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thegoldenavenger · 14 days

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Hello! Here's day one for the BingLiu ship week. I don't know why I decided to set these in a roleswap AU, but that's where we are. It should become obvious in text but Luo Binghe, Liu Qingge, and Shen Qingqiu have all swapped roles in this AU. As such, Luo Binghe needed a Qing- generation name and Liu Qingge needed a personal name, I went with Luo Qingleng and Liu Mingyu respectively. More notes at the end!

As always, this isn't beta'd.

Day 1. wifeplots | on the Bai Zhan training grounds

"Shen-Shidi," Luo Qingleng says, as honeyed as he can, "If Bai Zhan keeps insisting on its raids, then at least we should cooperate to create a training opportunity for both of our peaks."

Shen Qingqiu scoffs. "The raids were fine when we were disciples, they're fine now. More importantly, we should be cooperating in regards to your intelligence on—"

"I don't have any intelligence—"

"It's good of you to admit as such, Shixiong."

"—regarding the demonic realm." Luo Qingleng finishes, hiding the clench of his fist in his sleeves. Oh, but Shen Qingqiu can be so annoying. "Zhangman-Shixiong has already ruled in this matter."

Shen Qingqiu rolls his eyes. His hands are exceedingly graceful as he pours tea into Luo Qingleng's cup; the tea is perfectly made.

"You let that brat pull the wool over your eyes too many times to count. There are demons gathering in the south, increased raids are being reported past the border towns. Your little demon lord should know what is happening in his own territory, should he not? Why should we not know the reason so many demons are pushing their way further into the human realm?"

"Shen-Shidi," he reproaches. "If there's anything to be concerned about, it will come up at the next meeting, as agreed upon."

"Meeting." Shen Qingqiu says the word like a curse, before breathing in the steam of his tea. The pavilion shades both of them, the light wood a compliment to the twisted pine and rough rockfaces that make up Bai Zhan. His sharp black eyes glance up at Luo Qingleng from beneath his lashes, cold gaze calculating. "Fine. It seems Shixiong does not wish to speak to this Shidi at all. It seems Shixiong would prefer all talk to be done through ten layers of proxy and circumstance."

Now it was Luo Qingleng's turn to roll his eyes. As if Luo Qingleng hadn't been the one to reach out for this meeting. "This Shixiong would be gratified to talk about the Bai Zhan raids he came here to discuss initially."

"What about a game, Shixiong?"

"Oh no."

"We'll duel, and if you win we can talk about team effort and interpeak cohesion or whatever you want."

"No deal."

"Okay. Fine, if you win I'll agree to your silly little rules. We'll make the Bai Zhan raids a formal training tool."

"For both peaks?"

"Yes, for both peaks. A set of engagement rules can be agreed upon, and even safe zones for those delicate young masters to hide in if they must." With the amount of bitterness in his tone, Luo Qingleng wonders if Shen Qingqiu has forgotten that he was once one of those young masters from Qing Jing Peak.

"And if you win?" He asks, reluctantly.

"Then you take me to Liu Mingyu's palace."

"What?"

Shen Qingqiu smirks, leaning back in his seat. "I'd like to enjoy Liu Mingyu's hospitality, Shixiong."

Luo Qingleng takes a moment to think this over. On one hand, it's obvious Shen Qingqiu just wants to snoop around the demon realm himself. For as obvious a ploy it is, and the possibility of the damage Shen Qingqiu can wreck when he wants to, it is... fairly benign. Liu Mingyu is no slavering demon lord planning on conquering the human realm, he has no secret armies or evil intentions.

As smart as Shen Qingqiu is, perhaps seeing this first hand is what it will take for the man to accept that peace is possible between the demon and human realms and reconcile his hostility.

"Okay," he agrees, and Shen Qingqiu actually blinks at him in shock.

"Agreed, then." He says quickly, recovering. "Blades and qi, first to yield?"

