#nothing gets past Mu-shixiong

[tcfactory]

Party Planning and Other Deadly Hazards I

5k words of Shang Qinghua bonding with Linguang-jun over being overworked and underappreciated

For the sake of this story, Mobei is roughly 15, Shang Qinghua and Linguang-jun are both 18. Shoutout to @mysteryteacup, whose analysis posts convinced me of the potential in "Linguang-jun is Very Young, Actually". Our Mobei-jun's birth name is Mobei Xuebao (Snow leopard), Shang Qinghua is Shang Cangshu (Hamster), Linguang-jun is Mobei Taifeng (Typhoon)

Also on AO3.

It all started with a small change. You see, Shang Qinghua's shizun made a reckless promise that whoever could push a medicine deal through with the Black Mire Sect - a minor sect skirting the edge of demonic practices by specializing in gu poisons - would take over as his new head disciple. The sect was situated right on the borderlands between the human realm and the northern demon kingdom and they were very reluctant to trade away any of their precious poisons, because they faced constant harassment from a lesser tribe of Snowtusk Boar demons just on the other side of the border. Clearly whoever could get them to agree to a deal would have to be a naturally gifted negotiator!

Usually Airplane ignores these kinds of risky assignments, but the temptation of skipping three years of backstabbing, social climbing and manual labor was too tempting. Besides, he knew how to solve this one. It was one of the wife plots in PIDW so Luo Binghe could marry the sect leader's beautiful daughter.

Step 1: Get rid of the boars. He could, of course, not do this on his own. No way. However, through the power of authorial knowledge, he could tip Mobei-jun off that the tribe stole one of the ancient artifacts of the Mobei clan after a chaotic battle and hid it away in their stronghold. His prince was a little skeptical, but Qinghua had not led him astray yet in the few months since he became his spy. The next time they met, Mobei-jun was generously splattered with pig demon blood and he was proudly holding a crystal necklace that could control all the ice sheets of the northern sea at once, apparently.

So that was that for the boars.

Step 2: Wait a little for the other local demon tribes to fight out who gets to settle in the newly vacated prime location. Shang Qinghua made a passing comment about how the Silkwing tribe could supply a 'generous benefactor' with the highest quality fabrics in the entire northern kingdom and would you look at that, this conflict got resolved much quicker than in PIDW.

Step 3: Introduce the sect leader and their new, much more agreeable, demon neighbors to each other. The Silkwing tribe happened to be a tribe of crane demons who, just like the Black Mire Sect, specialized in insect keeping. Their most prized specimens were the various demonic moths and spiders they cultivated for their silk, but they kept a wide variety of other critters as well. It was a match made in heaven! (Or rather in one of Master Airplane's caffeine fueled all-nighters, just so Binghe could meet a cute bisexual crane girl at the negotiations and turn the whole adventure into a two-brides-special wedding.)

Step 4: Profit! Trade agreement in hand Qinghua showed up at his shizun's house and received his much deserved promotion. The whole plan went off without a hitch, job well done, success and happiness all around! The next morning he moved into the head disciple's apartment and breathed a sigh of relief that he no longer had to live in fear of someone discovering his association with Mobei by barging into his bedroom without knocking.

If only that was the end of it.

-----

Shang Qinghua has barely settled into his new duties as head disciple when one morning Mobei-jun grabs him straight out of bed, before he could comprehend what's happening or put on some actual clothes, and drops him off somewhere in the Northern Palace.

"Baobao, what in the fresh hell did you bring me?!"

The outrage cry comes from a stressed looking demon youth who stares at Qinghua like someone handed him a dead rat instead of a report. He's obviously a Mobei relative, his black hair glossy with a blue-ish sheen and his demon mark a bright teal, but his hair is done up with feathers and beads in the style of the wind demon tribes.

"Qinghua. He's good at organizing." As if on second thought, Mobei-jun snarls at the other demon boy, showing all his teeth. "He's mine. If you hurt him, I'll kill you."

After that he wordlessly stomps away, leaving the equally confused human and demon behind.

Shang Qinghua wants nothing more than to ask a million questions right now - where is he? why did Mobei take him here?? who's the other guy??? - but now that he's more awake than asleep he's suddenly realizing that the room is extremely cold and he's only dressed in his sleeping robes. Are his toes turning blue?! His toes are probably turning blue.

"Here." A delicately carved box is shoved in his face, open and full of uniform black pills. "Aurora Pepper pills. I asked to borrow the domestic staff from Xiao Bao’s castle, but if you are the only help I get, I want you not to freeze to death."

"My lord, are they safe for humans?" They should be. It's one of the plot devices he made up so the Wives could visit the North and still wear their ridiculously skimpy outfits without dying, but who knows what an ice demon would have mixed into them. Shang Qinghua carefully picks just one and pops it in his mouth anyway.

"No idea, they were for my mother. You are a cultivator, are you not? You can survive a little poison."

If this demon is as young as he looks - as young as his outfit leads Qinghua to believe, which is somewhere between fourteen and twenty - then his core is not yet settled. Even if the ice demon parentage runs stronger in him - which is obvious, he's wearing the equivalent of summer robes for northern demonkin - he would have bouts when his core slants towards wind and he would find the cold of the north unbearable for a few days. So this is likely his own stash of pills he offered one from, which is awfully nice when one of your kin just dumps their human on you.

"This lowly one thanks the young master for his generosity!"

"Hmph. At least you have manners, unlike your master." The youth retreats behind a desk piled so high with scrolls and bamboo slats he’s barely visible behind them. "Qinghua, was it? This lord is Linguang-jun."

"Answering, this one is Shang Qinghua, head disciple of An Ding peak." He thanks his survival instinct that he manages to fold into a bow before his surprise shows on his face. Based on the nephew abandonment incident he always pictured Mobei's uncle as someone much older.

"An Ding? Good. Maybe you will be of use, after all." Linguang-jun gestures for Shang Qinghua to join him at the desk. "On account of his sudden spirited showing in regards to the Silkwings and the recovered artifact, my royal brother has finally taken interest in his third-born son. To welcome him to court he ordered a feast to be held, the success of which will determine Mobei San's standing in court and reflect on this lord’s qualifications as an organizer."

"Forgive this lowly one for the question, but why is the Mobei-jun's own brother in charge of such affairs? It should be the duty of the royal seneschal." Or perhaps the queen consort. Since he never had to write a wife plot with any member of the main Mobei clan he might have handwaved a lot of the court related worldbuilding. Still, he's certain there were at least three or four people who had to be unavailable before such a task would land on the desk of the king's brother.

"This lord is the seneschal," Linguang-jun says in a dejected voice. A pained frown slips past his not-yet-perfected mask of stoicism and Shang Qinghua realizes that 1. Linguang-jun is very, very young to be filling this position and 2. he’s probably one stroke of misfortune away from an anxious meltdown. This Qinghua can relate, kid. "My royal brother's temper has decimated his household and, in his paranoia, he refuses to replace the staff he kills. Ever since this one's mother passed three years ago, he has been tasked to fulfill every duty pertaining to household management, including those of the late queen consort."

After looking over a crumpled scroll detailing all of Linguang-jun's current duties, Shang Qinghua has a sudden understanding why the demon resents his brother so much. It’s not just the duties of the royal seneschal, he is doing the work of at least five different people, all of them near full-time jobs in their own right!

"Sorry kid, you are clearly too young for this shit." He didn't mean to say it out loud, but luckily for him the demon doesn't react to the irreverent tone beyond an agitated twitch of his eyebrows. "All right, let’s see what we have to work with."

It proves to be very little. Shang Qinghua looks over the list of the available staff (too short), the amount of food and other supplies Linguang-jun managed to drum up since his brother saddled him with this task last evening (not nearly enough to feed the obnoxiously long guest list) and the time available to them…

“He wants you to put together this party in three days?!” For someone who had only been a vague shadow with malicious intent in the back of Shang Qinghua’s mind whenever he thought about the dangerous demons he might run into while serving his prince, Linguang-jun is rapidly gaining a lot of his sympathy. “Can you even get all these guests here in three days? Jiuzhong-jun lives two months away even if he takes the fastest horses!”

For a royal prince’s introduction to court it was important to get as many of the bigshots present as possible, so they could all take a good look at him and decide if they wanted to try to sic their own spawns on him for a courting chase or not. Jiuzhong-jun doesn’t have any children yet, but he has plenty of nieces he could try to marry out into other clans. He would never miss the chance to come and gawk at the introduction of a Mobei prince.

“Mhm. Xiao Bao has that part covered. While we make this feast happen somehow, he’s going to spend the next two days transporting in all the guests with his portals.” Linguang-jun digs into one of his many piles of scrolls and shoves one detailing the scheduled arrivals into Shang Qinghua’s face. “At least the issue of housing them until the party solves itself on its own. Granny Oxbones is the reigning queen of the guest wing and she wouldn’t accept my input on where to put all these guests even if I bothered to offer any.”

Airplane carefully files it away in the back of his mind that when Linguang-jun gets stressed enough he still refers to his nephew with familiar nicknames as something to consider later, and tries to focus on the task at hand. So the current Mobei-jun hasn’t eradicated all of the old servants - the kitchen and housekeeping staff escaped his paranoia, as well as most of the guards and the hunters - only the ones in the highest positions. That should solve at least part of their problems.

“Okay, so we only have to handle decorating the feasting hall, source a fitting outfit for my prince and get the food ready.”

“What about the serving staff? I don’t have enough people to cater a party this big.”

“That’s easy, have the guardsmen fill in. Let them do something more than standing around and gawking. If there are complaints about the task being below them, tell them that they can take from the leftovers, most of the guests will be too busy brawling or scheming to eat anyway.” Demons love to eat, same as everybody, and even a bite or two of the delicacies served at their lords’ table should be ample temptation to get the guardsmen on board. “But this does mean that we need to make sure that the food is great. Does Linguang-jun have the menu from either of the elder princes’ introduction feasts? No reason to break our brains coming up with something new, nobody will care as long as the food is good enough.” It’s still an awful amount of work for three days, but it’s not undoable if he can tap into the Mobei clan’s supply network and doesn’t have to account for whatever happens to the guests before and after the feast. 

“I think I have the menu for Mobei Er’s feast somewhere.” Linguang-jun abandons the desk to rifle through one of the filing cabinets dominating the walls of his study. “We will need to substitute some of the dishes, because that feast was in winter.”

“Still better than having to write the whole menu from scratch.”

“En.”

