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Chapter Text

[01 - Going back to the past]

Shen Qingqiu's name was sullied.
Shen Jiu was abandoned.
Shen Jiu was forgotten.
Shen Jiu has died.
And so is Qi-ge. And so is Yue Qi.
Liu Qingge's death is a misfortune, Yue Qi's guilt is never-ending, Shen Qingqiu's life is a tragedy.

Shen Jiu died.
And Shen Qingqiu finally died.
Or so he [wished] thought.

The cool dawn showers his delicate face, Shen Qingqiu slowly opens his eyes.

'Alive' was what he thought as he slowly sits straight on his soft bed.

The bed he has always loved, the bed in his dear bamboo house.

'Beast, playing with my dreams now? Good, good.' Shen Qingqiu bites his bottom lip.

The familiar metallic taste of blood, dripping from his rosy lips to his white blanket. He couldn't feel the pain. He has gone through worse.

Shen Qingqiu closes his eyes, tries to trace any demonic energy. Hoping that it's just another torture method of that filthy beast. But he couldn't. He knew too much of how the old dream demon's ways work.

It's not a dream.

He has come back. Shen Qingqiu has come back.

Tears.
Warm tears flow from his eyes, so much, so wet, so pathetic.

Qi-Ge and Yue Qingyuan are foolish. Never good at communication, but they are one person, so it is natural isn't it?
Liu Qingge is a prideful barbarian, reckless in decisions.
Qiu Haitang was once an innocent flower.
Shen Jiu is a slave.
Shen Qingqiu was a slave.
Shen Qingqiu is Shen Jiu, and Shen Jiu is Shen Qingqiu.
Just like Yue Qi who will forever be Yue Qingyuan.

He cries quietly, wipes his tears, but the tears keep flowing fluidly.

Ah, has he always suffered this much?
It hurts. His heart hurts.
Shen Qingqiu cries silently.

"Why can't I just die?"

Days passed like flowing water.
And it was just a few days ago [a week] when Shen Qingqiu came back.

Grumbling, Shen Qingqiu finally leaves his bed.
Shen Qingqiu is a teacher, a peak lord. Naturally, work never leaves him.

"Good morning Shizun!" Ming Fan and Ning Ying Ying bows.

"Mn." Shen Qingqiu responses.

Ming Fan, his favored disciple.
Excellent in thinking, prideful but respects the elders, loyal, and good in leadership.
If only his envious heart could lessen.

Ning Ying Ying.
Kind, friendly, value others, is bright but can be serious when needed to.
A sinless flower.

Shen Qingqiu taps his fan, "Ming Fan."

"Yes, Shizun?" Ming Fan answers with a brave smile.

"You are the head disciple, someone this master trusts in judgment and leadership..." Shen Qingqiu ties a blue Hanfu waist bell with a black line in his waist belt, "Remember, envy leads to doom, keep your emotion still. Use your mind, not heart."

"Shizun?" Ming Fan stiffens, and within the count of seconds, his eyes redden.

"This master has always favored you the most." was left unsaid, but was written very clearly.

Ming Fan has always been by his Shizun's side.
Cruelty, punishments, fights, lessons. Everywhere and anytime his Shizun calls him, he comes.
He knows, Ming Fan knows very well that Ning Ying Ying is Shizun's apple in the eye, so he keeps his envious heart low. After all, boys are never in Shizun's mercy.
So when he heard Shizun's words, his heart could only cry.

Shen Qingqiu adverts his eyes to the girl, "Ning Ying Ying."

"Shizun?" the girl's heart trembles.

"This master has someone like Ning Ying Ying," Shen Qingqiu covers half of his face behind his fan, "[So please,] understand others' mind before acting. Strengthen that simple mind of yours."

"Don't get hurt."

"Don't cause others pain."

"Yes, Shizun..." the girl's heart dims as she notices a cloudy shade in her Shizun's eyes.

As she finally notices that it is not her that the man cares for, it is someone else that resembles her. Someone dear to the man. Not her.

"Ming Fan, inform all disciples, today's lesson will be Guqin," Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan, "Now go."
"Yes, Shizun!" the youngsters chirps.

As the little ducklings run, Shen Qingqiu lets out an exhale.

'Some things need to be changed.' Shen Qingqiu closes his eyes.

'Ning Yingying is too innocent,' his mind runs and runs, 'Mingfan has to be improved in cultivation, social, and leading skills.'

'I have to gain trust from others [martial brothers and sister],' Shen Qingqiu brushes his hair to his back, 'Liu Qingge's death...'

The early birds sing their nameless song.

'Yue Qingyuan's unrevealed truths,' Shen Qingqiu's smile is breathtaking [just like a deity and demon lord], 'And Luo Binghe...'

Chapter Text

[02 - Brothers, sister, don't believe the rumors...!]

Days pass by without chaos, yet.
Morning shines, night cools. Students chirp, nature sings.

Shen Qingqiu elegantly pours tea.

"How have you been Qingqiu-shidi?" Yue Qingyuan smiles as he sips his tea, something he extremely cherishes. Not once have Shen Qingqiu lets him in and have tea together without a sour face. Not once have Shen Qingqiu welcomes him without throwing poetic insults. Something that the eleven peak lords have always loved and hated to hear.

"Not well." Yue Qingyuan almost had a heart attack.

"Shidi, are you hurt anywhere? This shixiong could help."

"Hn," Shen Qingqiu [playfully] points his fan to his chest, "Here, heart."

Yue Qingyuan's face pales, "Shixiong will call Mu-shidi immediately."

"No need," Shen Qingqiu waves his fan, "This shidi is simply... sad."

Yes, by now, Yue Qingyuan is inwardly screaming, 'Xiao Jiu is sad?! Who dares treat him badly?! Come fight me!'

"Very, very, very sad," Shen Qingqiu plays with his tea.

Yue Qingyuan worriedly places his teacup down, "Qingqiu-shidi can tell this shixion-"

"Why didn't Qi-Ge tell Xiao Jiu about the past three years incident?" Shen Qingqiu cuts in, eyes fixated to Yue Qingyuan's, "Hmn? Qi-Ge, why?"

Yue Qingyuan stiffens. The atmosphere thickens. Not a word uttered.

"Did you come back?" Shen Qingqiu breaks the silence.

"Xiao Jiu... Qi-Ge is sorry."

Shen Qingqiu drinks his tea, "Did you come back?"

"Xiao Jiu..." Yue Qingyuan's knuckles were gone white.

Shen Qingqiu didn't say another word.
He slowly and patiently drinks his tea [something he has practiced for the last few months]. The atmosphere didn't help either [it does, actually, for Shen Qingqiu].

Only after two cups of tea, Yue Qingyuan opens his mouth. Then closed it, then opens it again, only to shut his mouth tight again.
Shen Qingqiu continues drinking his tea. After three more cups, Shen Qingqiu [orders] politely asks Yue Qingyuan to retreat.

"There is a lot of work to do." was what the younger reasoned.

And so, Yue Qingyuan left with ears and tail down.

"And this is my fault?" Shen Qingqiu furrows his eyebrows.

Twelve days have passed, Shen Qingqiu continues his daily life with no abnormality. As for Yue Qingyuan... he had a very bad atmosphere surrounding him for twelve days nonstop. Even the air is still lingering in important meetings!

"The last time Yue-zhanmeng was positive was before having tea with Shen-shixiong," Shang Qinghua sighs, "Everyone is worried, no one could brighten Yue-zhanmeng..."

Somehow, Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu had had a good relationship ever since the past life. Shang Qinghua would always amuse Shen Qingqiu with his new handicrafts, while Shen Qingqiu would amuse Shang Qinghua with his tactics.
No matter from which angle, they connect perfectly well. Once one speaks up, no one could stop the two from having a light topic chit-chat about theories, rules, information, spells, and many more that only makes the bystanders dizzy with confusion.

If only the man doesn't betray the sect.

"Why me?" Shen Qingqiu grumbles, "Mu-shidi is fun to talk to, he would surely brighten Yue-zhanmeng with ease."

"Shen-shixiong..." Shang Qinghua complains, "We all know that no one can outmatch Shen-shixiong when it's about Yue-shixiong..."

Shen Qingqiu sighs, "Alright, I will talk to him."

Shang Qinghua instantly brightens, "Thank you Shen-shixiong!"

"Yue-shixiong." Shen Qingqiu uses a lighter call as he enters Yue Qingyuan's workplace.

"Qingqiu-shidi?" the cold and heavy tension around Yue Qingyuan instantly turns 180 degrees.

"... May this shidi have tea?" Shen Qingqiu looks at the thick scrolls on Yue Qingyuan's desk, "If Zhangmen-shixiong isn't busy."

"I'm having tea, and I don't accept refusals." was what Shen Qingqiu was about to say [and meant]. But due to his patience practices, which has been going on for months, he held it back quite well.

"Of course! Of course!" Yue Qingyuan hurriedly cleans his table, "Sorry for the mess."

"Mn." Shen Qingqiu takes out a tea bag and brews it with elegance.

Shen Qingqiu hands Yue Qingyuan a cup, "Ah, thank you shidi."

"Mn." Shen Qingqiu hums.

Sensing the younger's unwillingness to have a conversation, Yue Qingyuan shuts his mouth. Only after two cups of tea, Shen Qingqiu finally starts.

"Are you ever going to tell me what actually happened?"

"Ah..." Yue Qingyuan's happy mood instantly dimmed.

"Considering our past relationship, I believe that you wouldn't toss me away like a broken toy," Shen Qingqiu puts down his teacup, "Don't take too long. I am not a very patient person."

And with that, Shen Qingqiu left Yue Qingyuan in his workplace.

He could, if he wanted to, force Yue Qingyuan spit the truth out by his irresistible charms. But wouldn't it be too boring? After all, Shen Qingqiu loves drama. And he isn't the type of person to force his way on others.
So wait, he wait. He will wait until Yue Qingyuan is ready.

Three years of waiting was nothing. He had waited for two lifetimes for his Qi-ge to come back. So a little more wouldn't hurt, right?

Shen Qingqiu bites his bottom lip.

"And you didn't tell me this?!" Shen Qingqiu furrows his eyebrows in frustration.

Three innocent teacups were shattered. All thrown near to Yue Qingyuan's head. Although the younger never aimed it to the older's head, it was near.

After nine days without sleep, Yue Qingyuan decided that it is time. After all, no matter what, Shen Qingqiu will find his ways to make Yue Qingyuan speak the truth. Either it's with his irresistible charms [after all, Qi-ge is nothing when faced with Xiao Jiu], informants, or using the sneakiest method possible : demanding an answer while calling him Qi-ge.

That would be the most unfair method ever! Absolutely unfair! He was near to blurting the whole three years life nine days earlier, when Shen Qingqiu called him Qi-ge.

If Xiao Jiu were to do it again with a special combo adorable childish needy Xiao Jiu mode...

"Qi-ge!" Shen Qingqiu's cheeks flush red, he pouts as he tugs Yue Qingyuan's sleeve.
Shen Qingqiu's watery eyes look up at Yue Qingyuan's, "Qi-ge tell me please...! Qi-ge...!"

Yue Qingyuan boils in red. But that's just an if, thankfully, Shen Qingqiu didn't do that [or haven't].

Nine days have passed, Yue Qinyuan visits Shen Qingqiu with a bag of tanghulu [in hope that his Xiao Jiu would lessen his fury].

Yue Qingyuan's head lowers, "Xiao Jiu..."

"Don't give me those doggy eyes," Shen Qingqiu's blood boils [in worry and fury], "And don't you think that that bribe could stop me from throwing you more teacups!"

After throwing two more teacups, drinking three cups of tea, and finishing a bag of tanghulu, Shen Qingqiu finally cools down.

"You're so stupid," Shen Qingqiu pours another cup of tea, "So reckless, empty-brained, and foolish."

"Qi-ge is sorry..."

"It's not entirely your fault, and you did come back," Shen Qingqiu fans himself, "So I forgive you, Qi-Ge."

"..."

"..."

"... hic.. hic..."

"?!"

Later on that day, the whole cultivation sect received hot gossip, as a few Qing Jing disciples accidentally barged into Shen Qingqiu's bamboo hut, for they have heard a loud cry.

"The Xuan Xu Sword Master and Xiu Ya Sword Master were in a [one-sided] argument and five teacups were used as Xiu Ya Sword Master's weapon!"

"The outcome was the Xuan Xu Sword Master kneeling and crying at Xiu Ya Sword Master!"

"And the great immortal master Yue Qingyuan was grasping immortal master Shen Qingqiu's robes!"

"Wrong! He was [touching] holding Xiu Ya Sword Master's [slender] waist!"

"What's more is that Xiu Ya Sword Master was patting Xuan Xu Sword Master's back while muttering some words only the two could hear!"

"..."

"..."

"... Somehow, it sounds suspicious..."

"I agree... Could it be..."

"... They were... having a... love... fight...?"

"..."

"Oh my God."

Chapter Text

[03 - Just one stalker is enough, thank you]

"Look, look," Qi Qingqi tweets, "I knew it, their bond is something only them could read."

Currently, Qi Qingqi, Mu Qingfan, Shang Qinghua, and Liu Qingge are [stalking] watching from the shadows of their two shixiongs, who are rumored to be childhood sweethearts, partners, rivals turned to lovers, and other more speculations from the society [disciples, common people, and even the peak lords].

Naturally, Mu Qingfan wouldn't associate himself with such childlike matters. But Qi Qingqi used a rare herbal ingredient as a bribe. As a healer, he can't miss that chance, can't he?

'I am innocent, I am innocent, I am innocen-' Mu Qingfan consoles himself.

Hiding by the bamboo trees is a childish play, but that's the best option they could come up to. Certainly, Shen Qingqiu would laugh at them if he were to know of his shidis' action, [which he does].

Just a few meters away from them, Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan coolly walk side by side. Shen Qingqiu tilts his head and Yue Qingyuan pats the younger's head. After some time, Shen Qingqiu takes out some candies from his sleeves and hands some to Yue Qingyuan who then smiles brightly as he happily eats them.

"... Shidi, you look troubled..." Qi Qingqi taps Liu Qingge's tense shoulder, "Could it be that you're jealous?"

Liu Qingge's face redden in fury [as what he presumed to be] and shouts, "As if!"

Qi Qingqi hits her forehead, "Stupid!"

Shang Qinghua was ready to flee when Mu Qingfan caught him on time, "The bamboo forest is vast, what if Shang-shixiong get lost? Let us stay together, alright?"

"Mu-shidi...!" Shang Qinghua shed an ugly tear.

"Shidi-men." a cold voice interrupts the peak lord's quarrel.

"Shi- Shixiong!" the three peak lords tensed.

"Mu-shidi, Liu-shidi, Qingqi-shimei, Shang-shidi," Yue Qingyuan smiles, "What a coincidence to meet you here."

Qi Qingqi smiles but as she was about to explain fluidly, Liu Qingge laughs [for the first time in many years] awkwardly, "A coincidence! Truly a coincidence! Hahaha! ... haha... ha.....................................haha...ha......"

"..." Shang Qinghua tries hard not to blacklist the man in his next mischievous-prey record.

"..." Qi Qingqi is surely going to hit that empty brain of her shidi later on.

"..." Mu Qingfan still with his ever-calm-smile, closes his eyes. He noted mentally to make sure that Liu Qingge gets an extremely bitter medicine soon.

"So, the rumors aren't true?" Qi Qingqi drinks her tea.

"No," Shen Qingqiu answers blatantly, "Zhangmen-shixiong and I are only childhood friends."

Yue Qingyuan's eyes sparkle. Never did he dream [well, maybe once or twice a month...] of Xiao Jiu openly speak out even the tiniest bit of their yesterday. Even if it was just the two of them drinking tea, or Shen Qingqiu breaking a teacup.

But a part inside Yue Qingyuan somehow dims at the answer, happy that he is now accepted again, but not... satisfied...? Yue Qingyuan shakes the thoughts away as he sips his tea.

Qi Qingqi's predator eyes scan her Shixiongs, and with a huff, she rolls her eyes, "Whatever you say."

Only after reassuring his martial brothers and sister that the rumors aren't true, which takes Shen Qingqiu's free time, everyone finally leaves him.

Shen Qingqiu opens his fan, "Now..."

The soft morning light welcomes Shen Qingqiu's delicate face. The birds sing their melody and the bamboo leaves dance along with the wind. What a delightful morning.

Shen Qingqiu softly laughs as his fingers play with his ice frost necklace, "Luo Binghe..."

A delightful morning indeed.

Chapter Text

[04 - Peace of heart? what is that?]

It was supposed to be another normal morning practice routine. Where Shen Qingqiu would once in a while watch over his students' progress twice a week. The routine where all disciples would gather and learn. The days when Shen Qingqiu would furrow his eyebrows and coldly stare at his disciples who didn't perform well.

But not this time.
This time, their Shizun is smiling.
Not snickering or smirking.

He. is. warmly. smiling.

No matter how refreshing it is to watch their extremely rare Shizun smiling mode, their mind could only tremble in fear.

Shizun coldly teaching them? That's a routine!
Shizun smirking at other peak lords in a faulty manner behind his fan? Totally natural!
Shizun kindly smiling at his disciples? The Qing Jing peak disciples fear that spares would fall to their heads by any second.

"This master has just recently found out. One of this master's manual is gone." Shen Qingqiu put his eyes on his favorite fan, "It has been sitting by this master's furniture for years, never touched, yet it's gone missing just a few days ago."

Shen Qingqiu looks at his students' eyes as he tilts his head, still smiling, "This master is in a good mood today, so whoever stole this master's manual better come forward while this master still has the patience."

The confused disciples look at one another, no one stepping forward, no one to know who the culprit is [except Shen Qingqiu of course...].

Shen Qingqiu shut his fan.
The alluring smile no longer there.

With his indifference and cool mask, Shen Qingqiu slightly frowns, "Forget it, take out your manuals."

In an instant, every disciple has at least one cultivation manual by their hands.

'So this is why!' the disciples cry inwardly, 'Shizun is extremely enraged to the point of smiling! We're doomed!'

Shen Qingqiu walks from one disciple to another, inspecting their manuals.
Then he stopped.
And so does every disciple's breathing.
Especially a certain boy, who's currently trembling like a newly born animal.

"Luo Binghe." Shen Qingqiu beams.

Their. Shizun. beams.
Doom is clearly written as the boy's end.

"Care to explain why this master's manual is in your hands?"

"No! No! Shizun! This student!" Luo Binghe stutters, "This student must have taken the wrong manual!"

"Ooh?" Shen Qingqiu opens his fan, "That manual is this master's handwritten manual from this master's disciple's days. Truly precious."

The temperature drops instantly.

Shizun's handwritten manual from his disciples' days?! This newly disciple is insolent to the core! Not even Ming Fan dares to read a character from their Shizun's manual!

"Shizun! This student's shixiongs instructed this disciple to take a specific manual from Shizun's collection in his bamboo hut!" Luo Binghe tears up, "Shizun, this disciple is innocent!"

'Disciple Luo, don't drag us down! We don't know you!' the older disciples cry inwardly, 'We've never even spoken a single sentence to you!'

"Lying right in front of this master, truly brazen," Shen Qingqiu fans himself, "Did you think that just because this master let you off the hook for a few days, means that this master didn't know?"

"This disciple begs for forgiveness!" Luo Binghe kneels.

Shen Qingqiu furrows his eyebrows.

On the outside, it seems that Shen Qingqiu is organizing a light punishing method for the boy. But inside, the man isn't even listening to a word the little boy has just said.

'Ah, it's this one,' Shen Qingqiu eyes the cultivation manual's text, 'My very first handwritten manual. Not complete, messy, and disorganized.'

An idea pops into Shen Qingqiu's mischievous mind [after all, the man has always enjoyed causing a dramatic ruckus], "Ming Fan."

"Yes, Shizun?" Ming Fan steps forward.

Shen Qingqiu hands the manual to Ming Fan, "Burn it, it's filthy."

"! Y- yes, Shizun!" Ming Fan burns the poor manual with his qi, not wanting to anger his Shizun further by delaying the action.

"Continue your practice." Shen Qingqiu gracefully walks away, leaving the trembling disciples and the still kneeling, untouched disciple, Luo Binghe.

Although the boy's action is truly evil : stealing, slandering, and lying, the disciples still have a speck of pity for him. Beatings are common in the twelve peaks as punishments, but this? Their Shizun didn't even say an insulting word to the boy.

The man even smiled!
Smiled! and! beamed!

And not to mention, this boy is a newly added disciple. His future holds no more light. Once written in the Qing Jing peak master's blacklist, forever despised.

'Disciple Luo, sorry but you are on your own!' the boys' words could be heard through the thick air.

The girls not far start to question the boy's innocence, 'Luo Binghe did that? How come?'

The still agitated little ducklings stiffly walk back to their morning training positions. Not uttering a word as their eyes fall to the kneeling boy.

Luo Binghe lowers his head, face dark, eyes red, 'Shen Qingqiu,' he grits his teeth, 'This life or another, you never learn your lesson...'

Shen Qingqiu walks slowly, using the long path to go back to his beloved bamboo hut.

'Trying to take what belongs to this master?' fanning himself, he smiles, 'Go ahead and try. Last life, I concealed my powers, this life, I won't hold back.'

Shen Qingqiu is someone with cards under his sleeves, the difference is that his cards are... all Royal Flush cards...

Shen Qingqiu plays with his fingers as an ice frost is suddenly made from thin air. If war were to break, Shen Qingqiu wouldn't be studying the game master's mind. Instead, he would be contemplating which piece he would play on his Guqin as he strums the strings with powerful and elegant blows.

Oh, how Shen Qingqiu would love to watch the white faces of those who looked down on him when they know and see just how very capable, strong, and cunning Shen Qingqiu is.

Chapter Text

[05 - The War God of Bai Zhan is actually a shy maiden!]

"Ah... ah..." Shen Qingqiu moans softly, "Liu-shidi... is cruel..."

"Damn it!" Liu Qingge speeds.

Shen Qingqiu did not. No, he did not think that the same event would occur. Just a few days ago, he had asked Yue Qingyuan's permission to cultivate in the Xinling Cave.

On. a. different. time.

Specifically one month away from the original timeline, and yet! Just as he was cultivating and almost, almost! had a bloody peaceful cultivating time, that brute's mind went rampage.

He tried to calm the younger's turmoil, but he missed a footing and ended up getting stabbed in his stomach by the vicious Cheng Luan. He would be fine by the minor attacks from Liu Qingge, but a deep stab?

Shen Qingqiu tries hard not to enter a qi deviation. After all, the past experiences always haunt him deep into his heart.

The poor Qian Cao's gate falls as Liu Qingge storms in with a bloodied Shen Qingqiu in his arms.

"MU-SHIDI!!!!" Liu Qingge screams on top of his lungs.

Shen Qingqiu complains, "My ears...!"

"..." Liu Qingge lowers his voice down, "Mu-shidi!!!"

"..." Shen Qingqiu was [very, very] near to rolling his eyes and grunting. He was near to throwing thousands of piercing insults that the brute would only realize that it was an offense after minutes passed by.

"Liu-shixion- !!! What happened?" Mu Qingfan stops whatever he was doing once his eyes fall to Shen Qingqiu.

"I had a qi deviatation." Liu Qingge put Shen Qingqiu on a bed near with his most care [he tried!].

Shen Qingqiu's body twitched in pain, "Brute, can't take care of your shixiong a little kinder?"

Liu Qingge stiffens, ".................................................................. Sorry."

Shen Qingqiu coughs out blood.
The Qian Cao disciples rub their eyes.

"Shen-shixiong!" Mu Qingfan's calm expression falls.

"Mu-shidi, I think Liu-shidi is still in a qi deviation," Shen Qingqiu wipes his blood.

"For the arrogant brute to say an apology, he must have hit his head too hard." was left unsaid, but was clearly written in the atmosphere.

"Shen-shixiong..." Mu Qingfan prays that his clinic won't bear any further damage from Liu Qingge's past drum and soon-to-be rage.

"You...!" Liu Qingge furrow his eyebrows but did nonetheless.

To everyone's surprise [the disciples who were in the clinic before Liu Qingge arrived], Liu Qingge just lets out a huff.

Shen Qingqiu lets out a soft exhale, "Forget it, Mu-shidi, help this shixiong?"

Mu Qingfan nods, "Of course, Shen-shixiong."

Sensing that his apology was taken lightly, Liu Qingge grumbles. The Liu family's rules and norms to respect others have always been strict.

When one helps you, pay him ten times folds!
When one becomes your friend with his pure heart, cherish him until death!
When- and so on...

And so, Liu Qingge, with his pure heart, can never ignore the norms away, even if the one is Shen Qingqiu.

After standing stiff for quite a time, Liu Qingge averts his eyes to the side, "I'm sorry."

The Qian Cao disciples choke on air.
Mu Qingfan silently continues his medical task on Shen Qingqiu.
Liu Qingge's face, neck, and palms [even palms?!] redden.

"..." Shen Qingqiu freezes, "Mu-shidi, something is certainly wrong with Liu-shid-"

The fallen Qian Cao's door broke again, this time, split into two. The 'Fight or Flight!' Liu Qingge, who has always stepped forward with a fight, flies with his sword.

'...' the disciples' mouths were wide open, 'The War God of Bai Zhan has just retreated!'

Chapter Text

[06 - The rabbit's name is Ming [明], bright]

Shen Qingqiu sips his tea.
Elegance, calm, refined, scholarly, and polished from all angles.

Liu Qingge sits.
Sits, stares, stares, and stares. Only drinking his tea once in a while.

"Liu-shidi," Shen Qingqiu opens his fan, "This master has a peak to run."

"Please leave." was left unsaid, but is clearly stated through the man's piercing eyes.

Liu Qingge continues his hostile stare, "Why did you do that?"

"This master doesn't know which action Liu-shidi is referring to...?" Shen Qingqiu closes his eyes. A million words are kept unsaid. Shen Qingqiu is fighting his instinctive urge to spat venom at the younger man. After all, the man died in his previous life [because of him]. A slight kindness will suffice for compensation, won't it?

"Ling Xi Cave, why." Liu Qingge didn't even bother to speak it out as a question.

Shen Qingqiu's index fingers rub against the porcelain teacup, "This master would be in the fault if Liu-shidi were to die."

Traces of qi, marks, and Shen Qingqiu's stained reputation. Surely, the public's [everyone's] minds will suspect Shen Qingqiu of killing his shidi out of jealousy.

"I owe you my life." Liu Qingge states with intrepidity, "I promise to pay you."

Shen Qingqiu's index finger twitch lightly but didn't go unnoticed by the younger, "Liu-shidi shouldn't make empty pro-"

"Shizun! Shizun!" a loud voice interupts.

"What an inadequate manner you have," Shen Qingqiu puts his tea down, "Luo Binghe."

Huffing and puffing, the young boy falls to his knees, "Shizun, this disciple is wrong!"

Shen Qingqiu frowns, "Your Liu-shishu is here, yet you didn't greet him? Presumptuous."

"!!! This disciple greets Liu-shishu!" Luo Binghe then abruptly, to everyone's surprise, takes out a small fluffy thing from his robes.

"..." Shen Qingqiu freezes.

Liu Qingge frowns. Not understanding the scene before him.

"This... This disciple accidentally hurt one of Shizun's rabbits while practicing! This disciple accepts punishment!" Luo Binghe carefully put the rabbit on the floor.

Liu Qingge, being the most unknowledgeable peak master in all aspects, speaks bluntly, "You have rabbits?"

"... Yes [rabbits which are actually my spies], at the bamboo forest." Shen Qingqiu stands from his seat, "Liu-shidi, this master has affairs to tend to."

"Now is the time to leave." is what he actually meant.

Thankfully, Liu Qingge still has a speck of logical thinking. Understanding his Shixiong's words, he nods and flies to the sky with Cheng Luan.

"Brat." Shen Qingqiu finally speaks.

Shen Qingqiu's fine eyes pierce through Luo Binghe's soul.
Cold, indifferent, and relentless.

"To enter the bamboo forest and hut without this master's permission, hurt the living, and disrespecting your Shishu and Shizun with your poor behavior," Shen Qingqiu opens his fan, "Run two hundred laps around the Qing Jing peak, then kneel at the Punishment Hall's yard for three days. At last, copy the Life and Death Karma manuscript twenty-five times."