"Pin or knock out." Luo Qingleng counters.

Shen Qingqiu rolls his eyes. "Very well." He places his tea cup down and stands abruptly, glaring down at the various disciples half-heartedly training. "Move it." He calls out, "Scram. Get gone."

The Bai Zhan kids back away from the training grounds but don't leave. They hover, eager to see the fight between two Peak Lords. Better that it is the Qing Jing Peak Lord, that many of the Bai Zhan disciples disdain on principal no matter how hard Luo Qingleng has tried to win their good favor. At least they are equally as eager to see Shen Qingqiu lose as they are for Luo Qingleng.

Shen Qingqiu wants to win at all costs. Even in a spar he targets soft points like eyes and belly and rarely does he pull his punches. He doesn't yield gracefully, and as a disciple he broke his own arm before he conceded a fight. Now, Luo Qingleng always makes a point to establish hard physical rules to winning, even if Shen Qingqiu manages to trick him into stepping out of the ring more often than Luo Qingleng can manage to pin the slippery man down.

Despite this, Luo Qingleng does enjoy sparring with Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu demands that all your attention lie upon him or else risk the loss of something vital. He is straightforward in a way he so often isn't with his words, in that his goal is to win as quickly and decisively as possible. Luo Qingleng often thinks that he understands Shen Qingqiu better when they fight.

It helps that Shen Qingqiu's foundation is half rooted in the Qing Jing Peak style, and the familiar moves are nostalgic. After a decent amount of time spent sparring against his particular brand of Bai Zhan cultivation techniques, Luo Qingleng can almost find sparring meditative.

Just almost, though. Shen Qingqiu likes throwing fistfuls of sand too often to completely relax.

The Bai Zhan disciples jeer at the sidelines, alternatively cheering when Luo Qingleng takes an unfortunate hit and heckling when Shen Qingqiu loses his advantage. It always makes Shen Qingqiu's pale face flush with anger. Well, it's not as if there isn't a decently sized population of Qing Jing that still thinks Luo Qingleng doesn't deserve his name. He's learned to act like it doesn't affect him.

Shen Qingqiu lets it get to him everytime.

Harried by precision qi darts, Luo Qingleng focuses on keeping his footing in the arena so much so that when Shen Qingqiu steps in close and grips the collar of his robes Luo Qingleng is completely unprepared to counter a grapple. Shen Qingqiu really prefers mid or long range combat to close quarters.

Still, Luo Qingleng is taller and heavier and digs in so that Shen Qingqiu has to commit fully to leverage him into a throw for a pin, opening holes in his own stance. Luo Qingleng takes advantage of the openings and sweeps Shen Qingqiu's leg, twisting his body to topple Shen Qingqiu.

Like he was waiting for that, Shen Qingqiu pivots, tucking his other leg close to him completely shifting his weight. Luo Qingleng overbalances and Shen Qingqiu neatly rolls them over into a pin with a smug look on his face.

"Too busy caught up with your novels to train, Shixiong?" The smug grin on his face is a stark departure from his normally placid expression. Still, the remark makes Luo Qingleng bristle.

Before he can retort however, a commotion interrupts them and their onlookers.

"Where's your shifu?" A clear voice demands through Bai Zhan's thin air.

"Mingyu?"

"What are you doing on my peak, you beast?" Shen Qingqiu sits back on Luo Qingleng's waist, the grin wiped away in favor of a truly nasty glare. Liu Mingyu parts through the crowd of disciples as easily as shears through rice paper, dragging behind him the crying body of a young man.

Luo Qingleng watches as Liu Mingyu glares at Shen Qingqiu, registers Luo Qingleng's presence, softens at the sight, then bristle again as he realises the pin Shen Qingqiu is still holding. He jerks the young man forward and throws him at Shen Qingqiu's feet.

"Haven't you taught your disciples not to bring suspicious things home?" Liu Mingyu says harshly.