“Does Linguang-jun have any suggestion where to get my prince a suitable outfit?” For the lack of anything better to do, Shang Qinghua starts organizing the scrolls left on the desk. Linguang-jun’s handwriting is very similar to Mobei San’s, but nothing at all like the blocky characters of the current Mobei-jun. They probably learned from the same ice fairy tutor, which further confirms how absurdly close they are in age.

“I have something arranged with the Silkwings,” Linguang-jun calls back over his shoulder, halfway disappearing into the cabinet as he digs among the stored scrolls. “But - Hah! Found it! - Qinghua has to be the one to convince Mobei San to go. He won’t go anywhere if this uncle tells him to.”

“Ah.”

“Don’t just gape at me,” Linguang-jun says, smacking him reasonably lightly over the shoulder with the scroll until he gets the hint and takes it. “Take this down to the kitchen, then tell your master that if he doesn’t want to go to his own feast wearing my old robes, then he should go visit the Silkwings, the sooner the better.”

Shang Qinghua pales at the idea of wandering the main Northern Fortress alone. “I- this servant worries that the kitchen staff will not heed his words…”

Linguang-jun seems to consider this for a moment, but he finally comes to the conclusion that his life is easier if his nephew’s pet cultivator doesn’t come to harm. He digs around in his desk until he produces a bone hairstick with a bead and a feather dangling from it. “If you wear this, the staff will know that you are working for this lord. Ask a maid for directions and be quick about it!”

True to Linguang-jun’s words, the staff is nothing if not cooperative once they realize that Shang Qinghua is working directly with him to stop the upcoming party from crashing and burning. The demon aunties and uncles running the kitchen fill him in, between tallying all the ingredients they are going to need for the feast and plying him with sweet treats, that the staff has been in a panic ever since the first orders about the feast came in. There is the grim threat of death hanging over their heads if the end result isn’t impressive enough and Mobei-jun feels humiliated by their showing. Apparently this is going to be the first bigger event Linguang-jun is organizing on his own, without the help of his late mother, and his staff is worried about sabotage.

“Does Linguang-jun have many enemies in court?” Shang Qinghua asks, lifting a tiny demon granny up so she can take stock of one of the too tall ingredient shelves.

“He has one and it’s more than enough! Mobei-jun never got over it that his late queen mother birthed one more son after the acceptable period for fratricide was over.” Airplane was proud of that world building detail. Obviously no demon lord wants to have any relative who might challenge his claim, but eradicating the entire extended family is a very fast way for a clan to die out. So, following a leader’s grab of power, there’s a socially acceptable five years when they can murder any relative they can catch, but once that’s over they are expected to limit themselves to those who challenge their position. “I tell you, daozhang, it’s not a coincidence the feast is happening when the hunters are away and we are low on supplies! And what is the king doing instead of procuring a beast for the fighting showcase of his son? Drinking and lazing around in his quarters, that’s what! Poor Xiao Bao, such a sweet snowflake, this old granny worries that his entry to court will be ruined!”

-----

Shang Qinghua is still turning that around in his head when he goes to find Mobei Xuebao later - It took almost no effort to get the grannies to reveal his prince’s birth name. Such a cute name for such a fierce demon! Airplane jokingly wrote it on the margin of his drafts, but he never expected the System to take it and run with it - carrying a big mug of fortifying ice slushie.

His prince looks beyond exhausted after opening portals all over the demon realm since morning and he accepts the refreshing drink without so much as a growl. He does, however, hiss angrily at Qinghua when he recognizes the hairstick stuck into his bun. “How dare he claim you?! You are mine !”

“Ah, my prince, please be calm! It’s only a token so the staff won’t eat me. I am to return it once we are done here.” Qinghua is actually not sure about that, but better not aggravate his prince when he’s in a possessive mood.

“You’d better.” He stops trying to rip it out of Qinghua’s hair, but he still stares at it angrily while Shang Qinghua rattles off the details of the arrangement made with the Silkwings. Mobei shows no enthusiasm for getting new court robes tailored, but at Qinghua’s insistent nagging he makes an affirmative sound that yes, he is going to go, now stop asking .Airplane is not perfectly sure what the kitchen aunties put in the slushie, but Mobei’s mood almost thaws by the time he eats the last of the sweet berries they added to it. A wonderful good mood that lasts for all of five minutes before Linguang-jun turns the corner and yells at both of them.

“What are you still doing here?! Don’t you have things to do other than standing around?” Linguang-jun is flushed a pale pink from exertion and possibly frustration. He’s dressed for a hunt, carrying a Japanese style longbow almost as tall as him and a quiver of elegant, black-feathered arrows. It’s fascinating to see how Airplane’s throwaway details got implemented into the world - he made a passing note that Mobei’s grandmother was an eastern wind demon, then he made one of Binghe’s wives a wind demoness based on a Japanese princess and bird motifs and poof! The world combined these two details into multicultural Linguang-jun. He has to bite his tongue before he could ask Linguang-jun if he had a katana somewhere.

Mobei is clearly not happy to see that his uncle is gearing up to leave.

“Good time for a hunt, uncle,” he sneers. Linguang-jun sneers right back.

“ I am going out to fetch our hunting expeditions back so we have meat to serve at the feast. Someone has to, unless Baobao would prefer to play pretend with snow and ice and berries!” They both flinch, which is interesting. Clearly that’s a reference to a formerly fond memory. When Linguang-jun continues he’s not meeting their eyes and looks just a little sheepish. “Go get your rags, nephew. My reputation rides on the success of this feast. I’m not going to sabotage it.”

It’s hard to tell what Mobei Xuebao is thinking, but his expression seems a lot less murderous than a minute ago. “Take Qinghua with you,” he says, ignoring completely the way his cultivator freezes up. “He has a sword. He can fly high and scout for you.”

What is this? It almost sounds like an olive branch! If only it wasn’t poor Airplane being handed over like a cheap token of reconciliation, it would be great .

Linguang-jun gives Shang Qinghua a hesitant look, but Mobei chose a good way to sell his pet cultivator: Linguang-jun might be part wind demon, but even he can’t fly very high. Give Qinghua one more of those pepper pills so he doesn’t freeze in the icy wasteland and he can track their hunters down in a snap!

Before he can mount an argument about the general fragility of humans and the dangers of the desert, he is grabbed by the arm and the next thing he knows, he’s being swept up by Linguang-jun’s black wind. Nothing can compete with Mobei’s portal powers in terms of speed, but this is not too shabby either, and unlike the shadow portals, being turned into wind doesn’t make him sick. Perhaps because he doesn’t currently have a stomach to feel sick.

While they dash through the desert, Linguang-jun quickly fills Qinghua in: they need to recall three hunting parties, all of them within a day’s travel by horse from the castle. “There are others out hunting, but they are too far to make it back for the feast. And after we are done, I’m going to leave you somewhere out of the way and catch a Diamond-Clawed Tundra Devil.”

“Ah. For the fight showcase?”

“En.”

“Isn’t it the king’s duty to procure whatever his son is to fight?” His question is met by minutes of sullen silence so he startles when Linguang-jun finally deigns to speak again.

“There’s a wolf-bear-hybrid prepared at the palace. Da-ge wanted to give it to one of his concubines as a pet, but the lady has much better taste than to take a mangy mutt like that.” Qingua can’t see Linguang-jun’s expression, but the derision is obvious in his voice. It’s unclear if it’s directed at the concubine or his brother. “It would be acceptable prey for a less skilled prince, but Xiao Bao deserves better.”

“Huh. You really adore your nephew, don’t you? I figured he was wrong about you.” If he lives to tell the tale, Shang Qinghua is going to blame his current immaterial state for the failure of his brain-mouth filter. Never startle the person carrying you at high speeds!

He’s not even surprised when he tumbles painfully onto the snow, Linguang-jun standing above him with a murderous expression, the bow raised as if he’s ready to beat the hapless cultivator with it. “Does he still go around telling everyone about- even his pet cultivator?!”

“No! No, my lord!” He suspects it’s only because Mobei San doesn’t consider Qinghua important enough to fill him in about his backstory, but it’s technically true. “Servants gossip! I heard it from the servants in Mobei San’s castle!”

Linguang-jun lowers the bow, but his face colors with either indignation or embarrassment. He’s more expressive than Mobei, but it’s still not easy to read him. “Good. Do not ever dare to gossip about this lord! Understood, you, you…” He looks at Shang Qinghua sitting in the snow like a plump, bruised peach, face almost disappearing into the soft pelt the kitchen aunties dressed him up in. “You hamster!”

Airplane can’t help himself: he laughs. Then, when the laughter finally feels like subsiding, he notices the baffled face Linguang-jun is making and laughs some more. “Forgive me, my lord. I am not laughing at you. Except. My name does happen to be Shang Cangshu.”

The absurdity of it all finally douses Linguang-jun’s rage and the demon huffs a laugh. “Of course it is. Should I get a bowl of sunflower seeds for you tomorrow, hamster-daozhang?”

“I prefer melon seeds! But worry not, my lord, I can bring my own.” It must be a good sign that Linguang-jun is teasing him. A little bit of harmless farce is always good in anxiety-inducing situations, and the demon appeared to be on the verge of exploding all day. “I do have to wonder, though… I heard that when that incident happened, Mobei San was around four? So you must have been a rather young child yourself.”

Linguang-jun gives a tense, awkward nod and a scene starts to unfold in Airplane’s mind. This is not something he had written, but it is something he could have, if he ever tried to put Mobei-jun in the limelight for a while. Emboldened, he continues: “Traveling at the speed of wind as you do must not leave a lot of room to change course if, say, a tear to the human realm suddenly opens up in front of you. It must have been a terrifying experience, for both of you. Easy to lose track of each other in an unfamiliar world, hostile territory or not.”

Linguang-jun turns his head away, clearly trying to school his expression into a blank mask, but he is too worn down and anxious to manage it. He looks disarmingly young like this; just a teen with too much work on his plate. “He refuses to so much as speak to me unless he has no other choice. What does it matter how it happened? I admitted to trying to kill him.”

Of course he did. For Mobei San to survive an assassination attempt - a smart one too, leaving him in the heart of a cultivator sect that has a longstanding feud with the Mobei clan - was a testament to his talent even at such a young age. If Linguang-jun admitted that it was an accident, it would have only painted him as incompetent, which was the fastest way to political suicide even before he could officially get into court. “Ah, but he lent you this servant, hasn’t he? I think my prince doesn’t hate you as much as he wants to.”

