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Chapter Text

Liu Mingxia spotted a newcomer and decided she would be his opponent. He hadn't seen her before, but she was not as young as a freshly selected disciple. She was tall for a maiden her age and with broad shoulders. She may put up a half decent fight. 

He hoped she did. The Qing Jing disciples failed his expectations time and time again. 

Black eyes shifted, colliding with his. Even from this distance, Liu Mingxia could see how calm they were. No unease to be found at the blatant challenge that must be on Liu Mingxia's face. The young woman lowered her head in a nod, hand at her sword's hilt. 

Liu Mingxia turned and headed to an empty platform. The girl followed him up. 

These spars were informal and did not warrant introduction. Some of his seniors followed etiquette to its finest point and never swung a blade at another cultivator without introducing themself first, but Liu Mingxia was eager to begin. 

As was his opponent, who unsheathed her sword and aimed straight at his throat. 

Why waste the time? 

By the halfway mark, a group of the disciples who had already fallen from their training platforms had gathered to watch their match. The cheers and hollers were nothing but noise. A distraction he would not afford any mind to. 

This girl, she was good. 

Her form had plenty of room for improvement. Her spiritual base didn't seem fully formed yet, judging by the strength behind her blows, but she fought like she was determined to end his life. Liu Mingxia appreciated that in a sparring partner. 

When she grew stronger, Liu Mingxia wanted to fight her again. 

"Let's fight again soon." She would improve quickly, right? If she applied that determination to all aspects of her cultivation, she should improve quickly. 

The maiden smiled a half-smile, her fine features softening under the new weight. The contrast between this and the earlier severity to her striking beauty left the crowd swooning, not that Liu Mingxia cared. 

Fools that only thought with the sword between their thighs! It was much more fun to use a metal one. 

His new rival seemed to agree with him. 

"It would be gladdening to train with you." 

* * * *

Shen Jiu had found a sister who sought him out herself. This was a pleasant surprise to him.

He had been content to know he had a reliable and, more importantly, talented martial sister to cross swords with. The percentage of female cultivators not registered on Xian Shu was relatively minor, and those sisters preferred to cultivate away from the pressures of men. They did not come out to spar with the other Peak's disciples with as great a frequency. Once a month at most. 

Qing Jing had a low percentage of female cultivators and none in the current generation. There were only martial aunts of his master's generation, all too busy with their own projects and duties to be bothered by one disciple who could take care of matters himself. 

Shen Jiu would have tolerated being set up with martial brothers to spar with. It was socially acceptable for him to beat them to a pulp at this time. What was to mislike? 

Having a martial sister like Liu Mingxia was vastly preferred. She was often blunt to the point it stepped past propriety and straight into rudeness, but Shen Jiu was also rude. He didn't mind. Her being so forthright was actually something he liked. 

She was strong. Despite her delicate looks and slender frame, she could knock out even grown men in the training field. Her capabilities were admirable. 

Fighting her was frustrating but in a pleasant way. It was valuable experience. It was something he couldn't get training sword forms on his own. He would make progress and beat her. All this practice would be good for something. 

Their relationship was strictly based on mutual training. 

If Shen Jiu didn't come to the Bai Zhan training grounds within three days, Liu Mingxia would stomp on over to Qing Jing to find him and order him to fight her. It mattered little what time of day it was, so long as it was before curfew. 

Shen Jiu liked this about her, even if it could get inconvenient when she stared at him through the window during lessons until he came out. No freshening up, no breaks, let's fight. 

"Do you not have other opponents to fight?" he had asked one day. 

"I do, but I learned your name." Arguably one of the funniest answers he could have received. 

"Do you not learn the names of your martial siblings?" 

"I only need to know them if my master introduces them and if they can fight." 

Shen Jiu took the compliment for what it was and unsheathed his sword. 

This acquaintance had its uses. It was comfortable. He began to have thoughts he didn't usually have. 

Perhaps it would not be so great a leap for them to take this relationship further. Shen Jiu... wouldn't mind having a friend in the sect. 

As she was forthright, she would appreciate the same approach. 

* * * *

"Be my friend." 

Liu Mingxia blinked, confused by the sudden order. Then he processed the words. 

"Alright." It was enjoyable to fight her, and she fought him quite a lot. That was two things going for her. Why not be friends? 

He lifted his sword, only to be hindered by the palm signaling he wait. Liu Mingxia stared at the palm, impatient. 

"What is it?" Why weren't they fighting? 

"If you do not find it inappropriate, I would like to take lunch together," Shen Jiu added, looking him in the eye. 

Liu Mingxia was disappointed this had taken a turn away from his plans for the afternoon, but lunch was... yes, lunch was good. "I can eat." 

He put his sword away, following the maiden and her fluttering green skirts, half a step behind. 

"Did you join the sect later?" Liu Mingxia felt he ought to ask something. Friends talked. 

Shen Jiu's ponytail smacked him in the face as her head turned. Camellia and ginger. "Why do you ask?" 

"At your age, you should have been cultivating for three or four years. You shouldn't be so weak. You are not stupid. You have progressed steadily, kept up with me. There is no possibility you lack talent and hit stagnation with training. I don't think anything else makes sense," Liu Mingxia said. 

"If I did join late?" Shen Jiu asked. "Do you find it distasteful?" 

Liu Mingxia shook his head. He would have preferred she joined earlier, but... "Keep being diligent. You are doing well." 

The maiden's smugness was cute. 

Cute? 

"I will defeat you soon." 

"We will see." 

They ate lunch at a table in one of Qing Jing's airy pavilions. He was talked into playing a round of xiangqi. 

He lost, which only ignited his competitive nature. 

They played fifteen rounds before the sun went down, and Liu Mingxia was kicked off the Peak by a wandering Hallmaster. 

Yeah, that was fun too. He might like to do that again. 

Fighting was better, but this was also good. 

Chapter Text

"Such a sorry state. What did you challenge this time? An elder?" 

Shen Jiu dropped down to begin peeling Liu Mingxia out of the crater his master had left him in. Her hands were gentle and painless, as they always were outside their fights. The only pain they exacerbated were old (very recent) wounds. Nothing Liu Mingxia couldn't handle. 

His seniors were a great deal rougher when dragging him around if he couldn't get up on his own two feet after a battle, fight, or ambush-spar. Shen Jiu's touches may as well be made of satin. If satin had calluses. 

Shen Jiu had nice hands. She put in the work. Music, cultivation, swordplay. Got very nice hands out of it. Nice calluses. 

"I like your calluses," Liu Mingxia said. 

Shen Jiu paused, and it took him a good while to realize he shouldn't have said that. It was one thing if he complimented a martial brother's calluses, but commenting on a martial sister's appearance could be improper.

He was almost a man. Men shouldn't comment on a woman's appearance unless they were attempting courtship, already married, or if the woman directly asked for his opinion on her outfit. Men should compliment a woman's achievements. Complimenting something on her body was a certain way to fuel a misconception. And it would be a misconception. 

Liu Mingxia didn't understand why people were so obsessed with beauty in the first place. In the end, it was all a collection of features one's parents gave them. They didn't put any hard work into the bone structure of their face or, what, the texture of their hair. 

Fashion, he had even less interest in. It was just clothes, maybe some powder to slap on your face, paint to color your nails. All of which would only end up damaged, running off with sweat, and horribly chipped under the ruthless nature of training. A waste. If you wanted to dress up, fine, but he didn't. 

Muscles, on the other hand, calluses, scars, that spoke of effort. Sweat and blood. Very admirable! 

He didn't intend it in a strange way! 

Shen Jiu's knuckles thunked the top of his head. There was a chuckle breaking free of her lips. "Sweet Mingxia, how hard did you hit your head? You are being exceedingly forward today." 

She didn't sound offended... good. 

Liu Mingxia relaxed. 

He should have known better. She knew better. He wasn't obsessed with that sort of thing. It was a genuine compliment, no ulterior motives. Their relationship was simple like that. They might be boy and girl, but their heads were full of important things. No distractions other children their age got into. 

No love, no other things. 

"It does feel like there's some bleeding," Liu Mingxia agreed. 

He then winced as Shen Jiu poked at the bleeding spot. As her hand pulled back, he noticed it was a cloth, damp with blood. 

Her frown had him speaking up. 

"Don't worry. I can keep going. Let me find my sword, and we can fight. I have good stamina." 

Shen Jiu narrowed her eyes. 

Poke, went the cloth. 

Liu Mingxia grunted. 

"The medical attention is free here. Make use of it." Shen Jiu yanked his arm over her shoulder. 

"I can walk it off- ow." Stop touching that spot! 

Shen Jiu tugged and pulled at him until he was settled on her back. She hooked her hands behind his knees and started walking at a brisk pace. "Stubborn brat." 

Now, Liu Mingxia could get out of this position if he tried. He was confident in his ability to put her in a headlock and choke her out if need be. His dizziness mattered little. That would compensate for his various injuries. 

But he was having fun. No one had put him on their back like this since he was little. 

That wasn't to say he wasn't embarrassed. "You can drag me by my ankle next time. It's fine." 

"Is that what your martial brothers do? What barbarians." Shen Jiu spat on the ground. He couldn't see her face from this angle, but he knew she was sneering again. 

"They're alright." He was very durable. Besides, that could also be fun in its own way. Especially when he got swung off the ground and into the air to go sailing into a bed or into a spring. 

"Would you allow a martial sister to be dragged around like that?" 

Liu Mingxia considered this. She must be asking about herself, right? "No, that could rip her clothes and lead to exposure." 

He didn't understand what was so interesting about naked bodies, but he wouldn't let Shen Jiu be embarrassed like that. If her clothes tore from the intensity of a fight, he would give her something to wear. People stared at her too much when she was fully modest. He could only imagine how much they'd stare if she exposed even a shoulder. 

"I won't let that happen to you. If they do, I'll beat them up," Liu Mingxia decided. 

"Think of yourself too," Shen Jiu said. 

"Why would it matter if my clothes tore?" His seniors were men. They often shared the same bathing space. It was no big deal. 

"... Why are you like this?" 

Like what? 

"Stupid," Shen Jiu declared. 

"Not stupid." 

"Stupid." 

"Not stupid." 

"Stupid."

"Not stupid." 

"Stupid."

"Not stupid." 

"Stupid."

"Not stupid." 

"Stupid."

Shen Jiu dumped him on a Qian Cao disciple. "Heal the fool. If there is trouble, I'll be waiting outside to break the other ankle." 

"A sprain," Liu Mingxia corrected her. He had broken his ankle before. This was only a sprain. 

Shen Jiu cracked her knuckles. "It will break." 

"Um," the other girl interjected, alarmed by their conversation. "Threats of violence shouldn't be necessary-" 

"They are." Shen Jiu crossed her arms. 

"They are," Liu Mingxia confirmed. He would much rather circulate his qi in private and heal himself that way. He didn't want to be here. Didn't need to be here. Didn't even need to get fixed up right now. He was good to go train some more. 

The Qian Cao girl nodded, exasperated. "Fine. Wait outside. This one will see what she can do." 

Shen Jiu pointed at her eyes, then jabbed her fingers toward Liu Mingxia's face. I'm watching. 

Liu Mingxia waved his hand. Shoo. 

It was only later that he processed that Shen Jiu had called him by his given name for the first time. He found he didn't hate that. 

Should he call her by her given name...? No surname? 

No. Shen Jiu rolled off the tongue nicely. Why change it up? 

* * * *

Shen Jiu's face remained neutral as the girl rudely shoved Yue Qingyuan out of her way with a hand, but his eyes did widen in surprise. Lesser men had gone shooting off balance to skid on the ground and crash into walls. It was a testament to Yue Qingyuan's solid core that his feet only dragged in the dirt, getting forced back by the casual shove. He didn't even sway. 

"What-" 

This martial sister was excitable, but this was a head disciple. Did she really not care? 

"Shen Jiu." A naked blade was shoved in his face. "Look." 

It was a different sword than her usual one. Shen Jiu took a good hard look. 

"You claimed a spiritual sword. Well done." He was immensely jealous she had a weapon like this at her age, but he was also happy for her. Relieved even. Now it should be even easier for her to beat up any perverts that came sniffing around her. 

Liu Mingxia wiggled in place slightly, nearly vibrating in what could only be joy. Never before had such a big smile been on her face. 

Shen Jiu almost patted her head. Almost. 

Too sweet, this Mingxia. Her excitement was contagious. 

"Their name is Cheng Luan," Liu Mingxia informed him, pouring more of her rich spiritual energy to make the blade gleam brighter. 

"I can see that." Shen Jiu pointed at the carved inscription. 

"Come on," Liu Mingxia demanded, lowering the sword and boldly grabbing him by the hand. Step, then another step, she dragged him along. 

"Come?" Where were they heading? 

Yue Qingyuan waved a hand. "Hello? This senior is still here." 

Liu Mingxia looked startled, as if she hadn't noticed him at all. It was terribly funny. "Oh." She glanced at Shen Jiu. "Is that important?" 

"No, we were just finishing up," Shen Jiu said. 

He directed a pointed stare at Yue Qingyuan, daring him to disagree. 

Yue Qingyuan did nothing for several seconds, then nodded with a fake smile. "We are done. May I ask what you intend to do?" 

Liu Mingxia nodded. "Shen Jiu doesn't have a real sword yet. We're flying. My seniors take their friends flying on their swords." 

Shen Jiu stared at her. Not... what he expected, but he liked the sound of this. 

"That is nice. Have fun. Stay safe up there." 