Cold, indifferent, and relentless.
Luo Binghe does not dare to lift his head to face the immortal [last life or this life, he never dares].

At last, Shen Qingqiu flicks his sleeve. With weak spiritual energy [to not hurt the boy too much], he sends the boy flying miles, miles away.
Closing his bamboo hut door, Shen Qingqiu frowns at the scene before him.

With his slender fingers' utmost care, he lifts the feeble rabbit to his soft robes. Inserting spiritual energy to it, slowly, steadily, and patiently. He sits still, not moving.

He still remembers how he came up with such deadly creatures. Among the hundred steps of Qing Jing peak, under the rainy night, Shen Jiu caught sight of an abandoned white bunny. Drenched, forgotten, and pitiful.

Shen Jiu is never not affectionate to soft creatures, so with his slender fingers, he cups the bunny in his embrace. Years later, the bunny became a rabbit... With outstanding skills and knowledge in language, reading, music, and... spying.

Shen Jiu was confused beyond words, 'I saved a bunny, not an intelligent rabbit spy that tells me information through music!'

It was probably due to Shen Jiu's faults that the rabbit became so.

When his Shizun ascended, which means that he has to teach, Shen Qingqiu practiced his teaching skills to his rabbit. While he was happy that his rabbit sits still, as if listening and understanding his every blabbering, he did not expect that it really was!

That time he was learning how to teach his to-be disciples about the Guqin language, as in communicating through music. After practicing for weeks, his effort is well paid when his disciples understood the lesson well. But who would've taught that the rabbit would understand too?

Shen Qingqiu looks at the white rabbit, "What the heck are you?"

Of course, the rabbit didn't respond, only slightly smiling which only Shen Qingqiu would know.

Shen Qingqiu sighs and pats the rabbit, "From now on, you will be Ming [明], bright."

With that, the rabbit excitingly hops into Shen Qingqiu's arms.

A few years later, Ming brought many of its friends, rabbits, and somehow, they all became Shen Qingqiu's spies.

'I didn't teach them, it must be that rabbit, damn you A-Ming!' Shen Qingqiu massages his temples.

Although it is helpful and cool to have innocent-looking rabbits as spies, it still makes Shen Qingqiu speechless sometimes when listening to their information,

"Ming Fan likes Ning Ying Ying, but he's too shy to confess!"
"Today's lunch is as bland as always, says the senior female disciples!"
"Yue Qingyuan wanted to pet Xiao Jiu, feed him tanghulu, and cuddle together!"

"..." Shen Qingqiu's fingers twitch, his calligraphy is ruined.

The next time when Yue Qingyuan visited Shen Qingqiu, he was shot with a cold gaze.

Remembering the past, Shen Qingqiu faintly smiles.

The next day, the white rabbit, Ming, was finally able to open its eyes. And by the evening time, it hops happily around Shen Qingqiu. As if saying its thanks before skipping to the man's embrace, sleeping composedly.

Warmth spreads. Shen Qingqiu's cold heart melts.

He didn't move, not wanting to ruin the peaceful moments of his new life.

His body lies on the hard floor. Crown thrown to the side, body fully clothed. Ink flowing from the desk to the papers and floor.

Eventually, Shen Qingqiu closes his eyes.
Shen Qingqiu sleeps.

Shen Qingqiu sleeps.

Chapter Text

[07 - He was once a boy]

"Xiao Jiu!" Yue Qi catches the younger boy to his arms, "Careful, it has been raining nonstop for days, it's really slippery here."

"Thanks, Qi-ge," Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu] slowly escapes from Yue Qi's embrace, "... Qi-ge, when we are older and richer, let's buy lots of tanghulu."

Yue Qi smiles warmly, "Of course, Qi-ge will buy Xiao Jiu lots of tanghulu until Xiao Jiu can't eat dinner."

Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu] openly laughs, "And when we are older, Qi-ge should still let Xiao Jiu sleep together with Qi-ge."

"Of course, Qi-ge only has Xiao Jiu anyways," Yue Qi pats the younger's head, "Qi-ge will forever be with Xiao Jiu."

Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu] smiles, then holds Yue Qi's bigger hand, "Wouldn't it be delightful if this is real?"

Yue Qi blinks in confusion, "Xiao Jiu?"

"Qi-ge, trust me, I really want to stay here with you," Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu] cups the older's hand to his face, "Xiao Jiu really do..."

Soft sobs and hiccups could be heard. The older boy stood there, dumbstruck.

"Xiao Jiu?" Yue Qi embraces the crying boy to his arms, "Did... did someone bully you? Qi-ge will-"

Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu] shakes his head, "Qi-ge, Xiao Jiu has to leave."

Yue Qi stutters, "What? Where to? Xiao Jiu, did Qi-ge do something wrong?"

"No. No. Qi-ge never did," Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu]'s hands tighten around the older boy's, "But this isn't real, Xiao Jiu has to go."

Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu] bites his bottom lip, "Xiao Jiu has to go back, to reality."

Yue Qi couldn't utter a single word.

"Goodbye," Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu] looks at the older boy's black eyes, and with a smile, Shen Jiu [Shen Qingqiu] lets go of the older boy's trembling fingers, "Qi-ge."

Shen Qingqiu wakes up.

Shen Qingqiu wakes up.

He slowly sits, scans the scene before him : his martial brothers and sister's shocked faces.

"Shen-shixiong!" Mu Qingfan hurries to Shen Qingqiu's side and checks the man's meridians.

"Xiao Jiu!" Yue Qingyuan follows, "Xiao Jiu, are you hurt anywhere? Qi-ge can make it go away!"

"... Qi-ge?" Shen Qingqiu's voice shakes. When Shen Qingqiu's eyes are finally adapted to the light, Shen Qingqiu is shocked. It's as if someone has just balded his head, his mouth was open wide.

"Qi-ge?! What is the meaning of this?!" Shen Qingqiu cups the older man's face in his palms, "You're so sick! What happe- Liu-shidi?! So much blood!"

"Shen-shixiong... you're awake..." the Ku Xing peak lord falls to the floor.

Shen Qingqiu looks at his shidis and shimei in disbelieve, "You- why are you all so pale?! Mu-shidi why are they-!!! Mu-shidi?!"

"Shen-shixiong!" without a warning, Shang Qinghua hugs Shen Qingqiu, as if the older man was his long-lost brother.

Shen Qingqiu's body stiffens, "Shang-shidi? Your robes is full of ink, how is that even...?!"

"Please don't do that again! We thought that you were going to die!" Shang Qinghua ends up sobbing like a child, "If you die, who's going to have a light topic chit-chat with me?"

Although the light topic chit-chat Shang Qinghua said was referring to heavy topics, now, no one paid a mind to retort.

As if on cue, Qi Qingqi's eyes redden, "I hate you! You made us worried to death!"

"Qingqi-shimei? Wh- why are you crying?" Shen Qingqiu was horrified at the chaotic sight before him, "Why am I even...?"

Yue Qingyuan holds onto Shen Qingqiu's hands, "Xiao Jiu are you uncomfortable anywhere? Xiao Jiu want anything?"

Shen Qingqiu furrows his eyebrows, after having full consciousness, he fixes his call, "Shixiong, wha-"

"Anything Xiao Jiu wants Qi-ge will give! Xiao Jiu just have to say it!" Yue Qingyuan continues, "Gold, teacups, beasts, disciples, scrolls, hair ornaments, sweets, anything! Qi-ge will give!"

Shen Qingqiu looks at the older man, "..."

The disciples who are in the room silently shout out, 'So the rumors are true!'

The rest of the peak masters had a blank face. After all, this isn't their first time watching their oldest martial brother rottenly spoil the second youngest to the core, right in front of their many eyes.

In the past, they would be annoyed by Shen Qingqiu who would coldly say 'no' to Yue Qingyuan. But now, ever since the two made up, the two would scatter dog food and vinegar to those around them.

If only they could, they would've tossed these two out of their sight while screaming, "Go get a room!"

If one doesn't know about the two's brotherly relationship [Ha! Brotherly! The ten peak lords stomp their feet at the dog food packages], one might think that Yue Qingyuan is Shen Qingqiu's glucose papa.

Shen Qingqiu clears his throat, "Zhangmen-shixiong don't say that, people's minds are... creative..."

If Yue Qingyuan had tails and ears, they would be down by now, "But that's true, Qi-ge [wants] is willing to be Xiao Jiu's [partner] anything!"

The disciples choke on air. Their first time choking on air [literraly pure oxygen!] was when Liu-shishu apologized to Shen-shishu like a blushing maiden.

And now! Behold! Yue-shishu is willing to give himself to Shen-shishu!

The disciples' single heart now understands what it feels like to be given a chunk of vinegar and dog food.

"..." Shen Qingqiu lets out a loud sigh [and starts his manipulation technique], "I don't know what happened, but..."

"Gasp! Shen-shixiong!!!" Shang Qinghua cries as Shen Qingqiu hugs his shidi back.

"This is will be the first and last," Shen Qingqiu adverts his eyes to the side, opening his arms for more space, "... Well?"

"... Shen-shixiong!" the peak lords [beside Liu Qingge who is too shy] run to Shen Qingqiu and pounces on each other like a gigantic snowball.

Shen Qingqiu faintly smiles [to manipulate them more], "Geez, how old are you?"

"We're three~!" Shang Qinghua smiles freely.

Shen Qingqiu taps Shang Qinghua's nose as if scolding him, "Oh no... Did my three-year-old shidis and shimei do anything naughty while- wait... Answer my question! What actually happened!"

Shang Qinghua groans, "Shen-shixiong, let us rest first..."

The Zui Xian peak lord lies on the bed, "What Shang-shidi said is very agreeable. We will explain later."

Shen Qingqiu complains but didn't push them away. How could he? [How could they throw him so easily yet he couldn't to them?]

Slowly and reluctantly, he let his martial brothers and sister rest on his bed. Even Liu Qingge is now sitting on the floor beside Shen Qingqiu. Well, exception for Mu Qingfan who is currently serving Shen Qingqiu a bitter medicine. Only after making sure that the older man is alright, he retreats to his personal room to rest.

"Xiao Jiu, are you really alright?" Yue Qingyuan spoke after his martial brothers and sister have fallen to deep sleep.

"Mn," Shen Qingqiu lets the older man play with his fingers, a sly smile paints his lips, "Qi-ge, later can Xiao Jiu eat tanghulu?"

When was the last time his Xiao Jiu asked him for anything? And so, Yue Qingyuan beams, "Of course. What can't Xiao Jiu have?"

Shen Qingqiu snickers, "Qi-ge is spoiling me, what if I become rotten spoiled, ah?"

"So what? Qi-ge will spoil Xiao Jiu more," Yue Qingyuan cups his face in Shen Qingqiu's palm, "Xiao Jiu is Qi-ge's Xiao Jiu, Qi-ge can spoil Xiao Jiu as much as Qi-ge wants."

"..." Shen Qingqiu is beyond speechless. If Shen Qingqiu is shameless, then Yue Qingyuan is even more brazen!

With his fingers locked in the older man's ["Let me go!" Shen Jiu struggles as he sees white and a trace of crimson blood on the bedsheet.], he fights his natural instincts to cut the man's fingers to chunks ["You're just a weak young master." the boy unsheathes his sword, Cheng Luan.], Shen Qingqiu retreats his hand slowly, "... Alright..."

How could he push the man [his dear brothers and sister] away? ['Why do you all hate me?']

The day is short, and night is never long. Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan were but nobodies when their 'once upon a time' sings its melancholy and memorable melodies. Yue Qi was Yue Qingyan when the resonance fades to grief. And Shen Jiu was Shen Qingqiu when the melodies wither like his ice frost.

Shen Jiu and Yue Qi were each other's light. One gone, together nowhere to be found.

They were each other's light. One gone, together gone to dawn.

They are each other's light. One gone, together gone to legends.

They are Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan when the tunes faintly hum their bitter-sweet yesterday. Shen Qingqiu is forever Shen Jiu. And Yue Qingyuan is forever Yue Qi. [Yet Yue Qingyuan never sees Shen Jiu as Shen Qingqiu.]

They are but nobodies when they were slaves, and the nobodies are nobodies to the world. But why does it matter? There is no need for the world to know about them, after all, they are each other's world. ['Don't you trust me, Qi-ge? Yue Qingyuan, do you even care of me as your martial brother?']

Just the one is enough for the other. [Yue Qingyuan only needs his sweet Xiao Jiu, not the cold Shen Qingqiu.] Just Yue Qi [or Yue Qingyuan] is enough for Shen Jiu. And Yue Qi needs no one but Shen Jiu [not the ruthless Shen Qingqiu].

'...' the ten peak lords who couldn't sleep because of consuming too much glucose silently screams in unison, 'Go get a room already, damnit!'

"You were deaf." Shen Qingqiu covers his face with his fan, ears red. If Shen Qingqiu knew that his martial brothers and sister weren't sleeping, he wouldn't shamelessly talk casually with Yue Qingyuan.

Thankfully or not thankfully, Shang Qinghua chokes [due to glucose overdose] on his breathing and that's when he knew that his shidis aren't sleeping. Instead, they were professionally listening! They were quite in A-Ming's level of secretly listening!

Shen Qingqiu shudders.

Liu Qingge frowns, "We were not-"

"Yes! We were deaf!" Qi Qingqi shuts Liu Qingge, "Right, Shang-shidi?"

Shang Qinghua nods furiously, "Yes, yes! Shen-shixiong, actually, one of Bai Zhan's disciples played us a song this morning. It was so bad that we became deaf, ah!"

Liu Qingge, with zero brain capability, questions, "How come I didn't know of it-"

Qi Qingqi smacks Liu Qingge's arm, "You were also deaf, idiot!"

Shen Qingqiu watches the scene before him, "... Liu-shidi."

"What?" Liu Qingge lifts his gaze to Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu points his fan to the younger, "You were deaf."

Liu Qingge confusedly looks at the older man, "What? But I was not-"

"Liu Qingge," Shen Qingqiu slightly frowns, "You. were. deaf."

"..." Liu Qingge become stupified, "Yes... I was deaf...?"

"How did you all became temporarily deaf?" Shen Qingqiu questions.

"..." Liu Qingge has absolutely no idea where this is going, "My disciple played a song very badly that it... made us deaf..."

"Yes, you were deaf," Shen Qingqiu patiently leads Liu Qingge to the main point of this hilarious conversation, "A deaf person cannot...?"

"... Cannot... hear...!" Liu Qingge looked as if he has just received his salvation, "I was deaf. I heard nothing."

"Ooh?" Shen Qingqiu hides his smirk behind his fan, "How are your ears now, shidi?"

"Fine." Liu Qingge nods.

Yue Qingyuan is currently holding his laughter at the corner of the clinic, 'Xiao Jiu is so cute!'

He didn't know that holding laughter could be so torturous. He finally knows now.

Chapter Text

[08 - Five days, one dream]

Shen Qingqiu sips his tea, "I see..."

After being told of what had happened to him, Shen Qingqiu could only frown [and secretly smile].

Yue Qingyuan wouldn't need to be questioned about his worries. But who would've thought that his shidi and shimei cares about him? Even if they do [they didn't and they never care], maybe a little.
But he never thought that his nine shidi and shimei would throw their responsibilities for five days to personally take care of him.

Shen Qingqiu's heart slightly melts ["How disgusting."].

Five days ago, Liu Qingge came to visit Shen Qingqiu only to find the older man lying unconscious on the floor.

Ink dripping from the table to the floor, musical scores scattered everywhere, and Guqin by his side. To the barbarian, this looks like a tidy Bai Zhan warehouse. But not in the scholar's peak. The scholar peak is disciplined to be organized in manners, schedules, and objects. Even their warehouse is neater than Bai Zhan's kitchen.

But this? The scholar would have commented, "Did spears fall from the sky? A hundred-year battle camp is slightly better to look at. Why can't even a soul clean this calamitous mess?"

Liu Qingge has always wondered how his Shixiong could make an insult sound like poetry.

Mu Qingfan was immediately alerted of the situation while Liu Qingge flew with the unconscious Shen Qingqiu in his arms. But after a short examination in the Qian Cao Peak, the healer couldn't figure what had happened to Shen Qingqiu.
There was no sign of qi deviation. Or a fight, as some thought after visiting the messy bamboo hut. No poison, no demonic qi, nothing.

That night, Shen Qingqiu came with a very high fever. Countless blankets and heating talismans were drawn but nothing could warm the man. On the second day, he was whimpering and curling like a ball, no matter how many times he was positioned back again. On the third day, Shen Qingqiu's breathing slows down.

It was very slow. Only an inhale and exhale every six or seven seconds. It was as if he was near to death. Shen Qingqiu didn't whimper, didn't tremble, didn't respond to anything.

On the fourth day, his qi was gone.

This leads to a huge uproar.

No matter what the peak lords did, Shen Qingqiu's condition didn't improve.

During those five days, Shang Qinghua, with his wide [and shaddy] social network, helped Liu Qingge list a long scroll of beasts and plants that could increase a master cultivator's constitution. Liu Qingge, along with his wild nature, was able to hunt them all down in three days.

Yue Qinyuan didn't close his eyes since the first day Shen Qingqiu fell ill. His face pales in frustration, fear, and low energy. While Shen Qingqiu was unconscious, his qi was draining. Thus, Yue Qingyuan, being the strongest, had to insert his spiritual energy continuously into the sick man's meridians.

Mu Qingfan was no better. The healer was near to a breakdown on the fourth night.

The night when Shen Qingqiu's heart stopped beating.

-----
On the fourth night, in the bamboo hut...

The Qian Cao's disciple who was holding a tray of herbal leaves lost his grips. Yue Qingyuan's eyes widen in shock.

Mu Qingfan trembles, "Impossible..."

"Mu-shidi? Am- am I hallucinating?" Qi Qingqi didn't believe her cultivation senses, "Did- did Shen-shixiong's heart just... stopped...?"

Yue Qingyuan tries to stand from his kneeling position. He stands, he falls, he staggers, he kneels.

"Xiao Jiu? Xiao Jiu this isn't funny. Xiao Jiu, Qi-ge is begging you... Xiao Jiu...!" Yue Qingyuan's fingers trembles, "Mu-shidi, Mu-shidi, there must be a way right? Xiao Jiu is strong, there's no way... right?"

"This..." Mu Qingfan frowns and fastens his medicinal skills, "Once this medicine is finished, we will insert it to Shen-shixiong's meridians. But since this happened... the outcome is..."

"What's wrong?" Liu Qingge, who had just thrown another pile of beasts he hunted to the front door of the clinic, enters. His every step becomes heavier, his breathing fastens, sweat and blood drip from his robes and body.

Liu Qingge's frown deepens, "Why isn't his heart beating?"

"That... we don't know..." Shang Qinghua stopped his brushstrokes, "But we are proceeding to the next plan."

Liu Qingge falls to the hard floor, his tired body disobeys his alert mind, "Which plan?"

"The last..." Shang Qinghua almost breaks his thousand years old brush which his master fined from the hardest wood found for him back in his disciple's days.

"Let us proceed." Yue Qingyuan forces his eyes open and focused, "The last option, we must. We must..."

The morning of the fifth day came, but even after inserting the medicine to Shen Qingqiu's meridians, nothing worked.

With disappointment, Mu Qingfan furrows his eyebrows. It wouldn't worry the peak lords if they could come up with another plan, but the medicine Mu Qingfan has just made and inserted into Shen Qingqiu's meridians was the last. And it shows no improvement.

After a long silence, Yue Qingyuan, who was resting to recharge his spiritual energy, kneel beside Shen Qingqiu. Not wanting to fall back, he continues to insert his spiritual energy.

The peak lords went to complete silence. No one moved, no one did a thing. No matter what, they had to rest. If they also fell ill, the situation will only worsen. And besides, the medicine requires time to fully flow in the sick man's body.

So rest they rest. But with their hearts and mind in turmoil, their tense shoulders couldn't relax.

But when it was near night, when they were getting ready to work again, when their mind spins in complexity.
Shen Qingqiu wakes up. Shen Qingqiu slowly sits. And they could only stare in shock.

Shen Qingqiu woke up.

Alive and well.
-----

Chapter Text

[09 - He too]

"That does not justify you staying in this master's bamboo hut, especially when it's all of you." Shen Qingqiu grumbly fans himself.

Shang Qinghua pouts, "Shen-shixiong, aren't we close already?"

Shen Qingqiu furrows his eyebrows, "We are not close."

It was three days ago when Shen Qingqiu woke up. The day he hugged [blood, blood, and pain.] his martial brothers and sister for the first time [exception to Yue Qingyuan who will and has always get a VIP room in Shen Qingqiu's arms].

And it was two days ago when Mu Qingfan scolded his martial brothers and sister about their barbarous act to a patient, which is hugging, for three hours straight. Today, his martial brothers and sister decided to behave like a three-year-old. Sleeping and lazing in Shen Qingqiu's bamboo hut, that is.

Qi Qingqi sips her tea, "Shen-shixiong, we took care of you for five days, yet not a bit of kindness is given to us."

"... Fine, you can stay if you give this master a fan," Shen Qingqiu smirks behind his fan, "However, if it doesn't satisfy this master's qualifications, then you won't be given even a cup of tea."

Liu Qingge rolls his eyes and takes out a fan from his robes.

Shen Qingqiu couldn't hide his suspicion, "You..."

"Shen-shixiong is a fan of fans." Shang Qinghua grins.

Shen Qingqiu didn't answer, he inspects the fan like an experienced craftsman. Black fan, with white sharp painting strokes of bamboo leaves. Behind it, artistic white paint splatter decorates the heavy fan.

Shen Qingqiu was about to throw dozens of poetic insults [despite liking the fan's art theme] when Qi Qingqi began, "Zhangmen-shixiong was the one to make it."

"..." Shen Qingqiu closes his mouth, then opens, and closes again.

After battling his inner thoughts and emotions, Shen Qingqiu lifts the black fan, "Well, since Zhangmen-shixiong made it for this shidi, wouldn't it be rude to say no?"

Yue Qingyuan radiates golden rays, "So we can stay?"

"..." Shen Qingqiu shuts his mouth tight.

Qi Qingqi smiles and looks at her brothers, "He said yes."

'I did not!' Shen Qingqiu stands from his seat, "... Do not mess this master's hut."

And with that, he left his brothers and sister in his bamboo hut [with the new black fan in his belt].

He would, if he had a belief, pray to any God, make offerings to the deities, and ask for the Qing Jing peak ancestors' blessings for his bamboo hut's safety from his brothers and sister's destructive fingers.

If he had a belief, but Shen Qingqiu doesn't, so he can't. And it's not like he had not prayed to them before. He had once believed for a heavenly divine to be slightly merciful to him, he had once prayed so hopefully only to be blessed with more miseries. And so, he gave all of him to Yue Qi, only to be discarded like a foul thing he is.

Shen Qingqiu walks gracefully in the bamboo forest. The wind sings its soft melody as the bamboo leaves dance along while the rabbits hide and peek their heads out from their hideouts.

Shen Qingqiu lets out a soft exhale, "The heavens must be laughing at me."

Not far from Shen Qingqiu, Luo Binghe smiles with his Xin Mo in his hand, sheathed. The boy, in his young body, is nothing to the peak master, but the voracious sword plays its role quite well.

Shen Qingqiu has been informed by Ming of the boy's old metal, that the boy had sneaked out, and that he had been playing with other disciples' dreams, including his' too. The angered white rabbit hopped around Shen Qingqiu, saying that Luo Binghe had put a sleeping spell on the rabbit. A spell that if touched by other people, would cause them to fall to slumber too.

The boy had seen his past.

In Shen Qingqiu's previous life, he had shut his dream and memories tight, he had sealed his powers for the better good, and he had kneeled before the boy for Cang Qiong's mercy. But what did he get in return? Fire and crimson blood. So intoxicating and horrifying at the same time.

In this fierce world, the only mercy the Gods gave him was when Yue Qingyuan gave him Xuan Xu.

Looking back at his past, Shen Qingqiu laughs at himself.

In the second life, what could he do? He could crush the boy to dust, he could make the underworld kneel before him, he could kill the old palace master with ease. But he promised.

Shen Jiu promised to use his power for the good. And besides, if he were to stop him now, wouldn't it be a boring play to the heavens somewhere up there?

"Shizun," the boy walks closer, "You came back [to the past] too."

"Mn." Shen Qingqiu coldly replies, just like how it has always been [in both lifetimes].

Luo Binghe frowns, "Why won't you ever look at me, Shizun?"

When was fate ever kind to any other person besides the Son of Fate [Luo Binghe]? Gold, adventures, woman, flesh, power, and beauty were gifted to the Son of Fate [Luo Binghe], yet he decided to be selfish.

Shen Qingqiu bites his bottom lip, "How sickening."

Chapter Text

[10 - Crimson red, why paint the word more?]

The rabbits run and hop away.

"You will die [I will kill you]," Shen Qingqiu cooly fans himself with the black fan, "That sword is eating your consciousness."

Luo Binghe hums a tune, "Shizun isn't afraid that this disciple might destroy Cang Qiong?"

Shen Qingqiu's index finger rubs against his black fan, "Would [could] you?"

Luo Binghe tilts his head, "If I'm in the mood to do so."

One step, two steps forward, "Shizun is as cold as always~ This disciple can't help but feel sad."

Shen Qingqiu becomes more indifferent, he was cold in his first life, second life only makes him even more aloof, "You did your wrongs with full consciousness and no regret."

"It must have been a sight to see Shizun's favorite disciple die right in front of Shizun." Luo Binghe smiles.

"She is not this master's favorite." Shen Qingqiu answers almost immediately, 'Ming Fan is.'

Luo Binghe clicks his tongue, "Shizun, Xin Mo has always been powerful. In ten or so more years, this disciple would be as strong as he had been in the previous life."

'You mean as weak as you have always been?' Shen Qingqiu keeps his mouth shut, humming an 'mn', he walks towards the boy.

Shen Qingqiu passed the boy.

"?!" Luo Binghe stood dumbfounded, "Shen Qingqiu!"

Shen Qingqiu continues his steps, not caring about the teenager's vexatious voice and fury.

"Shen Qingqiu, don't you dare ignore me!" Luo Binghe's face redden in anger, "Shen Qingqiu!"

Shen Qingqiu draws a seal and walks away.

"Shen Qingqiu! You- !!!" Luo Binghe was about to run to the man, but he couldn't move his body.

"Luo Binghe, for disrespecting your teacher," Shen Qingqiu grins behind his fan, "You are punished."

"..." Luo Binghe was so mad that he couldn't utter a word. He stood where he was for three hours, not moving, not grumbling. Only standing like a statue, while Xin Mo in his partial fake replica Guanyin jade [something one of the wives made for him], save from other's eyes.

'So what if you have Xin Mo? So what if you're a heavenly demon?' Shen Qingqiu idly fans himself, the walk to his now empty bamboo hut feels shorter, 'In this life, I'm going to show the world my true powers.'

The white rabbits hop and pop their heads out. The warm light paints the handsome man's features.

'And besides,' Shen Qingqiu smiles, 'I have Cang Qiong by my side.'

Shen Qingqiu softly smiles [cries quietly].

Chapter Text

[11 - And he finally shows the world his power]

Shen Qingqiu could be categorized as a God. A God knows everything. A God knows a person's deeds within a single look into their eyes. And a God understands a person's mind within a glance at their body language.

So when he went back, when he looked at the beast's moves and eyes, Shen Qingqiu knew. Oh, how Shen Qingqiu knew very well. Those eyes, the eyes that tell a story the future holds.

Luo Binghe went back too.

God helps His children live a good life. But Shen Qingqiu is no God. Shen Qingqiu is an immortal. Immortals make sins, God doesn't.

So walk, he walks. Shen Qingqiu walks on the bloody red string of Fate. Bearing the pain of being a God. Bearing the responsibility of someone who came back to defy Fate.

Shen Qingqiu [silently] cries in madness.

In the past, no one believed that Shang Qinghua was a traitor. Back then, no one cared about Shen Jiu's untold truths [, Qi-ge does, but he didn't believe Shen Qingqiu. So why bother caring if one does not believe?]. In his disciple days, everyone points their fingers at him, eagerly listing down his flaws. At his young age, Shen Jiu starved for days, rises from beatings, and fights.

