Work Text:
The Endless Abyss was just a bad dream. Or maybe this was a really good dream, but either way, Shen Qingqiu was sitting alone in his Bamboo House, combing through his wet hair as he stared at himself in the mirror on the dresser. He ruminated on how exactly he ended up here. It was a long journey as the Peak Lord of Qing Jing Peak and he felt like he was already one with Shen Qingqiu, losing Shen Yuan. But, perhaps, it was better that way.
The soft rustling of leaves outside alerted his heightened senses. Then, a knock at the door. “Shizun?” a soft voice called out. “I’ve prepared your congee for dinner, can I come inside?”
Shen Qingqiu finished up combing through his hair and said softly, “Come in, Binghe.”
Luo Binghe opened the door and came inside, his white and green robes swaying softly with each step. He smiled brightly, as if he were the sun to Shen Qingqiu’s moon. Bright but unforgiving, both the giver and the taker, just like the lord of light.
Shen Qingqiu still felt like this was all a dream, yet in this moment, he just wanted to enjoy himself. Luo Binghe looked like an adult now, the one he remembered reading about fondly. His shoulders were broad, waist thin with those long legs, his muscles were lean but powerful. His face was matured and gentle, and his hair that was tied into a neat ponytail softly swayed as he moved.
Luo Binghe laid down the tray of delicious looking congee down on the low table, sitting across from where Shen Qingqiu usually sat. As Shen Qingqiu got up to go sit at the table, Luo Binghe said softly, “Shizun, can I ask you something?”
Shen Qingqiu sat down at the table, tucking his knees in elegantly even while he was only in his sleepwear. He took a spoonful of the congee, savoring the delicious flavors that burst on his tongue. Gods, Luo Binghe was truly one of a kind. If being a cultivator didn’t work out for him, Shen Qingqiu would gladly arrange for him to be a chef.
“What is it, Binghe?” he answered slowly, and noticed the way Luo Binghe was hesitating to speak, his eyes darting around the room as a faint blush creeped up on his cheeks.
Luo Binghe’s mouth parted, and after a few minutes of saying nothing, his small voice finally answered, “This disciple… learned of a play that was going to start soon in the town.” The blush on his cheeks now growing a bright pink.
“So, you want to go and see it?” Shen Qingqiu finished for him. “You should’ve said so earlier.” He continued eating the congee, finishing the bowl with big spoonfuls. “Come, let’s go,” Shen Qingqiu got up, walking back to the dresser and opening the drawer with his light green robes. “I just hope we can make it in time.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes lit up and he smiled widely, as bright as the stars in the night sky, “Oh! Thank you, shizun! You are too kind!”
Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but smile back as he put his robes on, making sure to straighten out any folds. Luo Binghe quickly got up to help him, tying the sash around his waist with steady hands. Shen Qingqiu sighed fondly as he finished dressing up and the two of them exited the Bamboo House, embarking on the short journey down Cang Qiong mountain to see the play in the nearby town.
Since they couldn’t arrange a carriage right now, they decided to just fly on their swords to the town. The evening was clear and chill, their hair swaying harshly as the speed of their flying increased with a sudden urgency to not miss out on the play.
The town was bustling, even at night. The night market was full of vendors selling their wares, from hot skewered meat to detailed wood carvings and book shops, it was alive with the shouts and criers. As the two cultivators descended on the ground, the crowd looked at them in awe. It was not uncommon to see cultivators around these parts, but it made it no less spectacular when the entrance was this dramatic.
Shen Qingqiu looked on at the various stalls around them and smiled from under his fan. He was perfect at being a poser, so to others, he was the picture of elegance. Luo Binghe was not fooled though, seeing enough of his shizun to know that Shen Qingqiu was quite down to earth, not the lofty immortal master that everyone treats him as.
As the two walked through the busy street, Luo Binghe’s eyes kept darting around the various stalls before his gaze landed on a particular wood carving. Shen Qingqiu followed his gaze and said from behind him, “Do you want it?”
The wood carving was small, one of a soldier riding a horse. It was quite detailed, and probably very expensive, so Luo Binghe hurriedly waved his hands, “No need, shizun. This disciple wouldn’t want to trouble you with it.”
Shen Qingqiu was already walking towards the stall to Luo Binghe’s dismay. As he payed for the toy, he remarked, “Even at your age, Binghe still likes toys like this?” This wasn’t meant to be condescending, which Luo Binghe knew, yet he still felt embarrassed.
“Shizun, this disciple… as a child I could never dream of owning such an item,” Luo Binghe said softly, accepting the toy from Shen Qingqiu’s hands. “I was too busy trying to survive and to help my mother. Anytime I saw such carvings on display, all I could do was simply watch them from afar.”
Shen Qingqiu felt a pang of tightness in his chest. He closed his eyes, before slowly opening them again with a look of gentle care. “Now, Binghe will have as many as he wants,” he finally said, patting Luo Binghe on the head.
Luo Binghe blushed, his face heating up to unparallel proportions. He was taller and broader than Shen Qingqiu, yet with his master he acted like a spoiled child. He felt his eyes tearing up, threatening to overwhelm him with bittersweet joy. He didn’t have to suffer so much, it was truly all pointless, yet at least it allowed him to meet someone as kind and gentle as Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu removed his hand, those long digits curling up into a loose fist in his robes. His other hand clutched his fan, and he jokingly started fanning Luo Binghe. “Binghe seems a little hot. Are you sure you’re well enough to watch the play?” he asked.
Luo Binghe weakly nodded, whispering, “Shizun, I’m good. Better than ever before.” He clutched the wooden soldier in his hands, as if it was the most precious thing in the world to him.