Liu Mingxia nodded and went back to dragging Shen Jiu. 

Chapter Text

His shimei made for an incredibly convenient buffer. 

After the first half dozen times Liu Mingxia shoved aside a martial brother who stood within arm's length of Shen Jiu, the men of Qing Jing gave her a wide berth. When she came hurtling up, they scattered and far away from Shen Jiu, only daring to linger behind desks and other solid objects to get a peek at them. 

Sure, she would beat them up, but she was still a bewitching fairy, one of the prettiest girls they had ever seen. She wasn't sequestered in the safety of Xian Shu. Their horrid manly curiosity made them all the more foolish. What was bodily harm when one had leave to stare and covet what would never be theirs? 

Perverts, the lot of them. 

Shen Jiu did his best to angle himself in such a manner Liu Mingxia would adjust herself, facing him and away from them. It was the least he could do. The little fool seemed to have no regard for her own beauty or the dangers it brought with it. 

In her defense, she could and did wipe the floor with every single one of his martial brothers. Her arrogance and self confidence were warranted in this situation. Qing Jing disciples were no match for her. 

(But there were other men, men stronger than her. She was too young and inexperienced to beat them all. And what of the sneakier, conniving sorts? What of them?) 

"Shen Jiu, tell me the truth."

Her hand slapped onto his desk. The wood creaked under the pressure. Shen Jiu was just pleased it didn't shatter like the last one. This girl was becoming worse at controlling her strength when she got excited or worked up.

Liu Mingxia had been so apologetic afterwards. It was adorable. Shen Jiu had complained and nagged at her about the inconvenience as was warranted, but her kicked puppy behavior secretly kept his mood good. She was such a sincere sister. Who could stay angry? 

"Did you beat up my junior brother?" Liu Mingxia demanded. 

She had more than the one, and they were so cathartic to beat up if he had to wait for Liu Mingxia to show up to their designated sparring platform.

Shen Jiu set his brush down. "Elaborate." 

Liu Mingxia glanced to the side, eyes turning dark as she took notice of a straggler. She climbed out through the window. Some yelps were heard. 

"Private conversation. Get lost!" 

She returned and shut the window with a firm clack. 

Liu Mingxia crossed the room. 

"Ji Jue saw you enter the red light district. You went to a brothel," she said. 

Well. That he did. He couldn't deny that. "Your junior was shouting and screeching loud enough to wake the dead. I figured it best to shut his mouth before he lost all face for our sect." 

"He doesn't tell it that way." 

Okay, fine. That was an embellishment. As barbarians did, Liu Mingxia's juniors were as peculiar as she was, relishing in the experience of being beaten up. They lived for fighting, and for some reason, this meant they liked him or respected him. It did not matter how standoffish he was. If anything, that made him get challenged more. 

Ji Jue probably didn't even care he went to a brothel. He just wanted an excuse to pick a fight with the shixiong his shijie was monopolizing. He hadn't said anything at the time and started throwing punches. 

So Shen Jiu obliged and broke a limb or two. That's what you did with brainless pests. 

"I don't appreciate being followed," Shen Jiu reminded her. 

Liu Mingxia frowned. "Why did you go to that establishment?" 

Shen Jiu said nothing for a moment. 

He did like her. He even would go so far as to say he trusted her more than most humans. Certainly a great deal more than any of the other martial siblings he had to rely on. But telling her about this? 

He didn't believe he could. 

One of the reasons that Liu Mingxia liked him was because he wasn't a coward. What was more cowardly than hiding in a woman's arms for fear of numerous enemies taking advantage in his sleep? He would rather be thought of as a lecher. 

"Why does anyone go to a brothel?" Shen Jiu answered. 

"But you're a..." 

Shen Jiu waited. 

Liu Mingxia shook her head. 

"You're..." 

He was growing impatient. If she was going to denounce him, she may as well get it over with. She was so forthright in other matters. She could come out and say it. Go on, take him to task. 

"A disappointment," Shen Jiu offered. 

"No." 

"No." What did she mean no? Why did she look so disappointed then? Don't lie to his face. 

"I'm lacking, so you have to seek out others." 

Woah, hey now. They didn't have this sort of relationship. He might tease her when she complimented his muscles after some wrestling, but that was only teasing. She wasn't flirting with him. She was a naive child. 

Besides, how inappropriate would it be for him to entertain seeking that comfort from her? None would presume anything innocent should he start sneaking into her quarters. Her reputation would be soiled! 

Shen Jiu could never. He would not hurt her like that. 

"Mingxia, we do not have that sort of relationship. We are friends." 

"We are friends, but I cannot give you what you want." 

Shen Jiu grimaced. "Mingxia, that's-" 

"It's a fashion thing, isn't it?" 

"... What?" Fashion? 

Liu Mingxia pointed at her forehead. "You started wearing makeup." 

Shen Jiu stared at her. "... It is a popular style among gentlemen." 

"And ladies." 

"Yes." 

Liu Mingxia sighed. "You need more friends." 

This did make Shen Jiu angry. 

"Those girls never had the opportunities and resources to make the same choices as you. They do what they must to make a living and survive another day, put food in their bellies. Disparage me if you must, but spare them your contempt. Have you no pity or kind words for women like that? You-" 

Liu Mingxia held up a hand. "I am not so controlling that I would imply you require my permission to take company with whomever. You are your own person." 

Shen Jiu breathed in through his nose to begin to try to calm down. 

"I will admit that I chastise martial brothers who sneak off to brothels. They do damage to the sect's face. However you are different, yes?" 

"Because you are friends with me?" He found this presumption of hers a bit strange. What else would a man go to a brothel for? Who thought of fashion off the top of their head? 

"No." Liu Mingxia did not explain. 

Frustrating. "Why are you upset with me?" 

"I'm not upset with you. I guess-" Liu Mingxia hesitated, then blushed. "I may be jealous. I apologize. It is abnormal, I know." 

Not necessarily. Shen Jiu had been an extremely possessive child himself. If anyone even smiled at Qi-ge, he would punch that smile right off their face. 

Liu Mingxia continued. "You have a wider variety of interests. I respect that. You need time around others like you." 

Shen Jiu had no one to blame but himself for her seeing through his acting. His gentlemanly scholar persona could only work so well when this girl kept bringing out his feral side with all her ambush-fights. It was difficult to pretend to be elegant when some child fell on your head from the skies to tackle you. 

"You don't think less of me." For being of lowly origins. 

Liu Mingxia rolled her eyes. "No. When have I?" 

True. If anything, she was aggressively disinterested in where he came from. She never asked about his family or what he did before joining the sect. She might be waiting for him to bring it up, but she likely didn't have any interest in it. She never brought up her family either. 

"Will you keep going to brothels?" 

"If I do?" 

Liu Mingxia pulled a pouch from her sleeve and slapped it on the table. It sounded suspiciously metallic, jingling upon impact. "Then we're going shopping." 

"Why?" 

"If others can recognize you, they may misunderstand. You need a better disguise." 

Chapter Text

Bai Zhan and Qing Jing disciples rarely talked to each other. 

It wasn't that they couldn't. They simply did not care to. Few mutual interests. The culture on each Peak was vastly different, and they preferred to keep to themselves. 

That wasn't to say they never spoke. 

However, it was more accurate to say they were fighting over a topic these days. Nothing bonded young men together more than bickering and absurd betting pools. 

"It is an endearment." 

"Why would they make light of that? It's not even funny." 

"Outsiders aren't meant to fathom it." 

"Have you never witnessed Shen Jiu playing with Liu Mingxia's hair? Sisterly behavior right there." 

"He did what?" 

"That happened." 

"I don't believe you." 

"It was like a scene from a play. Ruined, granted, by how bruised and caked in mud they were, but I won't deny, that was intimate. I'm jealous." 

"Of which?" 

"They're both men. If two men get married, they might consider one the wife." 

"That is a fetish. This is different." 

"It's not a fetish. Under the right circumstances, it can be-" 

"My elder sister calls me Little Basket. Endearments spring from anywhere. It's not so strange Liu Mingxia calls Shen Jiu 'shijie'." 

"Where did that come from?" 

"I got stuck in baskets a lot- hey, stop laughing." 

"Forget that. My shixiong isn't a liar or a jokester. Shen Jiu is a woman." 

"Don't be ridiculous. Shen Jiu has to be a man. Just look at him. You ever see a woman with cheekbones that sharp?" 

"No breasts either." 

"A woman can have a small chest. I know she has one. It's definitely gotten bigger since the first time I saw her." 

"If anyone trains as hard as Liu Mingxia does and eats a sufficient diet to support that training, their pectoral muscles will grow larger. Those aren't breasts." 

"They are breasts." 

"They are not." 

"They are!" 

"Liu-shixiong has a better chest. It filled out better. If it weren't pure muscle, you could call it plump. It's so-" 

"Right? The definition is enviable. Mine never fills out that well." 

"The key is to perform weighted exercises and apply extreme pressure under a prolonged duration. One mustn't forget about adequate sleep and rest. The latter is just as important as training. Balance is necessary." 

"You know, I try, but it never gets that full." 

"Both of his parents must have divine chests. Bloodlines make all the difference when it comes to attributes." 

"Say one more word about somebody's chest, I dare you-" 

"-Liu Mingxia is the martial sister. Just look at her. No man is that pretty. It's physically impossible." 

"Shen Jiu is prettier." 

"Liu Mingxia." 

"Shen Jiu." 

"Liu Mingxia." "Shen Jiu." "Shen Jiu." "Shen Jiu." "Liu Mingxia." "Shen Jiu." "Liu Mingxia." "Liu Mingxia." "Liu Mingxia." "Liu Mingxia." "Liu Mingxia!" "Shen Jiu." "Liu Mingxia." "No, it's Liu-shixiong." "Shen-shixiong." "Liu Mingxia!" "Shen Jiu!" 

"If Shen Jiu weren't a man, why would he be given a room with us? He would sleep in a different building entirely. What do you have to say about that? Hm?" 

"Have you ever seen him in a state of undress?" 

"You just want to take our money home. Where's your proof?" 

"Yes, words are nothing. Give proof." 

"I'm not going to follow him and watch him take a bath. What proof are you expecting? Unreasonable." 

"...well. It is true we have never seen him get undressed, much less relieve himself. He never even changes around us. What if he is a girl?" 

"Not you too. No one could be mad enough to lie to Shizun's face." 

"I did think it was ridiculous that he chose to sleep in the woods, but that hardly offers proof he is hiding some womanhood from us." 

"He does what?" 

"Nothing, he's talking nonsense. Don't listen to him." 

"It is nonsense," a new voice said. 

Heads turned, and oh. Oh shit. That was Liu Mingxia. 

Cheng Luan was already out. Never a good sign. 

"Wait! May this shixiong ask one question first?" 

"Fine." 

"Are you a boy or a girl?" 

The Bai Zhan disciples groaned. Seriously? That was his best attempt to fix the situation? 

Qing Jing disciples, no self preservation instincts. The self preservation instincts of a rock. 

"The only sword that you should concern yourself with is Cheng Luan. No cultivator should pay heed to what is in another cultivator's robes." 

"For medical purposes, that would be a bit stupid to disregard genitalia entirely. Some interest is-" 

Pummeling ensued. 

* * * *

Would Liu Mingxia care if Shen Jiu was a boy? 

That wasn't something he needed to consider heavily, as Shen Jiu was undeniably a young woman. Rumors tended to appear at random about any random disciple because their martial siblings enjoyed babbling over nonsense. Some of it had to be true, but the ones about Shen Jiu? 

Nonsense. 

Did she not get along with her martial brothers? Yes, that's true, but she clearly could under the right circumstances as she did get along with him. Those others must not have earned her approval or respect. It wasn't bad to have standards when it came to friends. 

Was she a prissy young master, spoiled and lazy? Hardly. First off, not a young master. If she was anything, she was a young miss. And lazy? Lazy? If someone looked at Shen Jiu and decided she was lazy, they needed their eyes to be checked out. She was constantly training or studying. Lazy. Hah! As if. 

Was she a man? There were some aspects one could consider masculine, but no, that was obviously a woman. 

Was she a bully? Well, if those indecorous vulgar martial brothers of hers were to be believed, she slept out in the open rather than in a bed. It sounded like they were the ones doing the bullying. Her temper may rise easily, but what could she possibly be doing to them that they would deny her a bed? 

Honestly, placing bets on what was in a martial sister's trousers. They should be ashamed of themselves. 

Liu Mingxia did not place much stock on anything Qing Jing disciples said if they were not Shen Jiu. They had proven to be habitual liars. These rumors of theirs, did they have nothing better to do? Envy was a rude creature. 

"Why is a sizeable quantity of my martial brothers in Qian Cao's hands?" 

"They were being uncouth." 

Shen Jiu sneered. "That does sound like them. And your own juniors?" 

"They proved to be disappointing, so I reprimanded them as well." Truly shameful, to have to discipline them over this. "Sorry." 

"For what?" Shen Jiu lifted a brow. 

"They should know better." His juniors especially. One should cultivate with a clean mind. What was all this garbage? Perverse. 

Shen Jiu scoffed. "They are men. Do not hold such high expectations." 

Liu Mingxia held out his hand. After a long moment, Shen Jiu set her hand over his palm, and he folded his other hand over it. "You are my friend. I will keep them from humiliating you." 

Shen Jiu gave a half-smile. "I can protect myself." 

"We are friends." Friends protect friends. 

"Yes, alright. I hear you." 

"I can speak with your master." 