“Hah! That will not save my neck when my nephew becomes Mobei-jun and comes to eradicate the threats from the family.”

“No! He would not kill you, I’m certain of it.” As he wrote it, Mobei-jun at the time of his ascension was secure under Luo Binghe’s wing and didn’t bother to go after any of his relatives - unless they attacked first, that is. “Leave it to this Qinghua, I will smooth this misunderstanding over in no time!”

The look of doubt Linguang-jun gives him almost hurts. “Wait until after the feast before you try. I’m short enough on staff without you getting yourself killed.” The demon makes a sharp gesture with his hand and a burst of wind pushes Shang Qinghua to his feet. “Up you get, hamster-daozhang. We have work to do.”

It all falls in place like a well-oiled machine after that, even the hunt. Turns out that Diamond-Clawed Tundra Devils are really fascinated by flying cultivators for some reason. The beast stands on its hindlegs, reaching fruitlessly for the flying sword, and doesn’t even notice Linguang-jun sneaking up on it until he traps it in a qiankun box. They work well together, Shang Qinghua and Linguang-jun, and the demon stays cordial - almost friendly, even! - to his nephew’s pet cultivator in the following two days.

-----

“I’m so glad that it went well, my prince!” Qinghua sighs a few days after the feast. He’s trying to subtly rescue some of his paperwork from Mobei, who decided that he wants to have this conversation while sitting on his human’s desk. “I wish I could have been there to see, but my shizun would have noticed if I was missing any longer and, let’s be honest, the chances of someone mistaking me for a side-dish were much too high…”

Mobei hums something vaguely positive, then very indulgently lifts one of his hands so Qinghua can remove the papers from there. “Good work.”

“Thank you, my prince! But I really didn’t do much. Your uncle did most of the work.” By the end of the third day Linguang-jun was openly bemoaning that he wanted to go to bed and sleep for a century. Airplane can only hope he got some rest since.

Mobei Xuebao growls at him in warning, clearly not happy with the direction of the conversation, but Qinghua has dealt with so much shit in the last week that he’s too tired to be properly intimidated by empty threats. “No, really! I know he had a horse in this race, but he really wanted you to have a cool ‘welcome to demon court’ party. He caught the Tundra Devil for your fight and he certainly didn’t have to do that!”

“That was Taifeng-shushu?” There’s no better way to describe Mobei’s expression of surprise than ‘cute’. It’s a good reminder that despite his frosty disposition and already powerful physique, Mobei Xuebao is also still a teenager. (Airplane is not geeking out over learning Linguang-jun’s name, he is not . Mobei Taifeng was on his list of potential names when he brainstormed for Luo Binghe’s right hand man, before he even started writing - a character who eventually got split into Mobei-jun and the OG Shang Qinghua, because Tired™ second-in-commands who try to betray their employers so they could have one good day of rest please were more of a comedic relief trope and that didn’t fit the tone of the story.)

“Yes, my prince. This servant was there when Linguang-jun chose and captured the most impressive beast from the pack.” He was so picky about it too! He made Qinghua fly over the Tundra Devil pack five times before he identified the biggest one and by that time the beast noticed the flying cultivator. That’s how they found out about its fascination with the shiny spiritual sword.

Thinking about Linguang-jun reminds Qinghua of the hairstick he conveniently ‘forgot’ to return. He puts it in a plain box and pushes it to Mobei Xuebao. “My prince, I had no chance to return this to Linguang-jun, so you would do this servant a great favor if you passed it along.” Mobei makes a soft noise as he pockets the box, looking almost smug that Qinghua is, indeed, returning the token. His good mood makes the human a little reckless about how far he’s willing to push this matter. “My prince, I know you have no reason to trust this servant on matters of your family, but I have heard many rumors and hearsay while in the Northern Palace. I think there might be a misunderstanding between you and your uncle, so if you could talk to him openly when you return the hairstick-”

“Qinghua has not led me astray so far,” Mobei interrupts, his eyes narrowed. “This prince will talk to his uncle. But if Qinghua is mistaken…” He lets the sentence hang ominously in the air, but the sentiment is clear: if Shang Qinghua is wrong, then all of his credibility is ash.

“I understand, my prince.”

It's going to be fine. It has to be! Otherwise the System would have interfered, like it always does when he's about to alter the plot.

Right, System?

#svsss #linguang-jun #mobei-jun #shang qinghua #making up world building like master Airplane intended #tc writes #fun fact: I had to fight the autocorrect every step of the way bc it wanted to 'correct' hairstick into hair tick #not remotely the same thing #please don't #I already have a follow-up for this in the works btw #to the tune of #how do you fix a sick ice demon so your other ice demon doesn't freak out and break your neck? without your shixiongs finding out? #the answer is you don't #nothing gets past Mu-shixiong #so you just grin and bear it and sigh to the heavens when it turns into a wife plot #because of course it does #anyway please go check mysteryteacup out their writing and meta are chef kiss #thousand times better than anything I do honestly

[coolshadowtwins]

PT 1

PT 3

“This disciple greets his Shizun-“ Luo Binghe began, surrounded by a gaggle of Huan Hua Palace disciples, all glaring, before trailing off in confusion. “…there’s two of you.”

“What an observation.” Shen Qingqiu said with a scowl. He looked Luo Binghe over, before looking away with a huff. “Still the same, I see.”

“Don’t talk about Luo-Shixiong that way-“ One of the disciples behind Luo Binghe snapped, only to be cut off.

“Now now!” Shen Yuan cut in, stepping between Shen Qingqiu and everyone else. He had spent this long trying to fix Shen Qingqiu’s reputation, and it was like dragging a feral cat, kicking and screaming.

Having made up with Yue Qingyuan helped. A little.

“There is no need for this hostility.” He continued, lightly waving his fan. “We’re all here to fix the plague that has descended here, are we not?”

“…there’s two of you.” Luo Binghe said again, eyes wide as he looked back and forth. Shen Yuan paused, confused, before continuing.

“Yes. I’m Shen Yuan, his brother. …And the one that has been acting as Shen Qingqiu for the past few years, while my brother was in seclusion.”

“There’s two of you.” Luo Binghe said a third time, eyes starting to shine. Shen Qingqiu blinked, before making a face and turning away.

“I am not dealing with this.” He snapped as he walked, robes flowing. “You deal with your disciple.”

“Oh, well, uh,” Shen Yuan stammered, losing his ‘Peak Lord Composure’ for a moment, without Shen Qingqiu’s natural bitch face. “Of course this Shizun greets his disciple-“

“I can still be your disciple?” Luo Binghe asked, excitedly. Shen Yuan could almost see his tail wagging. A disciple behind him started to argue, only to be shushed as Luo Binghe held up a hand. “Be quiet for a moment. Shizun is speaking.”

“Binghe!” Shen Yuan snapped, without thinking about it. “Don’t be rude!”

“I’m sorry Shizun!” Binghe said, not sorry at all. A different disciple scowled.

“Shen Qingqiu did something to Luo-Shixiong-“

“Nothing has been done to Binghe-“

“I told you to stop talking-“

“Don’t speak to Master Shen that way!” Gongyi Xiao spoke up at last, scolding his fellow disciples. “Show him some respect!”

Shen Yuan sighed as he saw the dark aura starting to form over Binghe. Well, on one hand, he was afraid of dying violently, but one the other, there was only one thing he could do here.

—————-

“What did you do.” Mu Qingfang asked, deadpan, as he finally looked up from his workstation. Shen Yuan laughed nervously, holding up a marked hand.

“I might have gotten infected?”

“Shen-Shixiong.” He said, exhausted. “I’ll get to that. I was referring to the man behind you.”

“Oh.” Shen Yuan glanced behind him. Binghe was sitting at a table, staring down Shen Qingqiu, who was glaring at him darkly. “It’s my old disciple. He’s not dead after all.”

“That’s a demon.” Liu Qingge said, eyes narrowed.

“No, that’s my disciple. Jeez, Liu-Shidi, I know children can be heathens but to call them demons? No wonder you don’t have any-“

“He has a mark on his forehead!” Liu Qingge snapped.

“A tattoo. Quite the rebellious phase, really.”

Mu Qingfang sighed, and then went back to work.

#is Binghe ooc? who cares #svsss #shen qingqiu #shen yuan #shen jiu #liu qingge #mu qingfang #luo binghe #Split Shen Au

[greenflamedwriter]

Shen Qingqiu IS Shen Qingqiu.

AU: Based where the System only took memories of Shen Yuan/cucumber and placed them on Shen Qingqiu having him eulate the others personality to fix the story. But now it's roles done, the system will remove the Peerless cucumber 'imprint' and restore Shen Qingqiu's memories that were locked away from Cucumber.

Shen Qingqiu isn't a fan of this...

[Congragulations! User has now completed the task of fixing Proud Immortal demon way- This account will now terminate!]

What- what!?

Luo Binghe noticed his Shizun growing tense, eyes staring at a fixed point.

"Shizun?"

"What does that mean for me!? Am I going to die?" Shen Qingqiu thought internally panicking, what he's been through means nothing?

What will happen to Binghe?

[Shen Qingqiu will not die, instead will have access to all memories and restore to primary functions.]

"What?"

[We assimilated false memoires of Peerless Cucumber into Shen Qingqiu who assimilated his personality. Shen Yuan never existed, the system removed users memories so he can make desicions without emotions making him repeat the same mistakes.]

Shen Qingqiu froze "No- I'm a transmigrator."

[Only one user is a fully transigrator, only he can return back to his world. This user never had the option as that world wasn't his to return to.]

Wait- was the system saying he was Shen Qingqiu the whole time, he wasn't playing a part.

But- he was going to lose his memories again.

[User never spoke of his world or family, never wanted to return. This system will also remove it's trace from your mind-]

"No at least let me keep some memories I can't be lost again-" Like when Shen Qingqius past was a ystery to him he couldn't 'wake' up again just as confused as before.

[Very well. Restoring Shen Qingqiu's original memories and removing Peerless Cucumber.]

Shen Qingqiu blinked to feel Luo Binghes hands on his shoulders and blanched to see the timer above Binghe's head counting down.

He didnt have much time.

"Binghe- Listen to me." he grabbed the others wrist eyes panicked, not making his husband feel any better about his distress.

"This master is going to change, my memories will disapear-" "Shizun! How do we fix it?"

He shook his head "We can't- it'll happy, I'll be the same as before I qi deviated when you were fourteen- This master won't be- this master will go back to that cruel master, who hurt and abused you." The timer kept ticking down.