All for Qi-ge. Everything was so easy. Shen Jiu would do anything to live another day with Qi-ge.

Everything was so easy.

"Shizun, how did you find out that this disciple came back too?" Luo Binghe squats in front of Shen Qingqiu's bamboo hut.

Oh, how easy it is to plan an early death.

"Questioning this master's skills?" Shen Qingqiu continues his brushing.

Luo Binghe pouts, "Shizun, let this disciple enter please?"

Shen Qingqiu didn't reply and continue his peak lord duties. If not for Shen Qingqiu's instincts, Luo Binghe would be disturbing him by now.

Three hours ago, after putting Luo Binghe under a seal, Shen Qingqiu's heart stays unsettled. Knowing how shameless the boy could get, Shen Qingqiu puts a barrier in his bamboo hut. The heavens must have jinxed him, for just a few minutes earlier, Luo Binghe came running to his bamboo hut. Only to be knocked in the head by the barrier [, truly a shameful sight].

"Shizun, why are you like this?!" Luo Binghe cries out, "It's not like this disciple would eat Shizun or something!"

"Y- You!" Liu Qingge stutters, "How dare you to say th- that to your own master!"

The poor bamboo tree which was split into two by Liu Qingge fall an inch beside Luo Binghe's sides. If the boy had moved to his right or left, he would've got scars all over his body.

Luo Binghe abruptly looks to his back, "Liu- Liu-shishu...?!"

Shen Qingqiu smiles, 'Stupid brat, now eat your blood!'

A God knows everything that has happened and will happen. And Shen Qingqiu could be categorized as a God. But he isn't a God. Shen Qingqiu is more farsighted and more wicked than a God. With his skills and knowledge [to create chaos], everything and anything could be planned with ease, this one too.

Shen Qingqiu opens the door, "Liu-shidi, ignore him."

Liu Qingge reddens in anger, "You should teach him a lesson!"

"This master have, yet he didn't learn," Shen Qingqiu smiles behind his fan, "Come to think of it, this shixiong heard that Liu-shidi is sending his disciples for a mission?"

Liu Qingge rolls his eyes, "They've left."

"Mn. This shixiong will need Liu-shidi's help to teach disciple Luo a lesson," if a fox is sly, then Shen Qingqiu's slyness is beyond remedy, "Do Liu-shidi mind if disciple Luo run to his disciples to join them?"

At that, Luo Binghe's face reddens in fury, pales, and turns red again before composing his image. Though that didn't go unnoticed by the two peak lords.

"Whatever." Shen Qingqiu slightly smiles at Liu Qingge's approval.

"You heard your Liu-shishu," Shen Qingqiu shoots the boy a cold gaze, "Pack your things within five minutes, run to Liu-shishu's disciples, and finish the mission. Dismissed."

Swallowing his rage, Luo Binghe bows before running away like a duckling.

"You don't whip or beat him up?" Liu Qingge looks at Shen Qingqiu questioningly. After all, the man is well known for his ruthless punishments. 'For disciplines' the older usually said.

"No need, he's beyond saving [I'm tired of looking at him]," Shen Qingqiu gestures his hand, "Come on in."

"This master isn't a doll," Shen Qingqiu pours Liu Qingge tea for the second time, "No need to worry." [You've never cared, why only now?]

Liu Qingge scoff, "Talk about what happened days ago."

"..." Shen Qingqiu puts his teacup down, "Let's fight."

Liu Qingge frowns, "Are you crazy?"

"Come on, it's not like we never did it before," Shen Qingqiu pulls Liu Qingge to stand, "So? Want to see this shixiong's old techniques?"

Liu Qingge grudgingly steps out of the bamboo hut, "You mean dirty techniques?"

"No dirty tricks," with a brave smile, Shen Qingqiu lifts Xiu Ya, "Draw your sword."

Liu Qingge does.

The fight starts. Shen Qingqiu, for the first time in many years, fights like a master cultivator he is. Just like one of his masters, Xiao Xingchen.

Liu Qingge attacks, Cheng Luan shines. Liu Qingge steps forward with bravery, just like his title, War God of Bai Zhan.
With grace, Shen Qingqiu twirls and jumps and fights back. Xiu Ya Sword, Elegant Cultivating Sword, just like his and Xiu Ya's name.

Shen Qingqiu's first attack [show off] brought open damages. The clouds scatter, leaves fall and turned to ice, and the ground shook hard as ice frost falls from the heavens.

Not expecting the intensity, Liu Qingge was brought backward.

"Heh," Liu Qingge smirks, Cheng Luan trembles in excitement, "Fight me!"

Shen Qingqiu grins as he twirls with the wild Xiu Ya in his hand, "I won't hold back this time!"

And they continue. And the Qing Jing peak suffers. And so the students who watch the fight [as their hearts shiver]. After all, they've never seen the Bai Zhan and Qing Jing peak masters fight for real. Now that they've seen it, their poor hearts dim.

'How weak!' they spat at themselves, 'No wonder Shizun never look at us with pride!'

Liu Qingge jump, fight, and attack. Shen Qingqiu twirl, attack, and dance [as what it looks like to the others' eyes]. Cheng Luan and Xiu Ya shine brightly under the snowfall. Each sending waves and tremendous energy that reaches the twelve peaks.

Liu Qingge, courageous, fierce, savage, and monstrous. A true warrior.
Shen Qingqiu, refined, elegant, polished, and stunning. A sophisticating immortal.

The fight is so wonderful that the peak masters who arrived to stop the fight could only stare at the glorious scene before them.

When Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge lands on the ground again, they charge at each other. Their swords clashed, and an even more enormous energy burst. Cheng Luan and Xiu Ya sing their battle harmony.

As Liu Qingge swings Cheng Luan to the ground, the earth cracks and flies and floats, creating small floating islands. Liu Qingge jumps from one land to another. With his sword in his hand, he burns in his spiritual energy. A beastly war God.

Shen Qingqiu lands his feet on the land beneath them, and a large ice frost was drawn as tiny crystal particles float upward. His ice frost necklace shines so brightly with spiritual energy. An untouchable immortal.

As another attack strikes, water dances around them like a waltz. And when another comes, water scatters as they instantly become frozen in a flower sword-cuts shape.

The battle goes on, only to stop when Yue Qingyuan finally snaps out of his thoughts [about how powerful and gorgeous Shen Qingqiu is] and told the two to end their hatred. But when told so, Shen Qingqiu chuckles [illegally stunningly] while Liu Qingge snickers [with his forbidden lips].

Yue Qingyuan boils in red.

Other peak lords thought [or so they thought] that this would be the breaking point of him spoiling the second brother. After all, they've never seen the oldest boils in fury.

"Ah..." Shen Qingqiu stops his [illegally stunning] chuckle when he sees the older man's reaction [, a mischievous idea came up to his mind], "Zhangmen-shixiong, we were just playing around..."

Yue Qingyuan didn't say a word.

"Yue-zhangmen," Shen Qingqiu looks at Yue Qingyuan [with his irresistible charms] guiltily, "This shidi knows he is wrong."

Yue Qingyuan's ears redden. The other peak lords somehow sense a deja vu...
It's... It's like the smell of...

Shen Qingqiu bites his bottom lip, and [with pure sinful intentions,] multiplies his irresistible charms, "Yue-shixiong, please don't be mad... This shidi is sorry..."

Yue Qingyuan instantly pats the younger, "Ah, Qi-ge can never be mad at Xiao Jiu. Never, never."

Dog food! It's the smell of dog food!

The peak lords suffer from glucose overdose, 'Enough! Enough!'

The [once-straight innocent] disciples nearby lost their breathing at Shen Qingqiu's irresistible charms [which was actually aimed for Yue Qingyuan], 'Must go to Qian Cao! Must've gotten an internal injury!'

While the single-hearted disciples choke on a large portion of glucose, 'Mercy! Mercy! We are but lonely souls! Mercy!'

In the midst of the chaotic scene, Yue Qingyuan's brain went crazy, 'Oh my God, I'm patting Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu called me Qi-ge, Xiao Jiu is so cute, I need oxygen-'

And without his complete brain consciousness, his mouth plays its foolish role, "Ah, first of all, let's have tea. Playing so long must be tiring."

"..." the peak lords hold themselves from slapping their face, 'Zhangmen-shixiong! Are you bewitched?! What has he done to you to be like this, ah!'

Later on that day, the Qian Cao peak was overwhelmed with [innocent] male disciples who claimed to have unknown serious injury symptoms : skipping heartbeats, loud pulse, nosebleed, and hot cheeks.

"..." the Qian Cao disciples had a straight face, "That's not an injury, that's love at first sight!"

"What?!" the injured disciples were shaken to death, "Impossible! It must be an injury!"

"Go back! Go back! We know this injury very well and let me tell you," one of the Qian Cao disciples pushes the injured disciples away, "It's incurable!"

The injured disciples pales.

"We should fight again sometimes." Liu Qingge drinks his tea.

"Mn." Shen Qingqiu hums.

A thick scroll by his hand and a cup of tea in another is enough to portray an immortal sight at the man.

Liu Qingge puts his cup down, "The technique isn't from Qing Jing."

"Yes," Shen Qingqiu rubs his index finger to the cup, "It's from someone outside Cang Qiong."

Chapter Text

[12 - The ice has melted, but not gone to spring]

Years, years, and years ago...

Shen Jiu jumps. Shen Jiu falls. Shen Jiu lands.

Lands in someone's embrace.

The great mountain and walls can never go against the mad child. The green bamboo leaves dance of the boy's day and night to the lost wind. No one knows of the wild boy's life.

"Could you be the heaven's child?" the man in white robes holds Shen Jiu. A white blindfold covers his eyes and a beautiful sword by his back.

The man smiles, "If so, then I must be blessed." the mysterious man's warm spirit sings its goodness.

Shen Jiu frowns, "Who are you?"

"Xiao Xingchen," Xiao Xingchen puts the boy down, "And this brave child is?"

Shen Jiu studies the man before him, "Shen Jiu."

"Why aren't you part of Cang Qiong?" Shen Jiu eats his fifth candy, "You're really strong, you know."

"The world is vast, full of the good and evil," Xiao Xingchen pats the boy, "I'm devoted to the betterment of the world."

The chilly night breeze sings its faint lullaby. The dark, starry night lights up everyone's eyes.

Shen Jiu hums, "Is there a place out there, somewhere that's stronger than Cang Qiong?"

"About power, I'm not sure," Xiao Xingchen's fingers play with Shen Jiu's inky hair, "But from where I was, yes, it is a place of strong ones."

Shen Jiu slowly snuggles deeper into the man's arms. The terrible night shows no mercy. But can there be a warmer place besides being with someone you trust?

Like a cat, Shen Jiu smiles in curiosity, "Tell me about it."

"How come I've never heard of it," Shen Jiu, being a bookworm, cannot accept the fact that something big was unknown to him, "Such powerful sects, not even recorded in the scrolls of Cang Qiong."

Xiao Xingchen smiles, "Well, you see, you and I come from a different dimension."

"Dimension?" Shen Jiu's complex mind starts operating, "So, you don't come from this, my dimension? The dimension where Cang Qiong reigns?"

"Mn," Xiao Xingchen nods, "There are many dimensions of this world. There is a dimension where Cang Qiong stands, and another of Dafan Mountain."

Shen Jiu's curiosity strikes in, "That's just two of the many dimensions, is it?"

"Mn," Xiao Xingchen nods again, "There are more unknown dimensions of the world."

Shen Jiu's fingers stop at the brush strokes, "Interesting..."

"Why are you kind to me?" Shen Jiu lifts his sword.

"Why do you let me get closer?" Xiao Xingchen lifts his too.

The early morning light shines cooly. Birds gossip in the deception of a lovely song.

Shen Jiu bites his candy to pieces, "Because I trust you."

It will always be warm when you're with someone you trust.

"Shizun."

Robes wet, face with sweat, a sword by his hand, and ice frosts dance around the handsome youth.

"Well done," Xiao Xingchen pats the boy, "With this progress, you'll be able to master the technique within a few months."

Winter, cold, and freezing.

Shen Jiu smiles in satisfaction, "All thanks to my great Shizun."

Xiao Xingchen giggles, "A-Jiu is flattering me?"

Even the day is unforgivingly cold.

The younger boy giggles, "But that's the truth!"

In winter, the warmest place is in your trustest most's arms.

"My name is Shen Qingqiu." Shen Qingqiu tries his best to keep his voice steady.

Xiao Xingchen smiles, "Your master gave you a name?"

"... Yes."

When spring comes, summer follows, and come autumn, ended with winter.

Xiao Xingchen gave the boy a piece of candy, "What do you want me to call you then?"

"My name is Shen Qingqiu." Shen Qingqiu repeats.

"That is your name," Xiao Xingchen warmly smiles, "What do you want me to call you?"

Spring welcomes, winter ends. Warm [Qiu Haitang smiles] and cold [Qiu Jianluo laughs].

One, two, three. Count [three years] and count [just a little more].

Spring falls, autumn rises. Shen Qingqiu is born ["To you, I give a name, Shen Qingqiu."].

"Shen Jiu," Shen Qingqiu's grip on his sword tightens, "A-Jiu."

A person's most trusted one's call is the warmest.

"I have to go back," Xiao Xingchen sighs, "They called me."

Shen Qingqiu twirls his index finger, "When are you going?"

Summer, summer, summer.

"In three days," Xiao Xingchen pats the boy, "Let's play?"

Warm, hot, burning.

"No, we're partying crazy," Shen Qingqiu pulls Xiao Xingchen's hand, "We don't have much time, let's go."

It's [still] warm.

***

"A necklace?" Shen Qingqiu touches the blue ice frost, "I have to say, it looks artistic, though I prefer a ring."

Xiao Xingchen smiles, "You don't want this?"

"Want!" Shen Qingqiu pouts, "It's from you..."

The blue ice frost. As small as a marble, as blue as the winter sky, so crystal clear. A black thin leather cord as its perfect touches, so thin and strong and flexible. Simple yet beautiful.

Shen Qingqiu loves it.

Shen Qingqiu touches his necklace in adoration, "Will you... come back?"

Xiao Xingchen softly sighs, "I'm not sure, there is a big possibility that I won't. It takes too much spiritual energy, I can't afford it."

Shen Qingqiu stays silent.

"A-Jiu," Xiao Xingchen kneels before Shen Qingqiu [for the boy is still much shorter than he is], "Promise me to continue living to become the peak lord of Qing Jing, the responsibility of Shen Qingqiu. Promise me to use your powers for the goodness."

Silent and silent.

"I promise," Shen Qingqiu finally nods after a long pause, "I'll make you so proud that you'll talk about me to your friends for hours!"

Xiao Xingchen laughs, "That's the spirit."

Summer, hot and scorching.

"Goodbye, A-Jiu, Shen Qingqiu." Xiao Xingchen gives Shen Qingqiu [his last] candy.

Shen Qingqiu eats his [favorite] candy, "Goodbye, Shizun, Xiao Xingchen."

Summer is warm and scorching. Yet it's cold.

"What's his name?" Liu Qingge questions.

"Xiao Xingchen," Shen Qingqiu sips his tea, "He was a master cultivator, his sword, Shuanghua, Frost Splendour, is the most beautiful."

Liu Qingge frowns, "I've never heard of him."

"Mn. He stays away from publicity," Shen Qingqiu's finger twirls, "He's blind."

"Then it's near impossible." for a blind man to cultivate, rocks and pebbles will never leave the person's succeeding path, everyone knows that.

"He wasn't, then he was," Shen Qingqiu put his scrolls down, "He's gone somewhere else now, devoted himself to the betterment of the world,"

Shen Qingqiu opens his fan, "A truly noble man."

The evening sun gleams warmly. Shen Qingqiu's ice frost necklace shines like a crystal.

[It's cold.]

Chapter Text

[13 - Qiong Ding isn't a festival, demons, go away!]

"Shizun..!" a not-so-loud voice interrupts Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge's tea time.

Nodding, Shen Qingqiu shuts his fan open, "Ming Fan, why the hurry?"

Ming Fan, Qing Jing's head disciple. The most well-known polite and responsible disciple of Qing Jing. His looks may not be Heavenly, but his value? Shen Qingqiu would proudly bid a thousand spirit stones on the boy for any competition.

Not only that he is favorable and has a leader's firm tone of voice, but his cultivation and four arts skills and knowledge are the top among the Jing Qing disciples.

"Greetings Shizun, Liu-shishu, Ming Fan reporting, there is a demon invasion happening in Qiong Ding. The sect master is currently away for sect matters and the Rainbow Bridge had been destroyed by the demons." Ming Fan professionally reports, "There is no death in our side, only a few injured disciples, but that had already been taken care of."

Shen Qingqiu nods, proud of the boy's mannerism and leadership, truly a Qing Jing disciple. Unlike a certain brat who only knows how to collect hundreds of bed warmers.

"Call your shixiong, bring as many demon trapping talismans as you can, and fly to Qiong Ding in secrecy," Shen Qingqiu stands from his seat, leaving his bamboo hut with the utmost elegance, "When the signal comes, proceed to trap the demons."

"Yes, Shizun!" Ming Fan bows before flying to the sky.

Unsheathing his sword, Liu Qingge looks at Shen Qingqiu judgingly, "Dirty tricks."

Shen Qingqiu snickers, tired of the man's critics, "If Liu-shidi wants to fight demons then go ahead, but this shixiong is not risking more casualties on our side."

And with that, he flies to the vast sky, leaving his shidi behind a few li away.

"What a sight," Shen Qingqiu lands with his utmost grace, "This is Qiong Ding, not a Zhong Qiu Jie Festival."

If Shen Qingqiu had always been cold, then this time, he is beyond frost. Adding his aloof image, it's as if small ice frosts are falling on him as the soft wind blows his inky hair.

The disciples let out a dreamy exhale, 'Shizun, do you need another rabbit? Let this disciple be one...'

It has been well known that the aloof Qing Jing peak lord has and is warm to his dear white rabbits, and only to his white rabbits. If Shen Qingqiu is beyond ruthless to his disciples, then the same person is beyond affectionate to the white rabbits.

'How lucky,' the youngsters thought, 'This disciple would be more than willing to be turned into a rabbit. Shizun would pat me by then!'

Not knowing of his disciples' dreamy thoughts, Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan open, "Demon, leave before you regret."

The demons laugh at him. After all, what can a scholar do to demons? Especially when it is only one against many.

"This must be the esteemed peak lord of Qing Jing, Shen Qingqiu," a demoness walks her way to the center, "Greetings, this one is Sha Hualing."

"Mn," Shen Qingqiu nods as small blue particles float around his twirling fingers, "So you have chosen death."

Sharp, blue, icy bamboo leaves fly to the demons as it cuts them from ear to ear, causing so much pain that they could do nothing but kneel or screech like a madman.

Suddenly, a transparent blue barrier surrounds the large pack of demons, trapping them inside like fish in a net.

"Retreat!" Sha Hualing burns in fury and shame.

Hearing the word from their leader, the demons launch themselves against the barrier. Some managed to break a small opening and escaped, including Sha Hualing, while most are unfortunate.

"Shizun!" Ning Yingying calls from the crowd as she draws a seal on a talisman using her qi as ink.

Shen Qingqiu nods and an instant, the broken barrier is covered by a lower level barrier by the Qing Jing disciples present.

Shen Qingqiu smiles behind his fan, proud of his disciples' quick response. Any normal disciple [literraly every other disciple beside Qing Jing's and a certain half-demon brat] would take out their swords and chase the fleeing demons. But as the Qing Jing peak's disciples, the peak of tactics and four arts, his disciples are taught to be bright, especially in unexpected situations such as this.

"Shizun," Ming Fan, followed by other QingQing Jing disciples, jogs to Shen Qingqiu, "Ming Fan reporting, around thirty lower ranking demons, eighty higher ranking demons, and their leader managed to escape back to the demon realm. And about two hundred demons are captured inside the barrier."

"Mn," Shen Qingqiu nods and averts his eyes to the sky, "Liu-shidi doesn't mind taking care of them, does he?"

Liu Qingge, who had finally managed to follow the older man's fast pace, steps down from Cheng Luan and nods in response.

'Still not much of a talker, mn?' Shen Qingqiu averts his gaze to Ming Fan, "Ming Fan, inform the disciples to not say a word concerning this master and Liu-shishu's previous fight, anyone who dares to speak a word will be heavily punished, even if they are female disciples."

Who doesn't know that Shen Qingqiu has always doted on his female disciples even if they are naughty to the core? Only a blind and oblivious child would. But now that the same man had said that no exception occurs to the case, no one dares to defy him. If even the females would be punished, then the male would be heavily punished if dare to oppose!

"Yes, Shizun." Ming Fan composes his image before bowing and jogs to his martial brothers and sisters.

Shen Qingqiu was about to unsheathe Xiu Ya when Liu Qingge stops him, "Why not."

Adapted to the man's lack of words, Shen Qingqiu could only complain, "Liu-shidi must work on his communication skills, this master hardly understands what Liu-shidi is referring to."

"Our fight, secret."

Shen Qingqiu massages his temple. Even Ming wasn't so bad at communicating when he was learning through music!

"Rumors are troublesome," Shen Qingqiu shoots Liu Qingge a meaningful look, "They tend to be overly exaggerated and misleading."

"..." Liu Qingge may be dull, but time has covered it and the world told him stories that he slowly understands, "I'm sorr-"

"No, you aren't," and with that, Shen Qingqiu leaves the man as he files in the soaring sky alone, as always.

Chapter Text

[14 - His loyalty-intro]

Months after the Ling Xi Cave incident, Shen Qingqiu's sudden illness, Luo Binghe's ongoing mission with the Bai Zhan disciples, Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge's fight, and the demon invasion, everything went back to how it was.

'How odd,' Shen Qingqiu tugs his fan inside his belt, 'The demon invasion happened only just recently.'

In Shen Qingqiu's previous life, when he came out from the cave full of blood and alone, when a life is killed by his own hands [again], demons attacked Qiong Ding. But now, they came approximately a month later.

'It can't be the beast's doing,' Shen Qingqiu's mind starts to run in speculations, 'That child is still too weak to be recognized in the demon realm. Could someone have interfered...?'

"Shizun," Ming Fan knocks Shen Qingqiu's bamboo hut, bringing the man back to reality, "Shizun called this disciple...?"

Nodding, Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan open, "Enter."

The door slides open to reveal a bright youth.

Smiling, Ming Fan greets his Shizun. No matter what, the boy can never conceal his happiness when he meets his Shizun.

The soft evening wind brushes against Shen Qingqiu's fine features. White rabbits hop here and there inside and outside the bamboo hut, accompanying the man in this world of immorality.

"Ming Fan," Shen Qingqiu begins after sipping his tea, another new tea that Ming Fan's servant, Di Er, sent him, "You don't go back to meet your family?"

It has been a tradition to the peaks to let their disciples go back to their household once in a while.

Ming Fan flinches before he quickly composes his image, "This... this disciple..."

Eyeing the boy, Shen Qingqiu could only sigh, "Ming Fan, no matter what, they are your flesh and blood, have a cup of tea with them is more than enough, if you insist."

At that, Ming Fan's knuckles slowly pale, "That... Shizun knows very well why this disciple..."

Days in this cool mountain pass with the blowing wind, yesterday is nearly forgotten, but the years of the past are crafted in the young boy's heart.

Ming Fan is a noble child, he has wealth, power, cultivation, and a good name. But when has gold ever been good?

The master and disciple drink their tea in silence.

The past is always either lovely or tragic. Yet why must the shining days be short in this heartless world?

Chapter Text

[15 - His loyalty-interlude]

Summer, even the night is as scorching as to how it has always been.

"Gongzi, please...!" a young man in his twenties looks at the young boy in a worried expression, "It is so late already, not a Shi Chen later, the sun will rise...!"

Black ink, scrolls, and light manuals are scattered throughout the red carpet. In the middle of the mess, a boy pops his head upwards before focussing back on his calligraphy.

"Gongzi...!" the servant falls to his knees, "Gongzi, Gongzi may be not worried if Gongzi were to fall sick, but this servant will receive beatings if anything happens to Gonzi...!"

Lifting his black brush, Ming Fan snickers at his poor servant's misfortune, "Are you not my servant? Servants are to follow their master's shadows, not ask for gold and chicken sticks."

"Gongzi..." the servant lowers his head in shame, "Gongzi, please..."

Seeing the poor servant trembling like a poor lamb, Ming Fan couldn't refuse any longer. So with a hand full of scrolls, and another of his black brush, Ming Fan stands.

A noble child has always wanted sweets and games, but Ming Fan yearns for education and cultivation. At his current age, seven, he had already mastered the basics of every subject.

"Preparing myself before entering a sect." was what the boy said when the servant asked one day.

Tugging the seven-year-old young master under a soft blanket, the servant lets out a relieved sigh.

Other young masters would be sleeping at this late of time, while the naughty ones would sneak out and go about to who knows where doing who knows what. But look at his master, Ming Fan! Not only does he stays so late at night only to improve his calligraphy, but he also wakes up early to practice basic exercises to strengthen his stamina.

If the childhood life of Bai Zhan peak lord is full of fights and sword practice, then this master of his is full of scrolls and ink!

"Di Er [第二]," Ming Fan's eyes slowly dims, "Am I not good enough?"

Clenching his fist, Ming Fan forces his eyes to shut as another bubble of anger boils in him.

When was gold ever good?

A child of a noble family, with merciless brothers, and a mother and father who doesn't even remember his name. What a curse.

"Gongzi, don't listen to them," Di Er sits on the silky bed, "They can only talk and brag, this servant bet that they can't even recite Chang Ge Xing!"

A boy with a kind servant by his side. A blessing it is.

"Di Er," slightly smiling, Ming Fan throws his pillow at the servant, his mood lightens, "Careful of your mouth...!"

Summer has always been hot and scorching, just like a mortal's wavering heart.

"Gongzi! Gongzi!" Di Er runs to the young boy, "Gongzi! This servant has good news!"

At the end of summer, autumn welcomes. The great sun softens and the leaves start to fall.

Putting his brush down, Ming Fan looks at his servant, "What is it?"

"The Ming children are invited into a poetry composing competition, Gongzi too!" Di Er hops like a playful rabbit, "The winner is given taels and many gifts!"

Like a lazy cat, Ming Fan stretches his seven-year-old body as he smiles radiantly, "Tell me more about it!"

Summer has passed, autumn greets.

Small colorful paper strips fall from the sky, a boy holds his scroll with pride. Ming Fan won the poetry composing contest.

Gold and praises, envy and critiques. When was gold ever good?

"Trash!" Ming Lei kicks the youngest brother down to the river, his face redden in fury, "You should know your place! I am the oldest, the best! How dare you!"

Autumn, autumn, autumn, the river has gone cold.

Ming Fan swims to the shore only to be drunken his head back into the water.

"Gongzi-" Di Er falls to his knees as another slap lands on his face.

"A servant shall not meddle himself to a master's affairs...!" Ming Yu pulls the servant's hair and kicks his stomach.

When was gold ever good?

Di Er coughs crimson blood. He wobbles and crawls on the filthy ground before standing mighty and proud, "Gon... Gongzi... run...!"

And with that, he lunges himself to the two little Ming brothers only to be kicked even harder by the eldest Ming.

"Di Er!" Ming Fan tries to lift his heavy, wet body to the bleeding servant, "Di Er...!"

"How affectionate!" Ming Yu giggles, "Since you really look like lovebirds, then why not just die together-"

Large ice frosts draw the ground, freezing it as if it were ice cubes.

"Wh- what?!" Ming Yu was taken aback, "Who dares interrupt us, the Ming family?!"

Autumn is warm, yet it's freezing.

"Know your place." his inky hair dance with the night autumn wind, and his piercing green eyes are nothing but alluring. The man's delicate, jade, fingers twirl as the river water floats to the air, and his robes sway so elegantly in the nighttime of fall, "Mortal brats."

Autumn, autumn, autumn, so warm [cold].

Ming Fan shudders.

Chapter Text

[16 - His loyalty-outro]

The ground shook as water dances in the autumn night sky, forming countless icy bamboo leaves flying to the depth of the deep river.

"Mortals," the man continues to twirl his fingers as if casting multiple spells, and a beautiful, blue sword cuts the river into two, "Run if you wish to live."

A giant black-scaled serpent twirls its bloodied body from the river.