"About?" 

"Your sleeping arrangements." 

"... Why." 

"Have you been sleeping outside in the woods?" 

"I prefer meditating in fresh air." 

Liu Mingxia gave her a flat look. "So you are." 

Shen Jiu yanked her hand back. "If you tattle to my master, I won't forgive you. Do you understand?" 

"Why can't I discuss this with him? He can help." If she was being harassed, discipline should occur. 

"Mingxia," Shen Jiu snapped, trembling with rage. 

Liu Mingxia relented. Her discomfort made him feel guilty. "Fine. A cave then." 

"I'm sorry, a what. Did you say cave?" Shen Jiu frowned at him. 

"There are usually caves. Aren't there caves on your Peak?" 

"I mean. I suppose so." 

Liu Mingxia nodded. "We would need permission from Shibo to build a separate house for you, so a cave is the best option. If arrays are placed and bedding, it could make for a nice den. Lanterns." 

"Am I a bear?" 

That reminded him. "I could hunt some demon bears. Want their pelts?" 

Shen Jiu covered her face with a hand and didn't answer for some time. Her shoulders trembled. Liu Mingxia realized she was laughing. "That's suitable." 

If Shen Jiu were a man, Liu Mingxia would still look after her. She looked after him, fed him, challenged him. He couldn't imagine her acting much different as a man. 

The brothel, the visits to courtesans... Shen Jiu was not lustful. If she were a man, she would not go there.

...............

Or, should she, only for research... or something as innocent. An old friend perhaps? A relative? Something else, not for lustful reasons. Shen Jiu wasn't lustful. People lusted after Shen Jiu, not the other way around. 

If Shen Jiu were a man, they could wash up in the same river or relax in the same spring. They could spend even more time together. They could even train topless like he did with some seniors- topless? 

Shen Jiu caught his wrist before he could slap himself in the face, good and proper. "What is that?" 

"Earlier events have left me with some confusion." Elsewise, he would never entertain topless and Shen Jiu in the same sentence. It wasn't even a perverse thought on his part, but asking to see a woman's bare muscles to compare was. No. Just no. What was he doing? 

"Don't beat yourself up. That's what I'm for." 

"You can't beat me up." 

As expected, this was the correct way to rile her up. "Say that again." 

Swords came out, and confusion and discomfort faded away in the comfort of battle. 

Chapter Text

There were some discrepancies between what Shen Jiu expected and how Liu Mingxia grew. She had an abnormal growth rate in her cultivation, but her height and weight grew twice as fast. She was nearly the same height as Shen Jiu. 

A prodigy and tall. 

... Women could be tall. There were outliers. 

Her voice had never been especially soft or high, so there wasn't much change there. No obvious or embarrassing cracking like a boy would get. 

She wasn't anywhere near as slender and tiny as she had been before, but that was... fine. It happened. Training. She just put on muscle easily. For a cultivator, that was best. Strength could be compensated for with an increase in cultivation level, but physical strength was better to have than not. 

From certain angles, Shen Jiu could see how some people might mistake Liu Mingxia for a man, now that she was larger. More adult and yet not. 

She was thick and broad, no more a stick one would be lured into believing could be snapped in one hand. 

But no. Not a man. 

Shen Jiu was sure. 

"You're staring." Liu Mingxia blew on the charred meat before offering it. 

Shen Jiu peeled a chunk off, careful not to touch the sword the meat was speared on and burn his fingers. "You keep getting fatter every time I blink. Better to keep an eye on you." 

"I'd prefer it if you got fatter. You don't seem to put on much weight even when I feed you." Liu Mingxia took a bite out of the meat, not bothering to remove it from the sword first. 

"I thought you liked my body." 

"You're too light for your height. You should weigh more. The muscle helps a lot, but you could stand to weigh more." 

"Cultivators should not overindulge." Shen Jiu did eat. He could, however, get nauseous if he had to eat around other men, and that limited his food intake on worse days. 

It wasn't as bad since Liu Mingxia decided to chase him down and challenge him. 

A lot of things weren't as bad. 

"Eat," was all Liu Mingxia grunted, shoving more meat in his face. 

Shen Jiu ate. 

"You're a terrible cook. This isn't tasty." He was only half serious. It was just on the bland side. 

Liu Mingxia threw a jar of osmanthus jam at his head. "Try." 

"Not a dessert." 

"Try. It's not bad." 

Shen Jiu tried. 

"Mm." His master would no doubt cry tears of blood if he saw how carelessly he was dumping jam over his meat. No table etiquette whatsoever. 

"I knew you'd like it." Liu Mingxia stabbed another corpse and got to roasting. 

Shen Jiu ate his fill. He watched her from the corner of his eye. 

"Staring." 

"So fat," he teased again, and Liu Mingxia kept roasting meat, unoffended.

* * * *

"Do you want to lie down, or would you find that inappropriate?" Shen Jiu indicated the furry rugs with a hand. 

She didn't usually invite him inside. This was a surprise. 

"Why are we lying down?" Liu Mingxia then understood himself. "Oh, to wrestle. It's much less messy than in the grass. Clever." 

Shen Jiu stared at him for a long moment before nodding. "Yes. Wrestling." 

They got to wrestling. 

Liu Mingxia stared at the bite mark on his hand once they broke apart. Shen Jiu's teeth had left red bloody imprints behind. It stung. Nothing unmanageable, but it was surprising. Shen Jiu wasn't the sort to bite him during wrestling. Some of his juniors were, but Shen Jiu had never bitten him before. 

Then he mentally shrugged. It would heal. 

"Rude," Liu Mingxia commented. 

"Let me see your hand," Shen Jiu said, and Liu Mingxia offered it up without thinking. Sometimes she liked to look at his wounds herself. 

Chomp. 

"Rude," Liu Mingxia repeated, shaking his twice bitten hand. It would heal up fine, but why? What had he done? "Do you want me to bite you?" 

Shen Jiu was unapologetic, dabbing blood off her lips. "I told you I would eat you if you kept being cute." 

Liu Mingxia sputtered. This shijie! "That was a joke!" 

No parent or elder sibling meant that! Who actually tried to eat someone? Was she part demon?

"No." 

To deter her from biting him at random, Liu Mingxia grabbed her wrist and forced it up to bite her own hand. See? Not pleasant. Stop that. Don't go around chomping on your martial brothers. 

Liu Mingxia just got bitten on the other hand for his trouble. 

"Don't eat me." 

"Stop being cute." 

Ridiculous! 

* * * *

"Are you heading to the place?" Liu Mingxia demanded, arms crossed over her chest and hands safely tucked under her armpits. Cute. 

Shen Jiu appreciated her choice of words. Good shimei. "I will be heading out soon, yes." 

"Do you need something first?" Let me help with your outfit. 

"No thank you. I am fine." Liu Mingxia rather enjoyed sticking that fake beard and mustache onto him, but it was much faster to fix his disguise himself. Tidier, too. Less clumsy. 

Liu Mingxia pushed a pouch at him. "For you." 

Shen Jiu gave it a shake. Ah. "I don't need money." 

He saved up himself for the trip there. No need to worry about him. All one needed to do was be mindful and sparing with the salary their master provided monthly, and that was sufficient for one good night a week. 

Yet another reason he was angling for a promotion to head disciple and a "qing" generation name. Head disciples got paid more. Just take Xiang-shixiong, for instance. The fool had more money than sense. Every other week, he had some expensive new fan or hairpin to show off. 

If he was a head disciple, Shen Jiu could visit those sisters twice a week. Possibly three times. Or he could go the once and book them all for the night. Many options, all good. 

"These ladies are your friends," Liu Mingxia said, pushing the pouch back at him. 

"We are friendly with each other," Shen Jiu allowed, pushing the pouch back at her. 

Liu Mingxia pushed harder. "Treat them." 

"With your money? Keep it." 

"Consider it as compensation for dissuading potential patrons." 

Shen Jiu stopped pushing. "If I purchase the time of every sister there, you aren't going to complain. I will drain this dry." 

"I don't need it back," Liu Mingxia insisted. "Just take it." 

Shen Jiu tied the strings to his belt, suspicious. "The occasion?" 

"It is the day I was born," Liu Mingxia explained. 

"Why are you mentioning it this year? You didn't last year." 

"Neither did you. I don't know when you were born." 

Fair enough, but neither did Shen Jiu. He had a day he used to celebrate, but that was... no. He didn't think about it these days. He'd rather not. 

"It is your birthday, and you are giving me something." What's with this brat? Why so cute? 

"I don't need anything. I like it when you smile." So there. Liu Mingxia shrugged. 

Shen Jiu felt his mouth twitch. It was an effort to force it down and out of making a smile. It wasn't this easy to make him smile. It wasn't. "I don't smile on command." 

Liu Mingxia smiled in his stead. It was small and reached her eyes, warming them. "No. You shouldn't." 

Not a man, Shen Jiu affirmed. 

Men weren't so considerate, sweet, reliable, or cute. 

Shen Jiu caught her hand before she pulled it back, and Liu Mingxia turned pink from her ears down to her neck. 

"No," she snapped, wide eyes looking around. 

"What is wrong? You grab me by the hand so often." 

"Y-You. Enough." 

Shen Jiu wanted to bully her more, but it was her birthday. He supposed he could play nice. He wasn't going to bite her again right now regardless. A bit too close to where other people might walk by. 

He gave her hand a squeeze, then released. 

Liu Mingxia took a step back. Shen Jiu grinned, and she turned to stomp off with a huff. 

The sisters at the Warm Red Pavilion should have some excellent advice for a belated birthday present for her, no? 

Chapter Text

Early on in his acquaintance with that headstrong little martial sister, some concerns were voiced. Some unwanted looking after. 

"Liu-shidi is not a bad person, truly. He doesn't attack you specifically. He treats everyone else the same way. Don't take it to heart." 

Shen Jiu had to stop and think about that, as he had been in a rather good mood at the time. Frustrated and exhausted but the frustrated and exhausted one was after a long workout. He didn't have to think for long. "What business is it of yours if I kill that gnat?" 

"One of these days, I'll kill you and grind your bones to dust, Liu Mingxia." 

"With your ability?" 

"I will drink your blood with my breakfast." 

"Try if you like." 

With parting words like this, it wasn't unreasonable to misunderstand. 

Liu Mingxia was terribly rude, often brazenly commenting on his weakness or his current level of cultivation, but as she continued to seek him out and challenge him, she clearly didn't dismiss him. She was willing to help him train and get better. She was a reliable training partner. That was simply how she talked. 

This was also how Shen Jiu talked. 

"... If he is bothering you, I can speak with him," had been offered following a moment of awkward silence. 

Shen Jiu smiled, pleasant mood washed away in a rush of bitterness. "Yue-shixiong is truly a fair and considerate man. How thoughtful of you, protecting a shimei from one so unsightly as myself." 

Yes, how dare he have a sparring partner he could tolerate. It wasn't what he deserved. 

The serious conversation stalled. "Shimei? Which shimei?" 

"That Liu-shimei." Always been a stupid one, this man. Stupid child, stupid man. 

"Oh." Yue Qingyuan's eyes widened, knowing. 

"What 'oh'?" Shen Jiu demanded. 

"You like that child." 

Well, no fucking shit.

She was safer to be around than anyone else even when she was beating him into the ground and more comfortable. He would rather get beaten up than have to sit calmly with any martial brother. How many young women went out of their way to track him down and pay attention to him? Having her attention didn't make him want to peel someone's skin off or his own.

"No, I'm going to kill her. Didn't you hear?" 

"I'm sorry. I didn't notice it was like this." 

"Useless." All he could say was sorry sorry. What was with that relieved smile? Just scram and die already. Don't pretend to be happy on his behalf. He didn't need such fakeness. 

Liu Mingxia, much more tolerable. Better friend material. She said anything that popped into her empty little head right to his face. She was honest without regard for his feelings. He didn't have to ponder how she felt about him. She was too forthright. 

And, ahah! He was right about Yue Qingyuan! 

He acts relieved one day and envious the other! 

Oh, he was much too gracious and guilty to be obvious about it, but Shen Jiu could tell. He knew what jealousy looked like on the disappointment that was once his Qi-ge. He was jealous of Liu Mingxia. 

This was the perfect ammunition for when Shen Jiu was caught and pestered beyond endurance with pointless small talk on those rare occasions they crossed paths between Peaks or those less rare occasions Qiong Ding needed some paperwork or the other delivered to Qing Jing. 

He wasn't stupid enough to embarrass the sect leader's head disciple in a public space, so there were only two courses of action. 

Naturally, Shen Jiu chose the one that would annoy Yue Qingyuan more. 

When he asked his twenty questions, he would twist any point of conversation away from himself and directly onto Liu Mingxia. 

"How are you feeling, Shen-shidi?" 

"I tripped Mingxia and shoved her into the river." That girl loved her ambushes. It was only fair he do the same to her sometimes. 

"Why?" 

"She took too much time fighting other people to come fight me." Also true. 

There. There it is. That look. 

How is his cultivation progress? Is he sleeping well? Forget that. Have you heard what Liu Mingxia's been up to? Have some interest in your other juniors. This one is special and talented. 

This is the recipe for what he's cooking her for lunch today. There is much gratitude in his heart for that martial sister's consideration and thoughtfulness. 

He painted her this painting. It's a sword. 

This poem, he wrote for her. Allow him to recite it in full. 

Yes, this music piece reminds him of her. He would play it for her later. 