"I didn't know what they were!" The young man wails. Liu Mingyu kicks half-heartedly at the Bai Zhan junior, sending him into an even more pathetic ball of tears.

"Hey!" The crowd of disciples finally catch their wits and start yelling. "You can't treat our shidi like that, you demon!"

Shen Qingqiu, cornered by his own pride and the expectations of his students, flashes to his feet. "What has possessed you into thinking you have the right to treat my disciples this way?" He flips open his fan, the thwack of the heavy silk opening inflicting an almost instinctual shudder upon those gathered.

"Your disciple brought a bagful of Sticking Spring Seeds to Cang Qiong and spilt half of them over Qing Jing Peak!"

"Sticking Spring Seeds?" Luo Qingleng and Shen Qingqiu ask together, Luo Qingleng rising to his feet at the news.

"How many are affected on Qing Jing?" Luo Qingleng asks.

Liu Mingyu shrugs, half apologetically in answer. "Qian Cao and Qiong Ding are already dealing with that." He says, evidently having washed his hands of that response task in favor of rushing to confront Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu had shifted his attention towards the hapless disciple, storm clouds brewing on his face. His disposition has turned so dark, the other Bai Zhan disciples step away. He opens his mouth once, then closes it, at a loss for words. After a moment he closes his fan with a whack against the palm of his hand, the disciple flinching at the noise.

Even Liu Mingyu twitches, disguised at it is by striding forward to greet Luo Qingleng properly.

"I will save my words as you no doubt are clearly and intimately aware of your wrongdoing." Shen Qingqiu finally hisses, words forced throught his gritted teeth.

"Shifu, I didn't know that they were dangerous—"

"Ah..." Luo Qingleng sighs, wincing at the boy's instinctual desire to defend himself. Luo Qingleng knows clearly and intimately himself how little Shen Qingqiu tolerates excuses, especially when the boy really should know better.

"You—" unfortunately, Shen Qingqiu doesn't get to finish his outraged admonishing. The moment he pulls the disciple by his robes, unfurling him from his shrimp-curl, several loud pops burst from him alongside several puffs of downy fluff.

"Shizun!" Liu Mingyu yells, frustratingly stepping in front of Luo Qingleng.

Sticking Spring Seeds come from the Iridescent Ever Blooming Lotus, a plant with large qi cleansing properties that can be refined into very helpful medicine. The seeds are half palm sized and have a tough shell. When they encounter a trauma, such as falling from a height, or being jostled violently, they explode bursting with fine fluff that carry small seeds on the wind for dispersion.

The seeds all have an abundance of chaotic spiritual energy imbued in them, which is interesting from an ecological point of view. Luo Qingleng is not currently interested in the plant's ecological niche, and is instead concerned with the disturbance the seed's energy causes in cultivators.

All of that concentrated energy, introduced into a cultivator's meridians, overwhelmingly causes qi deviation. Shen Qingqiu—already with a weak cultivation base and prone to deviation, just recieved a faceful of the seed's explosion. Further more, despite Liu Mingyu trying to block Luo Qingleng, fine seed-fluff clings to his own face. Not to mention the rest of the Bai Zhan disciples.

"You had more?!" Liu Mingyu shouts, whirling around. He stops short and Luo Qingleng leans around him to see Shen Qingqiu's white robes in a pile on the ground before the Bai Zhan disciple. Liu Mingyu goes an interesting shade of pale and green. "Did he explode?"

"Mingyu," Luo Qingleng says, "The emergency fireworks..." he moves his hand but misjudges the distance and gracelessly paws at the air. "Oh," he breathes as vertigo rises in him.

He cradles his head as his vision swims, suddenly feeling light headed and nauseous. His spiritual veins buzz in discontent, the onset of a qi deviation he's sure. He stumbles into Liu Mingyu, who tries to steady him.

