost the implication that her master could betray her is something that never crossed her mind.

“Xiyan.” She looked at Tianlang-jun who had a scary look in his eyes.

“tell me who made those talismans.”

“no! this has to be a mistake! I’ll find out myself!”

“shijie!” “Xiyan” both of Shen Qingqiu and Tianlang-jun spoke at the same time sternly.

“I’m not going to let him find out. Trust me.” She looked determined but that did not stop them from being worried. Surprisingly it was Shang Qinghua who stepped forward with an equally determined face.

“Su shijie! Take this talisman with you. It’s a teleportation talisman, I kept on me for emergencies but right now you need it more!”

“Shang shidi! This is extremely rare and hard to make! I can’t take it from you!”

Shang Qinghua shook his head “I can make another. Besides, I have my prince if I needed rescuing!” delight showed on Mobei-jun’s face ever so slightly as he nodded and put his hand on Shang Qinghua’s shoulder.

Reluctantly, Su Xiyan took the talisman.

“everyone, thank you.”

-------

As they were going their separate ways, Zhuzhi-lang approached Shen Qingqiu.

“young master Shen, why did you help me despite knowing I was a demon?”

Shen Qingqiu looked confused. “why wouldn’t I?”

“humans and especially cultivators don’t usually hold any mercy for demons, they see us as inherently evil.”

Shen Qingqiu gave a bored “hmm” and started walking, Zhuzhi-lang walked beside him.

“I must admit that I don’t have the best experience with your kind, but I cannot say that you are inherently evil as I have seen humans do as much if not worse than any demons I have ever seen.” He turned to face Zhuzhi-lang “it’s our actions that determine our virtue not the state of which we are born in." Shen Qinqiu lazily fanned himself.

"also, the sect keeps a tap on Tianlang-jun’s activity, I refuse to believe that a man, be him a human or a demon, who saw ‘the sorrows of the camellia’ play four times is dangerous and anyone affiliated to him.” Shen Qingqiu looked momentarily disgusted.

Zhuzhi-lang looked stunned “you saved my life, and a single act of kindness must be repaid a hundred times. How can I repay you?”

This made Shen Qingqiu stop and look at him with curiosity. “tell me. Are you really Tianlang-jun’s nephew?”

“yes”

“so you have heavenly demon blood?”

“only half but yes.”

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes sparkled and he smiled widely.

“what if I ask you for something you may not be able to acquire?”

Zhuzhi-lang knelt “young master Shen should just ask, this lowly one will obtain what he desire even if it was at the edge of the abyss.”

Shen Qingqiu's smile widened further more.

“let’s go back to the subject of the abyss later.

Tell me young master Zhu, have you ever been into the holy mausoleum?”

Chapter Text

“the essence of the womb fountain.”

Shen Qingqiu turned fast as his blood froze an unsheathed Xiuya, to find Tianlang-jun sitting on a chair in the middle of the room that he booked in this inn with Zhuzhi-lang standing nerveously behind his uncle and refusing to meet Shen Qingqiu’s glare.

Shen Qingqiu stightened but did not sheath Xiuya. “Tianlang-jun. I fail to see the reason of why you are seeking me out yourself?”

It has been a month since their last encounter during the poppy hunt. He has received a letter from Su Xiyan informing him of all what she uncovered about her master. The disgusting level of obsession he had with her and the many disciple lives that he took simply because they dared to approach her. The thunder eagles were not targeting her, but Shen Qingqiu, because despite his reputation as a known cutsleeve, who is in a relationship, the old palace master did not like the fact that he was growing closer to his precious disciple. What she uncovered was enough evidence to make the big sects move to prosecute the old creep, and managed to send it to the other two big sects before fleeing from the Huan Hua herself and hiding in Tianlang-jun’s southern palace. Shen Qingqiu presented all her letters and the evidence to the peak lords, who were fast to take action.

Peak lord Li was furious that the old creep dared to target Shen Qingqiu and in less than a week, the three other great sects moved against him. Only to find that he somehow found out about the plan to dethrone him and escaped before they arrived to Huan Hua’s gates. In a haste to maintain the sect, Su Xiyan has been named the new palace mistress.

Tianlang-jun crossed his legs to make himself more comfortable. “now, why would young master Shen ask my dear nephew to steal from me?”

Before Shen Qiingqiu could even open his mouth, he was hit in the back with what felt like a needle.

“I might give young master Shen the benefit of the doubt but I still won’t believe that you would tell me the truth. It’s not my first time dealing with a Qing Jing fox.” Shen Qingqiu paled.

Truth serum!

“take a seat.” There was point in resisting or running away, he was never able to outrun a heavenly demon. Reluctantly, Shen Qingqiu bit the inside of his cheek and sat down, his face morphed into a scrawl, he did not like being forced to do things.

Zhuzhi-lang poured tea for the both of them, his eyes met Shen Qingqiu’s for a second, they were filled with shame.

“so,” Tianlang-jun brought the tea cup to his lips. “what for does young master Shen need the essence?”

Against his will, Shen Qingqiu spoke. “for Qi-Ge.”

Tianlang-jun looked at him in confusion, he was probably expecting something traitorous.

“what use does Yue Qingyuan has for the essence?”

“to save his life.”

Tianlang-jun paused again, this time both in confusion and curiosity.

“I wasn’t aware that the essence had any healing properties? How would it save him? And from what?”

“his soul is bound to his sword; the essence can reveal the bond so I could cut it down. If he unsheathes the sword his life is consumed and he could die.”

Shen Qingqiu looked pained, while both of Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang had a strange look on their faces.

“why would he ever do that? This is the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard!” Tianlang-jun exclaimed

“he went for a sword that was too powerful for him and subsequently qi deviated, his master had to seal his life, otherwise he would have died.”

“a sword that is too powerful would’ve given a great resistance. I did not take your lover to be power obsessed to a stupid degree.” Rage filled Shen Qingqiu at his words and he abruptly stood up

“Qi-Ge is not power obsessed!! He was trying to save me!”

Tianlang-jun remained quiet for some time the he frustratingly rubbed his forehead

“Ok now I’m just confused, I’m going to need you to start from the beginning.”

---------

Shen Qingqiu hang his head low. He slumped back into his chair. The only thing that he is glad for is that somehow he managed not to tell Tianlang-jun about the fact that he is from the future. “so let me get this straight.” Tianlang-jun put down his fifth cup of tea. “the tragic love story of my favorite yellow book turns out is even more tragic!! You were both slaves! And he knew all the time that you were being hurt in the house that bought you and couldn’t do anything about it!!!?? That is so much worse than the book!”