"Tch," Shen Qingqiu clicks his tongue, and in an instant, countless ice chains shackle the serpent, "Leave, you fools!"

Coming back to his senses, Ming Fan hurriedly drags his frigid body to Di Er, "Di Er! Let's go!"

"Gongzi!" being in a life or death situation, the bloodied servant instantly runs with the child.

"We have to go! It's a mutated demonic serpent!" said the bookworm, "Normal demonic serpent does not grow that big, this one has mutated!"

"Mutate-?!"

The refined blue sword cuts the mutated demonic serpent's flesh from head to tail, causing a heavy rain of crimson blood to fall from the mighty skies.

"It has devoured too much dark energy that it lost control of its consciousness," Ming Fan looks at the floating man in green, "What's so dangerous of it is that it no longer has stimulus to pain or fear, its goal is only to feed on flesh and blood!"

"Gongzi!" Di Er sheds an ugly tear, "Stop talking! Focus on running!"

The bloodied serpent lunges to Shen Qingqiu, not caring of its torn flesh and scales.

On this warm autumn night, it is strangely piercing.

Snow frosts fall from the sky, the ground shook, and the river water dances so magnificently. A blue sword swings along with the black serpent, creating a gorgeous view in the pitch gloom of Autumn.

Ming Fan inhales a long breath.

"Gongzi! The brothers!" Di Er who had just remembered the two Ming children panicked, "We left them! This servant has to go back!"

"No need!" Ming Fan pulls Di Er's hand as he forces the servant back on running with him, "I've teleported them back to the manor!"

"Teleported? Then why are we still running?!"

Face red, Ming Fan shouts, "I've... I've run out of talismans...!"

"..."

"..."

"... Gongzi...!" Di Er sheds an ugly tear.

Ming Fan doesn't know whether to pity or laugh at his servant's helplessness.

Countless ice chains pierce through the serpent's head and heart as blue spells are drawn around it, trapping it inside a barrier. After a few talismans are drawn, the serpent shrinks in size, and eventually, it becomes as small as a human man's leg.

As the immortal slowly descends from the sky, the river water turns to rain, and the rain turns to a beautiful snowfall on the Autumn night.

Suddenly, Di Er falls to the icy ground, and the ice frosts covering the earth evaporates into the air.

"Di Er...!" Ming Fan runs to the servant only to fall like the man.

Eyes heavy, body full of bruises and blood, Ming Fan tries to comprehend the situation. But his mind is clouded and his body aches, Ming Fan couldn't move.

As the freezing night slowly warms back, steady footsteps could be heard, and eventually, it stops in front of the seven-year-old boy.

"Brat," green-blue robes paints Ming Fan's unfocused vision, "You have a good potential. Do you seek immortality?"

Black, green, and red. Ming Fan lifts his head, "Yes...!"

"This master will bring you to the path of immortality. Power, name, home, and education, this master will grant. Qing Jing provides while Cang Qiong protects," the immortal's voice is so clear in this autumn night, "But what will you give in return?"

"This one..." Ming Fan bows his head and body low, not caring of the remnants of ice shards that cut his already bloodied body, "This one will give Daozhang his loyalty!"

"And your heart?" autumn, autumn, autumn, how warm [cold].

"This...!" Ming Fan averts his eyes to Di Er, making sure that the man is not conscious, "This one's affection is to him!"

"..." somehow, the cold increases, "Not affection, but heart. As in heart of loyalty of life and death."

"..." Ming Fan burns in red.

"Forget it, go back and treat your wound. Prepare to leave within three days," the immortal walk away from the boy before stopping midway, "This master had once tried your servant's tea, there is a small house on the top of the mountain, your servant can use the land for tea harvest and send it to the sect. After all, just your loyalty is not enough to pay this master."

Ming Fan lost his breathing for a while before beaming rays of joy, "Thank you so much Daozhang! This one-"

"Noisy," the immortal clicks his tongue, "Leave already."

"Y- yes!" Ming Fan hurriedly lifts his servant's body and runs back to his manor like a little duckling.

The autumn night, painted in snow frost and blood.

So cold [warm].

Chapter Text

[17 - Drama play? Wait let me call my shizun.]

"Shizun," Ming Fan finally breaks the silence, "Di Er has sent Qing Jing another batch of tea leaves."

Shen Qingqiu nods, "Mn."

"Shizun," Ming Fan twirls his fingers on the porcelain cup, "Disciple Luo and the Bai Zhan disciples will arrive at Cang Qiong approximately next month."

Shen Qingqiu slightly smiles, glad that no peasant will disturb his tranquility in the meantime, "Mn."

"Shizun," Ming Fan holds his breath, his shoulders tense as he speaks slowly, "This disciple... would like to learn the secret techniques."

Lifting his gaze, Shen Qingqiu eyes his head disciple, "Techniques?"

"The Lan clan techniques."

Instantly, the air tenses and the atmosphere thickens. Snowflakes dance along with Shen Qingiu's twirling fingers as his ice frost necklace shines in blue.

"Ming Fan," Shen Qingqiu puts his cup down, "Do you realize what you are asking?"

Ming Fan nods in certainty, "This disciple knows, begging Shizun to punish this disciple."

Shen Qingqiu softly sighs, "Every Qing Jing head disciple, seniors, and master knows this, only that we keep it shut as it is the secret, forbidden technique of the long lost Lan clan."

Rabbits hop here and there, softening the tense atmosphere inside the bamboo hut.

"The founder of Qing Jing once saved a Lan clan master who was on the journey from one dimension to another," Shen Qingqiu speaks, his voice smooth and firm, just like a scholar he is, "Through good and bad, they became sworn brothers."

"To exchange pointers [which is the crucial information of each other's sect secret techniques], the founder of Qing Jing thought the Lan clan master our forbidden incantations."

'That are not forbidden at all, just that the cultivation world fears of its power and decided to name it forbidden.' Shen Qingqiu lets out an angry sigh inside his heart as he quietly curses the weak cultivation world.

"On the other side, the Lan clan master thought Qing Jing theirs," Shen Qingqiu fans himself idly, "Chord Assassination Technique, Evocation, Inquiry, Rest, Song of Clarity, Sound of Vanquish, and the silencing spell."

"These techniques are only thought to the future Qing Jing peak master and some seniors that the master believe are competent enough. Whereas you," Shen Qingqiu averts his piercing green eyes to Ming Fan, "You."

The great sun warms the doomed world with light, and the evil lurks in the dark corners.

When the uncountable bamboo leaves fall, forgotten and disregarded, Shen Qingqiu watched his disciples walk through the stairs of Qing Jing, ready to leave the mountain for missions and the unknown. With a fan to hide his thin smile, and a pair of piercing green eyes to deceive, he had once again secretly bid goodbyes to the lively children.

"You are both." Shen Qingqiu had once gifted Ming Fan a blessing of misfortunes [be strong, don't die again, I beg you].

Ming Fan jolts his head up in shock only to be more bewildered with a smiling Shen Qingqiu.

"Ming Fan, this master will teach you of the Lan clan techniques, but only you and this master will know of this," Shen Qingqiu's drama king brain starts to draw juicy scenarios after another, "When the time comes, show the world just how weak [that beast and the so-called great cultivators] they are."

Ming Fan has been living with Shen Qingqiu for years, and the boy is quick at reading people's intentions, so with just a few sentences, Ming Fan knows very well what his mischievous master is formulating.

Fanning himself, Shen Qingqiu said, "We will start in three days, get yourself prepared."

And with a brave smile, the boy pours his master tea, "Yes, Shizun."

"Shizun," Luo Binghe peeks from the bamboo hut's window, "This disciple has come back."

The cool mountain wind blows the green bamboo leaves. White rabbits decorate the calming scenery of Qing Jing under the scorching summer.

Shen Qingqiu lets out a long, tired exhale, 'Heavens, what curse have you brought upon this lowly one?'

"Shizun, don't make that expression," Luo Binghe's handsome features slightly wrinkles, "Not. to. me."

"Brat," Shen Qingqiu idly fans himself as he averts his lazy gaze to the boy, "If you hold affection towards this master, then don't give this master trouble after another."

Shen Qingqiu was Shen Jiu who could read a person's pure intentions by just looking at their eyes. Now, looking at the boy's eyes after many years, Shen Qingqiu feels like vomiting rainbow fluid.

Luo Binghe frowns for a moment before a playful smile paints his fine look, "Shizun, you are so cold that this disciple could become an iceberg."

Shen Qingqiu tries hard to not roll his eyes, "Report your mission to Ming Fan, scram."

"Shizun..." Luo Binghe's demonic mark glows in red, "Have you not learned your lesson?"

The scorching day is as hot as a child's hateful heart.

"This master has," Shen Qingqiu smiles thinly, "Shang-shidi gifted this master an old scroll about an artifact, truly educating, disciple Luo can find it in the peak's library if he is interested."

"..." Luo Binghe doesn't know whether to laugh in humor or rage. Never once in his two lifetimes did he imagine a Shen Qingqiu with playfulness. A kind Shen Qingqiu? He can manage. But a sharp-tongued humorous Shen Qingqiu? Luo Binghe holds himself from mincing the man to pork soup.

Shen Qingqiu gives Luo Binghe a questioning look, "Well?"

'Well, I really want to chain you up!' thankfully, Luo Binghe smartly shuts his mouth before leaving to who-knows-where doing who-knows-what.

"Qingqiu-shidi," Yue Qingyuan beams rays of golden light, "How have Qingqiu-shidi been?"

Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan open, 'Too bright!'

"This shidi is well, thank you for Yue-shixiong's care," Shen Qingqiu walks alongside Yue Qingyuan, "What brings Yue-shixiong to-"

"Qingqiu-shidi!" another familiar voice rings not far from the two's backs.

"...?" Shen Qingqiu looks in horror as another Yue Qingyuan jogs to the two.

Shen Qingqiu pales as he eyes the Yue Qingyuan beside him and the Yue Qingyuan in front of him, "What in the world is going on-"

"Qingqiu-shidi!"

Shen Qingqiu jolts his head to the sky, Liu Qingge, Shang Qinghua, and another Yue Qingyuan fly to him.

'Heavens, have this lowly one anger you?' Shen Qingqiu could feel his head feeling faint.

"Shen-shixiong! Get away from him!" Shang Qinghua throws needles at the Yue Qingyuan beside Shen Qingqiu.

"Tch." Yue Qingyuan 1 clicks his tongue and in an instant, his heart-warming smile falters.

With a strong flick of his sleeve, the needles spread away from him. Yue Qingyuan 1 suddenly grabs Shen Qingqiu's wrist and pulls him to his embrace.

"Qingqiu-shidi!" the Yue Qingyuan who was behind Shen Qingqiu, Yue Qingyuan 2, steps into the messy scene, "Don't hurt Xiao Jiu!"

Unable to process this information, Shen Qingqiu is taken aback. His stepping missed and he clutched to Yue Qingyuan 1's robes for support, creating a cliche fallen maiden into her man's embrace image.

Yue Qingyuan 1 suddenly became stiff, and somehow Shen Qingqiu smells more trouble.

In the blink of an eye, Yue Qingyuan 1 lifts Shen Qingqiu like a sack of potatoes, and it's as if three Yue Qingyuan isn't big trouble to Shen Qingqiu, Yue Qingyuan 1 said, "Forget the marriage ceremony, I'm fucking you hard."

"No!" Yue Qingyuan 2 pulls Shen Qingqiu from Yue Qingyuan 1, "Xiao Jiu is pure! Don't taint him!"

Shen Qingqiu's head feels faint, and he has the will to die again, but before any poetic insult could come out of his rosy lips, Yue Qingyuan 1 gently smacked Shen Qingqiu to unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

[18 - Three Yue Qingyuan]

The first time Shen Qingqiu woke up, he was dressed in red wedding robes with a red wedding robbed Yue Qingyuan who was lying on the bed, beside him.

Beside. the. sleeping. now-awaked. Shen. Qingqiu.

"Xiao Jiu." said the older man as his hand reaches to cup Shen Qingqiu's face.

Thankfully [or not thankfully], Shen Qingqiu had mastered the art of fainting on command, thus faint he did. Not knowing or hearing what happened after black paints his vision.

The second time he woke up, he was bridal carried by Yue Qingyuan who was rattling about his health conditions... while flying on Xuan Xu.
Shen Qingqiu could feel his qi flaring like wildfire.

"Qingqiu-shidi, please be careful!" Yue Qingyuan tries to calm the younger.

'Me? Careful?' Shen Qingqiu rubs his temples, 'The one carrying is you! The one flying is you!'

"How dare you!!!" a familiar voice shouts behind them, a red wedding robed Yue Qingyuan, who Shen Qingqiu named Yue Qingyuan 1, clutches Xuan Xu, "Give Xiao Jiu back!!!"

Yue Qingyuan 2 speeds up, "Over my dead body!"

As Yue Qingyuan 2 flies with Shen Qingqiu in his arms, Yue Qingyuan 1 throws blows of qi to Yue Qingyuan 2 who was able to avoid them with ease.

Seeing the scene before him, Shen Qingqiu decided to perform the art of fainting once more to run from trouble. Who knows, maybe he would wake up in Qian Cao peak with a tang of bitter medicine in the air [, hopefully]. So, faint he did.

The third time Shen Qingqiu wakes up, he is greeted with a concerned Shang Qinghua.

"Shen-shixiong," Shang Qinghua gives Shen Qingqiu a cup of water, "Good news or bad news first?"

Shen Qingqiu didn't know how it began, it even had started from the previous lifetime. When Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua met, it was out of their masters' will. But as they began to go to missions together, they had somehow formed a bond.

Friends.

When Shang Qinghua met Shen Qingqiu in the red pavilion, they ended the night with contempt smiles and juicy information that the girls happily told them as the two cultivators drink their tea.

The time when Liu Qingge had accused Shen Qingqiu of trying to kill him on a mission, Shang Qinghua kept silent. But the two's bond is thick already, so with his sly concept of thinking, he was able to secretly create troubles for Liu Qingge a few days after the said mission.
The next time they met, Shen Qingqiu gifted Shang Qinghua a tray of tanghulu with a thin smile.

Shang Qinghua has always been clever and resourceful, while Shen Qingqiu is sly and tactful. With many hobbies, likes, and minds in the same boat, what bond couldn't thicken?

Shen Qingqiu stands from the bed, "Good."

Shang Qinghua nods.

After two cups of tea, Shen Qingqiu learned that Yue Qingyuan had found an artifact. Stupid Yue Qingyuan and his stupid brain did their role remarkably well.

Not only did he does not ask for help from other peaks about its origin or power, but he had also tried the artifact by himself.

The unknown artifact, after being checked by other peak masters, is a dark and light soul splitter artifact.

When one activates the artifact, his soul will be split into two, bad and good, and then forms a body. However, the original person who activated it will not receive any drawbacks or benefits.

This artifact is simply a tool in the past that is used to know a person's bad and good side.

In this case, Yue Qingyuan is the said activator who did not intend to activate the artifact but activated it anyway.

Just one Yue Qingyuan is enough to make Shen Qingqiu have headaches and roll on his bed at night. Now, given a good, evil, and normal Yue Qingyuan? Shen Qingqiu feels like he needs to ask Mu Qingfang for painkillers.

And did the evil Yue Qingyuan just asked [forced] him for marriage?

'I was deaf, I was blind.' Shen Qingqiu wraps himself inside a lie.

"Shen-shixiong, it's best if we hurry to Qiong Ding," Shang Qinghua helps Shen Qingqiu get ready, "The evil Yue-shixiong is... making a mess."

"Mn," Shen Qingqiu sighs and unsheathes Xiu Ya, "Let's go."

"No!" the good Yue Qingyuan pulls Shen Qingqiu into his embrace for the nth time as he pats the younger as if coaxing, "You're hurting him!"

"Unlike you, I know what's best for Xiao Jiu," the evil Yue Qingyuan pulls Shen Qingqiu into his embrace and points Xuan Xu at the good Yue Qingyuan, "So don't even try taking him away from me."

Shen Qingqiu wants to faint again. Even after giving the two deadly glares, poetic insults, and physical push, the two Yue Qingyuan wouldn't back away. They even become more eager at getting him!

When Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua arrived in Qiong Ding, the hall used for their private meeting is destroyed and they were given an awkward sight of eleven peak lords [the normal and good Yue Qingyuan are included] circling the evil Yue Qingyuan who was giving them dark glares, something that has never been given by the [normal] man in his whole life [or at least not in public].

"Enough," Shen Qingqiu rubs his forehead and lets out a soft exhale, "Your fruitless bickering is sending this shidi to death's door."

Instantly, the two Yue Qingyuan stop their bickering. No one moved, a good thing, but Shen Qingqiu somehow smells more and more trouble...

Suddenly, the good Yue Qingyuan takes out a small jade bottle from his storage ring, "Qingqiu-shidi, this is a refined elixir, it could cure muscle tension, meridian damage, and many more in just a moment after drinking it."

See! Shen Qingqiu just knows when trouble comes, it's always him who knows [gets or is the source of the trouble]!

As Shen Qingqiu was about to speak poetic refusal with slight insult, the good Yue Qingyuan reaches his hand and pushes the jade bottle to him, "Qingqiu-shidi doesn't have to worry about its quality. It's refined for one hundred and seventy days by the finest alchemist in the peak not far from Cang Qiong. It had been tested by three high cultivators. If Qingqiu-shidi is still not convinced, this shixiong will drink it first to show shidi-"

"Useless," the evil Yue Qingyuan puts his hand on Shen Qingqiu's shoulder, and with just a slight pull, Shen Qingqiu is taken steps away from the good Yue Qingyuan, "Mu Qingfang, heal Xiao Jiu if you still want to live."

"Zhanmeng-shixiong...!" Shen Qingqiu pales at the threat, when had Yue Qingyuan learned how to threaten others so blatantly? Shen Qingqiu gathers his composure before stepping away from the two Yue Qingyuan, "You are going overboard."

"Overboard?" the dark Yue Qingyuan darkens, "Xiao Jiu, what's overboard is how Liu Qingge kept bothering you. Let's not forget how Qi Qingqi used to treat you, even Mu Qingfang too. Xiao Jiu didn't push them, yet you push your Qi-ge?"

The atmosphere thickens more.

Of course, Shen Qingqiu hadn't forgotten. How could he [they change so easily and think that he would accept their 'kindness']?

In his past life, Liu Qingge had spread rumors without evidence. The young master loathed him for his weakness [which Shen Jiu hated too]. Liu Qingge hated him but kept on asking the older for a fight, yet said that the older cheated when Shen Qingqiu won.

Mu Qingfang had treated him and his disciples, but the bias of hatred towards the older is seen clearly from how the healer would sometimes delay sending medicines to the peak. Let's not forget after Liu Qingge's death, when the Qian Cao peak cut its ties with the Qing Jing peak completely, sending troubles after another to the already broken Shen Qingqiu.

Xian Shu peak labels Shen Qingqiu as a taboo, banning him from communicating with any of Xian Shu's disciples and from walking a step at the peak.

Other peak watches and adds more fuel to the raging fire. And the raging fire eventually burns the peaks down to ashes ["Shizun." Luo Binghe smiles].

Yet when Shen Qingqiu came back through time, when he had shown the world his weakness and power, only then do they stroke his hair as if it were gold leather.

Shen Qingqiu's heart bubbles in wrath and gloom. Shutting his fan open, Shen Qingqiu walks away, leaving the meeting hall in a thick, awful atmosphere.

Chapter Text

[19 - Never mess with Yue Qingyuan]

"Shen-shixiong," Shang Qinghua peeks from the bamboo hut's window, "It's been three days."

Three days ago, Yue Qingyuan found an artifact that split him into three : the good, bad, and normal Yue Qingyuan.

The same day when the evil Yue Qingyuan kidnapped Shen Qingqiu in the middle of the day, dressed him in wedding robes-

'I was not awake, I was drunk.' Shen Qingqiu wraps himself inside a lie.

"This shidi won't ask shixiong to accept their kind attitude," Shang Qinghua lets himself into the hut, "After all, what they had done to shixiong [us] is unforgivable when compared to their current little apology [guilt and pity]."

Shen Qingqiu smiles.

Oh, how long has it been since he had had a conversation with Shang Qinghua? The man was killed in the previous life, with nobody to rely on, Shen Qingqiu shuts himself inside a cacoon he made.

"Shixiong should guilt-trip them instead." Shang Qinghua smiles so handsomely under the summer light. It's no wonder Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu are friends.

"Shang-shidi knows this shixiong too well," Shen Qingqiu pours tea for Shang Qinghua, and with a sly look, he said, "We should start from that brainless monkey."

In the darkness, there is always light.

"Liu Qingge."

In a disaster, there will always be a slight chance for a better tomorrow [to create drama].

"Qi-ge," the evil Yue Qingyuan's eyes immediately lit like a burning fire.

'Good.' Shen Qingqiu thought, 'Proceed to the plan.'

The spring evening colors the skies, using the chance, Shen Qingqiu uses his irresistible charms, "Xiao Jiu wants tanghulu."

Shen Qingqiu was once a low street child Shen Jiu. He was once Shen Qingqiu who had gone to the lowest of the lowest on the bed ["Shizun," the beast's pleasure smirk paints his cursed face].
Adjusted to being the lowest of the lowest creature he is, manipulating others using himself as the bait is no longer surprising.

"Xiao Jiu wants to go with Qi-ge? Or want to wait here?" the evil Yue Qingyuan's hand reaches to Shen Qingqiu's, a habit that Shen Qingqiu had weirdly noted in his memory.

"Here." Shen Qingqiu answer shortly.

"Alright. Then..." the evil Yue Qingyuan takes out a chain from his storage ring and before Shen Qingqiu could grasp why in the world of rebirth the older has a chain that exactly matches his neck measurement, the evil Yue Qingyuan puts his forehead on Shen Qingqiu's and said, "If Xiao Jiu stays, Xiao Jiu must stay, so don't try to run away."

"..."

That very same day, the Qing Jing peak is filled with disciples pointing their swords at the evil Yue Qingyuan who is holding a collared Shen Qingqiu.

Let's not forget how Liu Qingge tried to take Shen Qingqiu a meter away from the evil Yue Qingyuan for the nth time. Also, the pale face of the normal Yue Qingyuan when he arrived at the commotion is extremely memorable.

Last but not least, the exceptional scenes of the good Yue Qingyuan who almost, literally, almost takes his heart out from his body.

"At least Xiao Jiu will have my heart when he is kept!" was what the good man reasoned.

Chapter Text

[20 - The damned 'drawback']

The summer daylight paints the mountains with beautiful orange glitters. White rabbits hop round and round, busying themselves on searching and collecting pieces of information, important or not, to their dear master, Shen Qingqiu.

"Shen." Liu Qingge enters the bamboo hut without any invitation whatsoever.

"This shixiong doesn't remember allowing shidi to enter." Shen Qingqiu doesn't spare the younger a glance, after all, his and Shang Qinghua's plan [game] of guilt-tripping Liu Qingge is starting.

Guilt-tripping Yue Qingyuan won't be fun. The older would do anything for the younger, and it's not like Shen Qingqiu hadn't guilt-tripped the man.

Actually, Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua had planned on guilt-tripping Liu Qingge days earlier by using the evil Yue Qingyuan as a medium. But who would've thought that Yue Qingyuan would chain him up?

How Yue Qingyuan has a chain that matches Shen Qingqiu's neck measurement in his storage ring, how he has that mind, and put it into action, Shen Qingqiu doesn't want to know [well, maybe a little].

Liu Qingge scoffs before throwing Shen Qingqiu a fan, the fan that he had lost during the kidnapping.

"Don't lose it, stupid." and with that, the War God of Bai Zhan walks away before flying on Cheng Luan to the soaring skies of Heavens.

"..." Shen Qingqiu doesn't know whether to spit venom or pity the young man for his lack of communication skills.

Birds chirp so warmly in the deception of sickening gossips. Disciples busy themself with scrolls, music, and chores. While the white rabbits hop here and there looking innocently to eavesdrop to gather information.

In this Qing Jing peak, what lies on the surface is but a cover to hide the peak's secrets that only the loyal ones know.

Qing Jing peak teaches only those who are skilled at tricks, understanding a situation with ease, and able to use a circumstance for their benefit.

Shen Qingqiu looks at the fan, and a sly smirk paints his fine, rosy, lips, "Oh~?"

One of the best products of Qing Jing is Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu scoffs lightly, his ice frost necklace twinkles in blue, and his smile is nothing near warm, "Hypocrite."

"Qingqiu-shidi," the good Yue Qingyuan smiles oh-so-ever-brightly, "Please don't mind the other me, he is just a little stubborn."

The evil Yue Qingyuan chuckles, "I remember Xiao Jiu complaining about a certain sticky dog that keeps pestering on him like glue, I wonder who."

Summer is near to end, Autumn would soon follow.

Shen Qingqiu rubs his temples, 'Yeah, right, I wonder who. And correction, two sticky, large, dogs. One whines all day long, asking for just a glance or a word from me while the other bites, as if marking me his.'

It's been weeks since Yue Qingyuan split into three, and it was just days ago when Shang Qinghua, with his [dark and shady] knowledge and connections, finally found the remedy. But instead of telling the problem solver, the young man said that it's best to know it on the D-day.

"This shidi is worried of the dark Yue-shixiong," said Shang Qinghua in the peak lord's previous meeting, "The dark Yue-shixiong... well, he is... unpredictable [problematic]."

Thus, here he is, days after the meeting, walking to Qing Ding while getting stuck between evil and good. Shen Qingqiu thanks the Heavens for letting the normal Yue Qingyuan confined in his peak, to fulfill his sect duties was what the younger [Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu] reasoned.

"Qingqiu-shidi, Autumn is near, Qingqiu-shidi should take care of himself more," the good Yue Qingyuan peels his outer robe off and proceeds to wrap the younger in black without permission what-so-ever, "This shixiong is worried of Qingqiu-shidi."

"Useless," the evil Yue Qingyuan scoffs and averts his gaze to the younger, "Is Xiao Jiu cold?"

"..." no, Shen Qingqiu rather not answer. Who knows if the older would burn the rainbow bridge just to warm him?

"... I'll take that as a yes." and before Shen Qingqiu could mutter any empty, Heavenly, prayer, the evil Yue Qingyuan focuses his qi on the rainbow bridge just behind them, and burn it does. The evil Yue Qingyuan then looks at Shen Qingqiu with doggy eyes, as if asking its master to say 'Good boy! Well done!', and holds Shen Qingqiu's hand in his, "Is it warmer now, Xiao Jiu?"

"..."

Shen Qingqiu cries inwardly, 'Just a demon brat is enough to drive me crazy, two overprotective bears are on another level [though I don't mind...]!'

"Shen-shixiong," Shen Qingqiu nods and enters the meeting room with two Yue Qingyuan.

After putting the fire off, making sure that the Rainbow Bridge is safe and sound, and scolded the evil Yue Qingyuan, Shen Qingqiu decided to fly to Qiong Ding. No, he does not want another heart-warming intention to be a disaster.

Shen Qingqiu asked, "Will Shang-shidi explain the treatment from the artifact?"

Nodding, Shang Qinghua puts the artifact on a large, round table, "The procedure is easy, but there might be a drawback to one of us present here."

Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan open, and a curious and calculative look paints his phoenix eyes, but before he could mutter a word, Shang Qinghua said, "It's not life-threatening or disadvantageous at all, but the fact that the drawback is unknown is concerning."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Liu Qingge, being a reckless barbarian he is, said impatiently, "Well?"

"..." Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu share a thought, 'You did nothing, I [Shang-shidi] did it all. Show some respect!'

The normal Yue Qingyuan coughs awkwardly to warm the atmosphere, "Thank you Shang-shidi, this shixiong will have to trouble shidi."

"It's no problem at all," Shang Qinghua nods and pours wine to the artifact, "Then, let us begin."

Suddenly, white light paints the room, and in an instant, the three Yue Qingyuan were pulled together and a barrier surrounds them, locking them inside the white light.

"This...?" the good Yue Qingyuan looks at Shang Qinghua in confusion.

"Yue-shixiong, please put your hands on the artifact," Shang Qinghua ordered the three men, "Now insert your qi to the artifact."