"Binghe has to know this isn't your fault that this master was cruel he had done nothing wrong, this master was just petty and jelaous," He spoke faster clinging onto his husband.

"I won't remember you or call you my husband-" His eyes were watering and his throat thickened.

"Binghe should know how much this master loves him, that this master will always love Binghe- but once this master changes, if I become cruel promise me you won't stay and be hurt, leave me-"

"No Shizun," Binghe was crying too shaking his head.

"I can't bear hurting you again, it pains me of all the torture you went under my hand this master will be cross if you took any punishment because of me, please."

Luo Binghe nodded "Only because I know Shizun won't hurt me."

But he will- Shen Qingqiu was scum- a cruel master! He was the reason why PIDW was so awful and tragic.

[Restoring base functions- in 3, 2, 1]

Shen Qingqiu kissed Luo Binghe- it might be the last time before he Qi Deviated.

___________________________________________________________

Shen Qingqiu woke up, his vision blurry.

"Shen-Shixiong?" Mu-Shidi spoke and immedielty Shen Qingqiu scowled, he didn't need this- he wanted to be alone, a second to break down and try to reationlise what happened.

"Mu-Shidi," shen Qingqiu sat up and felt fluttering hands and snapped "This Master is perfectly capable to sit up on his own."

He glared to see everyone there, Yue Shixiong his eyes narrowed in his direction.

He already felt too much.

"Get out-" "Shidi-" Yue Shixiong spoke and Shen Qingqiu snarled "Get out!" As they others left only Binghe remained and Shen Qingqiu glare darkened.

"You too, beast." He tried extra hard to make his voice scathing, ignoring the awful feeling of tar in his chest at the wounded look on the others face.

Once Binghe left, Shen Qingqiu fell back onto the bed covering his eyes with his arm.

His lip pressed together.

He remembered everything, it was too much and he felt overwhelemed. How could Shen Yuan be so calm and not care- he kept moving forward and that-

Being so inconsiderete of peoples emotions because he didn't think they were real, never took Liu Qingges jabs to heart and Yue Shixiong-

Shen Qingqiu rolled over pressing his face into the blankets, it was too much- it hurt too much.

For years he asked "Why?"

And for years his Yue-Shixiong would look guilty, he always thought it's because he was ashamed, that Shen Qingqiu would remind him of his past, his promise. Yue Qingyuan wanted a clean slate, to act as a noble cultivator and wanted Shen 'jiu' to die left and forgotten. Because he was just a dirty slave, that his sect leader was embarresed.

He never made him think otherwise with his apologies- what was Shen Qingqiu supposed to think?

But Yue Qingyuan revealed his secret to...the other him, the kinder version of him. Who wasn't cruel or spit poison. Shen Qingqiu grasped the blankets trying to breathe.

His Qi-ge came back for him, he destroyed his cultivation for him!? And Shen Qingqiu felt crushing weight over the guilt he wanted an explantion but that was too much to bear to know that he was the reason the sect leader was crippled and it was his fault.

He wanted his qi-ge to save him, but now he felt undeserving.

And his martial siblings preffered his softer side- it was too hard to be like that impossible even. Shen Yuan was assimilated from a child in the future who wasn't raised in this enviorment who's ideals on the world was vastly differnent. His world was soft.

Shen Qingqiu was too broken to be like that, and that was why something a higher being manipulated his fate, as he was just too horrible of a person to fix it himself he had to be possesed by a memory of a person from the future to save him.

And Luo Binghe...

Shen Qingqiu had no idea how to feel over that, he could recall everything in vivid detail, his anger and bitter envy of a child just vanished, he could see Luo Binghe as a hardworking child. How the boy doted on him with just a small drop of kindness.

Shen Yuan had no idea of the beast he was, with his new perception he shivered to remember those eyes on him when his Binghe was a disciple, how he would run away into the cold pond, the thoughts that beast had on his shizun-

And yet, he also had the memories of the future, of the Luo Binghe he hurt. The system must have placed his future knowledge onto him thinking that would be enough to save him, to avoid his future.

But he qi-deviated and almost died, his past and future were too awful for a sane individual to take, so it removed his memories of his past but even that wasn't enough.

...And now he was safe, but without Shen Yuan...unable to being the kinder Shizun...he may as well have lost everything.

Why couldn't the system just let him die? Living was too exhausting and painful.

"Shen-shidi?"

He looked up to see Mu Qingfan approach him, he imedietly wanted to hiss and snarl.

Couldn't they let a man lick his wounds in peace!?

"Shen-Shixiong, another qi-deviation that changes your personality is distressing, there is no other cases like this." Shen Qingqiu glared at the blankets.

"Maybe if we're lucky, this master may have another Qi-deviation and return to his pleasant and approachable self-"

"shixiong-"

"Isn't that what everybody wants? The nice one? The one that isn't cruel or always picking fights or trying to kill his own maritial siblings?"

His own sect betrayed him, because they thought he murdured Liu Qingge, the man believed he tried to kill him when a ghost attacked him.

"That's not true-"

"Isn't it!?" Shen Qingqiu snapped voice loud and carrying through the bamboo house where all could hear.

"None of you tried to help me! Other than some possesion charms no one thought to tell this Master that he was acting like a differnt person! Too scared to make me remember as you all preffered it! Oh how nice, Shen Qingqiu is obedient, warm and loving and gets along well with his martial siblings!" Shen Qingqiu snapped his hands clenching so tight on the blankets they almost ripped.

"Even if it was detrimental to this Masters health none of you-" He cut himself off looking away. The hot anger of betrayel leaving him sore but the worst part.

He was barely back and aware for five minutes and already he was screaming at Mu Qingfan.

Shen Yuan would've apologised, but Shen Qingqiu didn't know how- his pride? The stupid thing that got him in this mess in the first place?

But why should he apologise? They couldn't understand.

He spoke quiter "You don't understand what it's like, looking back on your memories as if you were sleepwalking, no control over my actions or why I did what I did." Shen Qingqiu placed a hand over his face.

"I even slept with my own disciple!"

The self disgust was evident, how could they let him get away with that?

Shen Qingqiu laughed self decpracating. Oh they let him get away with everything. Murdering Liu qingge, going to brothels abusing An ding with deliveries for trivial things which led to Shang QInghua betraying their sect.

Everything started and ended with him.

"Why didn't you just let me die?" He asked outloud to the system, only to realise the system was gone.

And Mu Qingfan heard him.

"Shen Qingqiu. This healer has studied many curses, diseases and aliments but not once has he heard of anything such as this, a qi-deviation that could change a personality, that could supress emotions. We said nothing in case there were irrepairable damage and you lost more than to gain. The body can be healed but the mind is a tricky thing. You can't blame this one for not wanting to make it worse when time could've healed as it processed its truama. It appears that may be the case."

Shen Qingqiu pressed his lips together in guilt, Mu Qingfan was right. What if in their own way triggered his memoires then what? he collapsed into a screaming lunatic or-

He felt his breath catch, if he lost his memories and only remembered being Shen jiu losing everything on cultivation and the reason on why Yue Qingyuan did what he did.

At least he had all of his memoires than none.

He could hear Shen Yuan in his mind "Done with your tantrum? Want to apologise to Mu-Shidi since he's doing the best he can?"

Shen Qingqiu scowled, he gave that allowence that everyone was incompetent because they were characters in a book, npcs who were trapped in the confines of their duties and to not overshadow the protagonist.

But knowing they were people with their own thoughts who can do something but just didn't.

"Xiao Jiu I'll come back for you, I promise!"

No matter what it felt as if people let him down-

no. no thats no true.

"Shizun."

His Binghe returned to him, his Binghe seemed to never let him down. If he knew him to be cruel his Binghe was cruel, if he was a sheep if acted the sheep if he was a beast he could be a beast.

The only constant was Luo Binghe being himself and sticking to his Shizuns side. He did it so easily, and effortlessly it hurt more when it felt as if his siblings only spoke about protecting him and let Luo Binghe was the only one that delivered.

It may not be a fictional world- or maybe it was, or maybe Shang Qinghua was a reincarnation and wrote PIDW based on his past memories who knows.

"Where is Luo- my husband."

Oh, oh god no. That beast was his husband they had sex!? Shen Qingqiu couldn't even sleep in the disciples dorms how can- how could he-

That was another thing he ruined from his return, would Luo Binghe understand? Would he be disapointed in his Shizun for returning to the brothels?

"He's outside, after you told everyone to get out."

Shen Qingqiu wanted to fall back on old habits- but he's had a taste. Of what it could be like, how easy Shen Yuan made it.

He grit his teeth "I- This master apologises this one was..." he looked away even though it was an apology it sounded like he was trying to pull it through molasses his Shidi could see him struggling, politely not saying a word.

That was another relationship ruined, his Shidi was so soft spoken and soft, like Shen Yuan they became so close. Not like him all jaggared edges that cut others that came too close.

"This one was...overwhelmed." Weak. He was weak, already the whole world knew Shen Qingqiu was weak and a sore spot on Cang Qiong, it's why Liu Qingge tried so hard to be strong along with Yue Qingyuan. They had to watch out for him and Shang Qinghua because they gifts lied elsewhere. He prided himself on being the Xiu ya sword. He hated others feeling pity or thinking he needed protecting.

"They didn't mind, they are only worried about your health. Would you like some more time alone? Or do you want this one to bring them in?"

Shen Qingqiu shook his head "No- no thats, they have other duties to attend to." He couldn't bear to look at them without getting upset or mad. Especially at yue Qingyuan.

But...he could feel himself growing anxious, the face of his disciple appearing in his mind.

"This master loves Luo Binghe, it's not your fault if I change-"

He couldn't say it was love, he had no right. Luo Binghe was familiar, and he was the only person he trusted. Shen Qingqiu saw all of Luo Binghes memories he was laid bare and he guessed Luo Binghe now knew about him too. Both had already seen themselves vunerable and Shen Qingqiu needed to see his- his disciple.

"You can send in my- my husband." His voice caught, he scowled at Mu Qingfans knowing look as he rised and bowed before leaving.

Shen Qingqiu removed the blankets and stood up, going over to the vanity to do his hair and get dressed.

He thought he would be over his embarresment of the others seeing him in such a state. But Shen Yuan managed to be even more embarrising.

"Shizun?"

"Beast," He spoke and scowled his only concious memories was when he despised the child, but now he knew it was unfounded. Being forced to remove himself mentally from the problem and see it like that was helpful and yet awful.

Everything after his qi deviation was like a dream, nothing was concious on his part and his relationships weren't made by him.