Shen Qingqiu raised his head “what yellow book?!”

Tianlang-jun laughed loudly “You don’t know!!! Someone wrote a yellow book about you two!” then he pulled a book from his sleeve and handed it to Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu stared with wide unbelieving eyes at the book titled ‘forbidden love’

“what the hell is this…” he opened the book and his eyes grow wider and wider as he read not noticing Tianlang-jun’s amusement at his expression.

‘Shen Jiu shivered with fear between Yue Qi’s arms, the mistress was getting closer and closer to their hiding place. If she found him with her son, he will never see Qi-Ge again...’

‘Yue Qi fell to his knees at the news that his beloved is gone, his mother wasted no single second after she saw them share a kiss in his study, but he had no time for mobbing. He must find Xiao Jiu. Next time he will keep him safe…’

‘Shen Jiu ran as fast as he could from Wu Yanzi, he can’t die now! Not before he finds Qi-Ge! He never stopped thinking about him even after all these years, constantly chanting his name like a prayer…’

‘Yue Qingyuan’s big strong arms engulfed him and his face was showered with kisses, “Xiao Jiu, I finally found you” tears streamed down Shen Jiu’s face “Qi-Ge, never let me go again!”…’

‘once again the two met in the darkness of the bamboo forest, away from the prying eyes of the disciples and their masters. They basked in each other’s company, shared kisses and explored each other’s bod…….’

“WHAT IS THIS SHIT!!!” Shen Qingqiu stared at the page with a tomato red face and shaking hands from rage.

Tianlang-jun leaned over to see where Shen Qingqiu was reading “you haven’t gotten to the spicy bits yet.”

“heavens, it’s illustrated…” Shen Qingqiu gave Tianlang-jun a murderous gaze. “who wrote this abomination!!?”

Tianlang-jun smiled and leaned back “don’t know but it’s quite popular, shame as it seems now that the real story is so much more interesting.” Then he got up. “alright young master Shen, let’s go”

“where?” Shen Qingqiu

“to the holy mausoleum of course.”

Shen Qingqiu was shocked “you’ll help me??”

Tianlang-jun tilted his head in a questioning way “why wouldn’t I? I like good stories and yours very much is. Plus, you helped Xiyan and saved my nephew, so my family owes you twice now.”

Shen Qingqiu put the book down and stood up then he bowed respectfully “thank you”

“no need to thank me young master shen! Let’s get going!”

“now!?” Shen Qingqiu looked at him with wide eyes

He did not receive an answer instead Zhuzhi-lang transformed into a giant snake that took most of the room.

“no human has ever entered the holy mausoleum, so the shock wave from the demonic qi will kill you. You are going to have to ride inside Zhuzhi-lang’s mouth.”

Zhuzhi-lang slithered closer and and opened his mouth wide.

Shen Qingqiu panicked and spoke rapidly “wait! I’m still on a mission! If I don’t report back shizun will send a search part…..”

He was engulfed whole.

Chapter Text

“….ter …en”

“mas…..She..”

“young master Shen!”

Shen Qingqiu finally managed to open his eyes. He body was sore, likely due to the fact that he was in the same position for several hours. He looked at the source of the voice to see Zhuzhi-lang staring down at him. He got up from the cold floor with a groan.

“where are we?” he spoke in an annoyed tone as he looked at how disheveled he was.

“the holy mausoleum.”

Shen Qingqiu looked around him, he was in a dusty room filled with coffins, the walls and ceiling were black and covered with spider webs. At the entance of the room, stood several creatures walking in place in a zombie fashion, unable to enter the room as if there was a barrier.

“where is Tianlang-jun?” he slowly stood up

“Junshang is looking for the essence, he asked me to take to him when you wake up.”

“lead the way.”

Zhuzhi-lang walked towards the entrance and the creatures immediately moved out of the way, it seems that his presence was what holding them back from entering. At that thought, Shen Qingqiu quickly walked behind Zhuzhi-lang and stuck himself next to him. Zhuzhi-lang looked at him momentarily but said nothing as he continued to make his way through the creatures.

Shen Qingqiu took the opportunity to study the place. the holy mausoleum was a series of corridors split apart be rooms, each room held a huge amount of treasures and equally traps.

Shen Qingqiu wanted to laugh at the irony of Tianlang-jun’s fate. In his past life, the old palace master managed to rally the sects under the guise that Tianlang-jun was going to attack them to steal their treasures, the only thing that he seemingly has an abundant of.

They made several turns and avoided entering the rooms as much as possible. Shen Qingqiu concluded that neither Zhuzhi-lan or Tianlang-jun knew the complete map of this place.

After nearly half an hour, the heard the sound of Tianlang-jun humming and entered a large room with a high ceiling and walls covered with shelves that held all sort of trinkets and a table covered with candles in the middle.

Tianlang-jun was going through these shelves and throwing things that he checked on the ground, uncaring that some cultivators would kill to get any of these items that he was stepping on while searching for the essence.

“Junshang.” Zhuzhi-lang called in his ever soft voice.

“Zhuzhi-lang! perfect, come help me look.

Young master Shen I was starting to get worried, you’ve been sleeping for a whole day!” Tianlang-jun spoke without turning around.

Shen Qingqiu swallowed down his panic, as he realizes that his shizun and Yue Qingyuan overreacted and now the whole sect think he is missing.

It’s alright, calm down. He is doing this for Qi-Ge.

He stepped closer to get a better look at the contents of the shelves.

“do you know what the essence look like?” he asked

“hmm, a blue shining vial, I only got a single look at it before when I had to categories the items I had.” Tianang-jun replied

“then should there be a ledger with all the items’ locations?”

“yeah, but half way through I realized that it would take a while and I got bored so we stopped the categorizing process and got rid of the ledger for the items we already categorized.”

Shen Qingqiu’s forehead vein became more prominent. “idiot!”

Tianlang-jun merely laughed at the blatant disrespect “no need to be so grumpy, young master Shen, I’m positive it is somewhere in this room.”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t answer him and joined them to search.

After several long hours of searching, the floor filled with more and more treasures and the shelves emptied slowly. It was when Shen Qingqiu almost reached his breaking point due to his anxiety rising, did he called out while holding an item in his shaking hand. “is that it?”

Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang stopped their searching and approached him. In his hand was an oval bottle with a narrow neck. It contained a clear light blue liquid that was softly shining, despite what he’d assumed, it was cool to the touch.  

“this is it.” Tianlang-jun replied “do you know how to use it?”