The three Yue Qingyuan does what the younger said, and suddenly, black light explodes from the artifact and after a moment, white smoke fades away, revealing one, living, Yue Qingyuan.

"Alright," Shang Qinghua clasp his hands, "It is done."

Slowly, but firmly, Yue Qingyuan walks out of the white, fading, smoke, and with his ever-warming smile, he said, "Thank you Shang-shidi."

Shang Qinghua nods and smiles thinly, "It's no problem at all."

'Good.'

"?!" instantly, all the peak lords shoot their heads upwards.

'Huh?'

The very noticeable voice rings in the eleven peak lords' heads again. Yue Qingyuan looks at Shen Qingqiu with a questionable look.

'Wait, why are they looking at me?' Shen Qingqiu thinks inwardly, a memory flashes into his head, 'Drawback? Me?'

Shang Qinghua did say that one of the present would get a drawback. Shen Qingqiu looks to his back only to find no one, so it's him?

Shen Qingqiu is a tactician. And just like any tactician, he could read the atmosphere and a person's facial expression easily [though, he is very, very, blind towards pure love].

Shen Qingqiu was about to ask Shang Qinghua what drawback he received but the younger voiced first, "Now that everything is settled and nothing life-threatening situation has happened, this shidi will retreat."

The other peak lords soon follow and leave the room, even Yue Qingyuan left hurriedly after speaking a few words to Shen Qingqiu.

"..." Shen Qingqiu steps out from the room and flies to Qing Jing, 'Suspicious...'

meanwhile, in the Qiong Ding meeting room...

Shang Qinghua looks at the artifact with curiosity. After pretending to leave the meeting, he had sent an individual message to other peak lords [exception to Shen Qingqiu] to come back in secret.

"You heard that, didn't you?" Qi Qingqi ask her martial brothers, "I heard, no, Shen's voice is in my head."

Yue Qingyuan nods, "That seems to be it..."

"Shen-shixiong received the drawback," Shang Qinghua, carefully but certainly, said, "His thoughts will be said into our heads, and we can't shut it down-"

'I want tanghulu.' Shen Qingqiu in his bamboo hut, unaware of the detailed situation, thought to himself as he imagines a tray of sticky and sweet hulu, 'Yum yum, now I'm craving it...'

"..." the eleven peak lords becomes as stiff as board and the atmosphere turns awkward.

"Uh," Shang Qinghua finally breaks the silence, "Let's not tell him about this..."

The rest of the peak lords nods in agreement.

Chapter Text

[21 - Drawback X]

When Shen Qingqiu was minding his own business, which was finishing his paperwork, soft knocks ring from the bamboo hut's door.

With his usual calm and ethereal composure, he allows whoever is outside to enter, only to be slightly stunned, "Zhanmeng-shixiong, what brings you here?"

"Qingqiu-shidi," Yue Qingyuan, with all his warm and heart-melting smile, takes out a bag of tanghulu and gives it to Shen Qingqiu, "This shixiong has troubled shidi from the previous... incident, this may not be much..."

"... It's no trouble at all." Shen Qingqiu receives the tanghulu and serves the older man tea.

When he puts the tanghulu on the table, Shen Qingqiu's eyes shine brightly [only Yue Qingyuan could tell] and with his best control of joy, he takes a bite of one of the sticks.

In the past, not even one person from the peak [exception to Shang Qinghua] would give him what he desires or wants.

Yue Qingyuan would give him expensive goods and tea sachets that were deemed useless by Shen Qingqiu. Mu Qingfang would only visit him for monthly checking, Liu Qingge would send him troubles after troubles, and the rest would ignore him as if he never existed.

Only Shang Qinghua knows him to the heart.

Shen Qingqiu’s green eyes darken.

He hated it here. The empty-brained peak lords, eyes that watch and judge his every move, and the beast’s presence. Yet at the same time, he loves it too. His cozy bamboo hut, the lively disciples, his adorable rabbit spies, the light-topic talk with Shang Qinghua.

Soft rays of sunlight showers Yue Qingyuan’s warm face, making his unwavering smile shine even more under the great sun.

And Yue Qingyuan’s presence.

Shen Qingqiu loves it when Yue Qingyuan is near him.

Shen Qingqiu sits still. The peak lord of Qing Jing, the remarkably graceful immortal, like a lone serpent guarding its icy home, alluring and untouchable.

Yue Qingyuan takes a deep breath. The man before him seems to not be of this world, his beauty and bearing are of that of a God. His deep voice is like an enchantment, and his green eyes. Oh, how Yue Qingyuan loves it when Shen Qingqiu’s eyes look at his.

On the other side, Shen Qingqiu’s tongue tastes the sweet tanghulu, he unconsciously closes his eyes, and his frown lessens, ‘How nice.’

Ever since he went back, he had focused his mind on the future, on Yue Qingyuan’s safety, and on his cultivation. Thus, he had no time and mind to have some fun for himself. But now that he is faced with his favorite sweet, Shen Qingqiu can’t help but melt with content.

On the surface, the peak lord of Qing Jing looks remarkably graceful, but inside, his heart is twirling with joy as his mind happily thanks Yue Qingyuan, 'Qi-ge, Xiao Jiu loves you!'

Yue Qingyuan chokes on his tea.

"Zhanmeng-shixiong...?!" the startled Shen Qingqiu hurriedly [and elegantly] hands Yue Qingyuan a handkerchief.

"Cough, cough, sorry shidi," Yue Qingyuan smiles apologetically, "This shixiong drank too hurriedly."

"... I see..." Shen Qingqiu frowns and doesn't say anything more, but he eyes the teacup nonetheless, 'The tea isn't poisoned, nor does it react dangerously to anything, it's also not too hot nor cold. It can't be that Qi-ge just drank too 'hurriedly', it's not like the tea is any much different than the previous other tea anyways, or could it be that Qi-ge is sick? Should I ask Mu-shidi about this? Or could it be the weather? But this is still Spring--'

Shen Qingqiu, who had no idea that the eleven peak lords of Cang Qiong are able to hear his thoughts, continues his worries and theories on why in the name of heated water Yue Qingyuan choke on his tea.

The peak lords from their peaks and or on his hunt, "..."

Yue Qingyuan who is so touched and is near to cry from joy, "Qingqiu-shidi..."

Being called, Shen Qingqiu averts his eyes to Yue Qingyuan, "?"

Originally, Yue Qingyuan mutters the younger's name out of consciousness, so when he is faced with the younger's questioning look, he couldn't utter a word. Only after a moment of awkwardness, Yue Qingyuan, with his smile, reasoned, "Nothing, just want to call shidi."

Shen Qingqiu's IQ has fallen for a short moment before coming back to reality. But despite being back to being the crafty tactician of Qing Jing, his ears subconsciously turned red and he couldn't hide his furrowing eyebrows from embarrassment, 'What's with your shameless words, Qi-ge?! So embarrassing to hear! I would dig a grave for myself even if it was said to someone else!'

Yue Qingyuan sits on his bed. It is now night, and hours have passed after his tea time with Shen Qingqiu.

He takes out a notebook from his shelves, opens it, and writes six words as joyful tears fall from his grey eyes.

‘Xiao Jiu called me Qi-ge…’

Chapter Text

[22 - Drawback XX]

Shen Qingqiu’s inner thoughts could be simply said like this, ‘Chaotic, cautious, and full of schemes.’

If not those three, it would be about, ‘Ying-er’s cultivation is decreasing, I should teach Ming Fan about the next Lan technique, that beast is going to be my death, Qi-ge’s being too soft again... ’

Other than that, it would be the poetic insult sessions that the peak lords love and hate to hear at the same time.

During the day, the man’s inner thoughts would be full of music. It’s as if he was a walking inner thought musical orchestra. The peak lords enjoyed it, of course, but the fact that Shen Qingqiu was still playing his music in his head while talking or thinking about other subjects, the peak lords couldn’t concentrate.

Not to mention the light topic chit-chat with Shang Qinghua. The peak lords felt as if they were toddlers trying to be bilingual when they couldn’t even utter the word ‘mama’ .

Surely, they are nothing compared to the tactician in almost all [or more like in every]  subject.

“Shen. Qing. Qiu.” Liu Qingge grits his teeth.

Currently, the twelve peak lords are having their usual once-a-week meeting in Qiong Ding. But not only did they not manage to finish a problem, Liu Qingge also kept bothering Shen Qingqiu [looked at him in the eyes] to the point where Shen Qingqiu’s poetic insult sessions began and continued to this point on. 

With a soft background music, his inner thoughts that sound exactly the same way as the immortal’s deep voice, makes his insulting thoughts so pleasant to the ear. 

Sounding like a scholar that descended from the immortal world giving filthy mortals a few pieces of advice. Or like a God from the Heavenly realm reciting poetry as the soft wind blows Haitang blossoms like a soft drizzle blessing the dry lands with water. 

The peak lords hate and love it at the same time.

Without introduction whatsoever, Liu Qingge, tired of getting constantly mocked for who-knows-how-long, unsheathes Cheng Luan, and points it to Shen Qingqiu as he bravely said, “Fight me.”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t know why the younger suddenly, out of nowhere and for no logical reason, demanded a fight. But Shen Qingqiu is still Shen Qingqiu. He won’t step back once he walked, especially if the one who pushed him was someone he loathed.

So, with his usual elegant demeanor, he puts his teacup down, gives the younger a look, and charges at him!

Liu Qingge wasn’t expecting this. He was taken aback and missed a footing. But for martial artists, a single step could lead to a different future. Thus, this time, not only did he show his weak points, but Shen Qingqiu also managed to injure him.

Liu Qingge took a few steps backward.

Yue Qingyuan stands from his seat, ready to stop the two.

The peak lords look at Shen Qingqiu in slight disbelief.

Shen Qingqiu had always been the man who would retort, defend, then attack, not attack without his usual poetic insult introduction whatsoever. But from what just happened, it could be said that the man is either pissed, or he just wants to end this unreasonable brawl early.

On the other hand, Liu Qingge swings his sword to the air, and with an aura of a warrior on a battlefield, he heavily rocks it down with his full power. In an instant, the rocks under him busted into little cracks, and his qi that flows inside his sword forms a layer around Cheng Luan, increasing his strike power.

No matter how messed up gossips and remarks about the Bai Zhan peak lord are, Liu Qingge is still a peak lord. And a peak lord is someone who is strong and capable of cultivation in the least. 

The man is capable, indeed, but it is his behavior and wild hobby that make people look at him with a slight boldness. On the other side, Shen Qingqiu’s muddy reputation is also the reason why many looked down on him. Not to mention his many qi deviations and his cultivation history.

The day was still spring, flowers bloomed, and the weather was warm. But suddenly, heavy rain of snowflakes falls upon the peak, coloring the beautiful colors of nature with pure white. And when the crushed rocks float, after Liu Qingge’s heavy blow upon it, a large ice frost seal pattern shines under Shen Qingqiu.

It was so blinding yet irresistible to not watch. It gave off a shuddering cold winter storm passion, yet it was as soft and calm as the autumn breeze. Like a deep river that gobbles any creature that enters its still water, yet dearly embraces the many lotus flowers with an unspoken tenderness.

The peak lords couldn’t help but stare in awe from the sides, while some disciples from far.

Shen Qingqiu’s ice frost necklace beams in the shades of blue and turquoise. Liu Qingge’s Cheng Luan shines even brighter, one could tell just how hyped up that sword is.

Liu Qingge, being the barbaric swordsman he is, charges with all his focus on Cheng Luan. After all, he practices waijia . While Shen Qingqiu, a qi cultivator, neijia practitioner, focuses on his surroundings, making use of the qi, ice, and his ice bamboo leaves.

The fight went on for a longer time, but it wasn’t a rivalry fight, it was as if the two cultivators were enjoying it, as if they were close friends testing each other’s limits. 

But it’s an as if. 

Liu Qingge may enjoy the fight, but Shen Qingqiu loathed the man, thus this fight not only tests his desire to not kill the younger, but also his will to snap his ethereal scholar image and rage at the barbarian fully contently.

Also, a fight is a fight. No matter how friendly this current scene looks, the two still receive casualties. On one side, Shen Qingqiu, who hadn’t unsheathed Xiu Ya, received a few deep cuts and blows. While Liu Qingge, who acts as if he was not hurt, received internal injuries.

Liu Qingge acts recklessly. His moves are predictable, and his ‘Attack! Attack!’ technique never changes. Shen Qingqiu, however, makes use of his mastery in neijia. 

The ice frost under him isn’t just for show, nor is the snow rain that many thought of it as a distraction tactic. 

The ice frost under him, an aesthetic pattern-like seal, pours a heavy sense of painful chill that greatly weakens the opponent’s resistance through their meridians. But not only that, but it also applies heavy gravity to the opponent that steps inside the circle area, decreasing their qinggong . While the milky white snow decreases the temperature, helping to strengthen the ice. At the same time, the little snow would sometimes transform into sharp bamboo leaves and aim at Liu Qingge, breaking his focus while hurting him too.

Shen Qingqiu doesn’t have a good foundation, and it’s not like his nearly destructed spiritual root could help his cultivation. Thus he doesn’t have an element he should [could] focus on. 

But Shen Qingqiu [Shen Jiu] wanted to be strong, he wanted to prove to his master that even with a broken root, a small golden core, and a filthy background, he could be an immortal.

This nearly-destructed-root problem is also why he couldn’t fully master any element without a medium. This time, his ice element uses his ice frost necklace and the snowfall as the said medium.

Like a starving child hurriedly eating a loaf of cold bread when he has enough money to fill his bony stomach, and biting rocks in the hope to lessen his hunger during the chilly winter nights. Any element his body and soul could stand, he grasps them. 

Shen Qingqiu scoffs.

He used to eat snow and ice when the Qiu masters didn’t care about him in winter. And he used to live in the wild while he was under Wu Yanzi’s teachings . He was so used to the two elements that they become his most mastered elements. 

‘How pathetic could I possibly more be?’

Liu Qingge lost his focus momentarily. The peak lords listen.

‘Weak.’

Shen Qingqiu’s green eyes dim.

‘weak. weak. weak. weak. weak. weak. weak. weak. weak. weak. -’

Shen Qingqiu closes his eyes and twirls beautifully. So elegant and ethereal. Composed and godly. 

‘burden. filthy rat. slave. scum. beast. snake. murderer. liar. two-faced. wicked. inferior. pathetic. -’

The ice under him shines like a crystal lighted under the great luna. Singing a gentle melancholy melody of the unknown.

‘WEAK WEAK WEAK WHY CAN’T I BE STRONGER?!’

He unfolds his fan. His fingers flick, and many thin layers of qi wrap around it. Exerting a chilly aura that somehow looks unsympathetic yet seems as mellow as a sweet mother’s touch.

‘FILTHY RAT. SLAVE. SCUM. MURDERER. SNAKE.-’

The scholar tiptoes on the ice frost under him. He dances . 

‘USELESS PIECE OF SHIT WHY CAN’T I KILL-’

“Shen-shixiong!”

Shen Qingqiu stops dancing . He did not [manage to] kill Liu Qingge [yet] .

“...” Shen Qingqiu tucks his fan inside his belt. In an instant, the snowfall evaporates to the azure skies, the ice frost under him fades, and his ice frost necklace dims in color.

Before Liu Qingge could push the older to continue the fight, Shen Qingqiu unsheathes Xiu Ya and flies to the soaring skies. Leaving Qiong Ding as if nothing had happened.

Chapter Text

[23 - Drawback XXX]

Shang Qinghua exhales, his tense shoulders also relax. 

The last move. Shang Qinghua knew Shen Qingqiu very well. 

Shen Qingqiu was about to kill Liu Qingge for real.

The twelve peaks of Cang Qiong are diverse in their fighting techniques. But among all, Qing Jing holds the most many and unpredictable cultivation methods. 

An Ding, if Shang Qinghua were to be honest, also has many. And if he were to be more honest, it could be said that Qing Jing and An Ding are putting on a large and thick barrier between the two and the rest of the peaks. Keeping this dark secret, which would be deemed as a lethal weapon, from the cultivation world, and stay so low that no one looks up upon them.

This dark secret includes the forbidden Lan techniques of Qing Jing, Shen Qingqiu’s rabbit spies, Shang Qinghua’s pet fish, and the false cultivation manuals.

The said false cultivation manuals aren’t truly false, it is just a piece of iceberg. The well-known An Ding and Qing Jing manuals, the manuals that are known to the world, are actually just an introduction to the teachings. 

Who knows when this happened, maybe during the early years of being peak lords or some more years after, but for sure, Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu came up with an idea of teaching the full teachings of their cultivation only to the capable ones, which is only a third of their peak’s number. 

This was due to the lack of dedication of their disciples. Seeing this continuous problem no matter what teaching method they used, they decided to apply this said idea.

“It’s like passing gemstones to a bunch of chicken. Won’t be used even at the brink of death. Truly fruitless.” Shen Qingqiu said during this matter’s discussion with Shang Qinghua in the past.

If one were to see it from the two’s viewpoints, then this reason would be logical. 

Take Ming Fan and Shang Qinghua’s head disciple as examples. Besides them and a few other qualified disciples, no one cares about the history of the peaks, about the practical lesson, or even about their future as a cultivator. 

Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua can only sigh. This can’t be helped, after all, An Ding and Qing Jing have been known to be the most leisure [if only they knew] and easiest to go through.

Thus, only a third of the two peak’s population knows the full teaching of their peaks, and yes, are deemed qualified, in both theory and practice.

Shang Qinghua sighs.

‘Is it now?’ his mind wanders about as he leaves Qiong Ding with stacks of scrolls in his empty-like embrace. He looks up.

The sky was clear, the flowers were beautiful, and the spring breeze is gentle, but Shang Qinghua’s heart is somehow filled with a heavy cloud of guilt, thrill, and disconcert. 

A tiny part of his heart yearns for people’s admiration, approval, and praise of worthiness. But in him is also planted a sturdy plant of abhor towards this wretched world that views the people in two colors : strong, a worthy opponent or someone who they must bow to ; and the weak, ants to their eyes, nothing but a waste of space in this cultivation world.

‘The protagonist [Luo Binghe] and the villain [Shen Qingqiu].’

“?” Shang Qinghua blinks, his mind stays unfocused for a moment, and after, could only say, “Protagonist and… the villain…?”

Shang Qinghua quickly shakes his head, a stoic expression paints his fine face as he averts his eyes back to the mountainous path, ‘I need to ask Mu-shidi for more sleeping pills.’

Walking through the rocky steps under the day, his mind rotates around the four words his subconsciousness whispered to him. Shang Qinghua frowns, ‘The dreams are odd, and it’s affecting me somehow.’

‘But something’s more important,’ Shang Qinghua bites his lips, ‘Shen-shixiong’s past… The peak lords… If they...’

***

“I am not a slave. Not two-faced. Not weak.” 

Shen Qingqiu could feel him going near to a qi deviation, “This shixiong is busy, Liu-shidi should spend his free time with his disciples. Teaching them a thing or two would be more fructous than sitting on a tree plucking blossoms in winter.”

In other words, Shen Qingqiu does not want to see Liu Qingge, and that he is advising [prompting] the younger to beat his disciples [because they picked a fight with Qing Jing disciples] rather than doing anything that would end fruitless.

Liu Qingge, with his low brain capability, frowns and said, “It’s not winter yet.”

Shang Qinghua watching from the side, “...” 

Shen Qingqiu who doesn’t know whether to mock or pity the younger, “...”

The two knew that Liu Qingge, despite his extraordinary strength, is beyond help if it were anything other than fights. But to say that he is stupid would be too unbefitting.

‘He is dense beyond help!’ Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu rub their temples internally. 

Liu Qingge, hearing Shen Qingqiu’s inner thoughts, frowns and couldn’t help but continue on this matter, “I’m not dense.”

Shen Qingqiu scoffs, his inner thought flows like water, unstoppable, ‘Says the man who couldn’t even write properly.’

Frowning even more, Liu Qingge said almost immediately, “I can write.”

“...” Shen Qingqiu, feeling that something is odd, unfolds his fan, and covers his face, ‘Other than that? Making troubles it is.’

Dense Liu Qingge, dense brain, “I don’t make trouble.”

Spring. A transition between winter and summer, when the flowers bloomed and the temperature is warm. 

The bamboo leaves would be even more green, the dragonflies would touch the pond with intimacy, and the fish would swim around the warm water lively. 

Behind his fan, Shen Qingqiu smiles, ‘Oh.’

Oh, how wonderful the season is.

‘Ha,’ the oldest closes his eyes as he lets the warmth of daylight melt onto his porcelain-white skin, ‘I see.’

Oh, how wonderful the season is.

“Liu-shixiong.” Shang Qinghua interrupts the two, standing between them, he cast a slightly serious look to Liu Qingge before adding in a clearer tone, “Qinghua and Shen-shixiong have important matters to attend to. We are busy , and we must go now .”

Cupping his fists, he leaves with Shen Qingqiu following behind him, completely ignoring Liu Qingge’s confused and funny look. 

Oh, how wonderful the season is.

‘I see.’

Wonderful indeed.

Shen Qingqiu smiles.

Chapter Text

[24 - Drawback IV]

In the cultivation world, many are deemed as a day-to-day basis, yet the said day-to-day basis is also marked unusual in the people’s eyes. 

Take slavery as an example, many street rats are taken into a household as a servant . Although it’s already an open secret that the said servant role is either as a punching bag or bed warmer, no one lifts a finger to this matter. After all, this day-to-day basis has been going on for so long that it has become a tradition. Yet when the said household is caught by the officers, they are painted in large calligraphy of guilty red. 

Truly funny.

The same case occurs to the pleasure house. People, from the lowest to the emperors would come and go as they please, or at least not for the emperor for he has his own harem in his palace. But anyhow, when one catches a glimpse of a cultivator, especially a well-known martial artist, visiting the brothel, they couldn’t help but wrinkle their nose in a twisted disgust and look. 

Shen Qingqiu scoffs, ‘Hopefully, I won’t meet Qingqi-shimei on the way back later. All she does is make my stomach turn.’

A certain female peak lord, “...”

The rest of the peak lords, “...”

Sitting idly. Shen Qingqiu’s snowy, white, fingers twirl along with the tanghulu stick. One or two times, he would bite the red candy with his glossy, scarlet lips. His phoenix green eyes lure many, and his fine body could be detailed in three fully immoral paragraphs.

Shang Qinghua from the other side, sighs. The older man is like a white peony, beauty beyond words. While he... Shang Qinghua rests his chin on his fist. 

If one were to compare the two, Shang Qinghua would really love to smack that person. But this time, he won’t be smacking anyone, because it was him who was smacked by the back.

The current situation is truly laughable. Even the sisters, who are playing their musical instruments, couldn’t help but smile adoringly, an act of hiding their sweet giggles.

“Shen-shixiong…” Shang Qinghua lowers his head. The thick smell of perfume and wine would usually make him a little dizzy, but this time, his senses aren’t focused on his surroundings, but on the man in front of him, ”Qinghua neglected his duties, asking for forgiveness…”

Softly sighing, Shen Qingqiu shakes his head and puts the cup down, “Shang-shidi isn’t at fault, Ming has always been a curious one, once he is out of sight, he would wander to who-knows-where doing who-knows-what. After this, we’ll search for him around An Ding, in case he is still at Shang-shidi's peak.”

Shen Qingqiu continues through his mind, ‘Besides, it’s not like I could be mad at you. We’ve been friends for many years, this is just a trivial thing, what’s with that dejected face of yours?’

Positive thinker Yue Qingyuan, ‘So, Qingqiu-shidi is friends with Shang-shidi... A good thing, a good thing...’

The peak lords, ‘Why do I smell something familiar…?’

On the other side, a thin smile paints Shang Qinghua’s small lips, he nods and drinks his tea.

A few days ago, Shen Qingqiu entrusted Ming to Shang Qinghua’s care, this is a day-to-day basis. 

Ming, Shen Qingqiu’s rabbit spy, the alpha of all rabbits in Qing Jing, has always been a curious and easy to be bored one. Thus, Shen Qingqiu would bring Ming to the brothel sometimes. But bringing a rabbit to the brothel, going down the mountain, and flying for many li, would tire the poor rabbit, so he chose another route, An Ding. 

The said entrusting isn’t truly a hard task at all, all Shang Qinghua needs to do is make sure that the white, fluffy, rabbit is by his side. Just like that, and the rabbit would be happy.

Shang Qinghua internally lets out a heavy exhale. He had thought that the older found out about the drawback, but who would’ve thought that the male found out something that is far from it : Shang Qinghua left Ming in his peak unwatched, and now Ming is missing, gone with his curious head of his.

Praying in his heart, Shang Qinghua had a moment of thought that the Gods pitied him and decided to help him this one time. But no matter what, as the saying goes, forget the past, now blessed a fortune, the day of tomorrow still worries him.

Who knows if Shen Qingqiu had known of the drawback but is just pretending to be oblivious and decided to use this drawback to his benefit. This, Shang Qinghua predicts to be possible considering the man in the topic is the cautious tactician of Cang Qiong Shen Qingqiu. If it is what it is, Shang Qinghua, being a supportive friend he is, will help the older to get the upper hand in this disadvantageous situation.

But no matter if the older knows or not, what’s more urgent is to search for Ming. 

“A-Jiu and Shang-gege should eat more, look, A-Jiu is so thin, it looks as if Cang Qiong is bullying you!” one of the sisters serving food and drinks pushes another plate of sweets to the two.

Shen Qingqiu, a sweet-toothed man, happily gobbles more sweets into his small mouth as his mind wanders about, ‘Jie-jie is right, I’m bullied in Cang Qiong. My brothers and sister hate me, passerby lust at me, and even one of my disciples look at me with such eyes.’

Peak lords frowning, “...?”

“...” Shen Qingqiu thought after a long time, ‘Exception for Zhanmeng-shixiong and Shang-shidi. Yue Qingyuan spoils me and Shang Qinghua is my friend of life and death. Ming Fan too, my trusted disciple. Maybe Ning Ying Ying, but she only brings trouble.’

A certain Qiong Ding peak lord smiling brighter than the sun, ‘Xiao Jiu…’

Shang Qinghua, touched, ‘Friend of life and death… Shen-shixiong…!’

The rest of the nine peak lords feeling their blood at their throat, ‘Although this is nothing compared to the past, dog food is still dog food!’

Shang Qinghua, face and voice softening, said, “Shen-shixiong, let’s walk around the market before going back, to get some fresh air [and spend some time together] and buy Ming Fan some goods. Qinghua heard [from Ming] that Shen-shixiong is teaching him the forbidden Lan techniques?”

When his head disciple is mentioned, Shen Qingqiu’s mood brightens, “Mn, in less than three months, if there is no hindrance, Ming Fan would fully master the forbidden Lan techniques. By that time, he could participate in the Immortal Alliance Conference to try out what he had learned.”

Smiling, Shang Qinghua said, “Qinghua is thinking of giving his head disciple a few points of exchange with Ming Fan, they are close, yet when it comes to knowing each other’s capabilities and other peak’s cultivation fighting methods, they are lacking. If they have a few matches, it would teach them one or two about an actual battle [unlike a brawl with Bai Zhan, only giving a fruitless lesson] .”

Nodding his head, Shen Qingqiu opens his fan, “It is a good idea, this way, they wouldn’t think too highly of themselves and could taste the fierceness of a strong cultivator. Killing two birds with a stone.”

The two chit-chatted more for a shi chen before going to the market for a stroll while buying a few things to spend their money for fun.

‘This one suits Shang-shidi,’ Shen Qingqiu thought to himself when he spots some goods along the way, ‘No, this one suits him better.’

Shang Qinghua beside him, “...”

Not later, Shang Qinghua heard, ‘The color’s adequate, but the quality is nothing. Truly useless for Shang-shidi. That one seems-’

Shang Qinghua beside him, between grateful and awkward, “...”

Other peak lords, ‘Could this be considered as dog food? If yes, let me drink a bucket of water, I’ve had too much.’

Only after arriving at the foot of the mountain did Shen Qingqiu’s mind stopped its blabbering and concluded a decision, ‘Nothing is good enough for Shang-shidi, looks like I’ll have to make anything for Shang-shidi myself. Come to think about it...’

Shen Qingqiu shuts his fan and averts his eyes to the younger, “Shang-shidi, this shixiong heard [from Ming] that your fish is growing into an active one?” 

