Chapter Text
Tianlang-jun first has the idea while out on a date—
“This is not a date you hopeless imbecile, you followed me and I can’t seem to get rid of you.”
—a date with the lovely Su Xiyan.
“Would it not be great if my dear nephew had his own little lover to entertain while we were off together? My heart breaks to leave dear Zhuzhi-lang all alone while we enjoy this beautiful day.”
Su Xiyan sighs and shakes her head, walking away without acknowledging his statement. Is this truly the feared Emperor of the Demon Realm? The infamous Tianlang-jun, one of the few remaining Heavenly Demons known to the cultivation world? Shizun had asked that she keep an eye on the man, but she truly cannot fathom the worries that plague her elders’ generation.
Is he even trying to conceal his identity?
“This one could help!” Tianlang-jun continues, absent-mindedly following after her. “I’ve done much research over the years into human courtship rituals. This one would consider himself quite the expert these days, would you not agree Maiden Su?” He looks around, but Su Xiyan is no longer next to him. “Maiden Su?”
He finally spots Su Xiyan a few paces away, rapidly walking away and paying him no mind.
“Maiden Su!” A few steps bring him right back to her side, as if he had never left.
“Yes, yes, you’re quite the charmer.” She sighs again, trying her best to not stare at this strange man at her side. “Now shut up and stop attracting the attention of every single creature in this forest.”
“Every creature, is it?”
“Yes, you horrible distracting menace.” Su Xiyan answers, stomping away. She tries to ignore the rapid beating of her heart. Truly, a horrible menace, this man is.
Tianlang-jun laughs, chasing after her and still babbling his ridiculous nonsense.
“This one would, of course, have to find just the right person for my darling nephew. My dearly departed sister had the strangest taste in men – snakes, you know?” He says, tone flippant and airy, “but she did wed for love! My dearest nephew deserves nothing less than that!
“But this darling boy refuses to leave my side! Truly, how is he to find someone for himself if he is constantly by my side? The solution is obvious! This lord,” Su Xiyan stumbles slightly on hearing the change in address, but tries to continue on as if nothing had happened, “will have to find someone for dear Zhuzhi-lang!”
…
Is that truly the obvious solution? Su Xiyan finds herself trying to wrap her mind around Tianlang-jun’s strange thought process, but the man himself is still talking, clearly enthusiastic about this new idea of his.
“Someone graceful, but viciously cunning. Someone who would be able to handle my dear nephew, but also push him to disobey!” Tianlang-jun’s turns to Su Xiyan and whispers, as if sharing a secret. “The boy does not have a rebellious bone in his body! This one never had to face the much-dreaded teenager phase! Truly, this lord fears that my dear nephew will never attempt to assassinate me and take over my throne.” He continues, in a normal conversational tone. “My dear Zhuzhi-lang truly needs someone at his side who will push him to greater heights! Push him to try to stab me in the back and step over my corpse, if needed.”
“…I see.” Su Xiyan really does not. But none of this really concerns her, in the end.
“Come, Maiden Su! We must return to town as soon as we can. The sooner we start the search for the perfect person for my nephew, the sooner we can initiate their courtship!”
And just like that, Su Xiyan finds herself dragged into Tianlang-jun’s search for his nephew’s perfect match.
---
Not long after they enter the small town, Tianlang-jun pulls her into a small side street, pointing across the street toward an inn.
“Truly, the Heavens smile down upon me.” Tianlang-jun whispers loudly staring at a young cultivator exiting the inn. “Isn’t this man perfect for my nephew?”
“Hm?” Su Xiyan looks across the street herself. “Oh, that is Shen Qingqiu, Head Disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain’s Qing Jing Peak. This one has heard much of this man, all rumors. There was an abundance of talk about him last year when he was introduced out of nowhere. The position had remained empty for so long, people thought it might never be filled. This one has heard Shen Qingqiu is not one to be messed with, as likely to cut someone down with words as he is to do so with his sword.”
Shen Qingqiu truly had simply appeared one day. People speculated that the Qing Jing Peak Lord had been hiding his successor all these years, keeping him from the cultivation world’s eyes. No one really knew where the man had emerged from.
“Oho! So, a young master with wits, looks, and cultivation!” Tianlang-jun excitedly starts walking toward their own inn, where Zhuzhi-lang waits for their return.
Su Xiyan follows automatically, still thinking on Shen Qingqiu.
“This one has also heard unsavory rumors about Shen Qingqiu,” she ponders out loud, “climbing the ranks of Qing Jing Peak using underhanded tactics; pushing people down to use them as stepping stools. Rumors of him using sneaky tricks in friendly spars and injuring his opponents far beyond what is deemed acceptable.” She hesitates for a moment before adding. “Rumors of lechery as well.”
“Then he is even more perfect for my nephew! We don’t have a second to waste, Maiden Su. What if someone else comes along and snatches our prize away? Come, come, let us fetch my nephew so he can nab his young master!”
He grabs her hand unceremoniously and drags her along before she has a chance to protest.
His hand is warm in hers and she finds herself pulled in his wake.