Luo Binghe didn't marry him, his husband was dead. Replaced by this scum teacher. Shen Qingqiu smiled at the vanity, even his smile was more like a sneer nothing like the looks he used to have.

He tensed when he felt Luo Binghe touched him, he almost acted out until he felt a comb through his hair. The instant familiarty calmed his racing heart. His husband did this for him all the time.

He kept his eyes open watching Luo Binghe, almost losing himself.

Luo Binghe pinned his hair up and Shen Qingqiu spoke subconciously "It's perfect, as usual Beast."

He winced at the none familiar part- he couldn't stop as it wasn't untrue he felt horrified how his weaker more oblivious self was unaware of the threats to his person how others could've taken advantage of him.

Zhuzhi lang, Gongyi Xiao, Liu Qingge and that awful succubis experience his other self saw these characters as simple innocent creatures who wouldn't dare have ulterior motives and Binghe was the worst of them all!

"Shizun?"

He was staring into space, his eyes snapped to his disciple who shivered at his cold glare, gone was the warmth.

Another thing to be reminded off, will he be forced to see the looks of disapointment on everyones faces? That he wasn't him any more?

_____________________________________________________

Shen Qingqiu stared, he couldn't do to upset the beast. It wasn't his fault.

"Fine, if it brings you comfort."

"It does Shizun."

Ugh, such a sticky thing he extended his hand "Very well, beast."

Luo Binghe took his hand and looked satisfied and Shen Qingqiu found himself relaxing.

In his memories Luo Binghe became a constant, he never realised how much he would feel safe with him. Given that this was his future tortuer it did unnerve Shen Qingqiu how he felt no fear from Luo Binghe even though the face of this man tortured him to the point of mental collapse.

Maybe he was adapting one of Cucumbers habits...

He subconciously relaxed his hand stroking Luo Binghe's absentmindedly, it was like a normal peak lord meeting as usual and the familiarty had Shen Qingqius firm scowl relaxing.

He missed Luo Binghe's pleased grin as he watched his Shizun.

He thought his Shizun would change, but he hadn't. That softer side was a part of him and was always there, his Shizun just never felt safe enough to lay himself bare to the others. He had so many ticks and quircks and he would always say "It's Shen Yuan," he's already delegated that part of himself with a name. Framing himself as cruel and placing all of his good parts onto this figment. It couldn't be healthy even Mu Qingfan wondered if Shen Qingqius mental state had him confused.

He spoke to Meng Mo who even showed memories of Shen Qingqius past, and his dreams of Luo Binghe tortuing him in the future. Luo Binghe was horrified and even began to cuddle his Shizun more.

His Shizun would always hit him with a fan "Stop clinging, beast!" And yet, his pale face was flushed more embarresed of what other people thought than the act itself. The name was what he used to call him, and yet- Luo Binghe didn't mind it.

If he was a beast, he was only like that because of Shizun.

Shen Qingqiu took a breath, calmly waving his fan to cool him down.

"This lord has requested an audience with his martial siblings to discuss his recent collapse, This one has regained his memories and the 'Shen Qingqiu' you knew is no longer here."

He could see the dismay on the others faces and continued on his voice tense.

"That creature was an imprint it had access to my memories and even had the memories of my future and made descions I wouldn't have made-"

"But we tried possesion!" Wei Qingwei spoke and Shen Qingqiu's glare pierced his at being inturupted.

"As I was beggining to explain, the one in control during this Lords, collapse on his first Qi deviation reffered to itself as Shen Yuan. It was not a total possesion, it was an imprint. The possesion never worked as this master believed it was Shen Yuan pretending to be this master trying to survive."

He closed his fans "Shen Yuan was the one who 'woke' up the kinder one who took over. It was created to stop events from taking place. My actions on abusing my disciple brought the collapse of the world."

"And how are we supposed to believe this?" Qiu QIngqi spoke not believing a word.

Here Shen Qingqiu smirked, and for a moment they thought he was possesed only to realise this was their Shidi, and it was like this years ago when he was more calmer that they thought that was bizaree.

"Luo Binghe," he turned and noticed how the other would sit up straight like a pup.

"Yes Shizun."

ugh, he felt annoyed but this time he didn't know what?

"You recall that other version of yourself? The double?" He noticed his disciples eyes widened "The one with Xin mo? yes. I recall."

The whole peak was alerted to that threat to explain the weirdness of seeing two Luo Binghes fighting.

"That Luo Binghe, was from my future. The one where I was a cruel master. He was the result of my failure. This master died by his hands," He knew those dreams were suspicious, why he knew them so intimatly of Luo Binghe tortuing him with the human stick fate. Why he was exposed to that version as he already failed that Luo Binghe. It was his fault.

"When this master died, he was given a second chance but was too-" broken, weak -

"Uncompromised to make any sane desicions to change the future. Shen Yuan was created to stop those events happening, the demon and human world merging, the abuse of Luo Binghe. All to protect myself." He placed his fan down knowing it was too much for his fellow peak lords. And he knew they wouldn've believed him.

But it was different now, after his kinder self changed their opinions they began to listen to him.

But now they wouldn't which was why he had Luo Binghe back up his statments now they had to believe him.

"So what now? Is the threat over with?"

Shen Qingqiu scoffed "Of course not. The reason that world failed and why this one almost fell into ruin was because of one person." He placed his fan down.

"This master had almost destroyed this world by assuming he knew what was best for himself and others," He glanced at Luo Binghe.

"This one had thought he knew better than his own disciple and thought he knew him better than himself." And ended up hurting him as a consequence he was so blindesided.

"So I propose-" He said outloud, unwavering.

"That this master be removed from Cang Qiong and stripped of his title as Qing Jing Peak lord, as I am unfit to serve."

There was a stunning silence, he had no idea who was more shocked as they tried to process.

But it was the best decision. He was nothing but a snake and he knew anything he did he would just make worse.

He made that future, he hurt Luo Binghe because he tried so hard to save himself. By trying to live up to expectatations, trying to survive acting like he was still that street rat trying to sabotage others and destryoing all compition.

He was a failure of a peak lord, he only tried hard to prove he was worhty of Yue Qingyuan, how dare he abandon him? Only to realise how much of a fool he had been and now being exposed to the truth he felt stupid.

And he was tired, beyond mentally exhausted, trying to cling to his safety and security and for what?

He should've left, travelled instead or joined another peak. His alter self thought it was his enviorment that made Shen Qingqiu so wretched, maybe he was right.

"No way." liu Qingge spoke, irritated "You have a duty as a peak lord, we all swore an oath. You don't walk away from this."

Shen Qingqiu grit his teeth.

Oh, so it was differnt. Asking to leave but being forced- forced into the hands of the disciple who wished him harm who ripped of his legs-

And Yue Qingyuan body pierced with thousands of arrows to save him too late-

Something touched his hand and he looked up sharply at his di- husbands face who looked worried.

"Shizun?"

He was still reeling his mouth opening on his own.

"I'm- this Master is no longer your Shizun, your husband is dead. The one you bowed to- made an oath to he- that one is gone." He spoke, voice sounding distant and far away.

"The Shen Qingqiu you all knew and loved that was is gone, it's just this one now."

The broken one.

Yue Qingyuan noticed Luo Binghes pale face and the others unable to speak He stood up placing his hands on the table as he arose.

"We will disucss this another time, please Shen-shidi. This is a lot for our martial brothers and is a very serious request most will have to think on this." Shen Qingqiu finally looked up, looking lost and nodded.

The others were mostly confused, this was supposed to be Shen Qingqiu from before and yet- they couldn't tell the differnce.

He looked just like he did before, lost and confused. They knew they couldn't vote to make him give up his seat and send him into the world as is. He would be vunerable.

_________________________________________________________

Shen Qingqiu had to laugh, he was a street rat, pretending to be a noble trying to prove he was a capable cultivator, then he believed he was possesing a scum villain and was an imposter and now here he was again, it was as if nothing he did he would never be comfortable in his skin. He would always be faking, lying an imposter trying to pretend to be someone else. Someone others preffered to see...

At this point in time he didn't know who he was anymore...

Mu Qingfan glanced up from his wrist "How do you want to be?"

Shen Qingqiu blinked, "This one wants to be known as Shen Qingqiu, I fought for this title and I earned it...but I'd like to be like Shen Yuan. I wish I could drop my barriars and not...care." Shen Qingqiu looked away at a fixed point and that was starting to worry the doctor. Shen Qingqiu would end up zoning out and saying the strangest things...

"Sometimes, I wished I never woke up. Thinking and believing I was someone else - I was happy."

It sounded painful, and Mu Qingfan felt guilt, that his Shixiong felt like this- he just wished he could fix it.

___________________________________________________________

Shen Qingqiu sat before Yue Qingyuan- he was putting this off for so long, he forced himself to be so calm pushing everything down so he could speak clearly.

"Imagine, my surprise when for years I asked the same question over and over again. One you would rather die than answer. But then you had no problem telling him, shen yuan. The one who had no idea how to take such a truth." Yue Qingyuan almost interjected but Shen Qingqiu raised a hand.

"This master at that time believed you a stranger, and felt awkward that he was told such a thing. He felt awkward and pity for both of us, almost thinking it tragic that it was something this master would never hear and you, clinging to a ghost unaware that you were revealing a truth to an imposter."

Shen Qingqiu took a breath "I thought you left me," he dropped the formal speaking struggling on "I thought you wanted to erase all memories of this one and wanted a clean slate. Each time I hear Xioa Jiu I don't feel the same fond memories you do. It was my sect leader reminding me I was a dirty slave, a gross reminder of your pitiful past." Shen Qingqiu looked up.

"I believed you wanted me to die, and the guilt wasn't that you didn't return for me, only caught wanting a better life and being stuck with this reminder and had to try to create a more beneficial sect relationship to swipe our history under the rug but still reminding me of my place. That you were the untouchable powerful sect leader and I was beneith you." "Xiao Jiu."

Yue QIngyuan sounded wrecked, his eyes burning with tears, Shen Qingqiu didn't do this to hurt him.

"What was I supposed to believe when you would never tell me, when you acted so guilty and trying to give me gifts to forgive you. How could I forgive you when I never knew the reason?"

Shen QIngqiu blinked "To know the real reason I should've had the descision to make, to tell you there was nothing to forgive."

Yue Qingyuan shut his eyes, not believing it.

"You lost me. In that qi deviation I died, vanished. You lost me and didn't even notice- or cared. You loved that version better than me,"

"No! Xiao Jiu!"

