Chapter Text
Luo Binghe swallowed when he saw his opponent, but controlled his body, drew Zheng Yang and breath, squeezing the handle of his sword.
He was going to win. He had to do it! For his sect, for his and his shizun's honor, but mainly to be able to demonstrate his potential to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan felt his stomach twist, he wanted to reach him and pull Luo Binghe behind him, protect him so he doesn't have to fight
But he knew that doing so would probably make Binghe think he doubted his abilities
Shen Yuan bit the inside of his lower lip, he trusted Binghe. He really did! But... the demon he was going to fight with was much bigger than him.
"By the way, maybe I forgot to mention something~, the spikes in Major Tian Chui's armor had a very potent poison for humans" Sha Hualing announced. "Well, let's start!!"
Major Tian Chui attacked Luo Binghe, who only narrowly managed to evade him.
A "What!?" was heard from all humans, followed by several claims that were silenced with just a signal from Shen Qingqiu.
"Their definition of 'friendly competition' is beyond my comprehension." He frowned and in his expression there was displeased.
All the disciples looked with concern and fear at their fellow disciple.
"Shizun! Shizun! We must get A-Luo out!" Ning Yinying exclaimed as she ran to grab her teacher's long sleeve, while her eyes filled with tears. "You have to get A-Luo out of there! Please, shizun!" Repeated.
"Shen-shibo, we shouldn't leave Martial cousin Luo alone." Liu Mingyan arrived after Ning Yinying.
"Shizun, Luo Binghe is in grave danger!" Ming Fan said, his concern reflected in his face.
The exhausting was beginning to become noticeable in the speed with which Luo Binghe dodged, each time costing him more and more to the point that many times the demon was about to hit him.
Binghe's confidence faltered with every hit of the demon's mallet that he barely dodged.
His body, already tired, could not make the movement he wanted and ended up stumbling, when he fell to the ground he covered his head with his hands, expecting to feel the pain
But nothing came
He turned and his eyes widened when he saw Shen Yuan standing between him and Tian Chui, struggling to stop the weight of the mallet with his sword.
"Shixiong! / Shen Yuan! What are you doing!?" Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu exclaimed at the same time.
Sha Hualing raised an eyebrow with her eyes on Shen Yuan. "Ohhh ~"
"Binghe! You must... you must get up." Shen Yuan's hands and legs were shaking. "I know... that Binghe can win... but first... you must get up"
"A-Yuan..." Luo Binghe muttered looking surprised at Shen Yuan and immediately got up. "Shixiong shouldn't be endangered by this shidi!"
"What kind of Shixiong would I be if I didn't help my shidis when they're in trouble? Ugh!" The trembling of Shen Yuan's body increased more and more, Luo Binghe frowned and grabbed Zheng Yang.
In the end... in the end Shen Yuan always ended up helping him, he was so weak that Shen Yuan had to rescue him when he was supposed to prove him he was strong.
His grip on Zheng Yang tightened and with a yell he attacked the demon as fast and strong as he could in the few places where the armor did not cover him.
Major Tian Chui tried to stop him, but Shen Yuan lashed back to attract his attention, in the end he couldn't take more and fall to the ground... defeated by 2 boys.
After the sound of the armor hitting the ground there was not a single sound, all holding their breath.
"Get up, useless!!" Sha Hualing exclaimed, but when Major Tian Chui tried to get up he fell again.
Suddenly the place was filled with the disciples' cheers.
Shen Yuan fell on one knee, digging his Zhan Lu sword into the ground, his breathing accelerated.
"Shixiong!" Binghe wanted to approach him, but stopped when he saw his shizun approaching in a hurried pace.
"A-Yuan!" Shen Qingqiu rarely referred to his son as 'A-Yuan' when there were other disciples, but at this time his concern was as a father rather than as a teacher. Shen Qingqiu knelt in front of Shen Yuan and tapped his head with his fan. "Do you want to kill your father in a scare!? Wasn't it enough to worry me once!?"
Shen Yuan sighed and looked at the adult. "I'm sorry, father, but I had to help Luo-" He was cut when he felt his father hug him tightly, his grip on Zhan Lu loosened and instead he embraced the hug.
"It doesn't matter how many times I tell you not to put yourself at risk... you keep and will keep doing it... you're really going to be the end of me"
Shen Yuan rubbed his face on his father's chest, doing that every time he hugged his father was comforting to him (and it was also for Shen Qingqiu)
Shen Qingqiu reluctantly ended the hug. "You'll be in double troubles, young man"
"This time it doesn't surprise me anymore" The boy laughed slightly and got up with his father's help, took Zhan Lu off the ground and sheathed it, and then cleaned the dirt from his clothes.
The adult's gaze was soft and tender when he saw his son, but it hardened when he looked at the demon. "It's over, you have no business at Cang Qiong"
Sha Hualing let out a dramatic sigh and stood in front of Shen Qingqiu, who immediately pushed Shen Yuan behind him. "I guess you're right, we are retiring now, Sword Xiu Ya" He turned to see his fellow demons. "LET'S GO NOW!! ... but first" She walked over the elder Tian Chui "You are useless, you could not against some children" She stomped hard on him when she finished speaking.
Shen Yuan, taking advantage that his father was not seeing him (but seemed to be seeing a point in the sky), approached Sha Hualing. "You fought well, your style is quite unique"
Sha Hualing clearly surprised blushed and crossed her arms. "Of course I fight well." She turned away from him. "I'm surprised that a human values the fighting style of a demon... I like you" She got off Tian Chui. "We will meet again, Shen Yuan"
Shen Yuan proceeded to see Luo Binghe, who was just looking at the floor.