On those occasions that Liu Mingxia happened to arrive mid-conversation to cut it short, she would not react to any flattery. She just nodded at Yue Qingyuan, waited for Shen Jiu to signal he was done, and dragged him off to fight him. 

"Do you ever challenge Yue-shixiong?" 

"He is strong, so yes," Liu Mingxia confirmed. "He doesn't respond as often as you do. Busy." 

"I'm busy." 

"But you respond." 

Yes, he did. "Mn." 

Another day, Liu Mingxia followed him to Qiong Ding to submit his application for secluded cultivation. He hadn't asked her. She had business there herself. 

As was mentioned, she liked fighting strong people. The stronger, the better. 

Shen Jiu appreciated the buffer. He would not have to speak to Yue Qingyuan whatsoever. Liu Mingxia tended to take all of one's attention for herself. 

"Don't deny me the chance to fight you at your full strength. Use your claimed weapon." 

Yue Qingyuan shook his head. "Your enthusiasm is admirable, but I must decline. As a compromise, I will fight you with a blade this time." 

"Made of wood." 

"You have grown stronger and yet lack still. It is unwise. I could damage you severely." 

That was the wrong thing to dissuade her with. Potential death only motivated her further. She liked the challenge. "Take out Xuan Su and fight me. I have Cheng Luan now. I am not weak." 

Liu Mingxia paused, seeming to remember she ought to be courteous to the next sect leader. 

"Please," she added. 

"No," Yue Qingyuan said, pointing the practice weapon at her. "It is this or no fight." 

Liu Mingxia went silent as she weighed her options. Yue Qingyuan made for a good fight regardless, but it annoyed her that he still thought her too young to fight seriously. 

Shen Jiu interjected. Yue Qingyuan indeed had the leisure not to draw his sword against weaker enemies, but his stubbornness vexed him. Don't spoil their shimei's fun. If she wanted to get sent to Qian Cao, let her. 

It may teach her some sense. 

If it didn't, at least she would be happy for the experience. 

"Take it out." 

Yue Qingyuan turned to blink at him. Liu Mingxia nodded. 

"Take it out," Shen Jiu repeated. 

"Xiao Jiu- no, Shen-shidi wants to see?" His expression was odd. Shen Jiu wasn't sure what to make of it, but it made him uncomfortable. 

"When did I say that? Mingxia is the one challenging you. There is no need to be lenient in your instruction, esteemed senior. Your junior can take it." 

"You want to see it." 

Stop phrasing it as such. "Take it out." 

Yue Qingyuan set the wooden sword down on the table he picked it from and reached for Xuan Su. 

A peach came sailing from a nearby window and smacked him in the head. It was infused with spiritual energy, as it did not immediately explode against his skull from how hard it was thrown. Liu Mingxia's little shoves never knocked Yue Qingyuan to the ground, but this did. 

"Qingyuan, get over here. RIGHT NOW." 

The sect leader was furious. 

* * * *

Liu Mingxia kept his head low as Zhangmen-shibo lectured them, sitting on his knees between a shijie and a shixiong. He felt rather poorly. He hadn't intended to do any true harm to that senior. He would never go so far as to kill a sect member. 

He hadn't known. 

Yue Qingyuan never drew Xuan Su... not because he didn't need to but because he would drain out of life force and die? 

How awful, Liu Mingxia thought.

To never have the joy of fighting with one's own spiritual weapon, his other half. A qi deviation could do that to a person? He knew there were risks and abnormalities that occurred if qi flowed wrong, but this was... just awful. 

"If this master hears of any gossip regarding this topic, there will be censure and punishment. The more people that know, the greater potential this flaw will be used by enemies. Only those handling Disciple Yue's medical records need know and those successors he ascends with in the future. It would not be discussed now, but this disciple of mine is thoughtless." 

"This ignorant disciple has wronged his master and proven to be an inconvenience. Please punish him." 

Zhangmen-shibo gave Liu Mingxia and Shen Jiu an ear twisting before ordering that they scram. 

They scrammed. 

They walked together, not discussing anything, too in their own thoughts. 

Liu Mingxia didn't quite understand what Shen Jiu's relationship was with Yue Qingyuan. They didn't even spend that much time together. He would think they were on friendly terms from how casually they discussed Liu Mingxia, but Shen Jiu was all too happy to abandon him in favor of fighting him. 

If they were on good terms, she would invite him to join in. Have a three-way fight. 

Yet Yue Qingyuan was willing to kill himself for her? 

... Was he in love with her? 

Did Liu Mingxia need to have a chat with him about his intentions for his shijie? After he apologized for almost letting the man commit suicide, of course, but after that, they needed to have a thorough discussion about using one's words and not giving so much pressure to the object of one's affections. 

Send gifts! Write poetry! The scholarly types loved poetry! Pretty objects! Silks! 

There was such a thing as taking acts of service too far. What he had done wouldn't make Shen Jiu feel touched, only burdened. How would she feel to have his death on her conscience?! 

"Mingxia." 

See, this was why Liu Mingxia hated the romantic types. So dramatic and prone to acts of sheer stupidity. 

"Mingxia." 

All logic went out the window as soon as they fell in love. 

"Mingxia." 

"What?" Liu Mingxia looked at her. 

"Fight me," Shen Jiu ordered. 

Liu Mingxia obliged. He never needed a reason to fight her, and if this got her to work through her anger in a healthy way, that was good. She had never looked this angry before. 

It took a long time to get her to settle down. She kept getting back up. 

Shen Jiu collapsed on him. Liu Mingxia nearly pushed her, assuming the fight was still going. Then he realized she was embracing him. Not so much a fighting position as she was burying her face in his shoulder. 

Oh. Ah. Oh. 

Liu Mingxia didn't comment on it. It was a bit... much for him to hug a martial sister like this, but she was having an emotional day. 

Chapter Text

"May I ask why you believe Shen Jiu is a woman?" 

Liu Mingxia was annoyed he was being interrupted during one of his favorite parts of the day, oiling and cleaning Cheng Luan. It didn't help that he was being pestered over something that was already cut and dry. Shen Jiu was a woman. Stop asking, speculating. 

"Has your senior asked anything vulgar? Don't give me that look." The An Ding senior arched a brow, his nonchalant expression and tone a direct contrast to how he held up a table as a shield between them. 

Liu Mingxia breathed out through his nose. This one-handed table handling was the reason he kept trying to challenge him. It was a shame he was such a coward and refused to fight, scampering off every time. How boring. 

Why were An Ding disciples so reluctant to fight? If they were afraid of the difference in strength, they could fight using only physical strength. Liu Mingxia would find that a challenge in its own right. Don't think he didn't notice them ripping trees from the earth and hauling boulder-sized objects around. Where was the excuse? No excuse! 

In conclusion, Liu Mingxia didn't particularly like this martial brother, but he was very good at patching up his roof whenever Shizun threw him through it. That was worth something. Goodwill begot goodwill. 

His phrasing was not crass... whatever his name was. 

"Her nature." Both men and women had fluctuations in yang and yin, and either could have a higher level of either energy. There were a lot of factors that came into play. One's bloodline, emotions, stress, even their diet. 

Shen Jiu's qi had proven to hold an irregularly high level of yin energy. 

There hadn't been much qi for him to notice at first, but as it gradually increased, he became certain. There was an excess of yin energy. That wasn't a terrible thing, per say, and certainly not for a young maiden. Excess yin energy could even benefit her cultivation if properly utilized during meditation. 

As for a young man, some excess yin energy was good, but that much? It spoke of chronic stress, even grief. A mental distress that would cripple one's mind and leave behind heart demons. Liu Mingxia couldn't imagine that a man would be functional under such duress. 

Most of all, it saddened him to consider Shen Jiu suffering. 

But truly, Shen Jiu acted much too normal to be under crippling mental distress. It didn't make sense to him that a person could be that good at going on with their day if they were so melancholic. Every grieving person he had met reacted differently, but none of them were as efficient and persistent as Shen Jiu. 

Additionally, her qi didn't feel distressed even when she attacked him in battle or launched her sharpened leaves to surprise him. It should be weighed with negativity if she were distressed. It wasn't. 

The yin energy leaking through into her qi wasn't colored with darkness or lethargy. It was bright, sharp and chilled as medicinal herbs, refreshing and beautiful. 

So. A woman. 

What else? 

Nothing else made sense. 

It was why he never reconsidered his initial assumption. Her fair face, her qi, her energy fluctuations, all pointed to a woman's nature. 

"You aren't going to elaborate, are you." 

"No." Too personal to go into detail. If a person fought Shen Jiu themself, they ought to be able to tell without him saying. If they couldn't tell, their observational skills should be brought into question. 

Liu Mingxia paused, then tossed a sack of dried monster meat strips at the senior. He had extra. Whatever Shen Jiu didn't eat, he handed out to martial siblings on the smaller side. Eat and grow. 

Come back as a suitable sparring partner. 

Liu Mingxia refocused his attention on Cheng Luan. The routine maintenance settled his mind. 

Speaking of spiritual energy... there was some cause for concern. 

He hadn't thought much of Shen Jiu deciding to cultivate in seclusion, as he also enjoyed training on one's own. It was often more effective because his juniors couldn't keep up with him. There was a richness of qi in the Lingxi Caves, ready to boost Shen Jiu's cultivation base. 

She couldn't be secluded for decades at a time either, so Liu Mingxia wouldn't have to miss her. Some weeks, possibly months. No longer than that. Some time alone could do her well. No distractions. 

If all went as expected, she could come out with greater strength, strength enough to earn permission to try and claim her own spiritual weapon. Then they could go flying together, have more fun fights. 

However, with the new knowledge he had, he was rightly concerned. 

If even a person as strong and capable as Yue Qingyuan could have such a violent, lengthy, and life-altering qi deviation, who was to say that Shen Jiu wouldn't? She hadn't in the time since he met her, but it was possible! Too possible! 

Those with later starts were far more likely to encounter hurdles and qi deviate. 

Very concerning. 

These stabilizing pills Liu Mingxia requested his mother get may not be enough. He was no medical professional. Good for late beginners to take and meditate with to soothe blockage in any malformed veins, but what if she had some other issues? Or worse, what if the twisting was more severe than he thought? 

Now that he thought about it, he had never asked Shen Jiu her age. She could be older than he thought. 

Spurred into action by the image of Shen Jiu spasming and choking on her own blood, Liu Mingxia did something rather impulsive and sought her out at night. 

* * * *

Shen Jiu threw a sword the second he heard footsteps. The arrays Liu Mingxia had helped him place around the cave's entrance disoriented the mind and discouraged any idle curiosity a passing cultivator or animal might have, but that only guaranteed him solace from the less perceptive. 

If someone passed through it and the several traps and protective incantations, that was a threat. 

The figure illuminated by night pearls caught the blade's tip between two fingers. Before Shen Jiu could grab his backup sword, they spoke. 

"Shen Jiu, we need to talk." 

Shen Jiu sat on his knees, sinking back into the comfort of the rug with grace that didn't befit his subtly trembling muscles. It was only Liu Mingxia. Safe, sturdy, stupid Liu Mingxia. 

"What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night." His voice was strong, no shaking. He gave her a disapproving frown. 

Liu Mingxia flipped the sword and walked closer to hand it back to him. "I am sorry. I needed to talk to you before your application got approved." 

"Can't it wait until morning?" Honestly, this girl. 

"No." Liu Mingxia sat in front of him, also frowning. 

Shen Jiu dragged a hand over his face. Fine, fine. If she went this far, there must be something wrong. He would only stay up all night wondering what she needed if he told her to scram.

Not that he had been sleeping earlier. 

That Yue Qingyuan. 

"Go on. What do you want?" 

"Have you ever had a deep meridian assessment?" 

"No." 

"You should get one conducted. Before you enter seclusion." 

"... Why? I haven't sustained any damage worth getting assessed over." 

"You have not had a qi deviation yet, but I am concerned you will get one. Your master cannot monitor your progress directly while you cultivate in seclusion. If you should suffer a qi deviation or die..." 

Something glinted on the girl's cheek, growing down from her eye and stopping at her chin. 

Shen Jiu was startled. He had never seen Liu Mingxia cry. Not once. She walked off broken limbs and concussions without so much as a sniffle! What is this! 

"I wouldn't die, you stupid brat." Don't cry. Please don't cry. 

"What if you never get to fly on your own sword? Is there a more pitiful fate?" 

"I highly doubt that is a common side effect of qi deviation." If cultivators got bound to their swords that often, more people would talk about it, scary sect leaders or no. 

"The medical attention is free. Go." Throwing his own words back at him, eh? 

"I don't like physicians." Shen Jiu could barely tolerate standing next to a man. Having one poke around in his body with foreign spiritual energy? That sounded atrocious. Invasive. Sickening. 

"Yet you keep sending me to them." 

Shen Jiu clicked his tongue. This brat... "If Mingxia went as well, I could request to have an assessment." 

As expected, his shimei somehow misconstrued his words. 

She had taken it as go get a checkup too, not guard me from untoward advances. 

Liu Mingxia ensured he got a female physician to perform the assessment, informing him of all the options that were apparently available to him. If he requested a physician of a specific sex, it was acceptable and even expected. There might be an additional physician in the room for monitoring and safety purposes, such as in the case of a man requesting a woman or the treatment of lust-inducing pollens. 

Shen Jiu was surprised this was available to a person like him. He would have tried to choke down his discomfort for Liu Mingxia's sake, but this, this was much better. If he knew this was an option, he might have come to Qian Cao for his own ailments earlier. 