Shen Qingqiu used his sleeve to clean the vial from dust. “I think, he is supposed to drink it, and then the bond will be visible and we can cut it down with XinMo.”

“XinMo!” Shen Qingqiu looked up from the vial because Tianlag-jun’s tone was devoid of its usual jolliness. Tianlang-jun was looking at him in the same way that a parent would look at their offspring when they find out they failed a test.

“young master Shen didn’t mention anything about XinMo being necessary!”

Shen Qingqiu actually managed to feel shame at hiding the information from the demon, his eyebrow twitched slightly.

“I was a bit focused on obtaining the first item that is needed…, unfortunately, yes XinMo is required, as it is the only sword that I know of that can cut the bond.”

Tianlang-jun crossed his arms while maintaining his unimpressed look. “and how do you plan on acquiring a sword that is in the endless abyss!?”

“I was hoping that you would help me get it. Since you are a heavenly demon and probably the only person that can defeat the beast.”

“You think I’ll through myself into the endless abyss just because you are the main character of my favorite yellow book!? And what beast?”

“your son, Luo Binghe.”

Shen Qingqiu was confused, why was he blurting out the information so easily?

“I don’t have a son.” Tianlang-jun looked mildly confused.

“not yet, but soon shijie is going to get pregnant with a boy that will be named Luo Binghe. He is the beast.”

Tianlang-jun observed him intensely with furrowed eyebrows. “are you a seer?”

“no, I just lived this life before…”

Shen Qingqiu covered his mouth and looked panicked, Tianlang-jun clicked his tongue in annoyance “oh, stop thinking about this too hard! I injected you with truth serum again while you were unconscious.”

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened then his face morphed with rage

“YOU MOTHERFUCKER!”

“I was trying to get more details about my favorite book! And clearly you were too stingy to share!” Tianlang-jun spoke as if that is a completely sane excuse. “and don’t change the subject! What do you mean that you lived this life before!?”

Shen Qingqiu leaned on the table with slumped shoulders “exactly what it means. I’ve lived this life in its entirety, then died, only to find myself back into the past.” Then he looked Tianlang-jun in the eye. “the old palace master would’ve lead you into a trap using shijie and you ended up sealed under BaiLu mountain. Su shijie disappeared and the only thing she left behind is your son, who then found his way into Qing Jing peak, where I singlehandedly sculpted him into a monster.”

“what did you do..?” Tianlang-jun’s voice was calm, he was digesting everything, Zhuzhi-lang stood behind him with eyes blown wide at his uncle’s fate.

“I hated him.” Shen Qingqiu resumed speaking “he reminded me of everything I hated about myself. He was a street rat just like me, but he managed to leave unscathed while I was broken, so I hurt him, I sabotaged his cultivation, I didn’t care that I was hurting a child, I didn’t care that I was turning into a copy of the monster that hurt me!” at this point he was shaking violently “I wanted him dead!!”

The room was quiet Tianlang-jun kept staring at him with a blank face.

“then the abyss opened and I pushed him into it, and when he returned…..” he paused once again blanked away the tears and spoke in a steady voice “everything that happened, I deserved. I am a hatful creature who is beyond redemption. I just regret that I dragged Qi-Ge into my demise.” He didn’t notice that he started crying, too lost into his self-flagellation “I pretended for such a long time that he was the source of my misery, but everything that was wrong with me was me! Yue Qingyuan tried his hardest to please me but I refused to see that my initial judgment was wrong. That I was an idiot to believe that Qi-Ge could ever betray me. But denial was far easier than truth. I CHOSE to live an angry and hateful life with no ally in sight, that was my doing!” suddenly he was surrounded by gentle arms, he blinked slowly in shock “why are you hugging me?”

Tianlang-jun spoke softly while caressing his hair. “you look like you need it.” Against his better judgment, Shen Qingqiu found himself leaning into the embrace.

“Shen Qingqiu, I don’t doubt for one second that you are a different person than you used to be, and you clearly regret your actions.” Tianlang-jun pulled away to look at his face “you are not beyond redemption, you already redeemed yourself. No person that knows you today would say that the you now would hurt a child, or describe you as hateful.” Then he hugged him again.

------------

Shen Qingqiu walked behind Tianlang-jun towards the exist. His face was red with embarrassment at his display in front of the two demons.

“so now we have a fully realized demon lord who holds a grudge against you and can enter our world the moment he realizes XinMo is out of the abyss.

I guess master Shen is lucky I was lying.” Tianlang-jun turned his head slightly to look at him.

“huh?” Shen Qingqiu questioned

“I would throw myself into the abyss because you are the main character of my favorite yellow book.” He smiled and went back to looking forward.

“but I have to say, the fact that you were prepared to make me fight my future son from a different dimension without telling me about his real identity, makes me believe that master Shen would’ve made a great demon.”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t say a thing and just smiled lightly.

When they made it out of the holy mausoleum, Shen Qingqiu wasn’t that surprised when he sensed several qi signatures heading their way. He had suspected that Yue Qingyuan and his shizun hid some tracking talismans in his clothing and he didn’t bother to look for them. But what surprised him that the figure that stood in front of them wasn’t anyone from his sect but the old palace master.

While Shen Qingqiu and Zhuzhi-lang went on high alert, Tianlang-jun was unbothered.

“I should’ve known you were trouble and now here you are, conspiring with demons!” the words came out the old palace master’s mouth were like poison. He wore a hood a looked in a haggard state. His sword was drawn and his eyes were crazed. “You retched beings poisoned Xiyan against me! Filled her head with traitorous thoughts!”

“still in denial old man? You really think you ever had a chance?” Tianlang-jun’s voice mocked him.

“we merely opened her eyes to see your true vail nature.” Shen Qingqiu looked disgusted.

The old palace master grew more unstable at his words “SHE IS MINE!” and he leapt to attack them.

Tianlang-jun met him head on and just before he managed to decapitate him, the old palace master threw his sword at high speed at Shen Qingqiu and skewered him in the abdomen, then his body fell to the ground and his severed head rolled away.

Tianlang-jun ran to Shen Qingqiu, Zhuzhi-lang was holding him from struggling as he kept extending his had to touch something.

“no no no please no…”

“calm down, it’s not that serious of a wound.” Tianlang-jun spoke in a calm and pragmatic way as he applied pressure where the sword entered his body, then he looked at where he was extending his arm.

On the ground laid the essence vial, broken and without its glow.