"Shi— shizun?" His voice sounds both loud and muffled. Luo Qingleng presses his face into Liu Mingyu's shoulder blocking out the stinging light even as his head swims.

Liu Mingyu shouts something at someone and distantly the explosion of fireworks sound. Liu Mingyu's hands don't leave Luo Qingleng, holding him firm and solid. Though he feels like he's falling, Mingyu has him safe. Of course Mingyu would know how to deal with falling... Luo Qingleng makes a discontented noise. His body feels stretched thin and weak and he lurches, like a foal, and Mingyu's arms slip under him entirely, cradling him.

His spiritual network twists in knots, painfully, and he knows that he can't stay conscious for much longer. Luo Qingleng pries open his eyes to look at Mingyu. As black edges in, he watches Liu Mingyu's sharp brows carve a furrow in the perfect angle of his forhead. His dark eyes are uncharacteristically wide and worried. Luo Qingleng tries to raise his hand to soothe the little enchanting mole under Mingyu's eye, but lacks the coordination to do so.

He blacks out when his hand borders his vision and his last thought is that his hand looks smaller.

Luo Binghe wakes up in a bed too large for him. The light is bright, filtering through a paper window next to him. He blinks sleepily, his head hurting in the way that means he hasn't had anything to drink in a long time. Cautiously, he puts his hand on his chest but his heart beat is calm under his palm and there is nothing taped to his wrist.

Satisfied, he squirms until he's sitting up, with his back against the pillows. He wants to look around at the room, but his focus is immediately drawn to a man shifting at the edge of his bed.

It looks like he was sleeping, head pillowed on his elbows, one hand reaching lightly out. His hair is long and pulled back in a high ponytail, and it spills in inky strings over his shoulders and the bed covers. Luo Binghe must have woken him with his shifting.

The man abruptly sits up, fast enough Luo Binghe flinches a little.

"Shizun!" The man exclaims.

He's idol handsome, with pretty eyes and soft looking skin. He has a red smear on his forehead, and a little dot under his eye. He stares at Luo Binghe like he should recognize him.

"Luo Qingleng?" He tries instead, voice soft.

Luo Binghe scrunches his nose, suddenly wary. The man isn't a nurse or aid, obviously, so Luo Binghe was thinking perhaps he was a friend of his mom? She works a lot so sometimes she would have a neighbor sit with him. But if the man was a family friend, he'd at least know Binghe's name.

The man looks briefly disappointed, before his face firms. He looks kind of angry. It's a little scary.

"My name is Liu Mingyu." He introduces himself. "You—I'll get Mu Qingfang." He stands and leaves the little room.

Luo Binghe blinks. Mu Qingfang is another name Luo Binghe doesn't recognize, but he supposes it's probably a doctor? That is usually who people rush out of rooms to get in a...

Luo Binghe looks around the room. It doesn't really look like any doctor's office he's seen before. The paper window, for one. And there's no row of utilitarian cabinets or sink. There's a pretty table and shelves, some pouches and incense. The floor isn't tile but wood. It kind of looks way too fancy for a doctor's office.

He pulls back the covers—he's wearing some kind of white gown—and hops off the bed. It takes a moment for him to get his balance, he's a little dizzy, but he goes to investigate the table. There's a cup and a jar of water so he pours himself some and takes a drink.

Holding the cup he wonders if he could look a little more. He'd like to see some of the glass bottles on the shelves, they're very pretty. But his mother had taught him to be respectful and he feels like he's already doing something a little wrong. The man obviously expected him to stay put, and patients aren't supposed to get up and walk around unsupervised, right?

Pouting, he goes back to the bed and sits on it, holding the cup.

It gets a little boring before he hears footsteps and the door to the room opens. A tall man with glasses enters the room, but Luo Binghe barely notices the glasses. Or the little mustache. The man is wearing floor length fancy robes, the kind you'd see on the TV.