"Are you all right, Binghe?" He placed his hand on the other boy's shoulder.
Luo Binghe raised his head, but avoided looking at Shen Yuan. "This shidi regrets his incompetence"
Shen Yuan frowned, clearly confused. "What is Binghe talking about?"
"This shidi could not have won if it had not been for shixiong's intervention! Shidi owes Shen-shixiong his life!"
Shen Yuan sighed. "Binghe was the one who defeated Major Tian Chui, not me." He patted his hair. "Binghe is very strong, he endured more than this shixiong would have lasted"
Luo Binghe looked at Shen Yuan with bright eyes. "Shixiong is too kind with this shidi"
"Shixiong is just being honest"
"Thank you... A-Yuan" Luo Binghe's cheeks turned pink and he brought his head closer to the hand that touched his hair.
"Hey, you two! You are disgusting me being so sweet!" Sha Hualing exclaimed, making a face of disgust but clearly amused, so she began to mock the conversation of both boys with an exaggerated tone of love and sweetness. "Are you all right, dear Binghe? This shidi regrets his incompetence! What are you talking about, Binghe? Oh, my beloved Shixiong! Without your help I wouldn't have won~! Oh, Binghe! Shixiong, my life belongs to you!" She laughed when she saw the red faces of both boys. "Humans are very entertaining~" She turned to leave, being followed by the other demons... though...
Shen Yuan was going to talk when his eyes widened and he pushed Binghe out of the way, quickly covering his own face with his arms.
Major Tian Chui was about to hit Shen Yuan when someone landed right in the middle of both, getting in the way and throwing the demon away from the boy.
Liu Qingge looked sideways at Shen Yuan, when he saw that he was unharmed he proceeded to fight Tian Chui until he was almost killed, only being stopped from doing so by Major Dubi.
Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan, who had arrived with Liu Qingge and Gongyi Xiao, ran to check Shen Yuan.
Both parents began to check the boy's body, who only sighed letting himself be checked.
"Three times... in one day there go three times" Shen Qingqiu said extremely annoying.
Shen Yuan said nothing, knowing that whatever he said he will end triple in troubles.
Yue Qingyuan already imagined what his husband was talking about, what had just happened and what Liu Qingge told him along the way, so he just shook his head gently, preferring not to mess with Shen Qingqiu at this time.
Sha Hualing turned to see the scandal and gasped in surprise. "TIAN CHUI!!!" She screamed furiously and turned to see Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe. "I... ugh... I apologize... for what Major Tian Chui did, he will be punished properly, I will personally take care of that" She said and turned to see one of her subordinates. "Bring him, I won't tolerate his insolence" A portal opened and all the demons dissapeared.
Silence reigned after the demons left.
Luo Binghe approached the family and bowed deeply. "This disciple is very sorry to have caused Shen Yuan to end up in danger... twice, this disciple will accept the punishment that Shizun and the leader of the sect may found appropriate"
Shen Yuan spoke before her parents did. "It's not Luo-shidi's fault, I was the one who put myself in danger!"
Shen Qingqiu looked at Yue Qingyuan, who nodded and looked at both boys. "Get up, Luo Binghe" The boy straightened and stood firm. "You will not be in troubles, you did nothing wrong, that demon had poison and was much bigger than you"
"Thank you, Sect Leader"
"Shen Yuan, as your teacher and the sect leader, we thought you did the right thing helping your shidi and your shishu when they were in danger"
Shen Yuan looked surprised at his parents, thinking that perhaps there was a minimal chance that he would not end up being in troubles.
"But as your parents, we consider it too bold and reckless of you, so you will be in troubles, not as a disciple but as our son"
Shen Yuan's shoulders dropped. "I understand"
Luo Binghe wanted to protest, but Shen Yuan stopped him with a shake of his head.
Gongyi Xiao, Ming Fan and Ning Yinying approached Shen Yuan.
"Yuan-ge! Are you alright?"
"Of course, Xiao-di"
Ming Fan sighed in relief. "I'm glad that Liu-shishu saved Shen-shixiong. Definitely Liu-shishu is the best!" When he noticed the look his teacher was giving him, he coughed. "But he is not as incredible as shizun, shizun is on another level" He slowly hid behind Gongyi Xiao.
"Liu-shishu was amazing! Shizun was incredible! Mingyang was awesome!" The girl grabbed Shen Yuan's hands. "And A-Shen was so great with A-Luo! You two should fight together more often!"
Luo Binghe understood what Ning Yinying wanted to do, so he just scratched his arm as he looked away, the shame reflected in his pink cheeks, Shen Yuan seeing him smiled and Ning Yinying laughed.
"I only returned the favor of what he did in the caves" Liu Qingge said sheathing Cheng Luan, very clumsily he patted Shen Yuan on the head, but then quickly turned and went to where his little sister was, who saw him with a shake of her head and giggled, amused by his brother's clumsiness to show affection to someone other than her.
Shen Qingqiu let out a snort of mockery. "How affectionate" He discreetly made a move as if he were cleaning dust from Shen Yuan's hair, who almost rolled his eyes.
Yue Qingyuan could only sigh, but there was a smile on his face, his family was fine, now it seemed that Liu Qingge liked their little Shen Yuan and it seemed that the air between his husband and Liu Qingge was no longer so tense.
Yes, everything had gone well
Well, Shen Yuan ended up being punished without being able to go on missions with his father and the other disciples for 3 months, but he was safe and sound, so was the rest of his family, which was the most important thing.