“Don’t cry, Binghe. You’re a grown man now, it’s unbecoming,” Shen Qingqiu softly chided as he wiped the tears threatening to spill with his thumb.
“Come now. The play is surely going to start soon,” Shen Qingqiu said as he walked off, leaving Binghe to hurriedly go after him.
The two reached a small theatre tucked in the corner of the street. The line for the play stretched on and could be seen from the outside. Shen Qingqiu used his Peak Lord privileges to skip the line and go right inside, pulling along Luo Binghe through the chattering crowd. Luo Binghe’s eyes were wide with wonder and he commented, “I’ve never been inside a theatre before.”
Despite its worn down state, it marked the building as quite popular among the denizens. The crowd bumped against each other as each person tried to find their seat. Shen Qingqiu, of course, got preferential treatment as he bribed his way to the front row. The master-disciple pair sat down, eagerly waiting for the show to start. As the people rushed in and found their seats, they quieted down as the red curtains of the stage parted.
What was shown was a scene of a young maiden in a poor village, struggling to get by. She sang her lyrics of sorrow and hardship, and Shen Qingqiu could tell Luo Binghe related to it. Luo Binghe leaned forward, absorbing each word, each lyric, each flick of the actress’ sleeve. As the scenery changed, it showed a poor family toiling away, until they found a young prince outside on the ground.
Luo Binghe leaned in to whisper, “Do you think the young lord will have mercy on them or betray them, shizun?”
Shen Qingqiu smiled as he saw just how into the play Luo Binghe was. He replied in a hushed tone, “I don’t know. Pay attention, Binghe.”
Luo Binghe nodded and his eyes landed back on the stage. The family used all their food and medicine to nurture the young prince to health, and as he left, he swore to them that he would come back and repay them for their troubles. Luo Binghe smiled, he was sure that the young lord had good intentions.
After months of working and struggling, the poor family of four got a knock on the door. Luo Binghe tapped Shen Qingqiu’s hand, saying with excitement, “There he is, shizun! He’ll do good on his promise!”
Shen Qingqiu nodded, his gaze glued to the young man next to him. He never knew Luo Binghe got so excited and entertained by such simple plays. He made a mental note to bring him to more shows in the future, to show him all the comfort he could have never had as a child.
The young lord on the stage was exclaiming about how he came back to repay the debt, his lyrics full of vigor. He said he would take the youngest daughter back to his palace and pay the family handsomely to make her his servant. That gave Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe a pang of dread. It seemed to fishy to Shen Qingqiu, taking a young woman away from her family was surely trouble.
But the family on the stage seemed to eagerly accept the deal. The young daughter was sold off so the family could have a few more months worth of food. The young woman looked pensive, voicing her doubts, but everybody blindly assured her.
Luo Binghe’s eyes narrowed, his body growing tense. His fingers found Shen Qingqiu’s, intertwining with them as he squeezed lightly, his unease festering in his gut. Shen Qingiqu squeezed back, whispering, “Don’t be scared, Luo Binghe.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes widened, his cheeks flushing pink. He hurriedly removed his hand, murmuring, “Sorry, shizun.”
The young prince on the stage took the daughter away with the promise to treat her well. Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe’s eyes were glued to the stage, dreading what would happen next. For the next several months in the palace, the young woman worked diligently and was payed fairly. However, the young lord’s intentions were starting to get clearer and clearer. He started to harass her at work, trying court her as he pushed himself onto her.
Luo Binghe’s grip on his seat tightened as he watched the injustice, he growled lowly, “That damned animal!”
Shen Qingqiu suddenly saw a blinding light from his peripheral vision. Out of the crowd, a man jumped out holding a sword, lunging at the actress on stage!
Shen Qingqiu instantly formed a sword seal, Xiu Ya summoning itself out of his sheath and flying at the assassin’s sword, knocking it out of his grip. Shen Qingqiu stood up, his robes fluttering as he flew over to the assassin, Xiu Ya going back to its master’s hand before he put its tip against the assassin’s heart. He demanded sharply, “Who are you?”
Luo Binghe rushed over to corner the man from the other side, his sword raised high. The man behind the mask seemed calm, as if he was ready to die for this. He said simply, “She has a debt to pay to Lord Cheng Liu.”
Shen Qingqiu nodded slowly. So that’s how it is. He warned, “If you come back for her, I’ll be sure to wipe out his entire manor. I’m only leaving you alive so you can send the word back to him.”
The man relaxed, and Luo Binghe moved so he could quickly make his escape. The actress ran over to Shen Qingqiu and bowed deeply three times, “Thank you! Oh, thank you! Those debt collectors have been harrassing me with impossible demands, so I was working hard to repay them. But it seems it wasn’t enough.”
Shen Qingqiu smiled, “I’m sorry I interrupted your play.” It was then that he noticed the crowd’s murmurs as he was also on the stage. Luo Binghe looked slightly disappointed that he couldn’t watch the entire thing, but he nevertheless sheathed his sword and grinned like a kid, “Shizun, let’s go home. We don’t want to be late for your bed time.”
Shen Qingqiu nodded and the two exited the theatre and went back to Qing Jing Peak. Luo Binghe was still brooding, and whenever Shen Qingqiu would ask him what was wrong, he would answer with, “Nothing, shizun. This disciple is fine.”
Once they were inside Shen Qingqiu sighed, “Well, that was a disaster. At least we caught the assassin in time.”
Luo Binghe undid Shen Qingqiu’s hair pin and combed through his inky black hair. He mused to himself, “The play was wonderful. It was a shame we were interrupted.”
Shen Qingqiu smiled, “I’ll be sure to bring you to more plays in the future. My disciple only needs to ask.”
Luo Binghe took a handful of Shen Qingqiu’s hair and brought it to his lips, “Thank you, shizun. That means the world to me.”