He sweeps into the room and pulls a stool close to Luo Binghe's bed, sitting on it. He feels professional, even without wearing the scrubs Luo Binghe is used to doctors wearing, and he's smiling gently.

The man from before lurks at the doorway.

"My name is Mu Qingfang." The doctor says. "You were sick, so I've been taking care of you. You're looking better now. Can I take your pulse?" He holds a hand out gently.

Luo Binghe nods and puts his hand in Mu Qingfang's. Mu Qingfang presses to fingers to the pulse point in Luo Binghe's wrist. As he does so he smiles at Luo Binghe again.

"Thank you. You do seem to have stabilized and it's likely you'll recover completely on your own."

Luo Binghe doesn't remember being sick, but with how thirsty he had been it makes sense. He nods. "Thank you, Mu-Xiangsheng."

"And how should I give my welcome?" Mu-Xiangsheng asks.

"Oh!" Binghe flushes, embarrassed. He should've introduced himself right away, probably. He glances warily at Liu Mingyu at the doorway, but the man doesn't seem to be paying much attention. "I'm called Luo Binghe." He says.

"Xiao Binghe then," Mu-Xiansheng smiles gently. "Do you have any questions, Xiao Binghe?"

"Where's my mom?" He asks first. Then, after a pause, "And what was I sick with? And where am I?" And why are you wearing those clothes! Upon closer inspection, Liu Mingyu is also wearing fancy robes, though in shades of black and white. Luo Binghe thinks asking might be rude, or possibly stupid since it everyone is wearing them. He doesn't want to be rude or stupid.

"Well," Mu-Xiansheng starts, "I'm not sure where your mom is right now. Liu Mingyu found you and brought you here. You're on Qian Cao, of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. Do you know where that is?"

Luo Binghe frowns. "No." He says, but he's more concerned about his mom.

"That's okay. You had a qi deviation, so it was best to bring you to a cultivation sect instead of a mortal doctor."

Luo Binghe blinks.

"Cultivation?" Like the TV dramas? Was he in a TV drama? Did he get so sick he ended up in the tv? Is that even possible? His mom must be so worried!

He pauses. Usually in stories no one really notices that you're missing when you go on an adventure. Like time pauses or something. So his mom probably hasn't noticed that he's gone. That's good. And Mu-Xiangsheng says that he'll get better on his own, that probably means he'll go back to the real world sooner or later. So it's probably fine.

If he doesn't have to worry about his mom (and he doesn't, because time is paused so she won't be worrying about him) then that means he's free to be excited about the rest of it.

"I had a qi... deviation?" He asks and gets a nod back. "So I have qi?" Superpowers, basically? He doesn't really feel any different, but maybe that's because he's new to all this?

"Well, you have young spirit veins. They're undeveloped, so you don't have access to the reserves or refinement you normally would. It seems, along with your memories, you core has regressed as well as your physicial age. It's quite interesting, really, most reports of this kind of qi deviation don't include memory regression as a symptom—"

The doctor rambles on, and Luo Binghe doesn't really think he's being talked to anymore so he takes to looking at his hands. He doesn't feel different from normal, just tired. He finishes his water and holds the cup awkwardly while Mu-Xiangsheng talks, eyes drifting towards Liu Mingyu again.

The man has his arms crossed, and he's leaning against the doorway like he's holding it up. Liu Mingyu found him, Mu-Xiangsheng said. So, however Luo Binghe got here, Liu Mingyu picked him up and took him to a doctor to get help! Maybe he even flew? That's really cool.

At that moment Liu Mingyu stops glaring at nothing and catches Luo Binghe staring. Luo Binghe startles, and looks back at Mu-Xiangsheng. Does Liu Mingyu always look angry?

"So he's fine." Liu Mingyu interrupts Mu-Xiangsheng's rambling sharply.

"Yes, yes, like I said, Xiao Binghe is recovering well and his body will heal naturally."

"Good." Liu Mingyu crosses his arms. "Does—should he stay here?"