"It isn't peculiar for a man to request a female physician?" He had to be sure. 

"No. Nothing improper can occur with a chaperone present. Young boys often prefer female physicians, as they find the male physicians more intimidating. It's not so strange." Liu Mingxia didn't look up from her own paperwork. 

Fascinating. 

Chapter Text

It was a rather unfortunate thing, but there were cultivators in their sect who would rather sneak into Qian Cao's library or their gardens to steal supplies and administer poor medical care to themselves. 

They were too stubborn, too ignorant, or too untrusting to seek help on their own. 

Bai Zhan disciples especially tended to ignore their problems or try to play physician to avoid waiting the full length of recommended rest and recovery time. It was only right to be suspicious when one was spotted wandering around between the bookshelves. 

Mu Zirui drifted closer, adopting a pleasant and nonjudgmental smile. It may be nothing, and should it be something, it would never do to show outward disapproval. Some patients needed to be coaxed into offering trust. They would only try and run away with an approach too forward. 

"Pardon the intrusion," Mu Zirui said. 

Before he could say anything else, a wooden guest pass was shoved into his face. 

"Here. The pass." 

That answered one question. The chance of this martial brother sneaking in to take medical advice from books rather than a physician lowered by forty percent. 

Mu Zirui gently pressed it away from his nose with two fingers. "Thank you for following the appropriate procedure." 

The pass lowered. The Bai Zhan disciple stuffed it back into his belt. 

"May I ask what you are researching today?" Mu Zirui dropped his smile but kept his body language open and friendly. It's fine to talk to him. Go on. "Perhaps I can help you locate a book. I am in here often for my own supplementary materials. I know my way around." 

The Bai Zhan boy said nothing for a moment. 

Mu Zirui continued to look for symptoms as he waited patiently. No flushed face, no dry skin, no obvious bruises. His eyes were clear and focused, no redness and no yellowing of the whites. No excessively dilated or contracted pupils. Appropriate for the lighting in here. 

"Antidotes," he was told. 

Had he or someone he knew been poisoned recently? With what? 

"Assignment or personal project?" Mu Zirui asked. Best to work up to it. Again, could be no cause for concern. 

"Assignment," the boy confirmed, much to Mu Zirui's relief. 

So it was only that. Good. "What is the nature of the assignment? Are you looking for books on general knowledge or the brewing of antidotes?" 

"General knowledge?" A question, not an answer. 

"Which antidotes to carry on missions and apply in the appropriate circumstances," Mu Zirui clarified. 

"Ah." The boy's expression cleared up. "The second." 

Brewing...? That didn't sound like something the Bai Zhan Peak Lord would put in their curriculum. Like most others, Bai Zhan requested antidotes as necessary. They didn't brew them personally. "Your master assigned this?" 

"No, my shijie did." Ah. Interesting. Perhaps she came from a family in the medical field. 

"Is that so? Is your shijie from Bai Zhan?" 

"Qing Jing." 

"Ah, Qing Jing. Has this shijie brewed antidotes herself?" 

"She recommended that I conduct my own research into antidotes and poisons, so I might gain a better understanding of what I am agreeing to." 

... That was rather peculiar phrasing. "What are you agreeing to?" 

"I agreed to allow the use of poisons and paralytics in our upcoming encounters," the boy explained. 

Mu Zirui couldn't help the thing his face did. He agreed to what? 

"It is ignoble for equals to use these tricks in a swordfight, but don't misjudge her." That wasn't the problem here. "Her reasoning is sound. How else can I prepare for battle in a compromised state? Is there better preparation than experimentation in a controlled environment? Can I suppress a foreign substance with my cultivation and end the fight before it takes effect? While it takes effect? I wouldn't know. I have been fortunate enough to avoid being poisoned before. It's a valid concern." 

The Bai Zhan disciple paused, then frowned at him. 

"It's not because she's a woman." 

"I am aware that men use poison." Again, not the problem here. "What poisons would your shijie be using?" 

"This to start with." He had a sample on hand. That was convenient. 

Mu Zirui took it from him and examined the liquid in the bottle. 

Fortunately, it was only venom from a five-paced pit viper, not an aphrodisiac or something more demonic and deadly. While highly inadvisable, being bitten by this snake would not kill a cultivator unless they had a prior blockage in their qi and were thus unable to circulate their spiritual energy. 

This martial brother was on the younger side, so it was all too possible he would be foolish enough to agree to be poisoned with something that might kill him should he not find relief in a sexual manner. When suggested by a pretty sister, logic and embarrassing side effects became irrelevant. 

This poison... while more preferable than other options, Mu Zirui didn't approve of this course of action. All it took was the wrong dosage or a haphazardly brewed antidote, and there would be agonizing consequences. Not death but this martial brother likely would not enjoy the outcome or his symptoms. 

On the other hand, there was a part of him that was curious to see what happened. He hadn't seen this specific poison afflict a patient with his own eyes. He wanted to see it in real time. He could witness a patient in a compromised state during battle and be there after the fact to ensure suitable medical intervention was given. 

No, no. Be professional. 

Advise against this. 

"It is good of your senior to get consent beforehand." There were recorded instances where jealous cultivators went and poisoned their martial siblings to get revenge over a lover's attention or a promotion they wanted. This was less awful. "The common symptoms are dizziness, heart palpitations, weakness of the limbs, nausea, and vomiting. If left untreated, you could develop an acute kidney injury or bleed out. It interferes with the body's ability to clot blood, so should you be stabbed with something coated in this, that's a very real possibility." 

"Shen Jiu will treat me." 

He must trust this Shen Jiu a lot.

Shen Jiu? That name was familiar, but he couldn't place why. He didn't try to. It was insignificant as of right now. 

"I advise against taking poison before or during a fight if you can avoid it." 

"It's fine." 

He wasn't going to listen, was he. Fine. "If you need an antidote, come to Qian Cao." 

"Shen Jiu wants to make them for me." 

It was like talking to a wall. "If she does, have her request permission to sit in on lectures specific to this topic before any use of poison. My seniors should be willing to mentor her. Do not attempt this experiment without appropriate experience." 

The boy stared at him for long enough that Mu Zirui began to worry he was a lost cause. Should he go and get a senior to talk to him about this? 

"I can ask her if that's what she wants." 

That was better. Good. Communicate. "Thank you." 

"Sitting in is good. I can do that. For research." 

Now he was getting it. "Yes, you can sit in too." 

If it dissuaded him from poisoning himself, that was best, but if not, at least he would know the actual steps of what to do in the event he was poisoned. Mu Zirui would feel much better if his seniors confirmed this person's skills beforehand. 

"The book." 

Mu Zirui directed him to the correct section and picked out some books for him. 

"Thank you." 

"Of course. Is that all you needed to research?" Please say yes. 

"Yes. I wanted to make the most of my time. Shen Jiu is still in her appointment." 

He came to pick her up. How diligent of him. "Do you know where to meet her?" 

"Yes." 

With that, Mu Zirui decided to let him get back to his business. Advice had been administered. No wounds needed looking over currently. His job was done. 

He made certain to mention the encounter to the appropriate seniors. They should be expecting a new mentee. Hopefully two. 

"Oh, the one who keeps dropping the Bai Zhan kid off and threatening to snap his ankles. It's him?" 

"Him?" Shen Jiu was a boy? Man? "The person I spoke with addressed Shen Jiu as 'shijie'." 

His senior snapped her fingers. "That's the one. Definitely them." 

Mu Zirui frowned. 

She clapped his shoulder. "Don't think on it too much. It's just how they speak to each other." 

Yeah... Liang-shijie was right. When it came to those two, so long as they didn't murder each other during an "experiment", he should be content. It mattered little what one called the other. "Yes." 

Chapter Text

No seclusion for Shen Jiu. 

Not for the next year at the very least. 

How irritating, to have to postpone that, but Shen Jiu would concede it was important to have his various health issues and damages under control before he was cleared to enter secluded cultivation. If he made Liu Mingxia cry over his thoughtlessness, then he would really be no better than any other man. He couldn't call himself her friend if he stomped over her delicate maiden's heart. 

This postponement gave Yue Qingyuan time to sneak out of wherever his master was presumably grounding him in and give Shen Jiu an actual explanation. 

An apology that made sense, had context. 

He did come back. He was late. For reasons previously discussed. 

(He wasn't abandoned.) 

He was sorry about the Sword Incident too. The recent one, that is. He couldn't explain that as well, but when pressed, it boiled down to, It seemed like a good idea at the time. 

This man had always been curiously impulsive. Their fellow street rats had thought him the more mature of the two, but no. No. Stupid, this one. 

"I don't want to see your face around," Shen Jiu told Yue Qingyuan once he was done. 

"I understand. Take your time, or if you prefer, I will never-" 

Stop. Stop. Stop that.

"We will see each other again." They had to if one was to be the sect leader and the other was to be leader of Qing Jing. Don't be unreasonable. What was Yue Qingyuan going to do, ban himself from meetings with fellow head disciples when Shen Jiu got promoted? Idiot. Way to shame your master. "Wait. Don't talk to me. I talk to you. When I want. If I want." 

"...yes. Whatever you want." 

"If I see you careless with your sword or skipping appointments with your physician, Xuan Su won't be the thing that kills you and throws you down the mountain." 

For the most part, he hadn't processed his grief beyond that breakdown he had. 

There were too many complex feelings associated with that person.

His hatred was correct, right, but he directed it at him for the wrong reasons. Did Yue Qingyuan enjoy seeing him wallow in his resentment? Why would he stay silent for years? Offer to cut his own life short on a whim? Was it some convoluted version of penance? Was he looking for any excuse to take the easy way out and die? 

There was a dark part of his heart that was glad he had suffered so badly. A part of him was glad Yue Qingyuan had struggled that much, become as broken as him. It was the same part that wanted Yue Qingyuan dead rather than out enjoying his life after he believed himself to be abandoned. 

He was cruel and selfish like that. Always had been. 

Resentment was a difficult habit to break. 

As was this insecurity of his, the lingering threat of being abandoned. It wasn't specific to Yue Qingyuan. 

It was not a page he could simply rip from a book and burn. It was an old poison in his head. Just as ink could not be separated so easily once it was dropped into a water bucket, it wouldn't leave him yet. This lingering dread, this anxiety. 

Unlike his sisters at the brothel, Liu Mingxia had resources aplenty. A family who loved her, the respect of her peers, wealth, natural talents, other friends. 

She wasn't like him, them. She was born blessed. She could leave at any time, go anywhere in the world she wanted. Even without money at hand, she was self sufficient. She could hunt for her own meals, kill most things with some effort. She could go on a trip and never come back, decide to explore the world. 

She could get married, have children, have no time for him. She could grow bored of him if he stayed weak. 

Liu Mingxia was sweet and cute and reliable. She was safe and a girl. But she was also his friend. His first and beloved friend had left him, the person he trusted most in the world. Who was to say the cycle wouldn't repeat itself? 

Now, now, now he knew. Too late. 

It wasn't as he imagined. That did not matter. The poison was already rooted in his heart. 

It was an ugly thing, his insecurity. 

Perhaps one day, Shen Jiu could trust wholly in another person, hold no secret doubts. Perhaps. 

Not yet. 

Worse... worse? Yes, worse. There was an unexpected side effect of the treatment he was given. 

As his body gradually stopped feeling so many old aches and pains, there were symptoms. Puberty symptoms. 

While he had more or less caught up to his peers in terms of puberty after he entered Qing Jing, he had never once felt lust for another person.

For him, lust was an emotion seen through his eyes and not felt on a personal level. The stress he felt when he was anywhere but with Liu Mingxia or his sisters prevented him from succumbing to maturing hormones and leaving any embarrassing messes in his trousers. 

That was convenient in its own way, though it was no doubt unhealthy. He would rather not debase himself like some animal. 

It happened around him, that violating unwanted lust. His martial brothers reeked of it, just as That Man reeked of it. 

It never happened to him. 

But now that he was getting medicine and qi infusions, sleep aids to help him sleep through entire nights... there were horrible consequences. 

Awful consequences. 

A new poison to ruin his day, his friendship. 

"When I die, I leave the entirety of my worldly possessions to you." 

"I appreciate the gesture, but I'd rather you didn't speak like that." A finger tipped with a pink painted nail flicked him on the forehead, hard. 

Well, it was true that Shen Jiu wasn't going to end his own life. Even when he wanted to die, he didn't. That was how he was. He kept surviving, out of spite. If the heavens wanted him to kill himself, they had to try harder. 

Nothing was going to kill him, let alone himself. He was going to be immortal and live for an eternity, see ages pass and mountains change. Mortal empires rise and fall. 

But this, this was rather awful. 

At the very least, he was relieved to find that his newly awakened... affliction... did not react to the sisters here. If it did, he might actually hide in some hole and never come out. He wouldn't deserve to seek comfort in their arms if he had any affinity with the patrons who looked at these girls like they were slabs of meat. 

Shen Jiu didn't know if they considered him a friend. At the end of the day, their relationship was transactional. 

He wouldn't ask. 

Meiling-jie's hands combed through his hair until it shone like silk. "It's a natural part of becoming an adult, A-Jiu. You're just a touch slower than the rest. Women have their desires too. It's no shame to spend some time with your own hand. Do you want some lubricant to take home?" 

"No." He was going to ignore this "development" until it passed. And it would pass. It better pass. 

If it didn't pass, there was always seclusion. Forever. 

"Let me know if you do. Jiejie has some good contraceptive tonics too." 