-------------

Yue Qingyuan flew as fast is he could on his sheathed sword. He didn’t understand how Xiao Jiu ended up in the middle of the demon realm when two days ago he was in a village near Cang Qiong mountain on a mission.

Behind him flew Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang on Qing Luan. And beside him was peak lord Li. When he heard that Shen Qingqiu failed to report back and that his tracker put him in the demon realm, his heart dropped. Every inch of his body was telling him not to let Xiao Jiu fall into the demons’ hands not again.

In the distance a huge building came into view and within seconds they were closer to it. Just in time to see Xiao Jiu being stabbed by the old palace master and Tianlang-jun killing him.

‘no no no please no..” he heard Xiao Jiu’s voice faintly and his head rapidly filled with terror.

“XIAO JIU!” he desended as fast as he could and fell to his knees next to the demon that was holding his Xiao Jiu. Before he could even move to push the demon away, the demon stopped him with a glare “don’t be reckless, he is injured.” As he was about to answer, Xiao Jiu’s bloodied hand reached out to clutch his sleeve.

“Qi-Ge….I’m sorry, I failed.” Xiao Jiu was injured and crying, he felt rage and killing intent rise within him. Moments later the rest caught up with him. Peak lord Li stood to the side with face that is seemingly carved from stone.

“Yue shixiong, please move aside.” He was dragged away by Liu Qingge so that Mu Qingfang could treat Shen Qingqiu.

“what happened?” peak lord Li finally spoke, addressing the demon lord in a murderous tone.

“master Shen asked me to help him find a certain item.” Then he paused to look at the body of the old palace master with disgust. “it seems that we were followed.”

---------------

Shen Qingqiu sat in the darkness of his room for the fifth week in a total depression. He was ordered to rest and wasn’t even asked for integration as the peak lords deemed him too shaken up. Ironically the whole incident managed to make a positive impact in the relation between the demons and the cultivators, as four witnesses saw Tianlang-jun defend him.

Everyone was trying to cheer him up as they thought he was traumatized by the attack. When in reality he was mourning the only chance he had to save Qi-Ge, and Qi-Ge didn’t help elevate the feeling of guilt by taking care of him and not leaving his side for two weeks, before he was ordered to get back to his responsibilities.

Liu Qingge showed up from time to time, to throw dead beasts at his door at tell him to eat it before leaving again on another hunt.

His shizun showed up every morning to drag him out of his room to ‘get some sun’ before going back to classes he had to teach.

At night, Mu Qingfang would show up before retiring to check on his health and on the wound (that healed three weeks ago)

Shang Qinghua showed up the very first day when he was brought back to the sect, threw a “don’t worry bro! I will look for something else! It’s still too early to lose hope” and disappeared to the record room of An Ding peak.

He looked out the window. It was already night, Mu Qingfang has already left and soon Qi-Ge would show up to make dinner and chat with him in a pleasant manner, desperately trying to lift his spirit.

Then all of a sudden a tear in the middle of the room formed and Tianlang-jun walked in, XinMo in hand.

For the first time in weeks, Shen Qingqiu had an expression other than sadness on his face. fear.

“why do you have that sword!!!” and he backed away further into the bed.

Tianlang-jun looked worse for wear. There was blood on his face and streaming down his lips. His clothes were ripped and His face was blank.

“where is your lover?”

“why?” Shen Qingqiu asked warily

Tianlang-jun just stared at him, before speaking calmly

“because I found the womb fountain.”

Chapter Text

“Xiao Jiu, just tell me what’s going on…”

“Qi-Ge, you just have to trust me, please.”

“Xiao Jiu, I trust you! I don’t trust him! The last time you were with him, you got injured!”

Shen Qingqiu kept holding Yue Qingyuan from attacking Tianlang-jun. Yue Qingyuan has arrived to his room before he could plan anything and immediately went on the offense when he saw a blooded Tianlang-jun standing in the middle of the room with a sword drawn out.

“hey! Rude! I saved him you know!?” Tianlang-jun snapped out of his blanked phase.

“what is he doing here anyway?!” unusual to Yue Qingyuan normal courteous attitude, he decided to show a very rare pity side of him and not address Tianlang-jun when talking at all. Even his friendly smile was not present.

“he is here to help! And we need to go now, please Qi-Ge!!” Shen Qingqiu was panicking more with every second passing and XinMo is out of the abyss.

“help with what?” that seem to worry Yue Qingyuan as he started to search Shen Qingqiu’s body with his eyes for injures.

“with your sword!”

Yue Qingyuan’s face paled fast. And his eyes grew horrified.

“how…”

“I knew about your sword since the serpent mission, okay! Tianlang-jun wasn’t the reason I got hurt, I asked him for help to find a solution! And now we found one, so please let’s go, because this is a time sensitive matter!!”

Yue Qingyuan was about to answer, when Tianlang-jun finally lost his patience.

“For hell’s sake! As much as I am loving this live show, we need to move!!” and then proceeded to cut open a portal with XinMo and pull Shen Qingqiu by the collar and throw him through it. Naturally, Yue Qingyuan followed while screaming ‘Xiao Jiu!’.

-----------

The other side of the portal was what looked like a temple made out of white stone. The area was filled with odd trees that lacked leaves, they were pale blue in color. In the middle was seven statues from the same white stone of women that were sitting on the ground in a circle with their hands brought together in what looked like a prayer. Their faces seemed off, they were too wide that from far away they would appear human, when they were clearly not. Regardless, they still looked tranquil and soft and lacked no elegance. In the middle of their formation was a pond filled the same glowing water that was in the vial.

The womb fountain.

Shen Qingqiu got up from the floor where both he and Yue Qingyuan fell, and approached the fountain, hope filled his veins fast. He managed to take to steps when someone jumped him and hugged him

“BRO!” Shen Qingqiu steadied himself as not to fall due to the sudden added weight. “I did it! I’m so proud of myself! Turns out I have mentioned the location of the fountain! Or at least what it looked like, so it was only a matter of finding a place that fits the description in the An Ding or the northern realm or the southern realm’s records. And it was mentioned in a southern record of the northern-southern borders! So my prince and Tianlang-jun verified that it is indeed the fountain and then Tianlang-jun jumped into the abyss which he didn’t have to do because my prince could’ve teleported him there but I guess he just likes to be theatrical so it was..”

“Shang Qinghua!” Shen Qingqiu clamped his hand over Shang Qinghua’s mouth.

“save it for later we are in a hurry!” MoBei-jun came from behind and gently peeled Shang Qinghua from Shen Qingqiu, appearing too used to his antics.

