Work Text:
“Call Shen Qingqiu now.” Mu Qingfang discreetly demands his head disciple.
“Is the Sect Leader's condition that bad?” His other disciples who were in the room asked in worry.
“The moment he woke up, he had been demanding nonstop for his favorite shidi's presence. No excuses. Now call for him.”
His head disciple comes running in.
“Shizun! Shen-shibo got stopped by Liu-Shibo on his way here!”
Mu Qingfang feels a nerve spike.
“Liu Qingge that little-”
The door opens. “Then this Sect Leader will have to come to Qingqiu then.”
Yue Qingyuan stands tall with his usual placid smile, physically he was fine and suffered no damages from the pollen that hit him but he was acting strange. More than usual.
Nothing changed except for his fixation on Shen Qingqiu that grew even more. The moment he woke up in Qian Cao Peak, he has been politely demanding the healer to bring Shen Qingqiu or ask where he was or why isn't he here.
He was being more strangely persistent and now he's out the door to look for his favorite shidi.
Mu Qingfang feels that with the way the Sect Leader is acting, Liu Qingge might actually suffer his wrath this time.
___
“Fight me.” Liu Qingge pulls out Cheng Luan.
Shen Qingqiu's glares at him angrily and in disbelief.
“Did you not hear that Sect Leader is in Qian Cao!?”
“I didn't hear anything.” Liu Qingge raises a brow.
And now Shen Qingqiu can't even verify his claim since the head disciple from Qian Cao who came looking for him has long gone back.
“Please stop giving this shixiong a headache and move.” Shen Qingqiu sighed.
“Stop making excuses and pull out Xiu Ya. You've grown weaker, you weren't even able to beat me once last time.”
“I have work to do, Liu-shidi. Why don't you do yours back at Bai Zhan.” Shen Qingqiu mocked.
Liu Qinghe just steps forward.
“Fight.”
The Peak Lords stop in the middle of the Rainbow Bridge to see the usual scene before them.
“Shall we take bets?” Qi Qingqi suggests.
“Liu Qingge always wins. So..”
“Shen-shixiong does manage to push him back too though.” Shang Qinghua mumbles.
“Did you see him kick Liu Qingge in the face last time? It was great.” They cackled.
“Ah-”
They paused, staring at a bizarre scene.
“Sect Leader..?”
This time Yue Qingyuan had stood in between the two Peak Lords…
And is pointing Xuan Su directly at Liu Qingge's neck.
Liu Qingge's eyes widen at the interruption.
Throughout the years he and Shen Qingqiu had sparred since they were disciples, Yue Qingyuan would usually just stand in between them, telling them not to fight or he would directly go to Shen Qingqiu for any wounds.
But he never pulled out his weapon to end a fight.
Even Shen Qingqiu is baffled. His body is completely shielded by Yue Qingyuan's big figure.
“Sect Leader..” Liu Qingge greets, still confused by the whole thing.
Yue Qingyuan still has his usual smile frozen on his face.
“I believe Qingqiu-shidi said he does not want to spar at the moment. I asked for his presence back at Qian Cao but if you insist on a spar, this Sect Leader would gladly fight in his place.”
Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu both share an incredulous look.
Yue Qingyuan has always refused to spar Liu Qingge, kindly of course. This was a great opportunity to fight with the Sect Leader!
The only times Yue Qingyuan would fight were during official matches and yet he would never call for Xuan Su unlike now.
“It would be an honor to have a spar with the Sect Leader but..” Liu Qingge respectfully steps back and meets Shen Qingqiu's eyes.
“Qingqiu is usually the one I spar with.”
Yue Qingyuan takes one step to block his view.
“But he does not want to. I can finish the job here right now-”
Shen Qingqiu grabs him back by the shoulder.
“That's about enough. Finish what? How can you threaten a Peak Lord under your order like that?”
Yue Qingyuan threatening a martial sibling!? It's unheard of! Even the rest of the Peak Lords took a step back from him.