Yue Qingyuan almost fell as he stood up in his haste but Shen Qingqiu shook his head.

"You were always too late Qi-ge. Even too late to realise that you had lost me, and lost the chance to tell me the truth when you had plenty of chances all because of pride."

__________________________________________________________

Shen Qingqiu found himself staring at Shang Qinghua talking to Mobei Jun. And a memory flashed in his mind,

"If someone is having a qi deviation, don't do anything. Run away."

Shang QInghua may be the author, and may know him intimatly maybe even wrote his tragic story and was the reason his life sucked wrote him as the scum villain and yet.

Why would he try to help him? Why try to explain to Lie Qingge that Shen Qingqiu was innocent?

Before Shen Yuan- Shang Qinghua was actually his...friend.

Shen Qingqiu felt irritated with himself, even as Shen Yuan he couldn't convey his emotions with the hamster man.

Fine.

"Shang Qinghua." He approached looking down his nose at the man, he was so irritated the hamster was already shaking and thought he was in trouble. Even Mobei Jun noticed and tried to shield him.

"The Sect Leader has realised our poor Shixiong is overworked."

"...huh?"

Shen Qingqiu smiled, he knew it was menacing and just because he was doing him a favour didn't mean he couldn't be mean about it.

"You have the next three months free, Shixiong. Use them wiseley." Both stared as he turned then Shang Qinghua found his voice.

"No- this one can't theres so many things-"

"You have a head disciple for a reason Qinghua use them. And if Cang Qiong falls apart from your abscene then our sect siblings may appreciate you more."

He walked away before the hamster does something embarrasing.

He hates being nice to people.

And later he bullied the Sect Leader to approve the three month holiday for Shang Qinghua which Yue Qingyuan conceded.

He needed to teach the Sect leader to grow a spine with him...just not yet though...

___________________________________________________

As Shen Qingqiu played the qin, he found himself reminicing as Shen Yuan who had no idea on how to play such an instrument and felt petrified that he would be found out. An imposter.

No matter what, what name he took, or identity he would always feel uncomfortable in his skin.

The one time he was happy...

Arms wrapped around him and Shen Qingqiu found himself leaning back with a hum.

Luo Binghe, the one time he wasn't pretending. Even behind closed doors he had no need to keep pretense on being a peak lord. Unlike yue Qingyuan with their history, Luo Binghe only wanted to impress his Shizun.

"What is Shizun playing?" His husband spoke resting his chin on his shoulder, Shen Qingqiu felt himself smile as he relaxed further "Nothing, serious."

He exhaled his chest expanding. "We've never spoken much...about me changing...getting this ones memories back." He felt Luo Binghe stiffen.

"This master never told you why he was so cruel to you as a child."

"Shizun, you don't have to tell me anything-"

"But this master wants to, Binghe is owed that much." Shen Qingqiu was nervous, it did feel like nothing but excuses. Although Luo Binghe had forgave him- he deserved to know.

"When you came to this mountain, during the tea ceremony. Remember what this master did?"

"You poured tea on this disciple." His voice souded bitter, he still seemed upset about that. Shen Qingqiu pressed his lips together.

"Your reason to come to Cang Qiong mountain was to make your mother proud. The love you spoke made me realise how close you were. My original name was Shen Jiu, like the number."

He let that sink in, feeling Luo Binghes hand twitch against his hip.

"This masters own family sold him into slavery, this one has no memory nor the idea of the warmth of a loved one. And yet, this poor women would starve herself to save her own child...this master had no knowledge that, this one made the assumption she was still alive and tried to scare Binghe back into her arms.

This master was bitter that such a child no different than him, would have a better future. Started cultivating at the right time and not be held back by a demonic cultivator like oneself." Shen Qingqiu spoke.

"Luo Binghe did nothing wrong, all he has suffered because this master was a jealous bitter fool. This master saw himself in Luo Binghe, and didn't like the reflection."

He felt Luo Binghe hold him closer.

"Surely Luo Binghe is to blame, this one must have made a mistake?" Shen Qingqiu shook his head.

"There was no mistake except for this master, he took in Binghe because Liu Qingge showed interest in you. Ning yingying wanted a shidi. And knowing you would be a promising culitvator this master gave you a fake manual hoping it would kill you, even made you fight elder hammer hoping to would kill you." Shen Qingqiu spoke shutting his eyes.

"Losing my memories this master was able to see Luo Binghe for who he really was. A bright young boy full of potential, powerful too...did you know that in grievence circumstances a disicple of a peak can replace its master?"

Luo Binghe hummed "This one hadn't known that."

Shen Qingqiu nodded "At the peak lord meetings this master knows now that the others were teasing, but at the time thought they were serious. That my peak was going to be stolen from me, all that hard work surviving under Qui Jianlou and Wu yanzi and for what? To be discarded again and replaced with someone stronger?"

Shen Qingqiu shut his eyes "This one only wanted safety, and has never felt stabilty in his life, the only moments this master can recall would be Luo Binghe."

"Why would this master throw Luo Binghe into the abyss."

Luo Binghe spoke, his hand stroking his waist, and Shen Qingqiu felt himself smile and relaxed further as he reached back stroking Luo Binghes hair.

"The first time, this master was afraid. To be exposed as incompetant to not know a demon was on his peak, to be caught raising not only a demon a heavenly demon. Others still spoke in fear of Tianlang-Jun. Once the others found out Luo Binghe wouldn't die an instant death, a mercy would be to throw him into the abyss. The second, this master was forced. Made to believe that he would perish if Luo Binghe hadn't entered the abyss. Knowing Binghe would survive and return in five years over my immediete demise, it was an easy choice."

"You would toss a child into hell? For your own sake?" Shen Qingqiu nodded, not finding the response alarming.

Now he could finally face Luo Bingge with no regrets.

"How would you find Xin mo? Fight Mobei Jun? Fight for your birthright the Huan Hua palace and the demon realm? Su Xiyan gave up her life so you could live. Tialang-jun would've loved you." He spoke still feeling that hand stroking his waist. He could also feel the claws.

"Luo Binghe always thought he was unloved, that wasn't true. Luo Binghe is easily the most lovable person anyone could be lucky enough to meet."

He sighed dropping his hands in his lap.

"This master has one question to ask of Binghe."

"Anything, Shizun."

He was upset, he could tell he was trying to maintain it. But he did not have to pretend anymore.

"Is there anything else you would like to know before you return to your world, Luo Binghe?"

He felt the arms around his waist tighten as he felt the smile against his neck.

"Shizun," He sounded pleased "When did you know it was me?"

Shen Qingqiu huffed as he patted his arm with a fond huff.

"Unlike the other me, that had no memories. This one is intimiate with this Luo Binghe." Shen Qingqiu tilted his head with a grin as he faced the red eyed stare of his disciple.

Feeling bold, Shen Qingqiu turned around wrapping his arms around Luo Bingge as he sat fully in his lap.

He noticed the other almost tense then look almost lost to realise that his Shizun wasn't running away but moving closer.

"Is the Shen Qingqiu in your world dead? Is that why you must bother this master so?" He asked, the Luo Binghe smirked his nails digging into his hips and Shen Qingqiu gasped his green robes already staining with blood.

He shivered remembering his torture at the hands of this Luo Binghe, much more fresh than before.

As Shen Yuan it was used as a stick to beat the mule, his points the carrot. With fond memories of Binghe the torture was at the back of his mind, now- he couldn't escape the fear.

Luo Bingge smirked at his fear, "Ah Shizun. How lovely it is to know of the reasons of why you hated this Binghe so."

"As this master had already stated, this master was at fault. Luo Binghe had done nothing wrong."

He felt his hands tighten and grimaced "You expect this lord to belive that? That all those years of torture was because of envy?" Shen Qingqiu nodded.

"No matter what, Luo Binghe can't change anything, can't do better or be more perfect. Not when his own master is imperfect. But hasn't Luo Binghe already had his revenge? His Shen Qingqiu payed with his life, you made the other peaks pay for your suffering. Isn't it enough? Now you have your answers, isn't it best to return home?"

"No. This lord want a kind Shizun, it's not fair."

Shen Qingqiu could only sigh, a demon lord and yet still a clingy child. He glanced down at his hips his brow furrowing.

"This master hopes you treat your wives better than this." The other's hands twitched before releasing.

"This master knows more than he should." Oh he caught onto that hadn't he.

"This master had the memories of his failures and the future of being tortured under his disciple. That is true, but in the time the two memories were incompatible and suffered a qi deviation. This master had forgotten his past and saw Luo Binghe for who he truly was."

Luo Bingge smile grew "So you are this lords Shizun," He looked pleased about that.

Shen Qingqiu wanted to hit him with his fan "No, this one has his memories. He is not your Shizun." How many times does he have to say it.

"You look like this lords Shizun, even glare at him like my old Shizun."

"But this one is not him. This master has his own Binghe, and you have your own Shen Qingqiu. It's no ones fault but your own that you killed him."

Suddenly hands latched around his wrists as he found himself slammed onto the floor with Luo Binghe above him eyes crazed.

"That doesn't matter, you are Shen Qingqiu and you have his memories, you are one and the same. Shen Qingqiu deserves to be punished."

"Haven't I been punished enough? Why can't you be satisfied?"

The hands holding his wrists tightened, "This lord will never be satisfied, not until this Shen Qingqiu treats him fairly like the other weaker Binghe."

Shen Qingqiu blinked "Is that all?"

"What?"

Shen Qingqiu tilted his head "You want to be treat like Luo Binghe? you won't return to your world until then?"

"Of course."

"Very well, up." Shen Qingqiu nodded and when Luo Binghe didn't let go Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat "Off, Binghe."

The other smirked "Doesn't the other one do this husband?"

"No, he cries." Shen Qingqiu spoke. Finally being released but held out his hand. If he wanted to be treat like Binghe he was going to treat him like Binghe. He wasn't going to kiss him though.

"Let this Master prepare tea, and you can tell me all about your kingdom and exploits."

Luo Binghe followed amused "Shouldn't you know?"

Shen Qingqiu glanced back "This master was locked in a dungeon if you don't recall, and my other memories came from a unreliable source." He recalls reading Luo Binghes story and remembers the anger he felt at the injustice of his disciple.

It was odd to be sat before his well- not his husband and speak, he was still afraid and nervous.

But if he mentally detatched himself from this and thought back to when he was a hater for PIDW, he did have some questions for Luo Binghe.

"Luo Binghe, this master has a question."