In the meantime, Tianlang-jun has already closed the portal and walked to the fountain. He turned rapidly and pointed XinMo towards the still confused Yue Qingyuan. “you! Take of your clothes and get into the water.”

Shen Qingqiu wasted no time and dragged Yue Qingyuan by the sleeve and begun to disrobe him.

MoBei-jun covered Shang Qinghua’s eyes and walked away with him. “bro! I’ll leave now, but you’ll have to tell me everything later.” And with that they teleported.

Yue Qingyuan seemingly completely unaffected by standing in his inner robes in front of other people, reached out to grab Shen Qingqiu’s wrist.

“Xiao Jiu, you don’t have to do this, any of this! This is my punishment for failing to save you. You don’t owe my anything and I will gladly carry this bond for the rest of my life.”

Shen Qingqiu stilled and looked him deep in the eye, then took a deep breath. He calmly picked Xuan Su from the floor and placed it in Yue Qingyuan’s hand.

“Qi-Ge, that had to be the stupidest thing you have ever said.” Then he pushed him into the water.

The disturbance is the water quickly cleared and then 10 seconds passed… then a minute and Yue Qingyuan did not surface.

TIanlang-jun clutched the hilt of XinMo tightly and grew anxious. “something is wrong.”

Shen Qingqiu knelt close to the water. “Qi-Ge?”

The glow of the water blacked anyone from seeing what’s beneath it and there was no sign of the Yue Qingyuan surfacing.

Just as Shen Qingqiu slowly entered the water, Yue Qingyuan broke out of it and coughed. Shen Qingqiu’s arms surrounded him to steady him.

“I think that is it.” Yua Qingyuan looked up at Tianlang-jun coming closer, then at himself.

In his lower abdomen shined his core. And around it, were black threads that ran all the way to his arm and to Xuan Su. Shen Qingqiu’s own connection to XiuYa was also visible, unlike with Xuan Su, his was golden and a part of his core.

Shen Qingqiu reached his hand closer to Yue Qingyuan’s core and the threads softly moved into his hand, he pulled it away from Yue Qingyuan’s body and made it hang in the open air with the only thing holding it from breaking was Yue Qingyuan at one side and Xuan Su at the other.

“Xiao Jiu…”

Shen Qingqiu looked up. “I’m not going to let you die again from my own foolishness.” Before he could answer Tianlang-jun swooped down and cut the threads.

Xuan Su was blown away and Yue Qingyuan swayed in the water and stopped breathing for a second then took a deep breath of air and slumped forward into Shen Qingqiu’s arms.

“Qi-Ge!” Shen Qingqiu, pulled Yue Qingyuan out of the water as he kept breathing heavily.

With his hand gently on his shoulders he asked “Qi-Ge, are you ok?”

Yue Qingyuan looked at him and nodded. “I’m fine, I just feel tired…”

His body was heating up fast.

“come on. I need to return you two back to Cang Qiong mountain before getting rid of this thing.” Tianlang-jun interrupted them as he lifted XinMo.

“ok, just give me a second.” Shen Qingqiu got up and went to pick up Xuan Su from where it fell.

Yue Qingyuan leaned on one of the trees, he doubted that he can walk let alone stand on his own. The heavy feeling that had accompanied him for years was lifted so rapidly that it left him lightheaded. Then suddenly he heard a thud.

Both of Tianlang-jun and him looked to see Shen Qingqiu fallen on the floor with eyes blown wide open and his hand firmly holding Xuan Su to the point that his veins became prominent.

“Xiao Jiu!!” Yue Qingyuan stumbled towards him and shook his shoulders but he didn’t speak nor did he let go of Xuan Su.

Tianlang-jun stood confused over them.

What the hell is going on!

---------------

Shen Qingqiu didn’t know what happened. One moment he was holding Xuan Su and the second everything around him changed and his body was moving on its own.

He was walking at night in a main road on the outskirts of a city, surprisingly the first person that came into view was Wei Qingwei. Yet he looked older than the head disciple that Shen Qingqiu knew now, he looked like him from the past life.

“you cannot be seriously doing this.” Wei qingwei spoke to him in a disbelieving angry tone.

“Wei shidi. What are you doing here?” Shen Qingqiu would always recognize this voice. Yet now it was low and tired and laced with deep sadness.

He realized. He was seeing Yue Qingyuan’s memories.

“to talk you out of getting yourself killed!!” Wei Qingwei yelled

“you can’t. please return to the sect. it needs you.”

“no. it needs you! Zhangmen shixiong, we lost three peak lord!! And Huan Hua is infested with demons. You are the last standing piller of the cultivation world!”

“I’m afraid that I am useless.”

Wei Qingwei slumped his shoulders, he looked desperate.

“why are you doing this! He never respected you! He wasn’t even friendly towards you! He killed our martial sibling! He is a criminal!”

“this punishment heavily exceeded his crimes and you know it.”

“and you think that walking into an obvious trap s going to fix this!?”

There was silence

“I need to at least try.”

“you are not trying! YOU WILL DIE!”

..

“I … I made a promise to him once that I will come back for him and I left him to suffer. I am the one who molded him into what he is today. Shen sh… Xiao Jiu is my responsibility and I’m not going to abandon him again.”

Then he walked away leaving a burdened Wei Qingwei behind.

Shen Qingqiu felt unbelievably helpless, he wanted to stop what is going to happen but it was already done. It was a life time ago and it was his fault.   

“stupid isn’t he?”

The sudden voice startled Shen Qingqiu and he looked at its source and realized that he regained control of his body. The memory faded away and he stood in the empty space staring at the sitting man in front of him. He looked like Yue Qingyuan but much older. His face was filled with wrinkles and his hair was white.

“now imagine having to constantly listen to his thoughts for two life times.”

The man smiled and his face crinkled warmly.

“you have grown so much since the last time I saw you my dear boy. I’m so proud of you.”

Shen Qingqiu felt like a child in his presence and finally spoke.

“you’re the one who brought me back.”
“I am.”

“Xuan Su.”

“yes.”

Shen Qingqiu walked closer to Xuan Su

“why…” Shen Qingqiu ask with anguish in his voice.

“I was picked by a very stupid boy, a boy who did everything with much haste. I saw his memories and understood but I was unable to tell him to slow down. Then I watched him again bury himself in guilt as he tries to please your every need and you acting like you hate him.”

Shen Qingqiu looked surprised. “swords talk my dear. And I know that my feelings are influenced by my bond to him. And that it was beyond my powers that I grew fond of you. But I do not care.