"I suppose it doesn't matter." Mu-Xiangsheng has turned, so Luo Binghe can't see his face, but he sounds considering. "He'll recover just as well here as anywhere else. Or anywhere else as here."

Luo Binghe grips the glass cup. He likes Mu-Xiangsheng, so he wouldn't mind staying here. But, it was boring when he was waiting. Probably, Mu-Xiangsheng doesn't have a lot of time to spend with Binghe, being a doctor and all.

"Should he go back to Qing Jing?" Liu Mingyu asks.

Mu-Xiangsheng sighs, before turning back to Luo Binghe. "Xiao Binghe, would you like a tour of Cang Qiong? Getting out would be healthy for you and you can decide whether you'd like to stay here on Qian Cao, or somewhere else while you recover. Of course, you'll still have check ups with me, either way."

"Yes, please!" Luo Binghe exclaims. "Uhm, will Mu-Xiangsheng take me?"

"Unfortunately, I don't really have the time." Luo Binghe can't help his pout, even though he already knows Mu-Xiangsheng is busy.

"Oh." Luo Binghe glances quickly at Liu Mingyu before looking away. He still looks a little angry but since Mu-Xiangsheng said he was the one who helped Binghe he can't really be scary. "Can... would it trouble Liu-Gongzi to take me instead?" He asks.

Over Mu-Xiangsheng's shoulder, Liu Mingyu looks startled. Mu-Xiangsheng smiles. "Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't mind at all. Shizi?"

Liu Mingyu straightens from the wall and edges closer to Luo Binghe's bed. The way he moves reminds Binghe of one of the alley cats he tries to pet sometimes.

"You want me to take you?" Liu Mingyu clarifies when he comes closer.

Luo Binghe eyes the sword hilt he can see at Liu Mingyu's hip and nods. "Can you fly?" He asks, eagerly, just the slightest bit embarrassed in case he has misunderstood.

"Of course I can." He answers quickly, sounding one part confused, one part pricked pride.

"Can I fly with you?"

Liu Mingyu tilts his head studying Luo Binghe, which makes his face burn a little. Maybe he was wrong and Liu Mingyu is actually as mean and scary as he looks. And then Liu Mingyu grins, startlingly wide and easy. His whole face transforms with it and Luo Binghe reflexively smiles back.

"Of course you can."

----

Okay, quick note on the names!

I discussed it with a friend who suggested Luo Qingleng (Qīnglěng | chilly / deserted / desolate) which I thought was thematically a good fit for Binghe!

He gave a very convincing argument for lqg's name:

"ok for Liu Qingge, calling him Liu Mingyu would be extremely funny- the correct characters would be 溟譽 (ming2yu4), which isn't an existing word but is pronounced exactly like 名譽

which relates to fame and honor

HOWEVER, it also sounds very very close to ming2yu2 (Stupid and obstinate)"

Which I indeed thought was very funny so I kept that. Rest assured, he suffered so much bullying. That being said, I'm not an expert with Chinese names or cultures, and though this is meant to be light hearted and fun, please let me know if these are outside the realm of even Airplane's naming conventions, as well as the terms of address binghe uses! I did some research, but I really don't know what a kid would call a fantasy doctor and a fantasy hero who saved him =n=

#kamaeteWRITES #bingliuweek2024 #bingliuweek2024day1 #day 1 #idk how to tag haha #sorry most of this is sqq and theres barely any liu #also RIP mybfirst choice for binghe's qing- name which was just qinghe #my friend said it was a boring name that was already a geographical location #and i felt bad naming him river city or w/e #lqg did get stuck with my suggestion of mingyu though haha #idk if this will be touched on but sqq turned into a cat.#hes off trying to claw yqy's ankles to shreds im sure.#there are definitely bingliushen vibes but this will probably be way less heavy with the sqq cameos now that sqq is a cat #bingliuweek24

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