This may not be a great question to start with, but he did want to know. "This lord will answer his Shizun to the best of his abilities."

"You were close with your mother, correct?"

He noticed the demon Lord eyes darkened and hastened on "This Master only wondered why the women you married you never treat them with the same love and respect as her. If a man married her had a child then abandoned her to spawn and marry others would you respect that man?"

He noticed Luo Binghe aura darkened, "This Lord thinks Shizun is overstepping."

Indeed he was, Shen Qingqiu raised his tea cup and took a sip.

"This Master has no mother, sold into slavery as a young child and was given the name Shen Jiu. The number."

Shen Qingqiu placed his tea cup down. "This master asks, as I have never known what parental love was, the closest was Wu Yanzi."

He noticed Luo Binghe sudden attention and silence, "Yes the demonic cultivator who murdured thousands, he ruined my cultivation which was why this master was prone to Qi deviations." He said mirthlessly.

He would never confess such a weakness.

"So this master asks, since Luo Binghe doesn't seem happy with his harem. So why do it?"

Luo Binghe finally picked up his own tea, tilting the cup and watching the liquid swirl around the cup.

"This lord has never experienced genuine love since his mother past. Each women, wants something from this Lord- security, sex, power. Ning Yingying only stays with this master because of her childhood memories of her precious shidi. Luo Binghe the disciple died in the abyss and the Lord before her is a stranger."

That...sounded awful.

"Liu Mingyan lost her brother and only needed support to bring her brothers murdurer to justice..." Here the demon glanced up.

"Did you kill Liu Qingge?"

"This Master failed to save Liu Qingge during a qi deviation. My actions led to his death. Its another of my many failures."

Luo Binghe might not believe him, it didn't matter.

"And Sha Hauling, used me as a pawn to overthrow her father. She was trying to save her own people from starvation." Shen Qingqiu frowned "Ah, the sowers."

Luo Binghe smiled "Yes, human flesh is a delicasy that most demons need." Shen Qingqiu nodded.

"And the rest are the same, not one stays with me or truly understands the things this master done." Luo Binghe drank his tea and placed the cup down.

"This lord is too human and weak for the demons and too monstrous and demonic for the soft humans." Shen Qingqiu gazed at him in sympathy Luo Binghe caught his eyes then bristled.

"I don't need you to pity me, weren't you the one to send this disciple into hell?"

Shen Qingqiu nodded "This Master never cared that you were a demon. You were a heavenly demon. One other demon named Tianglang jun caused so much unrest he made all the masters from all four sects to come together and the strongest most poweful ones sealed him away. It was a war the humans avoided and there you were, a heavenly demon." Shen QIngqiu placed his own teacup down.

"Yue Qingyuan was the one who sealed your father under the mountai, if the other sects found out..." Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes "And if Shang Qinghua was investigated and exposed as being a spy, the entire Qiong Cang mountain would've been seen as demon heratics."

"Ah Shizun always has a reason."

"This master is a strategist, always planning for the future, a complete anxiety ridden mess just waiting and planning for the worst."

"Thats not you." Luo Binghe spoke, looking self assured.

"Is it not?" his only stratergy, Shen Qingqiu thought, is that Luo Binghe see's his shizun as this big monster.

"The sooner you realise that your shizun was a flawed scared human, the more you can let go of your resentment."

------------

Luo Bingmei hated that that other him was able to come here, be close to his shizun. Any moment now he would be taken away- his Shizun would want to go with that other version of him. He saw them getting closer, having tea with one another, Shen Qingqius awe at Xin Mo having being able to be near it unafraid.

He never did that with him his husband! the sword was dangerous, he would say and it...it hurt.

Feeling his Shizun slip through his fingers.

And yet when the other Bingge left he saw the tight coil of anxiety slacken has Shen Qingqius shoulders relaxed. His shizun was afraid of the other and when his eyes sought him out and found him his gaze would warm up holding himself up with a new strength.

As if seeing his husband there made him more reassured.

Then his mask would slip into place as he waved his fan lazily "Husband," He spoke no longer warmth as before he regained his memories but the fact he was even calling him husband had Binghes chest expand with joy.

"Is there any questions you have for this master? Like your counterpart?" He wondered and Luo Binghe smiled.

"This lowly one has heard every answer he has given to his counterpart there is nothing I have to ask."

Shen Qingqiu nodded then gestured for his husband to sit as he began to pour him a new pot of tea, removing the others cup. And Luo Binghe noticed that the cup for his counterpart was the one Shen Qingqiu hated, the one he reserved for guests like Yue Qingyuan or Shang Qinghua and Luo Binghe hid his smile behind his hand.

Mannerisms he did as 'shen yuan' it was like Mu Qingfan said it was if every good part of his Shizun he would place onto this name and would take all the negativity into himself.

He still acted with the same warmth and love as before it was just smaller but no less there. And even though Shen Qingqiu denied it- his denials always came when Luo Binghe would do something small.

Reminding Shen Qingqiu how much he loves him, adores him, worships him. The way his Shizun would shut down almost disbelieving that such attention was aimed at him. It broke Luo Binghe's heart. Before his shizun would have a thin face and try to hide it but this time, Shizun didn't believe anyone was capable of loving him sharp edges and all.

Luo Binghe reached out a hand absentmindedly and felt Shen Qingqiu reach out too and let his hand be embraced by Binghes. A clawed thumb rubbing his pulse point as Shen Qingqiu began to whine about his counterpart and how annoying it was to listen to his stories.

Luo Binghe hummed and nodded knowing and even feeling amused at the change in tone as Shen Qingqiu was annoyed one moment of Luo Binghes tales and adventures inconvienced him into feeling worried that his Black lotus was facing it alone with so many incompetant women as a harem and only Mobei jun but without his servant he was practically useless too.

He was talking without much thought and Binghe placed a hand on his chin as he listen feeling bemused that Shen Qingqiu didn't realise that deep down no matter what form or memories in his core he would always care for Luo Binghe in some way shape or form. He'd never mention it or Shen Qingqiu would clam up and deny it. Maybe even hit him with a fan if he knew.

__________________________________________________________

A/n:

Shen Qingqiu: That was Shen Yuan! That wasn't me- I'm an evil scum villain.

Everyone else thinking he thats not true because he keeps acting like 'shen yuan' without realising it and that they are one and the same it's just a bitch trying to make him realise that. >.<

#shen #Qingqiu #yuan #scumbag #svsss #saving #self #system #scum villain self saving system #scumbag system #scum villain #luo bingge #original luo binghe #original shen qingqiu #writers prompt #scum villain fanfic #SVSSS #qingqiu #Bingqiu

[vodkassassin]

This turned out longer than I intended! @k-l-ng

—

“Where are you going?!” Shang Qinghua demands, voice breaking on the very verge of hysterical.

Liu Qingge pauses in the door. “... Leaving.”

“To where?”

He glares over his shoulder at the An Ding peak lord. “A hunt.”

“No!” Shang Qinghua slams the scrolls in his arms down on the (rarely used) writing desk of Liu Qingge’s (also rarely used) office. His open palms slap loudly against the wood. “Liu-shidi, you can’t! There’s paperwork that you have to fill out for this quarter! Forms I need you to sign!”

Liu Qingge waves a hand dismissively. “Will do them when I get back.” He says.

Shang Qinghua blinks, watching as the taller man once again turns to leave. The An Ding peak lord clenches his jaw and releases a low growl, pushing against the desk. “No!”

A burst of qi enhances the movement, and sends the desk flying across the room to slam into the wall beside the door, barely an inch away from where Liu Qingge is standing. The scrolls and inkwell loll about but come to rest without being much disturbed.

Liu Qingge jerks back. His hand flies to the hilt of his sword, and he whips his head around to scowl incredulously over at his fellow peak lord, whose head is bowed.

“It’ll be too late then, we’ll already be well into the next quarter when you get back. Shidi has to go through the forms now.”

The words come out through gritted teeth. Shang Qinghua, head still bowed and shoulders tense, gripping at his own sleeves as he trembles, sits himself down on the cushion that had once been set before the desk. He lifts his head up, then, to stare at Liu Qingge expectantly, expression dull and flat.

“Shidi has to go through the forms now.” He says again.

“Okay,” Liu Qingge agrees, voice low. He removes his hand off his sword, even though he can still feel the tingling resistance of his fellow peak lord’s qi turning in the air of the confined space of the room.

He reaches out with a foot to prod at the desk that now sits beside him. Nothing happens, so he peers over at the silent Shang Qinghua warily before nudging the furniture a little ways over and sitting down beside it on the hard floor.

Liu Qingge eyes the assortment of scrolls and files with distaste, but he can feel the ceaseless stare of the An Ding peak lord boring holes into his back, so he grabs the first one of the pile and rolls it open.

It takes three hours to get through the whole stack. Shang Qinghua stays for the entire time, not once moving from his cushion, like he thinks that Liu Qingge will give up and leave without finishing the paperwork if he doesn’t stay and watch him to make sure. Which is ridiculous. Liu Qingge would never.

He glances down at the financial statement of the Bai Zhan sect allowance coffers for the last few months and curls his lip as he’s forced to dig around in the papers for the correct corresponding audit report, brush clenched tightly in the white knuckled grip of his other hand.

… Liu Qingge might.

Once he’s finished, he hangs his brush on its hook and glances regretfully at the window. The light of the day is already beginning to dim, giving way to the evening, and the optimal time for setting off on a journey has already passed. He might as well just stay the rest of the night in the sect and leave early the next morning for his planned hunting grounds, at this rate.

The Bai Zhan lord sighs, cracking the knuckles of his hand against his palm, and turns back to look at his uninvited guest. Shang Qinghua seems to have fallen asleep sitting up, somehow, while he was waiting for Liu Qingge to finish. He’s slumped down, head bowed toward the floor in a way that can’t be good for his spine, but nothing a little qi circulation won’t fix.

Liu Qingge climbs up from the floor and rubs the feeling back into his legs. They’re sore, after having been knelt upon for the past three hours without any sort of padding underneath him. Like a cushion. He leaves the desk where it is and crosses the room to nudge Shang Qinghua awake with his foot. He keeps one hand curled loosely round the hilt of his sword, in case the other man decides to blow up at him like he had earlier when Liu Qingge had suggested postponing the paperwork.

Instead, Shang Qinghua goes along with his nudge, falling almost bonelessly back against the cushion. He lifts his head drowsily, and looks up at Liu Qingge with some sort of confusion in his eyes. His gaze is distant, like he’s not quite seeing him yet.