If you were ever in danger again. I would happily walk beside him to death once more. I possessed the power to give you two a new start and I do not regret it.”

Xuan Su looked at his hand. It was fading

“are you…are you dying?” asked Shen Qingqiu

“it seems I’ve reached my limit. Maybe in another thousand years when I rebuild my consciousness we’d meet again.

Till then, farewell Xiao Jiu”

-------------

Shen Qingqiu opened his eyes to the roof of a Qian Cao room. Yue Qingyuan who was laying in the bed next to him immediately jumped up to him.

“Xiao Jiu! You are awake!”

Shen Qingqiu turned his head to look at the relieved Yue Qingyuan.

“all this time.” He voice was calm and steady “you returned too.”

Yue Qingyuan flinched and the look of guilt returned. “when I first woke up, you were standing in front of me in the immortal alliance conference. I knew I was forgetting something but I didn’t know what. I’ll I knew for sure was that I needed to keep you safe. I started fully remembering the past life when you made me drink the life rejuvenating tree leaves.

There were a few of your actions that made me realize that you returned too.

I ... I thought you would be happier if you didn’t know I remembered.”

“stupid Qi-Ge!” Yue Qingyuan closed his eyes at being reprimanded

“have you learned nothing! Stop assuming what would make me happy and just tell me the truth!”

“your Qi-Ge is stupid…”

“yes you are! Xuan Su was right.”

“Xuan Su?” Yue Qingyuan tilted his head in confusion.

Shen Qingqiu squeezed the hilt of the sword that he just noticed that he was still holding.

“he was the one that brought us back.”

Yue Qingyuan looked at the sword with an unreadable expression and reached for it. The moment that he took it from Xiao Jiu’s hand it glowed with a golden light.

After two life times they finally formed a proper bond.

The warmth of the bond vibrated pleasantly within Yue Qingyuan’s body and all his exhaustion faded away.

He looked at Shen Qingqiu, who was observing him intensely and softly touched his cheek.

“Xiao Jiu, you are the best thing that ever happened to me.” And leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips. Shen Qingqiu held his wrist so he won’t pull away.

“Qi-Ge…”

He was cut off by a tear forming in the room.

A man clad in black walked through leisurely.

“Shizun, Zhangmen shibo. I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”

Chapter Text

 Chapter 21

Shen Qingqiu’s entire being filled with horror and he completely froze, only snapping out when Yue Qingyuan moved to stand in front of him with Xuan Su drawn out.

He could not see his expression, but Yue Qingyuan was oozing killing intent and Xuan Su’s aura turned darker.

Luo Binghe’s eyes shined with a vibrant red and he grinned

“aw… were you two having a moment? Enjoying your idiocy in thinking that you got away?” Luo Binghe mocked them while taking slow steps forward.

Shen Qingqiu finally found his voice “where is Tianlang-jun?” he hated how his words quivered as he spoke.

Luo Binghe’s face soured “it is odd how shizun is so accepting of other demons when they are not me.

The sperm donor won’t help you, I trapped him in a lovely dream…”

“I suggest you step back.” Yue Qingyuan finally addressed Luo Binghe, his voice was low and dangerous. Luo Binghe’s gaze fell from Shen Qingqiu to him. “your little show might have scared me in the past. but I have a hundred years over you while you’re still a brat who trips on his own feet. So step aside while I still have some mercy to spare you.” The pressure of their combined Qi made the room rumble. Shen Qingqiu suffocated on top of his panic.

He got off of the bed and grabbed the back of Yue Qingyuan’s robes. “Qi-Ge, you can’t fight him!”

Yue Qingyuan didn’t even face him as he pushed Luo Binghe out of the room, wrecking a good portion out of the room and corridor in the process. Before swiftly, erecting a barrier around Shen Qingqiu.

Luo Binghe emerged from the dust looking more pissed off. He flicked his arm and Xinmo manifested into his hand.

“get away from here! And call Shizun!” Yue Qingyuan screamed at the disciples who were frozen in place, looking at them.

Immediately they started running away from the area as Yue Qingyuan jumped forward towards Luo Binghe and their swords met sending a shockwave.

“Is your life this empty that you would follow us into this world just to torment him?!” Yue Qingyuan snapped at Luo Binghe and pushed him further.

“he owes me for every moment that I suffered under his hands! His life is mine to take!” Luo Binghe yelled back and his face morphed further in rage.

“he already repaid a hundred times over! Move on!!” with a burst of Qi, Yue Qingyuan managed to send him flying to the outer gardens of Qian Cao, creating a crater where he stood when he landed.

Just as Luo Binghe was about to attack Yue Qingyuan again, a portal opened beside him and Tianlang-jun was thrown out of it with his fist immediately connecting with Luo Binghe’s jaw, knocking him into the wall meters behind him.

He was in a worse state than before, with blood streaming from his forehead and covering his entire face.

A moment later, sect leader Zhao and several other peak descended from their swords.

“Yue Qingyuan! What is going on here!” Sect leader Zhao roared as he joined his disciple’s side.

“we are being attacked” Yue Qingyuan answered hastily

“I can see that boy! why are two heavenly demons attacking Qian Cao!?”

“hey! I am here to help!” Tianlang-jun yelled

Luo Binghe moved from the wreckage of the wall. His face was blank of emotions as he realized that he is out numbered. Momentarily, something sinister flashed on his face and he moved forward towards them. Sect leader Zhao and Yue Qingyuan moved to meet him head on. But instead of clashing with them, Luo Binghe maneuvered around, passing them and dashed forward.

toward Shen Qingqiu’s room.

“NO! XIAO JIU!”

Tianlang-jun was the first to react, moving with his own Xinmo to intercept Luo Binghe. But both he and Yue Qingyuan were engulfed by the portal that Luo Binghe opened, before it was sealed behind them.

----------

In the heart of the demon realm, in a barren empty land, the portal opened, spilling the four men out of it onto the floor.  Luo Binghe stood up and looked at the destroyed Xinmo in his hand and then at Tianlang-jun’s identical, destroyed sword. And with no feelings moved to where Shen Qingqiu fell and grabbed him by the neck, the same second that Xuan Su pierced his back.

“let him go.”

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes was blown wide with fear, he was hyperventilating as he stared into Luo Binghe’s disturbingly blank face.

Yue Qingyuan continued “you lost your sword. It’s over.” Tianlang-jun flashed forward and kicked him away from Shen Qingqiu.

Yue Qingyuan moved forward to hug Shen Qingqiu. While Tianlang-jun moved to where Luo Binghe laid motionless.