For some ungodly reason, the implication of Liu Mingxia, pregnant, had his face heating up. He didn't even like babies, the screeching wrinkled vermin. And yet, what was this? He was thinking about babies. Mingxia's babies. His babies. 

Shen Jiu would rather cut his own arm off than reproduce! 

These damn hormones-

Qi deviations were looking preferable right about now. 

The sisters teased him, pinching his pink cheeks and giggling. Shen Jiu tolerated it, enjoyed it. They didn't look at him like he was a monster. They distracted him with their pipa playing and gossip and made him feel a little less disgusting about himself. 

Shen Jiu was extraordinarily curt and disagreeable on days a passing thought about his cute shimei made his blood boil, his skin itch, or his gut twist. 

As if to combat his sourness, his seniors were entirely shameless about inviting Liu Mingxia over. 

The first time it happened, Shen Jiu attempted to stab the bastards. 

Liu Mingxia, predictably, caught his wrist. "No vigorous exercise. You heard the physicians. You need to focus on recovery." 

She smelled like smoke and monster guts. It was a comforting smell and yet only served to irritate him further. It made his skin tingle in that wrong-twitchy-nice way. Her fond smile made his heart hurt, giving it leave to pound away and skip beats. 

"They're bullying me," Shen Jiu claimed, earning pale faces and sputtering gasps. 

Liu Mingxia didn't ask what he meant by that and simply beat them up. She was cute like that. 

By the time she had gone to Qian Cao and back to drop off his shixiongs, Shen Jiu had calmed himself. He was restrained and diligent enough to keep any obvious physical signs from showing while he was awake, circulating his qi and recalling sutras, but that damnable blushing... it was harder to force away. 

He was presentable enough for a game of xiangqi. Or a discussion of poison. A walk through the forest. Whatever suited his friend for the day. 

He wouldn't send her away. He never did. 

"Shijie, I'm back." 

See how cute she is? 

Ugh, he wanted to eat her. 

-wait. No. No. Not like that. Never like that. Fuck. Shit. Fuck. 

"Shen Jiu?" 

Shen Jiu covered the bottom half of his face with a sleeve, and Liu Mingxia leaned closer, worried. Dense. Naive child that she was. 

"You didn't try poison on yourself, did you? You said you would try it on me." 

"No. That's not it. I'm fine." Shen Jiu forced himself to look her in the eye. 

"Sure?" 

"Yes." Lean back. 

Liu Mingxia leaned back, still frowning. "I'll beat them harder next time." 

"You do that." It wouldn't solve all his problems or even this one specifically, but it would be hilarious. 

Chapter Text

"What would you do if I was a demon?" 

Really? 

Right now? 

That was the pressing question? 

"I would kill you," Liu Mingxia answered immediately. 

Ji Jue made an affronted noise. "No hesitation? None?" 

"I would also kill you if you were a demon," Shen Jiu answered, sweeping cold eyes over the junior. 

Ji Jue's chest puffed at her contempt. He looked at Liu Mingxia, eager. Fight? 

Liu Mingxia shook his head slightly. No fight. 

Shen Jiu would tell him first if she were allowed to get back to the same activity level as before. Alas, as of yet, only running through sword forms and preapproved exercises. No spars and no Bai Zhan spars.

The last thing Shen Jiu needed was a setback. Her body needed to heal and catch up to any growing she hadn't gotten to prior to this. If she became injured before she was done being treated, she would have to wait longer. He wouldn't wish that frustration on her. 

Ji Jue lowered his shoulders, disappointed. No fight. "Can circumstances not bear any weight in your mind, wise seniors?" 

"Circumstances are negligible. You're a demon standing in Cang Qiong, on Bai Zhan soil. You die by Cheng Luan," Liu Mingxia said. 

"Even if you know me?" Ji Jue asked. 

"Especially if I know you. Then you're a liar and a demon. You die." That's how it worked. No demons in Cang Qiong. 

"Are you a demon? Why don't we cut his head from his shoulders to be on the safe side?" Shen Jiu suggested. 

"Are we fighting?" Two more juniors came closer, swords out. 

Liu Mingxia raised his voice. "No fighting." 

"We aren't pretending to be demons versus humans?" 

"Why not? That sounds fun." 

"No." No fighting Shen Jiu. No ambushing Shen Jiu. Not yet. 

"It's a thought experiment," Ji Jue explained. 

"You're the demon?" 

"Yeah." 

"I'd kill you." 

"I agree with Shen-shijie. Let's cut the demon's head off." 

Shen Jiu clicked her tongue. "Don't address me so casually." 

"I did say 'shijie', didn't I?" 

"You did say 'shijie'." 

"Your senior calls me 'shijie'. Not you." 

"Well, how am I supposed to address you then? Liu-" "How about if the demon was Shen Jiu? What then?" 

"-oh, oh, yeah, what would you do then?" 

Liu Mingxia blinked. If the demon was Shen Jiu...? Ridiculous. "Shen Jiu isn't a demon." 

"If Shen Jiu was a demon. This is the question. That's why it's a thought experiment," Ji Jue continued. 

Shen Jiu looked to him as well, arching a brow, expectant. "Yes, what would you do if I was a demon?" 

Liu Mingxia floundered. "You're not a demon." 

"If I was?" Shen Jiu pressed. 

"You're not." 

"Answer the question." 

"I... don't like to entertain the thought of you dying," Liu Mingxia reminded her after a brief pause. 

"So you wouldn't kill me. That's foolish. You should eliminate threats before they eliminate you." 

"You're not a demon," Liu Mingxia repeated. Don't make him consider this too seriously. The thought of losing Shen Jiu was disturbing, painful even. He didn't want to think about this. 

It wasn't that he would want to kill Ji Jue either. Of course he didn't, but his very real concerns over Shen Jiu's health and potential qi deviations weren't so long ago. It was a touchy subject to him. 

Shen Jiu's expression softened as she stared at him. She patted the back of his hand. "Fine. I'm not a demon." 

"So you would kill Liu Mingxia then," Ji Jue presumed. 

"Obviously," Shen Jiu said. 

Yes, obviously. 

The younger boys nodded. What else would Shen Jiu do to him? A demon was a demon. 

"Get lost," Liu Mingxia ordered. "Go experiment with others. We're busy." 

After some complaining, the juniors got lost. 

"I lied," Shen Jiu claimed. 

"About?" Liu Mingxia asked. 

"The demon. I wouldn't kill it." 

"You wouldn't kill a demon." 

"I wouldn't kill this specific demon." 

That was surprising. "But it's a threat. You should kill it." 

"It is intrinsically repulsive, a beast." 

"Indeed it is." 

"Dangerous." 

"Yes." 

"This demon has only been kind and sweet to me thus far. It was good to me and welcomed me with open arms when I was lonely. It cared for me and cherished me as a precious sibling. It's terribly adorable and dear to my heart. It makes me feel content and happy. It cries for me when I suffer. Even most humans wouldn't have such space in their heart for me. Why should I rid the world of what's mine?" 

Ah, that is... wow. 

"I make you feel that way?" 

"The demon." 

Liu Mingxia rubbed at his neck, heart tight and strange. Too many compliments at once. "But it's a demon." 

"If it means me no harm and continues to prove that with its actions, I could pardon it for being such a lowly creature." 

That was rather... sweet of her to say, but as she would say, very stupid. Just eliminate the demon. "That's stupid." 

"Yes, stupid." 

"What wouldn't you pardon me for?" 

He was curious. 

Shen Jiu was silent as she considered this. 

"If the demon grew to hate me or leave me, we would have a problem." 

"Is that it?" 

"Well... I suppose if the demon became a man." 

Ah, a joke. It wasn't particularly funny, but Liu Mingxia didn't understand all of Shen Jiu's humor.

"If I 'became' a man, you would hate it?" 

For a joke, Shen Jiu was regarding the matter very seriously. That must add to the sarcasm, yes? "If you became a man, I would only forgive you if you remained precisely as you are. No changes. Not in appearance. Not in attitude. Not in a single area. One thing off, and I will kill you." 

Oh. Well. Simple enough. "I can do that." 

"The demon." 

"Yes, the demon." Of course. 

"Don't you want to hear the rest?" Shen Jiu asked, mouth forming a sly half-smile. 

Liu Mingxia shrugged. If she wanted to say more, she could. "Go on." 

"I would play with the demon daily, so it doesn't get lonely and feed it by my own hand." 

"That's not wise. Plenty of demons like human flesh. Keep your hands away from the mouth." 

"The demon is you. You would eat me?" 

"No, but I did bite you once before. It could happen again." On the topic of biting... "Why haven't you bitten me?" 

Shen Jiu's ears reddened, then her cheeks. When she spoke, her voice cracked. "Sorry?" 

Liu Mingxia held up his hand. "You haven't bitten me in thirty seven days." 

"Why are you keeping track of that sort of thing?" Shen Jiu demanded, stomping her foot over his toes. 

"I was only-" Okay, stop stomping on his foot please. "Fine, no biting. I get it. I can wait." 

"Wait?" 

"I'd like you if you were a man," Liu Mingxia added. "It doesn't matter to me. We are friends." 

Shen Jiu paused her stomping. "Not a demon? Only a man?" 

"I would have to kill a demon, so don't be a demon." Liu Mingxia was just happy that Shen Jiu had chuckled. She had a good laugh. She should laugh more. 

Chapter Text

"This junior offers his greetings to his senior. His name is Mu Zirui, disciple of Qian Cao." 

It was courteous to bow back to such a polite greeting, so Shen Jiu did. "This one is called Shen Jiu, disciple of Qing Jing." 

The boy started to hand him something. 

"This is for you to have." 

A little blue bottle with a green stopper. 

His medicine didn't come in blue bottles with green stoppers. 

Shen Jiu opened the lid to examine what was inside on the spot. This was not his usual physician's assistant nor one of the seniors mentoring Liu Mingxia in antidote brewing. He was rightly suspicious of ill intentions. 

And, ah. How predictable. A death threat. 

Very unsubtle way to tell him to go and die. 

Men. Not even the physicians in training could be trusted, let alone the male physicians. 

How had he crossed this person? That hardly mattered. Shen Jiu caught him by the jaw all the same, intent on dumping the poison straight down his rude little throat. He would hardly die, would he now? Physicians all around. 

So drink up, Shidi. 

"Need help?" a passing physician interjected. 

"No thank you. We are only making conversation." 

"... Fine. Behave yourselves." 

The man walked off. 

This martial brother didn't look that alarmed, mild expression growing confused at the fingers crushing onto his jaw. He even let himself be manhandled into a more secluded corner without much trouble. "Do you not like that one?" 

"You're asking that?" 

"It seems I've caused some offense. Please unhand me, and we can discuss this. That was never my intention," the boy said. 

"If you cause offense, you should be ready to take responsibility." Shen Jiu lifted the bottle with a menacing smile, digging a thumb at the corner of his mouth to pry it open wide. 

Still no alarm. He actually looked almost excited. "Oh, did you want to test that on me and then use your antidote? Did you already make one? Let's try that. Go ahead." 

He opened his mouth wide of his own volition, lifting a hand to point at his face. His thumb went up. Go on. I'm ready. 

...you know what, he's enjoying this too much. Shen Jiu might just drag him over to his seniors and report him after dishing out a beating. What a pervert! 

"Ow," popped out as Shen Jiu's grip tightened. "Ow, let go." 

"Shen Jiu." Liu Mingxia nearly crashed into them. "What are you doing?" 

Shen Jiu kept squeezing the boy's face but thrust the bottle at her. She could see for herself. This was a valid reaction. How else should he react when someone hands him poison? "See." 

"Hm." Liu Mingxia shut the bottle. "Changed your mind, did you?" 

What's this? "Do you know this thing?" 

"He helps me pick out books sometimes." She glanced at Mu Zirui. "So? Did you want to watch? What?" 

"I was going to ask if I could observe and take notes on reactions, yes. If you are going to keep doing this sort of thing regardless of my advice... it could supplement my studies to have firsthand experience. I wouldn't come emptyhanded." 

Liu Mingxia tilted her head. She stared off in the distance for a bit before looking at Shen Jiu, her blank expression erring to approval. "He can get us more poison. Wouldn't you prefer that? Let him go." 

Shen Jiu squeezed harder just to be contrary before he released the boy's face, shoving him away. Mu Zirui didn't stumble, only sway. He rubbed at his jaw. 

"I don't trust you to observe Mingxia." Who could look at her for an extended period of time and keep a clean mind? Even Shen Jiu was struggling with that these days. This person? Not trustworthy. He must have other intentions. 

Shen Jiu wouldn't let some stranger come around her just for a couple extra poisons. He could find some himself or get Liu Mingxia to collect them when she went hunting. Not worth it. He wouldn't put her in that position. 

"I understand. I apologize if I came off as overeager when you would be the one doing me a favor. Allow me to rectify my error." 

The boy's expression cleared, and he nodded, reaching out to take the bottle. Liu Mingxia passed it to him. 

Much to Shen Jiu's shock, the Qian Cao disciple brought it to his lips and drank the entire thing. On the spot. Was he insane? Was that it? 

"Spicier than I expected. Quite the kick," Mu Zirui commented, as if he went around drinking poisons every other day. Was this common behavior for him? 

"How is that meant to fix a thing?" Shen Jiu scoffed, concealing his surprise with disdain. 

"You should observe me today. I will prove my sincerity and my ability to concoct antidotes in a timely fashion in the event of an emergency." Mu Zirui turned on his heel and headed off, lifting a hand to indicate they follow him. 