“He threatened you too. And you're his superior. Such behavior is punishable by banishment or even death. Whatever you choose.” Yue Qingyuan gazed at his beloved Shen Qingqiu.
“...”
“You've lost it. We're going back to Mu Qingfang now.”
Yue Qingyuan sheathes Xuan Su and takes his place by Shen Qingqiu's side.
He turns to Liu Qingge.
“I trust Liu-shidi won't be pointing his sword at Qingqiu-shidi so carelessly ever again. There are orders to be respected in this Sect afterall.”
___
The Peak Lords decided that it was probably just a one time thing. Perhaps the Sect Leader just had a bad day and took it out on Liu Qingge who had been bothering his favorite martial sibling.
Surely he has gotten over it now since he seems well enough to host a meeting.
“Shen Qingqiu, off to the brothel once again this evening?” Qi Qingqi glazes her eyes on the hair pin that Shen Qingqiu was wearing.
It was a beautiful ornament but this one was not gifted by Yue Qingyuan.
This was something Shen Qingqiu wore after he visited a brothel back in his disciple days when his hair was starting to grow out.
“Surely you have way better things to do.” She scoffed, resting her chin on her palm.
Shen Qingqiu slowly raises his hand up but stops before his fingers touch the dangling beads of his hairpin.
“It seems like Qingqi-shimei is crossing boundaries again.” Yue Qingyuan cuts in from across the table.
This catches her off guard.
“It really isn't anyone's business. Surely you have way better things to do than gossip about your martial sibling much less stalk them in town.” Yue Qingyuan throws a disapproving look towards Liu Qingge who flinches.
“Does the whole Sect have nothing better to do at all?” His sarcasm booms in the hall.
“Is the almighty Cang Qiong capable of doing nothing?”
“Sect Leader.” Shen Qingqiu warns under his breath.
Yue Qingyuan turns his head to him.
“Qingqiu-shidi, I cannot allow people within our Sect to slander your name. As Sect Leader, I should've set boundaries and punished those who dared speak badly of you years ago.”
“Yue Qingyuan, please.” Shen Qingqiu pleads as he grabs him by the arm.
“You need to shut your mouth before this Sect damns you too.” He adds.
It was impossible, none of the Peak Lords would never turn their backs on the Sect Leader no matter how much his favoritism strayed him.
“Ah Sect Leader, we were just worried about the Sect's reputation. If any of our Peak Lords were to head down the Warm Red Pavilion..” Wei Qingwei quickly glances at Shen Qingqiu and is met with Yue Qingyuan's glare.
“...People will surely talk. More than usual.”
“Other Sects are quick to gossip and slander another Peak Lord to undermine Qingqiu's achievements.” Yue Qingyuan defends.
“All of these baseless rumors have come from people who never liked Qingqiu.” Yue Qingyuan stares right at Liu Qingge and then towards the rest of them.
“How can you say you can easily trust them? The townspeople who have seen Qingqiu in the Warm Red Pavilion never said anything to slander his name.”
“Liu Qingge dragging Shen Qingqiu in his inner robes out of that brothel years ago is proof enough.” A Peak Lord speaks.
Liu Qingge starts to shift in his seat, clenching his fists. His eyes warily looked at Shen Qingqiu who clearly started getting uncomfortable with the conversation.
Liu Qingge had a lot of regrets that night.
The look of fear in Shen Qingqiu's eyes when Liu Qingge destroyed the doors, ignored the women who tried getting in his way, threw his outer robes around Shen Qingqiu before he dragged him back to Cang Qiong pierced his heart.
Before he had destroyed the door wide open, he had seen one of the women giving Shen Qingqiu a hairpin.
It was a well-thought gift.
“This is getting nowhere. Unless you all extend proper apologies to Qingqiu, this Sect Leader will have no business with you all. You are already assigned to your paperwork so I expect them to be finished by tonight.”
Yue Qingyuan stands up, beckoning Shen Qingqiu to come with him.
They both headed out without looking back and the door closed behind them.