“why...?” he spoke softly as Tianlang-jun knelt beside him. His blood was pooling on the ground beneath him. It wasn’t clear if his blood parasites have finally failed or he simply didn’t care to heal himself.

“why what?”

“why does everyone here defend him?

His is a villain. Why is he so loved here?

Why did every other version of him loved versions of me except for him?

Am I really so irredeemable?”

“what will you gain? Any closure you could have had from the answers to these questions is meaningless now. Xinmo is destroyed, you can’t go back to your world and we won’t keep you alive here.” Tianlang-jun answered calmly.

“it doesn’t matter…. I destroyed everything there. Nothing remained.”

He turned his face to the side to look at Shen Qingqiu that is huddled in Yue Qingyuan’s lap.

“was it really so hard for you to treat me kindly?”

Shen Qingqiu looked away, unable to shake away the shame. Then moved forward. Yue Qingyuan held his wrist “Xiao Jiu...”

Shen Qingqiu looked at him then gently extracted himself from his arms. He moved to kneel beside Luo Binghe.

“I am sorry … for everything.”

Luo Binghe looked at him then laughed

“sorry you say.” He laughed more “can’t say that I’m not sorry too.”

His form began to chip and fade away

“if there is a next time, I hope that it is less lonely.”

And with that he disappeared completely.

----------

Explaining to the peak lord that the threat is gone was a lot harder than they thought. They managed to spin a story about how a heavenly demon heard of how powerful the Xuan Su and came to challenge Yue Qingyuan, only to perish before the future sect leader, and in order to force Yue Qingyuan to fight, he dragged Shen Qingqiu into the whole mess.

At the end, the peak lords believed them but only after peak lord Li gave Yue Qingyuan a shovel talk about keeping Shen Qingqiu safe. While Sect leader Zhao went to broadcast Yue Qingyuan’s victory everywhere, to show off his disciple.

Four days after the whole incident, Shen Qingqiu laid in bed in Yue Qingyuan’s room with his head resting on Yue Qingyuan’s chest.

“our past world is gone.” Shen Qingqiu spoke softly, he was completely relaxed due to the hand playing with his hair.

“hmm? Yes.”

“don’t you regret it?”

Yue Qingyuan looked at him “regret what?”

“leaving a whole world behind to fend for themselves.”

“no, you are my home and don’t care for anyone else.”

“wow, that is so sweet, you guys make a great couple.”

The both of them spring from the bed on high alert to see Tianlang-jun sitting by the table with his hand on his cheek as he was smiling and staring at them.

“when did you get here?!?” Yue Qingyuan asked with panic

“shortly after you guys finished f…” a porcelain pillow hit his face.

“don’t you idiot know what privacy is!?!?!” shouted Shen Qingqiu with a red face.

“how did you even get here!? Wasn’t Xinmo destroyed??”

Tianlang-jun got up and rubbed his nose “so mean master Shen, and I don’t need it, I just entered through the gate. Your sect doesn’t have the best security, all I had to do was mask my demonic Qi.”  He went back to staring at them and smiling.

Yue Qingyuan let out and exasperated sigh.

“why are you here!?” asked Shen Qingqiu through his irritation as he fixed his clothes.

Tianlang-jun’s smile turned stiff “Xiyan is pregnant.”

The both of them looked at him with unease.

“shouldn’t you be happy?” said Shen Qingqiu

Tianlang-jun leaned back to rest on the table “he died in this world, and his soul has no way of returning to its world and when you too came here, you occupied your own bodies that already existed. What if he is in the child inside Xiyan?”

“unlikely, we are here because Xuan Su brought us back.” Said Yue Qingyuan

“Xinmo was killing him and your sword went through him. Both powerful swords. What if he…”

“so you are going to make him grow up to be same person?” Shen Qingqiu interrupted him

Tianlang-jun stared at him then spoke with saddened words

“I don’t want my child to be cursed with a hundred years’ worth of miserable memories from the moment he is born.”

“then make sure he doesn’t remember, in one way or another.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Tianlang-jun broke the eye contact and laughed

“I’ll make sure to invite you to his one hundred days’ celebration!”

“please don’t”

Tianlang-jun walked to the door while still laughing

“Tianlang-jun” called Yue Qingyuan

Tianlang-jun turned to look at him “hmm?”

“next time knock.”

Chapter Text

"You unfilial disciple!"

Roared sect leader Zhao in rage as he slammed his hand onto his desk.

"Shizun! This disciple meant no disrespect! This one just thought that the matter wasn't of importance compared to the ascension preparation!" Yue Qingyuan lifted his hands in a failed attempt to calm his master.

"So, you were going to wait for me to be out of the picture before getting married! Have the many years of my tutelage meant nothing to you that you won't even have me at your wedding!"

Yue Qingyuan panicked even more "NO! shizun this disciple would be honored to have you at his wedding! I just ... I thought it would be inappropriate at a time like this.... ''

With the ascension of the Ming generation happening in month, Yue Qingyuan indulged a bit in his fantasies and scribbled on piece of paper a whole speech that he was going to say when he finally proposes to Xiao Jiu. Unfortunately, he mistakenly mixed his draft with the peak’s paperwork. And that us how he ended up in the sect leader's office with a very offended sect leader Zhao. And just as he was about to open his mouth and inform his shizun that he is yet to propose, Sect leader Zhao said in a definitive manner "The ascension is to be postponed!"

Yue Qingyuan's face paled "shizun! The sect has been preparing for the ascension for a whole year! We can't postpone it!"

"Don't tell me what this master can and cannot do!!! I'm still the sect leader!

Now go and call the peak lords. We need to have a meeting this instance."

"Shizun please! This disciple is yet to ask Xiao..."

"Boy! There is only so much I can forgive." In moments like these, Sect leader Zhao's permanent angry face was very fitting, as it filled Yue Qingyuan with helplessness.

He now has to arrange a meeting and run afterwards to propose to Xiao Jiu before anyone tell him about the planning of his own wedding. Splendid.

Chapter Text

"It is best to keep the trade route a secret for now. An established relationship between the two realms is sure to give rise to opposition, especially with the high tension." Shen Qingqiu sipped his tea calmly after speaking.

He eyed the giggling toddler that was sitting in his father’s lap warily. even after more than two years, he is still uncomfortable around the child. Binghe appeared to be very much like a normal child and showed no hints of possessing any memories of the Past life but despite that, everyone will remain on the edge until he reaches an age where they can tell for certain.