Liu Mingxia stepped after him first. Shen Jiu followed after her, half a step behind and wearing a frown. 

Fortunately for Mu Zirui, or unfortunately in Shen Jiu's opinion, he didn't end up dying. All he did was tremble a bit and leak blood from his eyes before he righted his condition with a freshly brewed antidote. It helped the ingredients had been laid out in his workspace beforehand, no doubt. 

Anticipating they would say yes... how bold of him. 

"I'm not allowing you to observe Mingxia," Shen Jiu reiterated. He didn't ask him to do this. He owed him nothing, and Liu Mingxia especially, she owed him nothing. Nothing. 

"Yet," Liu Mingxia added, arms crossed over her chest. 

"No," Shen Jiu said. Not "yet". No "yet". Absolutely not. 

Mu Zirui continued to clean up his mess, swiping down his table with a rag. "Would you rather try them on me for some time first? I don't mind experiencing it firsthand that way." 

Liu Mingxia looked at Shen Jiu, lifting a brow. "Hm?" 

Shen Jiu lifted a brow right back. "You would let me try that on another human?" 

Wasn't she so reluctant? How much did he need to talk her into this in the first place? And even then, she was all, No no don't use poison in swordfights except with me. People will get the wrong idea if you go around poisoning martial siblings. Think of your reputation. 

Shen Jiu would absolutely use poison in any fight he needed to, but it was better to agree to her terms for now. He'd get her to come around to his "tricks" eventually. She didn't have to use it herself if she didn't wish to, but she could get used to him doing this sort of thing... probably. She accepted most things about Shen Jiu. 

"He's willing. Not a problem," Liu Mingxia said with a shrug. 

Shen Jiu breathed out through his nose and directed his eyes to Mu Zirui, who offered an encouraging smile. 

Well. 

At least he was a man. 

Shen Jiu never needed a reason to torture a man. "I'll consider it." 

Chapter Text

Air whipped across Liu Mingxia's cheek, a belated slap that trailed after the foreign sword that sank into the eye of his prey, through its skull, and pinned it to the ground. 

If it weren't for the familiar brush of spiritual energy, he would have grown angry. How much effort had he put into tiring this beast, only to have the final blow stolen from under him? Incredibly rude. 

Rude like Shen Jiu. 

"That's mine," Liu Mingxia complained, irritated but not angry. The excitement he felt upon seeing Shen Jiu was not small. For her to be here, of all places, when he hadn't specified where he was hunting? 

Perfect. 

She tracked him down. Of course she was able to do so. She was so clever and capable. She grew so fast, improved right along with him. She could catch him in ways his juniors lacked. She was reliable, dependable. Did he already say perfect? 

The maiden was wrapped in sunlight and green cloth, black hair bound away neatly in a bun ran through with two hairsticks. There was no makeup on her face, only blood and a smug smile. 

A cold finger touched his cheek, wiping viscera free of his skin. The line she cleared itched. Not itched. No, it buzzed, alive with the peculiar tension hanging in the air. 

"Too slow. How can you complain? That's mine now." Teeth flashed under her smile, bone white. Liu Mingxia thought of fangs. 

He thought of them sinking into his hand, playful and rude and all too Shen Jiu. 

He shook himself. 

"You have a sword." A true sword, an other half. A spiritual weapon. 

Shen Jiu held out her hand, and the hilt slapped into her palm. It was to be expected from one like her, but she had adjusted well to calling her blade. How happily they returned to her, ready and waiting for orders. 

"I have a sword," Shen Jiu affirmed. "Their name is Xiu Ya." 

How suitable. 

Liu Mingxia was so thrilled he forgot himself, grabbing her biceps, then pulling her to his chest in a tight embrace. "You've done so well. All your diligence and persistence has born fruit. I am proud of you." 

Shen Jiu stiffened in surprise, ears growing pinker. "Mingxia." 

Ah. "Forgive me. That was discourteous of me." 

"I don't dislike it," Shen Jiu clarified after she was carefully released. "I only need some prior warning. Hugs are... more than other acts." 

Yes, it involved more surface area than brief hand holding. This was his error. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again." 

"You may do it again," his martial sister insisted, smoothing a hand over her green skirts to fix subtle imperfections. "Just. Ask first." 

Liu Mingxia nodded. 

"On that note-" Shen Jiu started to wipe gore off her blade with a black handkerchief. "Let us begin." 

"Are we fighting?" Liu Mingxia demanded, hopeful. 

"No." Shen Jiu shook her head. 

"Flying?" Flying with Shen Jiu while she stood on her sword and he stood on his, how fun would that be? They could even race. 

"Partially, but there is something better we must accomplish." Shen Jiu lifted her chin, a smirk playing across her lips. "A hunting competition." 

Oh, she was the best sort of friend. He loved her. 

"Starting now." 

"Naturally." 

"Time limit?" 

"Seven days." 

"Good luck." 

"Why, thank you." 

"You'll need it," Liu Mingxia added, earning a sharp elbow to the side. 

Riling her up was fun too. She had such a temper. 

* * * *

Shen Jiu was reclined on a large stone embedded in the riverbank, laying stretched out with one arm to cushion his head and the other to position his book in front of his face. Overhanging branches shielded him from the late morning sun. 

If his eyes wandered from the dry pages, it was only because of all the splashing. 

Following the conclusion of their overly competitive week of yao hunting, his shimei had taken to the river at Shen Jiu's insistence. She stank. If she went into town like that, villagers would faint from the stench alone. 

"It's not that awful." 

"It is. So's the blood. Get rinsed." 

Liu Mingxia continued to paddle about the immediate stretch of the river, going further and then nearer to where he lay. Fully clothed, naturally, but for her belt and boots, which she ditched in a careless fling near Shen Jiu's boulder. 

This martial sister of his really had too much energy. All she needed to do was dunk herself in the water for some time and let the blood and viscera be washed away. What was all this activity for? Unnecessary. 

Kweh. 

Shen Jiu absently set his book down and focused on diverting the mouthful of water that Liu Mingxia spat at him with his qi. Much like moving needles or leaves, this was simple enough to accomplish with a bit of practice. It was more effort as he had to consider individual droplets to avoid his clothes or skin becoming soaked, but simple, yes. 

With a flick of his fingers, the water went shooting back at the maiden's face, only narrowly missing her right eye as she dove under the rippling surface. It plopped down and rejoined its brethren with a soft splash. 

Liu Mingxia resurfaced after showing off her lung capacity. She was much closer than before, the lower half of her face bobbing in and out of the water. Her cheeks were full and puffed. 

"Don't you dare," Shen Jiu warned. 

Kweh. 

The water shot harmlessly in the wrong direction, away from Shen Jiu and his book. 

"Shen Jiu," Liu Mingxia said. 

"What is it?" Shen Jiu flipped to the next page, one eye on her. She better not spit at him again. He could tolerate some playing but not too much. 

"I am getting out. You rinse off." 

Her left hand had come up from the water to cover the upper half of her face, shielding her impressionable eyes.

Just as it always did in other circumstances that Shen Jiu ended up wet. That, or she would turn sideways to offer him some semblance of privacy and start trying to peel the clothes off her own back to toss at him. 

Her hand or that. 

Shen Jiu preferred the hand. Having to talk her down from dumping her clothes on him was a challenge. Not to mention extraordinarily awkward as he was also covering his own eyes at the same time because - maiden in a state of undress? Any form of undress? Absolutely not, put those clothes back on, young lady! Think of your own modesty! Concern yourself with yourself! 

His sisters at the brothel might undress to their comfort level, so they might sleep in the same bed as him, but this was a different matter. He shouldn't be seeing her with less clothing. Ever. 

Her utter disregard for her own beauty was a real pain at those times. 

It was marginally better that she had started to carry around extra robes solely for the purpose of throwing them on Shen Jiu in the event it started raining. At least she had stopped using the clothes she was actively wearing. 

The dichotomy between her sense of modesty and chivalry was interesting and distressing. They clashed.

Chivalry forever won out when Shen Jiu's modesty came into question. 

Even if only a sleeve tore, Liu Mingxia would end up throwing clothes at him. 

Shen Jiu had his own extras. Please calm down. The gesture was much appreciated. 

The hand, much better. Cute. 

"Don't look," Shen Jiu said. 

There was panic in her voice. "Don't undress. The inn room. We're getting one. Don't undress." 

That wasn't what he was implying, but again, cute. "Just rinsing." 

"... Yes. Good. Don't do more. It's improper. I should guard you, and I cannot do that to the best of my ability a li away," Liu Mingxia continued, eyes firmly covered as she slogged onto the bank. 

"An entire li?" 

"Two li." 

Shen Jiu moved his book out of harm's way. "Don't drip on my things." 

After he became relatively less bloody and they ventured into the nearest town, another issue was raised. 

"There's one bed." 

There was indeed only one bed.  

Shen Jiu was clearly sleeping on the floor. No other options. 

If it weren't for the warm bath he so sorely needed, he would go and sleep out in the forest like every night before. Separate tents kept this problem from cropping up. 

"You take the bed," Liu Mingxia ordered right as he opened his mouth. 

Shen Jiu frowned. "No, you take the bed." 

"No, you." 

"You." 

"You." 

"You." 

"You." 

"You." 

"You." 

This brat. Shen Jiu can be chivalrous too. Let him take the fucking floor. "I'm sleeping on the floor." 

"Don't be ridiculous." 

"I'm not frail. Do not treat me like I am." 

"No, you're not, but you're sleeping on the bed. I like sleeping on the floor." 

"Nobody likes sleeping on the floor. You're sleeping on the bed." 

"No, you." 

No one slept on the bed. 

They both slept on the floor, opposite sides of the room, with their backs to each other, faces to their respective wall. 

Chapter Text

As it had been some time, Shen Jiu decided it was time for the next step of their relationship. 

His cute martial sister was supportive of his time spent at the brothel down the mountain. While she didn't know precisely what he did there or why, she was accepting of it. She even paid for him at times. It was no great leap to imagine her meeting them. 

The sisters there wouldn't blurt out all his secrets without permission. Shen Jiu was sure of that. 

It would be a simple time, possibly even a great time.

He could take her during the daylight hours, when any of the vaguely respectable clientele often stayed for the company, music, and teahouse amenities. Some openminded artists would come and purchase the women's time to paint them in various states of undress, but many of the sisters should be available at that time to meet Liu Mingxia. 

Shen Jiu brought up the matter as he usually did, bluntly. 

"Come with me to the Warm Red Pavilion next week." 

Liu Mingxia agreed easily, which should have been something he was suspicious of. 

Soon enough, when he took her shopping for disguises in the market, he was hit with, "Why do I require a disguise? If it is an issue that needs solving, there is no cause for shame. Let us visit them at once. No time to waste. Make haste. We shall report to the elders once we complete the mission." 

Shen Jiu stared at her serious face, then the sword she was pointing to on her back. 

"... No. There isn't a monster," he clarified. 

"A resentful spirit." 

"No." 

"Skinner demon." 

"No." 

"Dream demon." 

"No, no demons." 

"Hungry ghost?" 

"No." Shen Jiu held up a hand to stop her from guessing more. She couldn't guess it right. "It's a social visit." 

Liu Mingxia's mouth dropped open. "Social?" 

"Yes, I am friendly with them, so I thought you might meet them. Do you disagree?" Shen Jiu asked, growing worried by how terrified she looked. He chanced some humor to alleviate her fears. Could it be that? "They won't skin you and roast you in a stir fry for chasing away some martial brothers as you did. You pay them plenty enough to make up for such a ruckus, and you said you apologized for disturbances. Right?" 

She was getting better about not shattering things when she was excited, so she shouldn't have caused any property damage recently... hopefully. His sisters hadn't mentioned a nuisance cultivator that broke doorways. That would be something they complained of. 

Liu Mingxia nodded, cheeks red. "Y- B- That. It. I cannot. It wouldn't be appropriate." 

"Whyever not?" Is this because she came from a good family? Had her parents told her spending time with such women would corrupt her morally? For a person who spent time with Shen Jiu, another lowly person from a dirty background, it was peculiar that now she was kicking up a fuss. "Is it because they are not cultivators?" 

"No," Liu Mingxia said. 

"Then what?" He didn't understand what her problem was. She never talked down or badly about these women. What was so bad about spending some time with them? 

"The ladies are partially undressed at times, or the la-layers are thinner. A person such as I cannot remain in the same room as women without all their clothes on. It's. I could not. It's improper." 

Oh. Oh. Oh? Oh! 

Really? 

So it was like that. With how hard she was blushing, it had to be that. Oh, his shimei was much too adorable. 

Shen Jiu snorted, and Liu Mingxia scowled at him, punching his arm. 

"Shijie. Not funny. It's important." 

Ah, don't worry, Shimei. Your shijie is only teasing. He likes girls better too. Not usually like that, but he gets it. Girls are better. It's another thing they have in common. 

"Don't fret, Mingxia. I'll request that all my friends dress for winter." 

"They need not trouble themselves. I know they are busy. They should be comfortable." 

Shen Jiu pinched her ear. So fucking adorable, this brat. "Next week then?" 

"Th-that's..." 

"Please?" 

Liu Mingxia sputtered, refusing to look at him. "I'll consider it." 

* * * *

Once a month, Liu Mingxia would come to ask him if he was attending all his physician's appointments. Having scolded him for worrying Shen Jiu, he seemed content to check up on his senior with no ill will. 

Yue Qingyuan would answer, "Yes," and they would get to the issuing a challenge and fighting portion of the day. 