“Ah,” being called, Shang Qinghua nods, “Yes, it has grown bigger in size and appetite. It broke the last mini aquarium so Qinghua had to let it roam in the pond behind Qinghua’s workplace.”

“Pond?” Shen Qingqiu frowns, “But shidi doesn’t have a pond?”

Soft shades of red colors Shang Qinghua’s vanilla face, he scratches his cheek, and laughs awkwardly, “Ah, yes, that, Qinghua made one. It wasn’t hard, this shidi only dug a large and deep area, put rocks around it to keep the soil from dirtying the water, made a bamboo fountain, and planted a few flowers to keep it fresh in the eyes.”

Looking at the younger, Shen Qingqiu feels rather funny, “Shidi… that…”

‘That pond won’t last long...!’ Shen Qingqiu sighs, “We will take care of shidi’s pond , it’s almost late, it would be dangerous if Ming is yet to be found.”

‘Who knows if that innocent-looking rabbit would eat a poor cultivator in the reason of hungry or curious.’ Shen Qingqiu could imagine Ming, with that moral face of his, fur painted in red, and bones around it, as he jump to Shen Qingqiu in a playful manner. 

Softly sighing, he couldn’t help but think of Yue Qingyuan, ‘Should I use Yue Qingyuan as a shield if the evidence of the dead leads to me? Or maybe I could coax him a bit to help me out. No matter, all I have to do is pout a little and he’ll rain me with gold. Asking him to hide a body won’t be that hard.’

Peak lords listening, ‘Shameless bastard…!’

The shield , ‘Qingqiu-shidi in danger? Who dares touch him!’

Shang Qinghua caught in an awkward and guilty state, ‘Shen-shixiong… This...’

Chapter Text

[25 - Drawback V]

Two or so days have passed since the day Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua visited the brothel, went on a night walk [search for Ming], and accidentally [finally] found the curious rabbit with its fur bathed in crimson red and the sight of a half-eaten deer’s antlers.

In contrast to the bloody situation, Shen Qingqiu let out a relieved sigh. The thought of having to trouble himself in making a scenario to hide a body or make the victim’s identity vanish to thin air instantly fades away. 

‘At least that clumsy rabbit has yet learned how to eat a cultivator.’ Shen Qingqiu when he bathed Ming for the nth time that night with plenty of qi water and soap to get rid of the blood stench. 

Shang Qinghua, ‘... Shen-shixiong… Qinghua is afraid that Ming’s secret would’ve been leaked by now if the other peak lords have a higher IQ… Thankfully, they are as oblivious as a village maiden in love.’

The peak lords, ‘Rabbit? Kill a cultivator? What game is he playing now?’

Other than that one night walk , the two or so days were spent in farming-like times for both Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua. 

Although the said farming-like times were actually referring to the two peak lords making an aesthetic pond behind the younger’s workplace for Shang Qinghua’s active fish, to some disciples who happened to be passing by or delivering messages, it looks not far from beautiful Gods playing with water in the Heavenly realm. 

In other words, a truly alluring and pleasing sight.

The An Ding disciples of course, out of politeness, did not stare too long, but once in a while, they would steal a glance at the two friendly peak lords. 

It can’t be helped, after all. Who wouldn’t look when there is a scholar beauty who ties his hair in a messy high ponytail, hand sleeves wrapped to his elbow, dressed in a loose and home-ly robes, skin as white as jade exposed to the hot sun, and phoenix green eyes that would shoot them a glaring [hot] look.

On the other side, there is also a handsome man who has a more manly look yet still excludes an aura like that of an enchantress and a fresh youth at the same time. Hair tied with a sparkly ribbon, robes disheveled, the end of his pants rolled up to his knees, and a bright, brave, appealing smile. Whose heart and bad years wouldn’t light up at the sight of such a lovely man?

The An Ding disciples, whose faces were once as gloomy as a black pot, walking by the Rainbow Bridge, now emit rays of light like that of a Buddha. What’s even funnier is that when the brainless Bai Zhan and other peaks' disciples messed with them, or complained, or pushed them to fasten their speed at doing their peak’s work, the blessed An Ding disciples instead smiled even brighter than the sun as they speak in a soft and warming voice.

By now, words have spread that the An Ding disciples have just received some kind of salvation, while others would say that the poor disciples are either possessed or got hit by the head.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua, who had no clue of the uproar going on outside, continued their work on the pond-making idly. 

“Shang-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu wipes his forehead with his loose sleeve, “How big will your fish need for the pond?”

Laughing awkwardly, Shang Qinghua scratches his cheek as he says, “Roughly six times seven zhang ?”

“...” looking at the younger with a deadpan look, Shen Qingqiu jokes, “Shang-shidi, this shixiong feels like this fish is truly picky when it comes to its habitat. The first few aquariums are all either shattered or broken, if this pond is still not enough, might as well just dig a mountain for it.”

“Pfft!” Shang Qinghua couldn’t help but laugh out loud. 

Truly, only the brothel girls, some disciples, possibly Yue Qingyuan, and he himself would understand the older’s odd cracks. 

It was a little awkward indeed when they first became friends, especially when the older tried to lighten the atmosphere by joking. But later, after getting used to it, Shang Qinghua would understand at ease and laugh out loud.

“Shen-shixiong doesn’t have to worry, Qinghua wouldn’t even spare it an old, ugly lotus pot if it were to complain more,” giggling, Shang Qinghua continues, “This fish may be a little problematic sometimes, but it is quite sweet if you know it well.”

Sighing, Shen Qingqiu could only shake his head and give in to the younger’s excuse, “No matter. This fish, we should be careful to not let anyone know of its origin.”

Smiling, Shang Qinghua assures the older, “Shen-shixiong doesn’t have to worry, just look at Ming, even after countless animals' death in the peak, no one tried to dig more of it. It isn’t just Ming, the fact that more rabbits are appearing one after another in a short time, nobody notices. This fish? Qinghua can just say, the fish is quite a fierce one, would hurt another animal, thus making a bigger pond at the back of Qinghua’s workplace would be beneficial for it and Qinghua. On one hand, it would be pleased with its big territory, and on the other hand, Qinghua could watch the scenery when bored or tired.”

Shen Qingqiu, completely gives up, unties and ties his hair in a high ponytail, “Alright, alright. Anyhow, this fish needs some training and experience. If it were to grow as a useless one with such rare inheritance, it would only do as pouring a cup of water into a deep well.”

Shang Qinghua nods and smiles as he tries to defend the older that his fish isn’t that evil. Soon, he went out of the water and entered his workplace. When he goes back to the finished pond, he has a large bucket in his arms.

Shen Qingqiu knew at first glance that inside that bucket is the said fierce and picky fish, thus he did not spare any more glance at it. But when the fish started to throw tantrums for who-knows-what, Shang Qinghua somehow missed a step and fell into the pond with the bucket and the said fish.

The bottom of the pond is clean and slippery for it is new, especially for those who wear no slippers or shoes, it would make them feel like walking on ice. 

Shen Qingqiu has mastered everything related to ice, thus this slippery problem was nothing to him, but for the younger? Shang Qinghua had nearly slipped numerous times before, now that he is underwater [not to mention how deep the water is and how short they are] , it could be said that he [they] could drown.

Out of reflex, Shen Qingqiu quickly walk-swim to Shang Qinghua and supports the younger with his arms. Face full of worry, he pats the younger’s shoulder, “Are you ok?”

Shang Qinghua, who had never expected to fall face-on to the water, coughed for a short while before reassuring the older that he is alright. 

But as if the God of wine isn’t drunk enough, the situation soon completely turns 180 degrees when the fish poked the younger from the back in a call of ‘I want to play! Play with me!’, and cause Shang Qinghua to tumble into the older’s warm [it was cold, the water was cold] embrace. 

At the same time, Yue Qingyuan, who originally wanted to discuss some peak matters with Shang Qinghua, saw the whole scene and was baffled to the point where he could only stand from afar like a statue.

From enjoying their farming-like times, to being watched by the greedy eyes of An Ding disciples, falling into an accident case, and ending with an ‘oh look, lovebirds in a pond! Wait, that’s Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu!’

***

Meanwhile, Luo Binghe who have heard of the rumors that the peak lord of An Ding and Qing Jing are enjoying their times by making a pond with their sleeves rolled up, skin exposed, robes wet, etc etc, is now swallowing chunks of vinegar in the corner of his room.

Pouting and furrowing his eyebrows, he grits his teeth in a somehow ugly yet adorable way like that of an angry spoiled young master, ‘How dare they see Shizun’s skin! Only this lord can see! Those brats-’

Also, Yue Qingyuan in An Ding looking from afar Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua, ‘... Shang-shidi is Shen-shidi’s friend… This pose is not like that of a friend… Should ask [interrogate] Shang-shidi for a clarification…’

Chapter Text

[26 - Drawback VI]

It was late Spring, soon summer would come. The air was warm, and the sky was clear. 

The pond was just made and cleaned, not only did it reflect the two peak lords’ figures from the surface, but it is also incredibly translucent that whatever is under the deep water could be seen crystal clear.

Yue Qingyuan could see Shen Qingqiu’s and Shang Qinghua’s intertwined legs under the water.

To say that he isn’t bothered by such a [rare and memorable] sight would be a lie, but no matter what entered his mind earlier soon vanish into thin air when he made eye contact with the youngers.

Shen Qingqiu had expected some curious ones would come for a visit. Sure, he had no problems if it were An Ding or Qing Jing disciples [for they had known the two’s close relationship] , but a peak lord? Yue Qingyuan of all!

Shen Qingqiu’s sunny mood instantly dims and turns as cold as ice.

Helping Shang Qinghua to get out of the water, he instantly dries his [and Shang Qinghua’s] hair and robes with qi. Within the count of seconds, they had an appearance as if they had never touched the water at all, or as if they were just having a leisure stroll around An Ding. The only difference is that their robes and hair are slightly messy and that they are using a thin cloth to tie their hair with no crown to secure it.

But just these are enough for many to look at the two in a twisted look, Yue Qingyuan is no exception. Even if he has a talent for controlling his facial expression, his eyes still flash a look for a moment. 

Thus Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but scowl at Yue Qingyuan, “Apologies for our unsightful state, we did not expect any guests in the first place.”

Caught red-handed, Yue Qingyuan could only smile apologetically and said, “No, this shixiong was the one in wrong. This shixiong didn’t know that Shang-shidi and Qingqiu-shidi were having some time to…?”

“Make a pond,” Shang Qinghua answers almost immediately, “This shidi isn’t experienced in such things, Shen-shixiong had to trouble himself to help Qinghua. We have just finished, if Yue-shixiong has matters with Qinghua then we can do it inside?”

Nodding, Yue Qingyuan then follows Shang Qinghua’s lead after talking with Shen Qingqiu out of courtesy. 

Actually, the said ‘matters’ isn’t truly important to the point where the sect leader himself had to go to An Ding peak, but the three of them knew that the said ‘matters’ is just an excuse to meet with Shen Qingqiu. After all, words have spread that the peak lords of An Ding and Qing Jing were having some playtime together in An Ding. 

Whether one takes it in a twisted or normal way, it doesn’t matter. Shen Qingqiu is with Shang Qinghua, and this is a golden opportunity for Yue Qingyuan to meet Shen Qingqiu with a [lame] valid reason.

After Yue Qingyuan and Shang Qinghua entered, Shen Qingqiu stayed by the pondside. 

On one hand, he had to wait outside the workplace, waiting for the discussion to end to take his personal belongings and leave with Ming. While on the other hand, he knew the older’s intentions, thus he doesn’t have to hurry back to his peak. 

Patting Ming in his arms, Shen Qingqiu stands by the side of the new pond. 

The wind sings its melancholy whispers, the fish swims in its new habitat happily, once in a while, it would jump to the air like a proud whale, creating a painting-like scenery to the current late springtime. Not to mention the beauty in the portrait. With a fluffy-looking rabbit in his embrace softening the man’s cold green eyes. Hair and robes dancing along with the wind’s tunes, and a somehow wintry and lonely expression on his fine face, who wouldn’t drain their money to have a glance?

It truly is funny. 

Yue Qingyuan could only sigh in awe as he watch from afar yet act stiffly in front of this immortal beauty. The sect leader of Cang Qiong, swordmaster of Xuan Xu, would melt like a thick chicken ketchup soup by just an eye contact with the younger.

Walking to the younger, Yue Qingyuan smiles with rays and rays of content boldly written on his face. With a bag in his hand, the older passes it to the younger, “Shang-shidi told this shixiong to give this bag to Qingqiu-shidi.”

Looking at this doggy face, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t reject him no matter what, “Thanking Zhanmeng-shixiong, but in the next time, don’t do this anymore.”

Almost immediately, a tiny voice inside Shen Qingqiu whispers, ‘Filthy’

Eyes downcasted, Shen Qingqiu looks at the bag with slightly furrowed eyebrows. ‘ [I’m] Filthy [, don’t taint yourself] .’ 

“...” hearing that one word is enough to make Yue Qingyuan wilt, “If… Qingqiu-shidi says so…”

Yue Qingyuan’s heart clench. Is this truly what his dearest one thought about him? Even after the months of warmness his dearest gave him, was that all just a shell without the filling?

Yue Qingyuan softly sigh. No matter, even if the shell has no filling, he would still gladly treasure it. 

While the older is having his kicked puppy mood, Shen Qingqiu is caught in a ‘ curse or coax the older’ situation. Truly, when the sect leader of Cang Qiong is sad, not even the icy frost Shen Qingqiu could stand to do nothing. But no matter what, this is the icy frost Shen Qingqiu who is caught in the ‘curse of coax the older’ web, thus the outcome will always be ‘curse the older’ .

“This shidi has matters to attend to.” was what the younger was about to say, but the older interrupted first, saying, “I’m sorry.”

Spring has almost end, the temperature increases day by day, and even the highest peak, the peak that is cool in the hottest summer and stinging in the early winter, Qing Jing, would still have a taste of the scorching sun sometimes. 

The peak lord of the said peak has always hated hot days and would rarely go down from his [not so] perfect nest. However, having a comfortable nest gradually makes the hissy cat effortlessly feel unbearable in the open field.

Thrown into its second home but with its old loving-hateful dog pushed into the hissy cat’s comfort circle, who wouldn’t be unsurprised to see the cat flying its paw to the pitiful dog?

Looking at the older with a vicious look, Shen Qingqiu spat venom, “Whatever for? Zhanmeng-shixiong hadn’t done anything [yet] wrong, especially to this shidi, so whatever for?”

‘You didn’t, he did. Yue Qi did,’ Shen Qingqiu opens his fan and covers his typical downward smile, ‘ Left me to rot like a piece of junk I am.’

The early summer wind blows, Ming looks up, Shen Qingqiu smiles bitterly behind his fan, ‘Didn’t blame you tho, Xuan Xu is indeed quite of an old sword.’

“?!” Yue Qingyuan’s kicked puppy and Qiong Ding peak lord’s serene smile crack open to a ghostly white before blinking a few times with a funny look on his face.

‘Right, I did tell him about Xuan Xu.’ Yue Qingyuan softly lets out a relieved sigh.

It was months before the Ling Xi cave incident that Yue Qingyuan cried like a kicked puppy he is and poured a tsunami of words of the ‘Why Qi-ge came late.’ .

The two kept it a secret, of course. Cang Qiong would be like a phoenix caught to be a chicken if this matter were to be known to the world. Thus, they didn’t talk about this matter after that, which sometimes makes the older forget that he had told the younger about his little secrets.

Truly funny.

“This shixiong is in the wrong. Qingqiu-shidi had walked on so much hardship, yet this shixiong couldn’t do much help,” Yue Qingyuan tries to coax the younger, “If there’s anything that this shixiong could do, please do tell. This shixiong would do anything for Qingqiu-shidi.”

The inner turmoil Shen Qingqiu had when fighting Liu Qingge at that time, Shen Qingqiu’s abstract and gory nightmares, incredibly low self-esteem, and many more are yet to be said. He is the sect leader, yet he could only pour a cup of water into a deep well.

Shen Qingqiu scoffs, ‘Anything?’

Yue Qingyuan who thought that Shen Qingqiu was talking instead of thinking, “Mn, anything Qingqiu-shidi needs and want.”

Shen Qingqiu smirking behind his fan, ‘How about draining Qiong Ding’s money to the bones?’

Yue Qingyuan smiling brighter than the sun, “This shixiong will announce to everyone that Qingqiu-shidi is in charge of Qiong Ding, no, Cang Qiong’s monetary from now on.”

Shang Qinghua feeling something is amiss, ‘Yue-shixiong better not mess up.’

Peak lords smelling something incredibly familiar, ‘I need bitter medicine, something smells like dog food and taste like sugar chunks...’

Shen Qingqiu idly fans himself, his wrath slowly cooling down, he finally opens his mouth and said, ‘So shixiong would do anything but tell this shidi that every Cang Qiong peak lords could listen to this shidi’s mind?’

Yue Qingyuan caught off guard, “Mn?...!”

Peak lords, either coughing on their tea or tripped on air, “?!”

Shang Qinghua mentally facepalming, “Aiya…”

Throwing another fish into the pond, Shang Qinghua talks to his two fish, Yin and Yang, “How could Cang Qiong still stand until now with peak lords like them… I don’t know, I don’t want to know, I am deaf and blind. Goodbye to the world, shutdown, going offline.”

For a while, Shang Qinghua looks absentmindedly. Only after getting a good splash of water by his lively fish did he go back ‘online’, “Offline? What’s offline? Online?”

Massaging his forehead, Shang Qinghua sighs heavily, “Those dreams are getting more and more frequent and clear, so odd yet familiar... I need to ask Mu-shixiong for another dreamless sleeping medicine.”

Chapter Text

[27 - subject : CREATOR_ASTTS … | enters[?] |]

Fanning himself, Shen Qingqiu gives everyone [except for Shang Qinghua] a cold and piercing look. Like an eagle looking at its sobbing prey with a numbing and shrilling aura, the man of Qing Jing excludes a bitter wintry complex.

Like that of a bored emperor watching his trembling eunuch trying to please him with wine and woman and delicacies, Shen Qingqiu sits on his ‘throne’ while the rest of the peak lords, head hung low and awkward smiles on their face, try to find a good reason to the ‘Why we, peak lords, could hear Qing Jing peak lord’s mind as clear as crisp.’ cliche-like novelistic plot written by a teenage girl whom Shen Qingqiu would gladly rant of for days.

“Qingqiu-shidi…” with a pained smile, Yue Qingyuan tries to calm the younger’s wrath down. 

Although the said wrath this time does not include the ‘usual day-to-day basis wrath of Shen Qingqiu’ which includes the systematic cycle of :

1. Spitting poetic insults.

2. Throwing a teacup [which only occurs in fights with Yue Qingyuan] .

3. Usually continued with a fight between Liu Qingge.

4. Another session of poetic insults [with birds chirping as the background music, gentle breeze adding soft touches of serenity, and the man’s melodic voice] .

5. Closed with a scene of the man walking away with a lonesome and pitiful back like that of an outcasted scholar [which makes their heart somehow itch in pain] .

This time, the scholar, as if having learned a method from a book from his peak’s library, applies that ‘method’ to the current situation… Sitting, drinking tea as idly as ever, and throwing a hawk-like eye-piercing look to the offenders that is…

Simple, yet shot right into the heart. Shen Qingqiu scoffs at how clever he is for knowing this method.

“For this… problem…” Shang Qinghua breaks the eternal-like ‘moment of silence for the dead’. Spreading paper scrolls on the table and arranging them in a funny manner that looks like a cute squirrel, the An Ding peak lord then averts his eyes to the ‘offenders’ and pitiful victim [who ‘clearly’ did ‘not’ take advantage of his troubled situation] , “From what Qinghua has looked through, this ‘drawback’ has no cure else than time.”

Then silence fills the room.

Knowing that nobody will speak a word from either guilt or amusement from this opera drama, Shang Qinghua could only continue this one-sided presentation. “It takes fourteen days for the ‘drawback’ to last, on the fifteenth day, it will subside almost immediately. Nothing of this ‘drawback’ is life-threatening nor does it give any damages to anyone. Counting from the day Shen-shixiong received this ‘drawback’, we will need only five to six days before its end. So it could be said that there is nothing to be worried of.”

Silence fills the room once again.

Shang Qinghua who feels tired of the peak lords being useless, “...”

Shen Qingqiu enjoying his guilt-tripping session, “...”

The rest of the peak lords who don’t know where to start, “...”

Yue Qingyuan deeply thinking of how to give Shen Qingqiu Qiong Ding’s monetary position to let the younger ‘drain the sect’s money to the bones’, “...”

‘In the end,’ Shang Qinghua thought, looking at the immortals with a deadpanned look, ‘The sect could just burn to the ground under the mighty protagonist’s golden fingers.’

Then, as if a heavy rope is snaking his neck, Shang Qinghua suddenly feels chills down to his bones. As if something clicked, as if a missing memory is put back to its puzzle board. 

As if something [someone] is trying to enter him.

Shang Qinghua blinked a few times, drink his tea, and furrows his eyebrows.

‘Protagonist?’

It was only after the meeting, when Shen Qingqiu visits An Ding to play with the two fish, did Shang Qinghua welcomed the world again.

“Shang-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu said as he rocks Ming in his embrace, looking at the newly made pond and the white and black fish with an odd satisfaction. “You’ve been quite out these days, if shidi has something to worry about, he can tell this shixiong. In case we could figure it out together.”

Yet Shang Qinghua shakes his head, sighing, “Qinghua has been having odd dreams, that is all.”

And they didn’t talk about it after that.

***

Time flows like water, the seasons’ change, along with the disciples’ growth, it is as if time welcomes them. 

The immortal alliance conference.

[27 - subject : CREATOR_ASTTS … | enters[?] |]

Chapter Text

[28 - The Endless Abbys]

Despite the murky water between Shen Qingqiu [and Shang Qinghua] with Huan Hua Palace, the immortal alliance conference is a once in five years event that if one sect does not participate, will be deemed with a spot of black ink.

Thus, Shen Qingqiu could only grudgingly walk with grace to the Huan Hua Palace Old Master. 

Once met with the old man, Yue Qingyuan, with his social skills, immediately clicks along with the Old Palace Master. Talking about this and that which the second in command of Cang Qiong would like to not hear if possible.

“It’s been so long since this Old Palace Master has met with master Shen.” the Old Palace Master smiles at him. His wrinkles fold, somehow emitting a loveable aura like that of a gentle father.

But Shen Qingqiu isn’t a foolish child [no more] , so he only nods and walks away, pretending to talk to Shang Qinghua not far.

“Shen-shixiong,” Shang Qinghua averts his gaze to the handsome young boy from the mirror, Luo Binghe. “This…”

Shen Qingqiu nods and hummed, as if knowing what the younger was thinking, he said in a low voice, “Just you wait.”

Shang Qinghua nods. Understanding the mad and tactical mind of his friend.

Then, as if what Shen Qingqiu said was a jinx, the ground shook, and a loud screech of pain and shock rings from the mirror.

Alerted, the immortals watching immediately looks at the mirrors only to see chaos happening on the supposed to be safe hunting game.

Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan open and whispered, “Shang-shidi.”

That night, it was incredibly dark. In the midst of screams and cries, Shang Qinghua felt his hair stand. His face went pale, his fingers feeling cold. He clenches his sword.

The older’s voice, shrouded by thousands of sounds, incredibly unhearable, to him, was as crisp as clear water.

“Mobei-jun is here.”

Shang Qinghua furrows his eyebrows.

It was only after entering the forest did he welcome the world again.

“Shizun!” his disciples cries in both joy and plead, doesn’t know whether to party or cry at the current situation.

“An Ding disciples,” the immortal said as he jumps down from his sword, “Follow what this master will say.”

***

“Shizun!” Ming Fan beams at the shadow of his teacher.

Shen Qingqiu, out of habit, scowls. With a grace like that of a deity, he calls on Xiu Ya, and in an instant, his ice frost necklace shines under the great luna, gleaming with pride and grace.

With a charming turn, his fingers dance along with the leaves and wind’s melodies, a large ice frost is then drawn on the grassy ground, piercing the monsters’ ugly bodies in a blink of an eye. 

The bloody stench is replaced by a stream of autumn and winter fragrant, a heavy hint of numbing cold aura enveloping the immortal in green.

The disciples shivers in fear. The monsters backs away almost immediately.

“Ming Fan.” the immortal said without looking at the boy.

As if their mind was one, Ming Fan immediately shouts to the group, “Two Qing Jing disciples will take the group to the safe zone a li from here, another two follow me.”

Like ants, the Qing Jing disciples systematically follows the ‘ant leader’s’ commands. It was only after quite a time did Ming Fan run back to his master with eyes like that of gold, shining brightly.

Shen Qingqiu watching the scene, “...”

‘They look like the rabbits…’ he thought, ‘Quite funny…’

And so, after enjoying the ‘quite funny’ scenes of his disciples’, Shen Qingqiu then began his work.

When the moon sets high, many disciples were already brought to the safe zone. While the rest are either on the way, fighting monsters along with a master, or dead.

It was then, under the lusty eyes of the great luna, the ground shook again. Monsters goes mad, and the temperature increases significantly. 

The birds sings their lullabies, as if welcoming the Heavenly emperor with all their might.

From the hundred, possibly thousand, li wide forest, a deep crack opens right in front of everybody’s eyes! The big crack was so big that it opens a door twenty li far wide, letting the wild beasts loose.

“This- this is…!” Ming Fan looks at the scene before him in horror, mouth agape, he felt his knees turning jelly.

Shen Qingqiu furrows his eyebrows, opening his fan with a loud ‘thack!’ .

Shang Qinghua wipes the blood off his robes, lifting his head to look at the now red night skies, he could only cast a spell to once again protect another useless disciple of a sect he does not care of.

As if the world stopped rotating for a few seconds, everybody’s mind sings in a chorus of unison.

The Endless Abbys!

[28 - The Endless Abbys]

Chapter Text

[29 - Mini Theatre 01 - Fan]

“Zhanmeng-shixiong!” Shen Qingqiu flies to Yue Qingyuan. His necklace shining brighter than it would usually be, somehow emitting a strange aura.

On high alert, Yue Qingyuan opens his arms at the younger’s direction, as if ready to catch him as he falls. Yet, Shen Qingqiu instantly changes his direction and jumps downs his sword, creating an odd meme-like photo of an angry wife and an apologetic husband.

Knowing nothing about backing down, Yue Qingyuan hurriedly takes the younger’s hand and checks his meridians, after making sure that nothing had happened to the man internally, he then proceeds to check the man from the ‘outside’.

“Is Qingqiu-shidi hurt anywhere? If he is tired, Qingqiu-shidi can just sit, ah, this shixiong found some high-grade ginseng pills, it can heal anyone almost immediately,” Shen Qingqiu couldn’t even say a word as Yue Qingyuan takes out high-grade objects to bestow upon the younger as if they were cheap brush, “This shixiong also found some healing pills on the way here , if Qingqiu-shidi doesn’t want them bitter, this shixiong has little sweets for…”

The disciples watching, ‘Shifu, we’re on the brink of death! Hello???’

The immortals nearby, ‘What kind of sin did I commit in my past life to have to suffer this dog food…’

The intelligent monsters, ‘Did we come to the wrong place? How come an opera is playing now?’

Shen Qingqiu, who lost his fan on the way, “... Fan.”

Yue Qingyuan caught off-guard blinks, “Pardon?”

Shen Qingqiu slightly smirks, “Fan, this shidi wants a fan, but of course, how could Zhanmeng-shixiong have a fan in the-”

Not done talking, Shen Qinqiu is the one now caught off-guard. Looking at the number of fans Yue Qingyuan slowly takes out from his qiakun pouch.

Yue Qingyuan smiles brightly as blood splatters and a body is sent flying far away by the monsters behind him, “Fan.”

“.............”

Shen Qingqiu was too stunned to speak.

[29 - Mini Theatre 01 - Fan]

Chapter Text

[30 - subject : CREATOR_ASTTS … | entering | on process | ]

It was only after an agonizing cry sings not far from them did Shen Qingqiu finally snaps out from his thoughts. Taking one of the fans from Yue Qingyuan [who is overjoyed as another pile of monster bodies falls from his side] , Shen Qingqiu then counts the number of immortals present before nodding.