Shen Qingqiu sat in a meeting room in the northern Demon Realm palace along with Tianlang-jun, Mobei-jun, and Shang Qinghua. Su Xiyan opted not to join them since she had a sect to run. Although this meeting is meant to be confidential, the peak lords were very much aware of it and in fact encouraged it.

Tianlang-jun whined "Augh! This will not change the public perception of demons if it's a secret!"

"This is just temporary! If the demon realm prospers then attacks on the human realm will decrease, sects are bound to notice that and a more public peace treaty will be more accepted" noted Shang Qinghua.

"Right now, we'll keep supplying the demon realm with resources, and once the crops that our agriculture peak has provided grow and locally sourced resources are established, only then we can begin talking about anything public.

A marriage between a demon and a human cultivator should make the treaty more real in the eyes of the humans..."

"Multiple marriages... " Mobei-jun interrupted Shen Qingqiu and quickly blushed when everyone's eyes fell on him.

He coughed awkwardly into his fist "Multiple marriages are better than only Tianlang-jun marriage to Lady Su."

Shen Qingqiu his smile behind his fan as his eyes twinkled with a knowing gleam as he looked at a clueless Shang Qinghua.

"Of course. Mobei-jun is correct."

Tianlang-jun looked curiously between the two. "Does that mean that Master Shen is agreeing to marry Zhuzhi-lang?"

Shen Qingqiu slapped his fan on the table with anger "For the one-hundredth time! I'm in a relationship with Yue Qingyuan!"

Tianlang-jun smiled as he rubbed his chin "Zhuzhi-lang wouldn't mind being a second husband"

"I don't need a second husband! I don't need a first one!"

Tianlang-jun and Shang Qinghua sighed in pity "Poor Yue Shixiong…"

Shen Qingqiu fanned himself “Yue Qingyuan does not wish to marry and this master does not mind. Things are great between us and there is no need to complicate them.”

Although he won’t admit it out loud, deep down he wishes that things between him and Qi-Ge become official. Yue Qingyuan is popular. He is handsome, kind, and reliable. And even though Shen Qingqiu knows that Qi-Ge loves him, a marriage will still make him safer in his position beside Yue Qingyuan. He knows how many Shimeis and shidis are hoping for a fallout between them to swoop in to gain Yue Qingyuan’s favor.

The loud bubbling of Binghe snapped him out of his thoughts. Binghe extended his arms towards Shen Qingqiu and his father let him waddle his way to Shen Qingqiu’s lap. Despite his discomfort, Shen Qingqiu still received him, which produced a happy squeal from Binghe.

“I’m glad to see you two getting along,” Tinalang-jun spoke with a parental tone that Shen Qingqiu scoffed at. “He is a baby.”

Tianlang-jun laughed “Yet he clearly likes Master Shen!” Binghe did not look like a human child. There was no seal on his demonic heritage and he had worn his demonic mark and red eyes since birth. After moments of holding the smiling baby, Shen Qingqiu gave him back to his father, he still had a long way before he could completely accept that this was not the monster he created in his past life.

Qinghua left with his demon boyfriend to the northern realm and he flew back and landed in the town at the mountain’s base. It was late at night when he arrived. Many shops have closed but most are still open since disciples tended to visit the town at night. He walked leisurely while fanning himself and occasionally nodded in greeting at disciples who recognized him. These past few weeks he rarely had a moment of solitude with the planning of the ascension. It is maddening how much his life changed since he traveled to this life six years ago, how in such a short time compared to his past life as an immortal, he managed to mend his relationship with all his martial siblings and especially Yue Qi. At one point in his life, Shen Qingqiu was certain that he would never experience happiness. But he was granted a second chance. He glanced at the street in front of him with a mixture of melancholy and hope.

He was weirded out by how many disciples around him smiled at him and congratulated him, he assumed it was because he was set to ascend as a peak lord in a month but the timing was odd. “shixiong!” three of his peak’s shimeis walked up to him with large smiles and teary eyes. One of them clasped her hands “I’m so happy for you shixiong!! Congratulations!”

Shen Qingqiu answered in bewilderment “thank you…?”

“How come shixiong didn’t inform any of us about anything? We would’ve loved helping in the preparation.” Another shimei answered in sadness

He was more puzzled now. As he was about to ask what they meant, he was interrupted by a shout “XIAO JIU!” Shen Qingqiu looked up to see Yue Qingyuan speeding his way on Xuan Su and landing right in front of him. “I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU PRIVATELY!” everyone was startled by how loud he spoke but before anyone could comment, Yue Qingyuan grabbed Shen Qingqiu’s wrist and ran away.

-----

“What is wrong!” Shen Qingqiu asked as he panted. They stood in the field of flowers by the river where they once had a picnic in.

“Xiao Jiu…” a soft blush covered Yue Qingyuan’s face. He walked closer to Shen Jiu and took his hands into his.

“What is wrong? Did something happen?” Shen Qingqiu spoke with a worried voice. “No! I mean yes! I mean no nothing is wrong and yes something happened.” Yue Qingyuan closed his eyes and his face blushed further then he took a deep breath and continued speaking

“Xiao Jiu. I do not wish to be presumptuous or pressure you into something that you might not be comfortable with. it’s just that this Qi-Ge feels that these past years we have reached a level in our relationship that we or at least I only dreamed of and the reality is that for me this does feel like a dream. I want to spend every conceivable moment of my life around you and while I realize that this is not possible, I wish to spend every moment I could with you!

In the past, I was foolish and cost both you and me a lifetime together. But now I have been granted a second chance and I don’t wish to make the same mistake again.”

Shen Qingqiu stayed silent throughout Yue Qingyuan’s whole monologue, stunned. “What I wish to tell you is, Xiao Jiu, I wish for us to marry.” Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened and he remained speechless. In a panic, Yue Qingyuan hastily added “You don’t have to agree to marry me! As long as you stay with me forever!” this caused him to be hit on the head by Shen Qingqiu’s fan. “Have I ever given you a reason that I don’t share the same feeling? How dare you question my commitment! Of course, I will marry you! You have always been rightfully mine Qi-Ge and it’s about damn time everyone else realizes it! So, you better…” he was interrupted by Yue Qingyuan picking him up and spinning him while gleefully laughing. Shen Qingqiu blushed hard “What are you doing you idiot! Someone could see!”

“Xiao Jiu! I love you!” and he kissed him. Shen Qingqiu melted into Yue Qingyuan’s arms, after he separated, they looked at each other. And he replied warmly “I love you too”

“I’m so glad you agreed! Because it would’ve been so awkward to tell Shizun since he is already planning the wedding.”

“Wait what?”