He was an earnest young man. Yue Qingyuan didn't dislike him. 

It took nineteen months, eight days, and three shichen for Shen Jiu to come himself. 

He had grown taller in their time apart, put on some weight. There was more color to his cheeks. This was a delightful development. 

Yue Qingyuan was careful not to talk to him first, as per his wishes. Shen Jiu would look through his schedule, check over all his arrays, and make certain Xuan Su was firmly sheathed away. Then he checked any and all food and drink he had in his room for poison and trickery. 

"Head disciples are prone to assassination attempts, future zhangmen especially. Any with sense and ambition would choose to be the sect leader. Your position is desirable. Do not make a fuss." 

Very sensible, his Xiao Jiu. 

Yue Qingyuan would never grow offended that this boy thought he was an imbecile. He had given him plenty reason to think so. Additionally... he was just pleased to have him around again, in any capacity he could. 

To have such proof he cared for him still, it eased some tight knot in his heart. 

Once Shen Jiu was satisfied, he would comment on the quality of his tea leaves. 

Yue Qingyuan took the hint for what it was. 

"Should you like me to brew you a pot?" 

"Don't trouble yourself for this junior, esteemed senior." 

"It is no trouble." 

They never chatted while they drank. It was a silent affair. 

Then, out of nowhere one day: 

"A shimei I know likes women." 

If this wasn't a segue into talking about Liu Mingxia, Yue Qingyuan would eat his shoe. Both of them. 

That's how certain he was this was about Liu-shidi, not a regular girl shimei. 

First came the relief that Shen Jiu was willing to poke and prod at him again. It was no charming foot stomps, shin kicks, or toothy bites, but Yue Qingyuan took what form of bullying he could get. If Xiao Jiu did nothing to a person, ignored them entirely, that was worse. Far worse. 

Then came the concern that ought to follow the words. Liu Mingxia liked women. Shen Jiu was a man. 

"Some enjoy the company of both," Yue Qingyuan offered. 

Shen Jiu's face scrunched in revulsion. "Not possible." 

Not. Possible? Whatever did he mean?

Yue Qingyuan was positive he and Xiao Jiu had held such a conversation in their earlier years. Growing boys were curious about such topics. One of their elder sisters had tried (and unfortunately failed miserably) to run away with a shopkeeper's daughter, got her legs broken for the trouble. It was the natural order of things for Xiao Jiu to ask if women were allowed to marry women or men to marry men. 

"Did this person specify they prefer only women?" Yue Qingyuan asked. 

"Shen-shidi only brings this to Yue-shixiong's attention to deter him from any wandering thoughts." 

Yue Qingyuan wasn't going to laugh. He wasn't. Shen Jiu was confiding in him here. This was a serious conversation. (But he's just so cute.) A strangled cough left his mouth. "I? With Liu Mingxia?" 

"It is a healthy respect that child feels, nothing more. You are an admirable warrior and a challenge. Do not mistake that interest as anything else. You're too old for that person." 

If Shen Jiu needed to process his feelings (rejection?) by dropping them on Yue Qingyuan, twisting it into some flaw of his, that was... fine? Just a little unexpected. "Liu Mingxia is but two years younger than you. The gap in age is not extreme." 

Even if it were, they were cultivators. Some elders were rumored to marry disciples of a younger generation. The gap of some decades mattered little once both parties were old enough. 

"We are not discussing me." Weren't they? 

"This senior understands that he should and will keep a professional view of that junior. Does this mean Shen-shidi welcomes a woman courting his Liu-shimei?" 

The teacup in Shen Jiu's hand creaked dangerously. There was a sharp smile on his face. "Yes. In the event that my Mingxia strays from her simple path and encounters romance, this senior will support her wholeheartedly, should the match be proper and suit her well. Nothing would please this senior more." 

The growing cracks in his pottery suggested otherwise. And the use of "my". 

Yue Qingyuan suspected he was angrier that this senior was pushing him on the subject however. He directed Shen Jiu's attention elsewhere for now. "Would you ever poison me?" 

He'd let him poison him. 

Please poison him. 

It was Shen Jiu's right to bully whomever he desired and however he desired, but Yue Qingyuan could hope. He could desire. 

The death grip on the teacup loosened. "What are you asking now?" 

"You have been playing with that Qian Cao disciple as well, Mu-shidi. If you should require any more participants for study, I could-" Yue Qingyuan hesitated briefly, embarrassed to be so forward. "I'm also here." 

Shen Jiu set down his teacup, stood up, and left the room. He could be heard muttering, "Why do the Heavens test me with such insane men?" 

That wasn't a no. 

Chapter Text

Liu Mingxia was hesitant to go to a brothel for non-work related reasons, but Shen Jiu wished to introduce him to her friends. That was no small matter. To dismiss it entirely when it evidently meant a great deal to her... ah, he couldn't manage that. 

It meant something to Shen Jiu, so he would give it a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

If he was going to do this, he was going to do this right. 

All educators must be revered and treated with the utmost respect. Parents who taught you the first lessons you ought to know, masters you would swear fealty to, elder brothers who mentored you in martial arts, elder sisters that instructed you in fashion or art. 

Gratitude must be offered for their consideration and guidance. 

Their class or station mattered little. An educator was an educator. 

These women had educated his friend. It was only appropriate he get them a gift. 

But... what to get? 

He sought the wisdom of his senior brothers. He knew, as a guest, he should bring something that was not too lavish or excessive. No shoes or pears, those could bring bad luck. Did it need to be handmade? He wasn't as proficient in the arts as he was the sword, but he could try to make something. 

Whittling. He could whittle something. That used a blade. He was good with blades. 

"As this person-" 

"People," Liu Mingxia corrected. 

"People, these people are not your mentors, only your friend's, your shixiong suggests going with fruit or tea leaves. Those tend to please educators well. No need to handmake anything." 

Fruit. Tea leaves. Got it. 

"No pears." 

He knew that. "Bad luck." 

"No blades either. Normal people don't like being given blades on the first meeting." 

"If you can cook, bringing handmade food to offer appreciation isn't so terrible. Can you cook?" 

Oh, cook. Well, he supposed he could do so. He did cook for Shen Jiu. It was mostly meat, but other simple things... why not? It did need to be portable, not something he had to bring a thousand extra things to serve. Something jarred, handheld. "I have made hawthorn jam before." 

Just the once. It was time consuming, and he would rather eat the berries raw if he had the choice. But his juniors enjoyed those little activities. Gave them something to occupy their leisure time with, so they didn't get up to trouble. 

"That'll do." 

Liu Mingxia thanked them for their advice and got to work. Hawthorn berries for hawthorn jam. He would get it done. 

Gathering, mashing, boiling, draining, waiting, stirring, syruping, pouring. Then came the jars. 

Quite troublesome. Skinning and deboning his prey was more entertaining. Yet it was worth it to see his friend's smile. Not a half-smile or a small smile, a regular sized smile! She was swift to hide it behind a sleeve, but Liu Mingxia saw it. It was there. 

He made her smile. 

Some pride was warranted. 

"The berries alone would have sufficed," Shen Jiu commented. 

Liu Mingxia shrugged. "I am inconveniencing them, so it is the least I could manage." 

"The clothes," Shen Jiu assumed. 

"The clothes," Liu Mingxia affirmed. 

"Which you would make no issue of if we were in the midst of a mission." 

"No, there are more important matters to tend to." He could prioritize. 

Shen Jiu shook her head, amused. "Mingxia is adorable." 

Wha-? "No." 

"Yes." 

"No." 

"Yes." 

"It's proper." Don't tease him. 

Shen Jiu, in true Shen Jiu fashion, proceeded to tease him all the way to the front door of the brothel, her hand grabbing his and holding it hostage. Liu Mingxia let her have her fun. It was somewhat scandalous to allow a woman who wasn't family to hold his hand this long, but as Shen Jiu would say, they were pretending to be brothers for the day. Brothers could hold hands. 

"Young brothers," Liu Mingxia had reminded her, only to be refuted with: 

"No, all brothers. Stop struggling." 

"Adult brothers don't hold hands." Even if they were blood brothers, that was a bit strange for adult brothers to do so. For two men, unrelated, wasn't that more of a husband activity? Walking, holding onto each other, delicately swinging their arms? Prolonged handholding was a bit much. 

"Mingxia is wrong. Listen to Gege." 

His martial sister was adorable in her own right, that utter menace. 

* * * *

"A-Jiu's friend is courteous. Bring him again soon," Meiling-jie said as she scooped out another spoonful of hawthorn jam and stuck it into her mouth. 

"Tell the little master to bring more jam. Ask him to use peaches next time." 

"Peach jam sounds delicious." 

"Right?" 

Hm? 

Shen Jiu looked away from the scene of Liu Mingxia battling the youngest pipa player in xiangqi, no mercy and ruthless as ever. A-Xiu was holding her own fairly well. "Mingxia is only playing at being a little master. She's my shimei." 

The women shared a look. 

"That's a man." 

"Definitely a man." 

"That's a man." 

"Unless...? That person introduced themself as a woman?" 

"There is that. Cultivators must have resources to aid in that sort of thing. Plants? Techniques?" 

"It- there are some things regarding that, but it isn't," Shen Jiu interjected. If he considered it... "This isn't that. She never introduced herself as such." 

No, she hadn't. Not once. 

She beat people up if they asked her to her face if she was a man or a woman, but she never... said. Not that. Not specifically. She hadn't, had she. 

Was Shen Jiu... how had he missed that? What happened there? 

Yueling-jie raised a brow, surprised. "You just guessed? Why?" 

Meiling-jie pointed at Liu Mingxia. "The face, isn't it. A-Jiu, you silly thing." 

"He is a pretty thing." 

"Such a beauty. I could see it if you only looked at the face." 

It wasn't just the face. "That isn't... no..." 

Men were not as sweet as Mingxia. 

Could Mingxia be... 

... It's not that Shen Jiu doubted their ability to discern a man from a woman at a glance. He did trust them. More than he trusted any martial brother that slipped up and called Liu Mingxia shidi or shixiong. It was... it wasn't something he could believe. Mingxia was his shimei. 

Ying-jie left the couch and reached out to tap Liu Mingxia's shoulder. Liu Mingxia held up a hand, shaking her head slightly with an apologetic expression. 

"No touching please." 

"My apologies." 

Liu Mingxia lowered her hand. "Thank you." 

"Would you mind terribly if we practiced on you?" Ying-jie asked. 

Liu Mingxia's confusion cleared in record time. She looked over at Shen Jiu, stared at him for a few moments. "The fashion." 

"We have some outfits for you to try on, and A-Jiu would help with cosmetics. Doesn't that sound exciting?" the woman continued even as Shen Jiu shook his head. 

Hey, hey. He didn't need to see Liu Mingxia more dressed up. Even without makeup, she was distracting. 

She was a beautiful girl. Beautiful... boy? Shimei. Boy shimei? 

"Shijie does look excited," Liu Mingxia said, and no, who is excited?! This fool of a shimei! Take that back! If you're a man, refuse! They'll make you wear women's clothes! "I suppose... it is fine. I will be in your care then." 

Damn it, Mingxia. 

"After this game?" Liu Mingxia continued, picking up on none of his nonverbal cues to shut up. 

"Yes, of course," Ying-jie assured her. Him? Fuck. Shit. 

Shit, let him process this. Too much, too soon. 

* * * *

In the end, all clothes were simply clothes, and what if Liu Mingxia needed to go undercover in the future? Clothes. Clothes were just clothes. They were modest clothes, so all the better. The style mattered little to him. 

Different, sure. Strange, a little. He wasn't a woman. But they didn't put him in anything outrageous or sheer. If he had a little sister, he might tolerate her dressing him up all she wanted, so what was letting a shijie's close friends do the same? 

Hm, a little sister. A little brother. His parents had shown no interest in having other children. He wondered if that would ever change. A sibling might be nice. They could come to the same sect as him, and they could train together. That sounded fun. 

Liu Mingxia held no special hatred for pink or blue. It was fine. If it made Shen Jiu smile, that was good. More importantly, it might be something she needed to practice, so he would help her. This shouldn't be a weekly occurrence. It was fine. 

He could even bear with some paint on his face for a while. She would accept it was getting washed off almost immediately. He didn't want it running down his clothes when he inevitably sweated. 

"Such a gorgeous meimei, isn't she?" one of the women commented when he exited the room he was given to change in. 

"With her hair done up, she will look even better," another added, clapping her hands together in delight. 

The compliments were fine, but- "Shijie would be better suited to a hanfu than I." 

Gasps sprung up. The courtesans were extremely supportive of that idea. 

"A-Jiu-" 

"No," Shen Jiu protested. She gestured at Liu Mingxia, voice strained and face pink all over. "We are practicing with that one." 

"Does that one make for a lovely shimei?" 

Liu Mingxia got moved around, so they could braid his hair. He was taller than most of them, so he had to sit down. 

Shen Jiu didn't so much braid his hair as she did pat over his head once the flowery pins were in place. Felt nice. Her hands felt more awkward and halting than normal, less graceful. What was going on with her? 

Why was she so flushed? It wasn't warm in here. Had the women been teasing her? 

"My shimei is only ever lovely." 

Wh-?! This shameless person! In public, no less. Who taught her to speak like this? Say no or yes, don't talk like that. Acting all flustered and saying such things. This-! He couldn't handle this. "Shameless." 

The women laughed as he retreated back into the washroom. No shameless shijies to tease him in there.