“This master is sure that masters know what is happening now,” Shen Qingqiu receives nods in unison, “This master will cut the chase, killing all monsters from that hell hole is simply time-consuming and useless.”

With a loud snap of his fan, he makes sure to look at every single one of them with a venomous look, “So instead of running around like a certain barbarian, we should just focus on creating an array around the Abbys while some of us seal the hell hole.”

Many nods in acknowledgment, while some looks at the man in suspicion. One said, “How could this master think of such a solution so fast? It’s as if…”

As if he planned this catastrophe.

Smirking, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but scoff as he fans himself in the cold night, “If this master couldn’t even think of a simple solution, how could this master dare come out with the title of Cang Qiong’s second in command? Of Cang Qiong’s strategist? Truly, this… cultivator didn’t think that this master…”

The words left unsaid, making people’s imaginations run wild. Good or bad, who knows, who cares, but it was the point where Shen Qingqiu called the immortal as a cultivator that stirred trouble.

Truly, Shen Qingqiu loves drama.

Too bad, a certain goody man had to interrupt, “Masters, let us not waste any more time…”

And so, the plan began. Leftover disciples running to the safe zone on their own, some immortals creating an array to hold the monsters from going out, and the rest sealing the hell hole.

It continued for three shichen.

When the sun peeks, the Endless Abbys was already forcedly shut. Some monsters were able to sneak out, most still inside, but whatever their future nobody cares. 

Running to the immortal in dark blue, Ming Fan stops to catch his breath before saluting, “This disciple greets Shang-shishu!”

The immortal in dark blue robes, high ponytail, and youthful looks turns to peek at the young. Face splattered with blood, the end of his robes and shining sword painted in crimson red, and bone-chilling black eyes, making one think whether this man is the same Shang Qinghua of the Cang Qiong sect. The homebody-like small Shang Qinghua who runs like a squirrel as scrolls falls from his hands on that one bright day.

“What is it, Ming Fan?” sheathing his sword, he then wipes the bloodstain on his face with a handkerchief. 

“Shizun told this disciple to escort the disciples from Shang-shishu’s area,” Ming Fan scans the environment only to be faced with a mountain of monster corpses, “Ah…”

Smiling, Shang Qinghua tilts his head, “That isn’t necessary anymore, as you can see, nobody is around anymore, disciple Ming should just head back too.”

“Ah, yes shishu!” Ming Fan sprints, running back to his where his shizun was [which is a few li away] . Yet, not even a few steps were taken, a painful groan whispers from his back. 

On alert, Ming Fan unconsciously looks back to make sure that his shishu is alright.

He isn’t.

Blood flows from Shang Qinghua’s nose, eyes, and mouth. The man was still in a confused state, was still standing, and was looking at his fingers drenched in red when an illuminating white light shines from his chest. Blinding and not seen in the eyes of spectators.

And with that, Shang Qinghua is lifted a few inches to the air before falling to the ground like a puppet, strings cut.

“Shang-shishu!” Ming Fan runs to the man only to be blocked by a transparent array, “Shang-shishu! Can you hear this disciple? Shang-shishu!”

From inside of the transparent array, Shang Qinghua could hear muffled shouts, the blurry image of a young teenager swinging his sword to the air. His eyes soon become heavy, and his body felt incredibly limp. He couldn’t move. 

And as if the bloody stench of blood isn’t sickening enough, a monotone voice rings in his head like a monk’s bell.

“Processing…”

“Subject : CREATOR - ASTTS [Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky]”

“Entering subject : CHARACTER SQH [Shang Qinghua]”

“Annihilating subject : CHARACTER SQH [Shang Qinghua]”

“On process…”

“Entering EMPTY SPACE.”

[30 - subject : CREATOR_ASTTS … | entering | on process | ]

Chapter Text

[31 -  Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky]

In the endless white space, where not even a speck of inky black is seen, where a scream is heard far yet near, the man in dark blue robes floats. 

Body in the mortal realm, yet spirit taken elsewhere. Somewhere far from a human’s conscious mind and understanding.

As he takes another step, his footprints leave marks of crimson red behind him that slowly fade to nothing. As if this space is a judgment hall to cleanse one’s heart and mind completely to naivety. Too bad, the man involved is an immortal named Shang Qinghua.

Turning around, running, and casting incantations after another, nothing seems to work. Faced with a dead-end, Shang Qinghua could only focus himself while sitting in a lotus position, meditating.

“Show yourself.” he said after what feels like a decade.

As if on cue, the white space dissolves in an odd pixelated transition. Blue, red, and black paint the now falling space, creating a somehow oddly beautiful glitching-like computer screen sequence. Then, black particles dance around the immortal, like a newly born beast examining a little novel prey, hundreds of eyes circles him before slowly turning into a ball of white in the now black space.

Knowing that the entity isn’t of this world, Shang Qinghua concludes that this entity is a strong spirit. He can’t beat it on his own.

“Where am I?” Shang Qinghua asked [demanded an answer] .

Without waiting for another beat, the ball excludes a monotone voice, “Answering… Subject : CHARACTER SQH [Shang Qinghua]’s soul is currently in the EMPTY SPACE.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, Shang Qinghua asked again, “Soul? What of my body?”

“Answering… Subject : CHARACTER SQH [Shang Qinghua]’s body is currently still in the mortal realm Huan Hua Palace Immortal Alliance Conference arc.”

Feeling that the entity is a bucket with a large hole, Shang Qinghua asks again, “Why am I here?”

“Answering… Subject : CHARACTER SQH [Shang Qinghua] will be replaced with subject : CREATOR - ASTTS [Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky] to atone the SVSSS [Scum Villain’s Self Saving System] plot.”

Shang Qinghua, face black and blue, ‘I feel like no longer understanding my mother tongue…’

What Shang Qinghua thought as a bucket with a large hole is indeed so, because without him saying a word, the ball said, “Along with subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu] who will be replaced with subject : CHARACTER SY [Shen Yuan] to atone the SVSSS [Scum Villain’s Self Saving System] plot.”

“What?” Shang Qinghua scratches his cheek, “Shen-shixiong?”

Knowing that the ball won’t speak a word without complicated words of the unknown, the immortal in blue went to the point, “What will happen to us? Why us?”

Yet before he could get an answer, the space dissolves into a thousand colors, falling and shaking him like a doll before black rain falls, flooding the supposed to be endless space nearly full.

“Subject : CHARACTER SQH [Shang Qinghua]’s soul will be annihilated, body taken by subject : CREATOR - ASTTS [Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky]. Subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu]’s soul will be annihilated by subject : CHARACTER SY [Shen Yuan].”

As he struggles to breathe under the grasps of hands pulling him to the bottom of the space, Shang Qinghua could hear the ball’s voice. So far yet near. So blurry yet so clear.

“As the book’s will, everything shall be put back to their origin.”

“Annihilating subject : CHARACTER SQH [Shang Qinghua]...”

“Success–”

BANG!

The white space dissolves, the water slowly drains like drought, and the hands evaporate to ash.

With his blurry vision, Shang Qinghua could see a person. Nails painted in crimson red, oddly styled robes, and haitang hong eyes. The teenage boy-girl’s hair decorated with a bu yao , and an appearance like that of a wild child who never knew how to take care of himself.

“Damned system,” said the teenage boy-girl as he-she pulls the man into his-her embrace, “Dare to cause ruckus under this one’s watch? Impudent!”

And what welcomes him after he closed his eyes under the stinging pain was memories of a mortal boy with the alias of Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky.

[31 -  Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky]

Chapter Text

[32 - subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu] ]

“You-” unsheathing his sword, Ming Fan shouts, “Who are you?!”

Under the great luna, under the blooming sun, the air is cold, and the skies are yet to be bright. Twirling like a whore, dancing his scarred fingers along with his bu yao , the man in red and black tilts his head as he looks at the young boy with a piercing gaze of his haitang hong eyes.

“Me?” he asked, voice lusty, and lips painted in cinnabar red. Slim waist, and hips that sway as he takes a step, who wouldn’t mistake him as a slut? 

After a few beats, he turns his back on Ming Fan. His robes flutters and the golden pattern on his black disheveled robes seem to shimmer as he moves, he said, “The traveler.”

Tiptoeing, he then exits the transparent array with Shang Qinghua in his embrace as his voice echoes softly, “Hong Shui.”

Looking at the young boy up and down, Hong Shui then smiles as he puts Shang Qinghua down, “Worry not disciple Ming, this one is just a little ghost, can’t hurt anyone, can’t fight, only can do a few tricks.”

Suspicious, Ming Fan points his sword at the man in red, “What did you do to Shang-shishu?”

Given such a question, Hong Shui could only blink and laugh. Only after a few beats did he compose himself and say slowly, “Aiya, Ming-xiong, that wasn’t this one’s doing. This one could only do little Kungfu, not to mention hurting an immortal, this one couldn’t even cut this one’s past lover’s dick!”

Ming Fan choked on air. Being a sheltered child he is, he had never heard anyone spouting such vulgar words so blatantly. And so, the pitiful boy could only swallow his words.

Seeing that the boy is now rendered speechless, Hong Shui smiles even more. As if making another person loss at words was his throphy, he couldn’t help but giggle adoringly.

Ming Fan feels chills.

“Ay, don’t look at me like that, ah. This one is just a little ghost, not worth Ming-xiong’s adoring eyes,” he said, sending another blow of chills down to the poor boy’s bones, “Rather than admiring this beauty, you should go check on your teacher. The system is now eyeing on him after all.”

And with that, Ming Fan is sent three li away with a single flick of his red sleeves. The poor boy didn’t know what had happened and only knew when he fall headfirst to the ground right in front of his teacher’s shoes.

Shen Qingqiu, “...?”

Ming Fan, “...” 

‘Don’t know Kungfu my cake!’ Ming Fan curses, ‘What kind of person who doesn’t know Kungfu could send a cultivator three li away with just that?!’

Composing himself, Ming Fan then hurriedly salutes, “Shizun! Shang-shishu-”

“Mn,” was what Shen Qingqiu said, cutting the boy’s words as he glance at him in a meaningful stare.

“!” Ming Fan, as the head disciple of Qing Jing, immediately understands . Changing the topic, he then said in a low voice, “This disciple met a ghost who took care of Shang-shishu. He told this disciple to warn Shizun about… about… ah! About xitong!”

“Xitong?” Shen Qingqiu furrows his eyebrows, “Who is this ghost?”

“He called himself as Hong Shui, the traveler.” Ming Fan answers immediately.

Shen Qingqiu nods and waves his hand, indicating that Ming Fan could go.

“Hong Shui, the traveler… Xitong…” he whispers to himself, contemplating things in his mad mind before blinking a few times, “Could it be…!”

‘The impostor, Xitong!’

Snapping his fan open, Shen Qingqiu clicks his tongue.

He had known and told Shang Qinghua that Mobei-jun is present, so it is highly possible that that ice prick had taken Shang Qinghua. Shen Qingqiu can’t fight him, while asking for help from another peak lord would crack the secret about Shang Qinghua, dangering him even more, so he let him be for now.

He had also known of the impostor. That Luo beast had ranted his rage about wanting a kinder Shen Qingqiu in his past life, had spilled the bean about that kinder Shen Qingqiu marrying Luo Binghe and that he love and was loved by Cang Qiong.

But Shen Qingqiu knew, another world or lifetime, there would no be a kind Shen Qingqiu. Especially to the boy named Luo Binghe.

Suddenly, a gust of wind brushes his inky hair, robes fluttering, and his ice frost necklace shines a ray of cold aura. Without a warning whatsoever, white light envelopes his one-meter perimeter circle and bursts a rain of white!

The man in green didn’t even have the time to unsheath his Xiu Ya when a scorching sting of pain pierces his chest, making him cough blood as trails of crimson red falls from his ears too.

“Qingqiu-shidi!”

“Shizun!”

He could hear the muffled sound of leaves falling, dancing, and the ground trembling at the monsters roars from the underworld, yet he couldn’t hear them clearly. 

It’s odd.

So blurry yet clear.

He could hear a soft whisper, one word after another, “System is God, Airplane is the creator, Shen Yuan the impostor is the protagonist, Luo Binghe is the child of fate, and you…”

Gritting his teeth, his eyelids slowly closes as he could feel his feet slowly lifting, floating. His body feels light yet heavy at the same time, Yue Qingyuan’s worried voice echoes in his ears, and his head disciple Ming Fan’s voice is a few pitches higher. 

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t move as his senses reluctantly captures the anonymous man’s voice before a monotone voice rings as clear as a sword’s stab.

“You [we] are the chess pieces.”

“||++++++++.........status : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu] 2/10 [ready]”

“Processing…”

“Subject : CREATOR - ASTTS [Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky] entrance failed.”

“Project subject : SQH [Shang Qinghua] | ASTTS [Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky] failed.”

“Next project…”

“Project subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu]___CHARACTER SY [Shen Yuan]”

“Entering subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu]”

“Annihilating subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu]”

“On process…”

“Entering EMPTY SPACE.”

[32 - subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu] ]

Chapter Text

[33 - Squirrel’s mate]

The alluring cinnabar red bu yao marbles dangle and click each other, singing a chime of bells in the dread of silence. Brushing his hair, Hong Shui cast a quick glance at the man in dark blue on the ground as trails of blood flow out from his seven apertures.

A few beats of silence pass by, and the man clicks his tongue, sighing, “Ice prick, come out already. Your squirrel’s dying yet do nothing?”

Suddenly, the temperature decreases almost immediately. Not far, a tall man emerges from the shadows. With a handsome masculine face that appears as cold as ice and a godly aura, Hong Shui could easily tell that this man is the Mobei Clan ruler, Mobei-jun.

Mobei-jun doesn’t even bother to look at the ghost–rude, Hong Shui thought–and proceed to carry Shang Qinghua like a sack of rice.

Yet not even a step is taken, a scorching pain stings his neck! Out of instinct, the demon quickly moves aside, avoiding the murder blow before facing a dead-end from his other sides.

Looking at the ghost astonishingly, Mobei-jun couldn’t help but frown. 

By his back, Hong Shui floats, his legs locking the man’s waist while his fingers occupied with her bu yao , slowly pushing the end of the supposed to be woman’s hairpiece to the demon’s neck. 

As blood trails from Mobei-jun’s nape, Hong Shui adoringly smiles, whispering to his ear, “This little ghost is Qinghua’s long-lost friend , handsome demon better not hurt him, unless…”

Impatient, Mobei-jun stomps his feet, and in an instant, sharp ice needles emerge from the ground. Chasing after the ghost, the ice forms a labyrinth of demise. Whoever touches it could be pierced to death!

Hong Shui jumps to the air, twirling elegantly as his feet tap on the ice without care, taking another few more jumps before landing on the grassy earth. He then whirls the bu yao pieces and stabs them into his hairband with a force, as if taking them out and into the band was already a habit the ghost practiced for eternity, thus there is no need to worry if he accidentally stabs them into his head instead.

Mobei-jun clicks his fingers, yet before he could shoot a bowless arrow at the annoying ghost, the said annoying ghost is gone from his sight. 

Out of experience, he turns to his back only to see his ‘labyrinth of demise’.

Then, he heard a melodic voice from his back, “This one’s kungfu isn’t very good, have mercy, have mercy.” 

‘What?’ Mobei-jun blinks.

By his back, Hong Shui had already circled his legs around the demon’s neck, playing around his bu yao hairpiece lazily as he smiles at the bewildered demon.

Under the fading moonlight, the ghost’s face seems like that of a human, color tone a little red and brown. Yet his red eyes and crimson robes that reek the smell of filthy blood exclude an odd aura.

Mobei-jun frowns.

It was then at this very moment when a light shines three li far from them.

“Huh,” the little ghost said as he tilts his head, “The system sure is quite an annoying one.”

And go he goes, into the shadows of the early sun’s rays. Evaporating to the air like that of a bucket of ash, dissipating to nothingness. Leaving Shang Qinghua on Mobei-jun’s shoulder, leaving the two on their own, as his echoing laughter fades away under the layers of chirping birds and cicadas.

On the other side, three li far away, a small circular transparent barrier traps Shen Qingqiu inside. The barrier, although said to be transparent, sometimes has colors of red and blue.

Ming Fan, seeing the same thing occurring twice, knew that something is wrong with the entity. When it came to Shang Qinghua, there was no color, but now that there is a speck of it, he thought that it could be a weak point broken by the strange ghost he met just not long ago.

And so, with his rationality not functioning quite right, he unsheathes his sword and swings it at the barrier. Only after a speed of light hundreds of blows then did the barrier open a little, enabling Ming Fan to pry more and enter under the incredible stinging pain in his chest.

When his body is fully inside, enveloped with pain, the transparent barrier becomes a white barrier that no longer enables outsiders to see what’s or who’s inside.

Yue Qingyuan panics.

Hong Shui appears from the shadows and curses, banging himself into the barrier after chanting an incantation of the unknown.

[33 - Squirrel’s mate]

Chapter Text

[34 - Error]

“This- this is…?”

Before him, walls crawl so high, the skies are white, and not a single living thing is present. Taking another step, the walls would in unison appear to change in color to blue and red for a second, glitching.

Ming Fan sheaths his sword, takes a 360 degree turn around, and scratches his head.

He had never heard of such a thing in scrolls. 

“Dream demon?” Ming Fan takes a few steps around to investigate the area, mumbling, “Possibly not. The ghost said something about Xitong entity…”

“You remember me!” a voice rings from his back, “So glad, so glad.”

Out of instinct, Ming Fan unsheaths his sword and turns around only to be greeted by a mischievous smile of a floating teenage-looking man. “The traveler, Hong Shui?” the boy asked, unsure.

“Oho! You do remember me!” the ghost’s smile spreads even more as he floats around the boy before landing on the white ground, “Good that you are here, if not, I may have to fight that computer code to death.”

Ming Fan frowns, “Computer what?” 

“Forget it, forget it! People your days won’t understand even if I make a textbook of it,” said the ghost as he floats to the entrance of the labyrinth. “Well? Are you coming to save your teacher or not?”

“Y-yes!”

And so, they enter the white labyrinth. Yet once they do, the great walls turn and circle them, trapping them in a small circular perimeter where the center of it lies a black floating ball.

When Ming Fan takes a step closer, a burst of scorching and frosty pain stabs his entire body, throwing him onto the wall, creating a big crack that reconstructs itself to its original solid form.

Hong Shui stands from the side and sighs, “Ay, looks like you’re no use either, ckckck.”

Coughing, Ming Fan couldn’t help but ask, “What?”

Hong Shui said in a voice like that of a child that had recited a poem for many many years, “That ball is called Xitong [system] , it is an incredibly strong entity that could annihilate a person’s soul and put another person’s soul into the first person’s body, with just that, you should have known that it is omnipotent, right?”

Ming Fan nods, face ashen.

Hong Shui continues, “However, that supposed to be omnipotent entity isn’t omnipotent after all. Turns out that if someone or something interrupts the process of annihilation, it would take quite a time to ‘reconstruct’ its mind before becoming its ‘omnipotent’ self again.”

Ming Fan looks at the ball and the walls, glitching.

Knowing what the boy’s thinking, Hong Shui said, “Those colors of red and blue you see are the signs of it in its reconstructing process, once those colors are gone, we won’t be able to defeat it no matter what.”

“Then,” Ming Fan pondered, “How did senior could attack it if it were omnipotent?”

Brushing his hair, the ghost then tilts his head, “This one’s a ghost, that entity has a barrier on humans, not nonliving beings. Naturally, this one could enter after a fit of rage. And, even if you could enter, it’s because of me opening its weak spot firstly, and your attacks before entering.”

He then floats again and waves his hand lazily at the boy, “Whatever, time’s ticking, that entity is a fold of mystery, go and slice that ball it’s too late.”

Ming Fan looks at the ball, then at his hands. Previously, he only took a step towards the ball, and he was thrown so hard. How could he possibly slice it like a soft tofu?

Yet before he could think of another topic, Hong Shui flashed before his eyes and dash towards the ball!

Twisting his body as he pulls out his lovely bu yao , he then kicks the ball with a loud ‘THUD!’  before jumping back a few meters away. In an instant, the walls glitch more, and they turn and turn, going left and right in an abstract way. 

Not done, Hong Shui then shoots his bu yao at the ball’s protective barrier, giving it a good little crack, before calling the hairpieces back with qi as he swings his hand to the air, throwing a hurricane of demonic qi at the black ball.

Watching this, Ming Fan couldn’t help but think, ‘If he could do it, why ask me to do it?’

Hong Shui, as if he could read the young boy’s mind, shouted, “This ghost knows little Kungfu, doesn’t know how to eliminate evil.”

Ming Fan clicked. ‘So that’s why!’ he thought.

The ghost could attack the entity, but that is all. He never learned from official orthodox teachings, thus his knowledge is naturally limited. With no way to defeat it, he had to bring along an experienced cultivator. 

But who would believe a ghost, moreover fight side by side a suspicious ghost?

Ming Fan pities the ghost a little.

Then, without further ado, he charges at the ball, not caring of the thunderous pain stabbing into his body as he swings his sword midair. 

***

Far from the labyrinth is another endless white space. 

Shen Qingqiu scowls, “This master has no time to play around.” 

Just like Shang Qinghua, the immortal in green experiences a tsunami of black rain flooding its way up, slowly drowning him as hands pull him into the deep deep water.

“Subject : CHARACTER - SY [Shen Yuan], status : present”

“Annihilating subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu]”

“Processing…”

“Annihilating subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu], error error error”

“Error error error error error error error error error error…”

Shen Qingqiu twists his body and swims to the surface before drying his robes and walking on the black water as he kicks the filthy hands trying to reach him. The pain and drowsiness are nothing compared to the beast’s gifts from his past life.

“Error error error error error error error error error error…”

Shen Qingqiu tired of the monotone voice, “...”

[34 - Error]

Chapter Text

[35 - Peacock]

Throwing himself onto the now glitching walls, Hong Shui then leaps to the sky as he throws his bu yao hairpieces at the ball. Below him, Ming Fan dances his sword formation of Qing Jing, thrusting blows of pure qi to it too.

After ‘exchanging’ hundreds of moves, Hong Shui then pulls Ming Fan to his side, whispering as loud as an old lady’s rambling, “Have you ever heard of the power of Wangxian?”

Frowning, Ming Fan said, “I’m afraid not...”

Hong Shui then smirks and pats the boy’s shoulder, “It’s a long story, but in simple words, it’s when two person, one of the orthodox and the other of the demonic combines their qi as an attack.”

Ming Fan contemplates, “This…” 

“It’s like fire and water! Like Yin and Yang!” Hong Shui spreads his arms and twirls his fingers as his bu yao pieces fly back to him, “One not, two not. Dancing under the moon’s gaze, Hua’s eyes are no longer devoid of cessation, yet in the end, the sun held Yu close, and the sweet tang of meihua is soon there no more.”

Ming Fan had absolutely no idea how the world’s balance had a connection to an unknown poem of flower and fish, so he keeps silent.

[Hua = flower, yu = fish. This is a poem related to this author’s ongoing OG work.]

Knowing that the boy thinks of him as a mad poet or some sort, Hong Shui didn’t speak rubbish more. The ghost then unleashes his demonic qi at his bu yao hairpieces, shouting, “Use your sword, together, we’ll attack its weak point!”

“You know its weak point?”

Hong Shui didn’t bother to look at him, shouting back, “Of course it’s the ball!”

“...” Ming Fan, looking at the ghost with a deadpan face, ‘If it’s really the weak point, then why is it still alright after all our attacks…’

But being a good boy he is, Ming Fan didn’t open his mouth and followed what the ghost said. Enveloping his shining sword with pure qi, the sword then flies at the ball at the speed of light!

Behind the glimmering sword, follows pieces of bu yao . Emersed in the shadows of black and crimson red, shining under the rays of white in the unknown space as it slowly catches the sword’s pace before twirling around it, forming a spectacular scene of what they call Yin and Yang.

Then, like a novelic peak, the two weapons crash upon the transparent protective barrier, emitting a thunderous wave of pure and demonic qi as the barrier shatters into thousand of twinkling particles whilst the walls falls to dust of white.

Yet before Hong Shui could shout an orangutan-like triumph, the black ball blast in a poof! as the space slowly crumbles in an odd way of matrix. 

“The Newton’s law of universal gravity is broken!” Hong Shui shouts as he and Ming Fan is pulled into another space filled with water, “I knew it! I should’ve watched that matrix science fiction action film!”

Ming Fan, knowing that this ghost is once again spouting rubbish, doesn’t bother to ask. 

When he swims to the surface, a bunch of hands pulls him down, trying to drown him. The boy then looks at Hong Shui out of worry only to see a smiling ghost waving his hand before dissipating into the water like ash.

Ming Fan who doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “...”

As he was about to curse the ghost’s ancestors, a cool stream of qi pulls him to the surface with ease. The poor disciple had a coughing fit for a while, only when his head isn’t fuzzy anymore could he focus his gaze on the man in green robes before him.

Hair inky black, green eyes piercing his soul, Ming Fan shudders in both joy and fear.

“Shizun!” the disciple beams.

Hong Shui suddenly appears from the immortal’s back from thin air, looks at the boy and immortal as he smiles and shouts, “OH!”

Ming Fan knowing that the ghost is about to spout rubbish once more with pride like that of a peacock, couldn’t help but cringe even before the said ghost spoke a word, “Beneath the skies of Autumn, the water is numbing. The Easter Sea is never-ending, but shadows of blood follow no matter what.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere falls into a dead silence. As if time stops, everything seems motionless. 

“Shadows of blood follow no matter what.”

The ghost was implying that he knows Shen Qingqiu’s past [arson of the Qiu estate and slavery] .

Shen Qingqiu frowns, looking at the floating man in suspicion. 

The ways of conversation are varied yet simple.

Someone like Yue Qingyuan speaks of sweet words, easy to get along with. Someone like Liu Qingge is a man of action. The common people are even simpler.

The ghost’s way of converse, however, is of poetry. Shen Qingqiu could tell that he makes his own poems by just the count of seconds, out of habit most probably.

Hong Shui tilts his head, folding his hands as he smiles, “Why looking at me like that? I’m still single don’t worry…”

Ming Fan choked on air.

Shen Qingqiu frowns.

He could tell that this ghost’s words are tied in knots, many probabilities from just one character, implying that his character isn’t quite right too. 

He has to be careful.

“Come to think of it,” Hong Shui said after a few beats of silence, “People say that when a man is drenched in sweat or wet, they look lustier.”

Then, Hong Shui flips his hair, rocks his hips, and wets his lips, twinking his haitang hong eyes as he said with the utmost pride, “If you two look at me more, don’t blame me when you later fall for my charm.”

Shen Qingqiu, “...”

Ming Fan, “...”

Shen Qingqiu also comes to know that this ghost named Hong Shui is shameless beyond redemption.

[35 - Peacock]

Chapter Text

[36 - a book with no name]

Leaping to the air, Hong Shui then screams a sentence of the unknown as he throws his bu yao hairpieces at the floating black ball. Followed after was Ming Fan’s sword qi, as turbulent as the Eastern Sea wind and as temperate as a gloaming breeze. 

After what feels like an eternity, the walls synchronize in colors, the black ball seems to tremble, and the water slowly dissipates into the air. Slowly, the white space changes in colors of red and blue, transitioning from one space to another.

The black ball then glitches back and forth at a speed as it suddenly explodes in a thousand hues before saying a few odd sentences that only Hong Shui understands well.

“Subject : CHARACTER SQH [Shang Qinghua]’s annihilation FAILED.”

“Subject : CREATOR - ASTTS [Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky] entering FAILED → currently two subjects as one.”

“Subject : CHARACTER OG SQQ [Shen Qingqiu | Shen Jiu] annihilation FAILED.”

“Subject : CHARACTER SY [Shen Yuan] entering FAILED→ currently subject is a lingering soul.”

“Subject : CHARACTER LBH [Luo Binghe] Endless Abbys ARC FAILED.”

“Unknown subject___identified : CHARACTER HS [Hong Shui]. Status : unknown. BUG?>!”

“error error error error error error error error error error error error…”

Shen Qingqiu tired of the monotone sound, “...”

Ming Fan, waiting for his Shizun’s orders, “...”

Hong Shui feeling bored to death, “... Should I…?”