“Did you forget where you are?” Liu Qingge asks coolly.

Shang Qinghua blinks slowly. “... Shidi?” It comes out in a mumble.

“The paperwork is done. Leave.”

“... Mmh….”

Liu Qingge feels his brow tick in irritation. He reaches down and grabs the squirrelly man by the collar of his robes, roughly lifting him up and onto his feet. It’s a harsh but efficient method to wake someone up and have them become fully alert quicker. He uses it on his peak disciples all the time.

Except, Shang Qinghua does not become alert. The moment Liu Qingge releases his collar, the man’s legs buckle beneath him, and the swordmaster is forced to catch him around the waist before he can go sprawling in a heap on the floor. Shang Qinghua’s head falls forward limply, like a doll’s, coming to rest against Liu Qingge’s chest.

It’s in that second that Liu Qingge realizes that something is wrong. Beyond Shang Qinghua having a sudden temper that is incredibly out of character for him, he’s running much too warm. Liu Qingge only wears a modest four layers, but his robes are thickly and tightly woven, purposed for battle and sparring. They’re great for the cold months, as they trap heat in, and work well in the hotter seasons because it takes the sun a bit longer to seep through the weave.

So, Liu Qingge should not be able to feel the heat pulsing from Shang Qinghua’s forehead when the man’s face has only been pressed against his robes for barely a handful of moments.

He fists a hand in the back of Shang Qinghua’s robes and pulls the man back slightly in order to get a look at his face, and curses. Rivers of cold sweat bead down from the An Ding peak lord’s brow, which is creased in pain. His eyes are closed, and from the added weight Liu Qingge is registering, the man might actually have fallen unconscious in his arms.

Liu Qingge glares across the room at the stack of paperwork he’d just finished, as if they are at fault for all his current problems, and then reaches down to scoop up Shang Qinghua’s legs. He hauls the smaller and much lighter cultivator over into his private rooms and lies him out on Liu Qingge’s bed.

Shang Qinghua curls in on himself, a tiny, breathless whimper escaping his mouth as he pants and gasps into the sheets. The cold sweat decorating his face soaks the pillow almost immediately.

Liu Qingge turns on his heel and heads out of the house. He marches down the path until he catches sight of a gaggle of disciples likely wandering from one training ground to another. Or maybe the eating hall, how the hell would Liu Qingge know. What time is it, dinner?

“You!” He calls, and something inside him curls, pleased, at the way all five of them jump at the sound, scrambling to stand at attention the very second they realize it’s him. “One of you go and summon Mu Qingfang. Immediately.”

“Shizun?” One of them asks, confused but nonetheless hurrying to unsheathe his sword and climb upon it before the others have a chance to do so.

Quick wits, that one. Liu Qingge might have to take him out on a hunt sometime. He commits the boy’s face to memory, and turns back toward the house.

“Make it fast,” he throws over his shoulder as he climbs back up the path.

He finds himself standing over Shang Qinghua, staring down at his fellow peak lord as the man lies curled up on his side on top of the covers. Shang Qinghua has his arms wrapped around himself like he’s somehow cold despite the raging fever that’s coursing through his body. Now that Liu Qingge is getting a better look at him, he can see that the man is incredibly pale, paler than can be healthy, and there are smudges beneath his eyes so dark that Liu Qingge isn’t sure how he missed them before. It’s almost as if Shang Qinghua had dipped his finger in soot and drawn them under each eye himself, they’re so distinct.

It makes something uncomfortable twist in Liu Qingge’s stomach. Shang Qinghua looks weak, in this moment, and usually the thought would make Liu Qingge scoff at him, because that is par the course with the An Ding peak lord, but he’s never seen any of his martial family look so… sickly, before.

He’s kneeling stiffly beside the bed when the door is thrown open to admit a frazzled looking Mu Qingfang, who takes one look at them both before marching over and kneeling directly on the bed to hover over Shang Qinghua.

“What happened?” The doctor demands, searching the unconscious and listless peak lord for injuries, his fingers roaming from pulse point to pulse point in an examination of his qi.

“He came to make me do paperwork,” Liu Qingge begins gruffly. “Stayed to make sure I’d do it. I did, but he fell asleep while he was waiting, and when I woke him up…” The swordmaster glares down at his knees, hands clenched in the fabric of his pants.

“What, shixiong?” Mu Qingfang asks, impatient. He’s got his palm pressed over Shang Qinghua’s heart, and the expression on his face isn’t a reassuring one.

“He couldn’t stand,” Liu Qingge grumbles, glare becoming more fierce for all that it doesn’t have a target other than his own hands. “He fainted, so I laid him on my bed and sent a disciple for you.”

Mu Qingfang sits back, both hands now pressed against Shang Qinghua’s chest. The low glow of his qi encircles them as it pours forth and into the An Ding peak lord’s channels.

“Did he seem at all off to you, before that? Was he perhaps acting in ways he normally does not?”

“... Yes.”

Mu Qingfang frowns at him, distracted as he is by his examination of his patient. “That doesn’t really give me any information, shixiong.”

“....” Liu Qingge shifts, like he’s some sort of junior disciple kneeling in punishment for disobedience. It’s what it feels like, almost. “He threw the table at me with his qi.”

The doctor actually pauses. His hands lift off Shang Qinghua as he stares over at Liu Qingge in surprise. The unconscious peak lord groans, and Mu Qingfang quickly returns to channeling him qi, but he still stares at Liu Qingge in shock.

“He… threw furniture at you? Why?”

Liu Qingge clears his throat. He turns his glare back to his knees. “I was leaving, for a hunt.”

“But didn’t you say he had paperwork for you?”

“... Yes.”

Mu Qingfang frowns in confusion. “Then what—” His eyes widen. “Liu-shixiong! You were going to leave without doing it?”

The Bai Zhan lord scowls defensively. “I would have done it when I got back!”

“From what I can recall, it’s almost time for the quarterly reports. If you’d left without doing your share, you would have made Shang Qinghua have to finish it all for you.” Mu Qingfang pins him with a narrow-eyed look. “How irresponsible of you, shixiong, trying to foist your duties off on our already clearly overworked martial brother. No wonder he reacted so violently, especially if…”

The doctor trails off, glancing down at Shang Qinghua as the man shifts under his hands. The An Ding peak lord whines softly into the pillow that’s been soaked in his own sweat, twisting under the covers as if he’s in pain. From how he’s been acting since Liu Qingge woke him up, he… probably is.

“If what?” Liu Qingge demands, rising up part way from where he kneels, eyes locked on the man currently taking up his bed.

But Mu Qingfang’s surged to his feet, distracted now. His patient is waking.

Shang Qinghua blinks up at them with bleary eyes. He only takes the time for a single, confused, wheezing breath before he’s trying to sit up. Both peak lords place a hand on either of his shoulders and guide him back down to the bed. Immediately, the An Ding peak lord looks stricken.

“No, no,” he says, eyes wide and face pale. “No, no, no, no! I need to — I need to go work! I don’t have time to… I—I’m gonna fall behind!”

“Lay down, shixiong,” Mu Qingfang gently insists.

“I’m gonna fall behind,” Shang Qinghua whimpers, tears leaking out of his eyes.

He takes a shuddering breath and brings both hands up, as if he’s contemplating fighting the both of them off, but then he scrubs at his face with them instead and releases another sad, hurt sound that makes Liu Qingge’s stomach tie itself in a knot.

“I’m gonna fall behind,” Shang Qinghua repeats, voice cracking. His eyes are glazed over and tearful.

“Shh, shixiong,” Mu Qingfang soothes, brushing back their martial brother’s sweat-soaked bangs with his hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

Liu Qingge is useless, helping to hold Shang Qinghua down and watching helplessly as the Qian Cao peak lord does his best to comfort him. It doesn't really work, but Mu Qingfang does eventually manage to coax Shang Qinghua back into a fitful sleep.

Liu Qingge crosses his arms over his chest. His hands shake with intensity, and so he clenches them into fists so tight that his knuckles turn a mottled white. He turns to stare at the doctor as the other man finishes tucking the blanket securely around a quietly sniffling Shang Qinghua’s shoulders.

“So?” He demands.

Mu Qingfang is silent for a moment, gazing down at his new patient with an unreadable expression. Slowly, he shakes his head, and Liu Qingge unclenches and clenches his fists as he waits for a response.

Finally, Mu Qingfang sighs and runs a hand through his hair, disrupting its previously neat style. “This should not have happened,” he says quietly. “This should not have been able to happen.”

“What shouldn’t have?” Liu Qingge grits out.

“Any of this!” Mu Qingfang exclaims, and sits back down on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb its sleeping occupant. “He should not have even gotten to this point! His workload shouldn’t be heavy enough to cause any of this, and yet…”

“It has,” Liu Qingge says, and uncrosses his arms in order to wrap his hands around the hilt of his sword. “He’s doing his own workload, in addition to much of the work of the other peaklords, including…” He struggles not to unsheathe his sword, because the only enemy in this situation is himself. His voice lowers a pitch out of shame. “Including me.”

“And me,” Mu Qingfang is quick to add, looking down at his fitfully slumbering patient with a sorrowful expression on his face. “I cannot deny that I have also pushed some of my own responsibilities onto his shoulders, upon occasion. Alone, it wouldn’t be much, but if I and ten other peak lords are doing it, then…”

“The workload grows exponentially,” Liu Qingge finishes, scowling. He gestures with his chin at the unconscious peak lord in his bed, and says, “What else, then? He’s been shouldering it for decades now. If he was going to break under the strain it would have happened before now.”

Mu Qingfang gives a slow nod, reaching out to press the back of his hand against Shang Qinghua’s forehead to check on his fever. The grimace that decorates his face makes Liu Qingge glare at the floor, especially when the doctor gently grabs Shang Qinghua’s too-thin wrist and once again begins circulating qi through the connection.

“His cultivation level is much too high to allow for any natural sickness. His core would flood his immune system and destroy any disease that attempts to take hold. For him to even get sick in the first place, let alone this terribly — his core would have had to face a tremendous imbalance.”

“A qi deviation?” Liu Qingge pushes off the wall and begins to pace furiously. “Impossible. We’d have noticed.”

Mu Qingfang turns his head away, passing qi into his patient in silence.

Liu Qingge stops, and glares at the man. “Someone would have noticed,” he says tightly.

The doctor doesn’t respond. The tenseness of his shoulders, however, speaks for him.

Liu Qingge turns on his heel and storms out of the house.

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