Shen Qingqiu nods.

Hong Shui suddenly disappears and emerges right above the ball. He then humped and straighten his leg horizontally before kicking the ball down with an enormous black energy. The ground where the ball had landed on cracks, and a much brighter light emits from it, slowly licking the space of purity.

Amidst its static voice, a man’s worried voice rings, and soon, everything is enveloped in a layer of white, bringing them out of the White Space, back to the Immortal Alliance Conference scene.

***

Yue Qingyuan almost cried when he could finally hold Shen Qingqiu in his arms. The invisible barrier is now gone, Ming Fan and an unknown person was thrown out of the circle too–now lying flat butt on the ground, and that unknown person immediately dissipates into thin air when loud footsteps came.

Behind him, a bunch of immortals scrambles, interested in the drama. Instead of scurrying to get Mu Qingfang, they decided to whisper to each other which Yue Qingyuan could hear clearly. Truly useless.

“Zhangmen-shibo!” Ming Fan, not wasting any more time wailing in pain, hurriedly crawls to Yue Qingyuan, bowing his head before reporting, “There was a strong entity trying to enter Shizun’s body and replace in his stead. The same thing happened to Shang-shibo, but a wanderer happened to be there and helped Shang-shibo.”

Yue Qingyuan nods, putting the pieces together in an instant, “Could that wanderer be the person in red with you?”

Ming Fan nods his head eagerly, “Yes! He was also the one who helped this disciple annihilate the entity. Shizun was also there before, but it seems that his power was suppressed so he couldn’t fight back.”

“Then, how is Shang-shidi’s condition?”

Ming Fan stills for a while, “The wanderer told this disciple to leave Shang-shibo to his care and check on Shizun, so…”

Yue Qingyuan nods, “Let us first head back, after treating you and your shizun, we can talk about it more.”

Ming Fan nods again, following his steps like a little duckling. Yet, when he took the third step, his head stings, and his ears tolls. Soon, his vision blurs and the last thing the boy knew before falling unconscious was Ning Yingying calling his name not far.

***

Mobei-jun scans the human’s facial expression. 

Tears fall from the man’s brown eyes, sweat drops, and his thrown bloodied An Ding robes exclude a sickening smell. The high ponytail is now messy, almost undone even, and his supposed charming soft tan skin is now painted in pale ghosty white. Trembling and moaning in pain, the An Ding peak lord Shang Qinghua looks so miserable.

From all the words the ice demon had read as a child back then, only one word came into his solid head : UGLY.

Surely, the Baizhan human has a softer yet fierce lusty appearance, the Qing Jing human is a top beauty, while Xian Shu peak is filled with fairy-like women. 

Yet this man in his arms, if Mobei-jun were to be honest [and will be honest] , is ugly, incredibly ugly, looking like a dead wilted hamster. Making his cold heart clench in madness, of furry, of something so odd .

Mobei-jun clench his jaws, his hands tightening and curling into a fist. The cold of his terrain has always been so familiar to him and his people, yet somehow, he could feel his hair sticking on their end. 

The lights are dim, the demons have been sent out, and the medicines have been applied. If Mobei-jun were to be honest, the An Ding human is extremely ugly.

[because the man can't smile no more.]

***

In a space of white, the walls glitch, water descends from the high skies, and everything seems like that of a dreamless dream. 

Shen Qingqiu plays with his necklace, sitting beside a sleeping Shang Qinghua who had just woken up from what seemed to be a nightmare with pain.

"Shen-shixiong." Shang Qinghua pants, breathing seems so hard for a while.

Shen Qingqiu nods, then look back at his ice frost necklace, "A dream?"

"A memory," Shang Qinghua said, face ashen white, "A memory of my other self from another lifetime."

Shen Qingqiu stills. After a few beats, Shang Qinghua then looks at the older in green, "Shen-shixiong, tell me, were you regressed?"

As if on cue, a systematic voice rings throughout the white space, singing in the stead of chirping birds and cicadas in the desolate night.

“Past project PDIW [Proud Demon Immortal Way] SUCCESSFUL.”

“Current project SVSSS [Scum Villain’s Self Saving System] FAILED.”

"Yes," Shen Qingqiu said, eyes fixed on the man in dark blue robes and high ponytail, "I regressed. While you..."

Shang Qinghua smiles bitterly, "The me of another lifetime wrote a book about us, about this world, about you and me and everyone else."

“Next project…”

Shen Qingqiu scoffs, smiles bitterly too, "We died in that book, that beast... hah..."

Shang Qinghua nods, "This time, this lifetime."

“Next project…”

“Project PDIW omegaverse…”

"This lifetime," Shen Qingqiu pulls Shang Qinghua's hand, clasping them in his as his gorgeous giok green eyes shines, landing their gaze on the enchanting bright brown eyes before him, "In this lifetime, we shall live on."

"Sending Subject SJ [Shen Jiu] and subject SQH [Shang Qinghua] out of White Space to proceed the next project..."

It was beautiful, it was breathtaking. Shang Qinghua could swear that in his nine death and lifes he had yet to undergo, those eyes of green are the purest of all. The eyes he had always wanted to see every moon and sun wake. 

Shang Qinghua's heart beats.

The White Space crumbles. Shang Qinghua falls unconscious. Shen Qingqiu could hear the Traveller's echoing voice in his ears, whispering 'not yet.' The system chirps before vaporizing into little particles of black.

"Sending Subject SJ [Shen Jiu] and subject SQH [Shang Qinghua] out of White Space to proceed the next project SUCCESS."

“Entering alternate universe : omegaverse…”

“Project PDIW alternate universe___status : starting in 3”

They [we] smile, an exciting journey awaits, another book shall come. The villain shall die, and the son of fate shall rule. But when they [we] bend fate's rules, the villain will live, and the son of fate will learn.

“2”

A book of wonders and illusion. Of glory and demise.

“1”

A book with no name.

"... processing..."

"Their [our] project..."

"<WWTBR?> ___ <Who Wants To Be Rabbits?>"

[36 - a book with no name]

Chapter Text

[37 - son of fate]

One peak lord down from an entity’s after effect, one head disciple unconscious from the same cause, and a reliable unknown person [ghost] gone at the moment he is needed most. 

Yue Qingyuan feels dizzy. 

The many immortals surround him, Mu Qingfang is still nowhere to be seen, and the spoiled Ning Yingying is doing nothing helpful. Although he had never read one [he had read a few], the Qiong Ding peak lord could imagine the little girl as a damsel in distress, very fitting as a heroine in an illogical romance yellow book.

It was only when Yue Qingyuan was about to mask his smile again when a handsome youth in yellow gold came approaching him from his front.

“Gongyi Xiao greets Sect Leader Yue.” the youth cups his hands, slightly bows, and salutes to the immortal in black. His beautiful eyes then scans the scene, and after a few beats, he nods to the immortal in acknowledgment and walks past him, towards the immortals, as his leadership personality proudly emerges to the surface, “Masters, there are disciples still not found and beasts about to reach the village down the hill, if this disciple may be bold enough to ask immortal masters’ help.”

Yue Qingyuan smiles. Truly, this child is a bright horse, just like Ming Fan, but more handsome. The immortal then cast his focus on the poor girl and couldn't help but sigh, “Disciple Ning, go bring your shidi to the safe ground. Ask a Wanjian peak disciple to check on him too.”

Ning Yingying stays still for a few long beats before nodding her head like a ball. Lifting her shidi on her shoulder, the girl is indeed a Qing Jing disciple, strong and has a good qinggong, although she could be clumsy most of the time.

Two tasks done, Yue Qingyuan then carries Shen Qingqiu in his arms and unsheathes his sword [not Xuan Xu of course], ready to fly to where the best healer of Cang Qiong is. Yet not even after a musical bar’s time finishes its monotone beat, a crimson bright sword fly past Yue Qingyuan’s shoulders!On alarm, the immortal in black quickly step down from his sword and looks back only to be shocked by a youth in Qing Jing’s robes, holding an unsheathed demonic sword God knows where he got from.

The boy looks so unlikely from an orthodox sect, moreover a tranquil and preserved Qing Jing disciple. His hair disheveled, blood splattered on his body as if he were a canvas, and his aura was like that of a fierce lion. 

Yet with just a look at those fiery bloody eyes, Yue Qingyuan could tell that this boy is Luo Binghe, the boy who had entered and left the sect without troubles or anyone knowing [Yue Qingyuan knows, of course]. 

Somehow caught in a trap of mind, Yue Qingyuan couldn’t think of a scenario of how the boy had become of so. Controlled? A demon pretending to be him? Or was it the entity inside the boy’s body?

As if able to read minds, Luo Binghe smiles and walks towards the muddled sect leader, “This disciple knows what he is doing,” the youth said full of confidence, “Give Shen Qingqiu to me, or die.”

Yue Qingyuan is not going to discipline this boy of no respect. Smiling, the immortal in black then said, “Is disciple Luo challenging this master?”

“Yes,” the boy said in all confidence, “I, am the son of fate, after all. Something has happened to ‘fate’, but nothing could stop me, the son of fate from all world [universe].”

Luo Binghe, despite being the protagonist of an illogical romance harem novel [yellow book], still has some sense in his ‘all I want to do is fly’ mind.

[Notes : fly refers to ‘release’, you know what, taken from our almighty Airplane bro’s s*x joke…]

 
Previously, before flying like a mad dog in heat to the current location, he was sucked into a white space, and in it, a monotone voice spout bullshit of son of fate this son of fate that, Shen Qingqiu Shen Yuan error, Shang Qinghua error, and Hong something something. 

But from what his holy ears had endured, in conclusion, he is the son of fate, Shen Qingqiu is a villain, and Shang Qinghua is the creator. 

Very much sounds like a book, yes, if Luo Binghe had to be honest. Like that harem yellow book that has a protagonist collecting wives as if they were flowers in a field he had heard a glimpse of when he was jumping from one universe to another in his previous life. But that only came into his cerebrum for a few seconds, and went out directly, thus he did not know that he truly is inside a book and indeed the protagonist of a harem yellow book collecting flowers right and left.

The youth lifts Xin Mo and points it at the immortal, his demonic seal shining so proudly under the early crack of dawn, “Since master Yue isn’t responding, then I’ll accept it as a life or death fight!”

 
And so, his Xin Mo crashes onto the unnamed sword of Yue Qingyuan. The immortal, knowing that the boy isn’t going down, frown, ‘Just what is going on?!’
 
“What is going on is that that boy is a demon, and he ain’t fuckin’ away before he lay his filthy claws on Shen-ge!” a crystal clear voice of a teenage man sings in Yue Qingyuan’s head. 

As if on cue, at the moment the swords sparks appealingly upon the momentum, the ground beneath them floats and cracks into little chunks of rocks. The dawn light shines with white of holy, and the time Yue Qingyuan’s vision adjusts themselves again, he was nowhere in the woods!
 
Looking around, tall mucuna bennettii F. muell flowers surround them beautifully in bright red. When they move their swords in a formation, the flowers follow the current of qi like seaweed. 

 
Brushing past Yue Qingyuan, Hong Shui floats, his voice echoing throughout the vast land of the unknown, “I’ve teleported you to a place far, nobody lives here but me, Shen-ge is safe, feel free to fight as you wish.”

Luo Binghe frowns, “And you are?”

Being called, Hong Shui smiles and flips his hair to the back, playing with his fingers as he playfully said, “Aiyo, this boy is so bold! Not even the red light district boys are like this, ckckck, kids nowadays are really a different species!”
 

Luo Binghe being called a different species, “...”
Yue Qingyuan who doesn’t know how to break the silence, “...”

 
Hong Shui then cast a glance at the boy in Qing Jing robes, “Don’t you know that ‘fate’ isn’t on you anymore?”

 
Luo Binghe frowns, knowing that this ghost knows more than he does.

 
“‘Fate’ no longer exists in this dimension, when ‘fate’ perish, your ‘son of fate’ title is taken, meaning that you no longer holds the omnipotent body and soul,” Hong Shui fiddles with his red robes, “Shen-ge is no longer chained to ‘fate’, Shang-ge isn’t too, nor are you fated to ‘fate’.”

Luo Binghe frowns, floods his Xin Mo with qi, and aims it to the ghost, “Cut the crap!”

 
Within the blink of an eye, the ghost vanishes into the air like ash, going with the cold current wind of the unknown land. 
 
Yue Qingyuan, already getting a little grasp of the current situation, fights the powerful sword with his unnamed sword. 

***

“He won’t make it,” Shang Qinghua said to the ghost. In his unconscious realm, the immortal in dark blue emits an aura like that of a great immortal, of a God, of a creator.

“So sure of yourself?” Hong Shui floats and floats, fiddling around his robes like a bored pup, “Sure enough, system no longer exists in this world, so that brat no longer has the protagonist key. But no matter what, he is still Tianlang-jun’s kid.”

“Indeed,” Shang Qinghua nods, “But even if he has Tianlangjun and Su Xiyan’s blood, he still won’t win.”

 
In the unknown realm, the swords clash again, the flowers fly to the now raining sky with ease. Luo Binghe clenches his jaws, Yue Qingyuan stays standing still.

 
“Because it’s Yue Qingyuan he is facing,” Shang Qinghua, Airplane Bro, said, “The character who I made as a side character because he was too powerful even for the protagonist.”
 
Hong Shui stills, shocked at the man’s words. The creator looks down at his fingers, the fingers that had written the fate of people with ease, like a god pouring wine to the deep deep black water submerging poor boats. “Because Shen-shixiong is the reason he is now. Because they are…”

 
Clenching his fist, he still remembers how he write the two poor souls’ end in his alternate universe, how he spent little pity on them as he write another chapter of moans and delicacy.

 
“They are bound with the red string of fate.”

***

CLANG!

 
Xin Mo stabs the ground, Luo Binghe looks at the immortal as if he had burned his seven ancestors down the grave. 

 
“How,” was what the young boy said after a long time, “I AM THE SON OF FATE! DESTINED TO RULE AND LIVE A LIFE OF JOY AND HEAVENS! HOW DARE A MERE NOBODY STOP ME FROM WHAT I WANT!”

The unnamed sword pierces the boy’s ear, creating another bloody scene of gore. Not far, Yue Qingyuan stays standing still, untouched. His smile no longer on his ethereal face, “It’s who, not what.”
 

-----
“You filthy thing! Getting in my way, dirtying my sight!” the bulgy man in golden robes shouts as he kicks Shen Jiu on his already broken abdomen.
 
‘It wasn’t supposed to be like this,’ Yue Qingyuan holds down his sobs as he tries to protect the skully poor little nine, ‘The mantou was rolling away, I tried to take it, but… but…!’
 
But a noblemen came, and he was in his sight, so the noblemen became mad and poured his illogical madness to them as Shen Jiu tried to pull the older man away to flee but failed thanks to Yue Qi’s day to day basis foolishness.
-----
 

Yue Qingyuan softly sighs. 

No matter how many years have passed, they are still the boys with numbers. The hungry rats unworthy of ‘who’. The children of the lost harmony.

 
Yue Qingyuan wields his unnamed sword. Luo Binghe falls. Hong Shui leaves Shang Qinghua’s unconscious realm. The ghost teleports them back to the forest.

“Yue-shixiong?” Liu Qingge blinks, then runs to the immortal in black, “Yue-shixiong.” he said again.

Truly, the Bai Zhan peak lord knows not much words despite coming from a proficient family. Hong Shui couldn’t help but sigh.

Yet before he could end his sigh, the supposed to be unconscious demon boy shakes his body to the point where Yue Qingyuan had to let go. 

The boy rages as he wields Xin Mo once again, aiming at the Qiong Ding peak lord’s chest.

 
“Aiya! Aiya!” Hong Shui taps Yue Qingyuan’s shoulder multiple times in worry, “That kid won’t go meh unless you use that old sword of yours, ah!”

Yue Qingyuan frowns, ready to fight again when Liu Qingge suddenly pounces his Cheng Luan onto the demonic Xin Mo out of the blue. The brute then fights the boy without a warning whatsoever as he exerts his full force onto the demonic child.

Hong Shui blinks, doesn’t know what to say in the midst of awkwardness that only he feels. Only after a good long while did the ghost got an idea and said, “Ay, that monkey doesn’t even ask whether the beast is possessed or what, but directly fight him head-on,” Hong Shui shakes his head like an old woman, clicking his tongue, “That monkey really never accidentally killed anyone before?” 

Yue Qingyuan didn’t give the ghost a bother, as he unsheathes his Xin Mo and leaps to the air. Pointing his sword to the boy with a great aura, he then swings it before pushing it directly at the point of Xin Mo.

 
for Qingqiu [Xiao-Jiu]

 
Suddenly, as if what had happened was just the intro of the song, the chorus sings! Xin Mo’s life essence is sucked by Xuan Xu!
 
Yue Qingyuan was baffled, Liu Qingge doesn’t understand, Luo Binghe’s face turns ghostly pale, and Hong Shui squeals as he munch on his sweet-sour pork.

 
‘No wonder Shen Yuan enjoyed his life as a spectator!’ the ghost trembles, ‘This is so much worth than 3D Netflix!’

 
When the great Xin Mo’s life essence is there no more, the swords emit a large spark of white, pushing them five feet far from each other. 

Looking down on his sword, Yue Qingyuan couldn’t help but feel his body and soul lighter. Xuan Xu trembles greatly upon his grip, and he could hear muffled sounds coming from it. But before he could determine what the sword is saying, Luo Binghe shouted like a mad hoe.

 
“NO!” the boy fiddles with Xin Mo, as if trying to find the ‘on’ button of an unknown technology, “How… How how HOW?!”

 
Looking closer, Yue Qingyuan no longer sees the bright red Xin Mo sword. Now, in Luo Binge’s hands, is just a normal finely carved sword, emitting no qi, functioning like that of a wooden sword.

Amidst the boy’s rambles of ‘no’, a boy of his age came from the shadows, hitting him on his neck as the Luo child finally falls unconscious.

Under the dawn light, the boy in golden yellow shines like a rare jade. His features handsome and sharp, his eyes deep, and his voice somewhat stern yet soft.

“Gongyi Xiao greets immortal masters,” the bright boy cups his hands, “Disciple Ming requests this disciple to hold disciple Luo captive for the time being in the excuse of ‘He will be useful’, under Master Yue’s permission…?”

Yue Qingyuan ponders for a few beats before nodding, “Permission granted.”

Receiving the order, Gongyi Xiao then carries Luo Binghe like a sack of rice, not forgetting the demonic sword [now no longer demonic], and flies alongside the two immortals to the peak of disaster–Huan Hua Palace.

[37 - son of fate]

Chapter Text

[38 - five months]

When morning comes, Shang Qinghua was missing. A search party was scattered throughout the vast forest, leaving no second of idle for months. 

Shang Qinghua was marked missing still.

Luo Binghe was taken into captive under Cang Qiong, else than the sect, not a single soul knows about the boy’s demonic heritage [Gongyi Xiao must’ve known, but the kind boy kept quiet]. On the other hand, Shen Qingqiu is nursed in Qian Cao under the careful hands of the best disciples and Mu Qingfang himself.

Five months later, a disciple came to the peak lords' meeting hall with a qiakun pouch inside a number of qiakun pouches. The boy was Yang Yixuan, the head disciple of Bai Zhan. Although he was from a mountain of monkeys, from what Shen Qingqiu had ranted the peak of, he has an elegant demeanor and is a refined man. 

When he walks, his teal robes flutter. By his waist is a longsword hanging sternly. Despite the havoc happening the past few months, he seemed very calm and composed. Only his martial brothers know that he has a lively personality and is quite a naive one. 

“Shibo, Shigu, Shizun,” Yang Yixuan greets the immortals and puts the qiakun pouch inside qiakun pouches on the table, “This disciple encountered a strong ghost in the forest five months ago during the Immortal Alliance Conference, he has traces of Shang-shibo and Shen-shibo’s qi.”

Liu Qingge, with his idiotic brain functioning, ask, “So what?” 

‘They could’ve tried to kill it so that it has traces of their qi.’ was what the barbarian thought but not said, causing his head disciple, who somehow inherits his ‘I think, not talk’ gene, feel awkward.

Saving the day, comes Yue Qingyuan, smiling at the boy, “Why the many pouches, and only now…?”

Yang Yixuan blinks, then ‘Oh’-ed, and scratched his cheek, “This disciple puts it in his shelf and forgot about it, also, is qiakun pouch not supposed to be like that? Put it into another pouch in case the fabric is torn from overload?”

Peak lords, “...”

If Shen Qingqiu is present, he would’ve snickered and commented, “Liu Qingge, your idiotic illness is spreading wildfire, no wonder Bai Zhan is falling down the pit these days.” 

Yue Qingyuan smiles, dismisses the disciple, and opens the qiakun pouch only to be greeted with a yawning man in red robes, “Hong Shui?”

Qi Qingqi looks at the two, “Yue-shixiong knows this ghost?”

Yue Qingyuan nods, “He is the one who helped Shang-shidi and Shen-shidi from the unknown entity, also helped this shixiong about disciple Luo’s… problem.”

Finally out from the qiakun pouches, Hong Shui yawns again as he floats in the air, acting like the mysterious cat from Alice in Wonderland. “Five months inside a pouch, inside a shelf, aiya, my life beaten to death already very sad, why imprison me after death too? Ckckck, the world is indeed a dark place.”

Nobody said a word for a good long while, either contemplating on this man’s origin, or muddled in their own theories. It was only until when the silence was too much then did Hong Shui speaks up, “You want Shen-ge right?”

“Want?” Qi Qingqi questions the man’s vocab.

“Back,” Hong Shui challenges the lady, only him and his friends from the modern world could understand their gen z dictionary, “Tanghulu, and we go to Shen-ge.”

Then, the man smirks and proudly points to himself, “I’ll show you how to bring your sweet-sour Juliet back from the dead!”

Nobody knows who Juliet is, nor how tanghulu is related to bringing a man back to life, but either way, a tray of tanghulu is served to the ghost and they almost immediately flew to Qian Cao.

***

In his dream, everything is black, void, and empty.

Shen Qingqiu had not counted the musical beats to help his clock, but he is sure that the time passed will not be longer than seven days. After all, Cang Qiong will surely bury his body if he hasn’t woken from his ethereal slumber one month the longest. Who would keep a cold body anyways?

And so he thought as a figure emerges from the shadows of pitch. 

“Hong Shui.” the man in green robes whispered. In this black space, a trickle of water could be heard loud and clear.

Nodding, Hong Shui snakes his fingers around the older man’s delicate face, “Shen-ge, don’t take me as a creep, but I know about your past and a little bit of you. Been searching for you, and been dying for you. To you, I…”

Hong Shui stills, the words seem to stuck right at the tip of his tongue, “I…”

Shen Qingqiu sighs. He may be naive at feelings, but this ecstasy the ghost emits is something he understands yet doesn’t. Something bloomed in him, the word ‘understanding’ is too light to explicit their bond which only had been tied just months ago.

“How long?” the peak lord ask.

“Five months,” Hong Shui replied, “Shang-ge is with Mobei, safe, I’ve checked on him everyday.”

Shen Qingqiu scoffs, feeling his heart lighten by a great amount of load. “How do we get out then?”

“Out from this space?” Hong Shui blinks, then smiles from ear to ear, “Easy! All you need to do is do or receive what is unexpected!”

Shen Qingqiu not believing the younger, “...”

Hong Shui holds the older’s head and reassured the man, “Really! I’ve been in situations far worse than this, once you grasp how things works, it’s like understanding a short novel’s plot!”

And, as what the ghost had said, ‘do and receive what is unexpected’, Shen Qingqiu was given the unexpected attack of bonk! 

The black space seems to fade out, and when he is out of the black space, he could feel and taste the sweet tang of tanghulu and medicine.

Given no time to poetically remark, Shen Qingqiu was greeted by the colors of haitang hong. Only after two bars did he finally realize that the colors of haitang hong are a certain ghost’s eyes’.

Gifted a bonk, Shen Qingqiu felt like it’s new year. What comes after was Yue Qingyuan’s worried questions of ‘Are you hurt anywhere? Qingqiu-shidi please don’t haste etc etc’, followed by Mu Qingfang’s quick healer’s work, and Hong Shui’s tight hugs and kisses. Not to forget the number of sweet tanghulu shoved into his mouth.

Shen Qingqiu somehow feels like he wants to go back to sleep.

***

“Cang Qiong Mountain?” the innkeeper repeats the words in uncertainty, “This lady… this humble one apologizes, matters of the Jianghu if said carelessly could…”

[notes : Jianghu = the martial world]

“Ah…” the woman draped in dark cloak sighs in disappointment. Her eyelashes flutter as her eyes drop, and her soft features exclude a weak damsel that needs protection.

Feeling like he had hurt a deity instead of a young woman, the innkeeper hurriedly said in a small voice, “But what couldn’t be known when one is an innkeeper, people come and go with words from all over the world.”

The woman stays silent for a few beats before taking a pouch of silver out and tossing them on the innkeeper’s rusty table, “Well?”

Now all smiles, the innkeeper hurriedly said under his hushed tone, “The person this lady seeking to was indeed once named Shen Jiu, he was taken in as a Qing Jing disciple after killing Wu Yanzi with the help of Qiong Ding’s head disciple, Yue Qi, currently the leader of Cang Qiong with the name of Yue Qingyuan. And later Shen Jiu became the current peak lord of Qing Jing known as Shen Qingqiu.”

Seeking a few glances at the lady, the innkeeper asked, “There are more information and rumors of this man this lady seeks, would this kind lady sit as we speak?”

Nodding, the woman then sits on one of the chairs in the inn as the innkeeper pours wine into her cup.

Not sure how to call the customer, the innkeeper ask, “This lady is…?”

“Qiu,” she said as she pulls the head of the dark cloak down to her back, “Qiu Haitang.”

***

In the darkest corner of the forest, where dozens of disciples from different sects perish under the night of the Immortal Alliance Conference, a bright soul floats.

Amidst the gore and blood, the lurking beasts, and fierce twilight winds, the soul shines like an innocent lamb.

Slowly but steadily, a white rabbit comes close to him and asks using the language of spirits, “Who are you? You’ve been here for five months not moving!”

Being called, the soul opens his inky eyes. His short hair dances along with the soft melodies of the night wind, his odd costume makes one question his origin, and his presence even more. The soul didn’t respond for a long time, only when the white rabbit was thinking of going back to his master’s bamboo hut did the soul said, “Shen Yuan.”

The wind blows, the sun falls, and time runs without waiting.

“Shen Yuan,” he repeats, “All I know is that my name is Shen Yuan.”

Far far away, Shen Qingqiu, in his bamboo hut, frowns, “Shen Yuan.”

Ming, the white rabbit, has many uses. Excluding mass murder, the leader of rabbits understands the language of spirits, human’s, and could communicate through music after being taught the Lan techniques. Not to mention the animal’s extraordinary skill to communicate through mind thousand li far away, making the innocent-looking animal a good spy.

Fanning himself, Shen Qingqiu tells Ming to come back. The immortal then pours himself another cup of tea.

Under the Heaven’s watch, the world of this universe rotates, as if fate has never changed. Smiling, Shen Qingqiu’s giok eyes seem to glimmer under the shades of his bamboo roof. His mouth whispered the two characters over and over again.

“Shen Yuan [the impostor].”

***

“How is it?” Yue Qingyuan asks the peak lord of swords, Wei Qingwei, “This shixiong has been hearing voices since the past five months, these days, it’s getting clearer but is yet clear enough.”

Wei Qingwei nods and nods, examining the Xuan Xu sword with full concentration. Only after a long while did he say, “Xuan Xu has been tied to Yue-shixiong’s soul ever since that time, but somehow… this shidi has found that it is starting to… to let go…”

“Let go?” Yue Qingyuan frowns, feeling something amiss, “Indeed, after Xuan Xu absorbed Xin Mo’s life essence, this shixiong felt lighter, as if an incredibly heavy weight was taken away, but how could that be…?”

Wei Qingwei shakes his head, “Apologies, this shidi would need to investigate more.”

Then, the younger cast a quick glance at the old sword, as if trying to look for an opening to crack the nut, “Xuan Xu…”

A thought suddenly came to his mind, ‘Could it be connected to the Reminisce of Luna and Holy Apple tragedy?’ But that thought only came for a second and left just like that.

[38 - five months]