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Chapter Text

Did you hear the story?

Huh? What story?

The story of how the War God went mad…

…

First, there was pain; so much pain that it felt like fire running through his veins. Pain and fire and the scent of metal. His existence focused on one point and one point only… then, it was the silence… a dominating silence, an oppressive silence… a silence that suffocated everything and everyone, informing him that he was alone… that it was almost too late…

“Liu-Shidi?”

The sight of fluttering green robes; a vermillion mark… wide emerald eyes taking him in as he raged like a beast… stillness… silence… and then… then…

“Liu-Shidi! Shidi! Wake up!”

A hysterical laughter filled the air; followed by screams of pain… followed by whimpers and pleas that were getting frantic as the laughter got louder and louder and the blood poured down his seven orifices; thrashing, and then a fight and…

“S-stop! Liu-Shidi! … Qingge… wake up!”

An earth-shattering shriek; an ear-piercing screech, snarling, sneering, growling… bones broken followed by fearful voice; the scent of blood and the excruciating pain cursing through him…

 “Shhhh… it is, o-ok… shhhh, calm down… I am here, everything is going to be fine, Liu-Shidi…”

A gentle voice was heard shushing him like a child; a warm hand cradling through his hair as a lullaby was sung to him… a cold and gentle touch on his chest that dozed the fire that burned him from the inside out and he could finally… he could finally breathe…

“That’s it… that’s it, Shidi… breath, little brute… everything is going to be find… you are going to be fine…”

 Emerald green eyes that were so gentle; a soft voice and even a softer smile followed and Liu Qingge couldn’t help clutching the green robs that were in his sight… a breathless sob left him as the pain went away… ‘Why?’ he wanted to ask the man with gentle fingers and a calming voice; ‘Why did you save me? Weren’t you the one who always threatened to kill me?!’ was trapped in his battered throat, letting out only a noise of pain that was shushed once more…

‘Liu-Shidi… did you know that you are a brute, a brainless ape, morally uptight, idiot, fool, an ass, and a stupid man who never knew how the outside world worked…”

Liu Qingge could only choke, coughing blood as his fingers twitched, anger coursing through him but at the same time was smothered by the gentle fingers through his hair and the amused smile on his Shixiong’s lips… Shixiong… this was the first time that Liu Qingge dared to associate this word with the viper standing over him that was going to send him to another Deviation by spewing those words…

“…But you were honorable, kind… good… out of everyone in this Sect… you were the only one who continued to talk to me, challenged me to duels… included me in Night Hunts… you never cared that much about my reputation even if you spent hours screaming at me; you never tried to isolate me or trap me as everyone else did… you… you were my only friend…”

Liu Qingge almost Qi Deviated again if it wasn’t for the calming Qi running through his Meridians, dozing down the fire and pain, and not allowing his Qi to rebel… a friend? Did he hear the word right? His Shixiong considered him a friend after everything? If so, then his Shixiong had a loose definition of friendship if he considered Liu Qingge his friend… after everything Liu Qingge did to his Shixiong and his Shixiong did to him… being called enemies would be the lightest to describe them…

“S-Shidi… d-did you know? The f-first time we m-met… I… I fell in love with you…”

Blood choked Liu Qingge and he started coughing, only for the blood to be wiped away by the man above him. ‘Why are you telling me this?!’ He wanted to scream at the man; ‘Are you mad?! What’s your game?!’ he wanted to sneer and push the man away from him, but his body was as heavy as a rock and as stubborn as one as it refused to move; he wanted to be as far away from the snake sputtering lies above him and trying to convince him that he was… that he was… as if Shen Qingqiu knew what love was!

“Liu-Shidi… w-when w-we g-et out… l-let’s g-e… get m-married… y-ou… h-hurt me… so… so you h-have t-to make it up… to m-me… I… wa-nt a b-big w-wedding, S-Shidi… I w-want…”

Black spots danced in front of Liu Qingge’s vision, and a hysterical part of him couldn’t help but shriek that this was a nightmare that was induced by the violent Qi Deviation he suffered; because there was no way… no way… droplets of water fell on his face, and Liu Qingge could only watch in detachment as tears made their way down Shen Qingqiu’s face; the world felt like it came to a screeching halt as his aloof Shixiong cried silently, almost no sound leaving his lips… if it weren’t for the tears sliding down his face and falling like droplets of rain Liu Qingge would have never knew. “Shen… Qingqiu… don’t… cry…” Liu Qingge could only whisper, his mind and body felt so overwhelmed that he could feel it shut down and then…

“Liu-Shidi… thank you…”

And then… everything went dark…

The next time Liu Qingge managed to open his eyes; it was still to the sight of his Shixiong above him…

When Liu Qingge regained consciousness, it was to the sound of water dripping… the drop, drop sound resonating through the cave was enough to make his head throb as headache made itself known; Liu Qingge could only scrunch his nose as he tried to make sense, tried to remember what happened, even as a groan left his lips and his body throbbed like it was a  giant bruise… when Liu Qingge opened his eyes, it took time to get used to the darkness that dominated the caves, it took time to manage to shift his body a little, furrowing his brows at the feeling of something under his head… when Liu Qingge raised his head, it was to the sight of his Shixiong above him, gazing at him with glassy eyes and a smile… when Liu Qingge opened his eyes, it was to the feeling of one of his Shixiong’s hand through his hair while the other rested on his chest… closing his eyes Liu Qingge took deep breathes trying to calm himself down.

“You saved me…” Liu Qingge ended up saying, shifting his head only to realize that he was laying his head in his Shixiong lap; a fact that made him twitch as he returned his gaze to the man who still looked at him… not… not moving. “Shen… Qingqiu…?” Sensing something wrong, dread filled Liu Qingge as he wrestled his body into a sitting position, ignoring the excruciating pain and the hands that kept him in place. “Shi…” Whatever wanted to leave his throat was trapped there forever as Liu Qingge’s eyes finally took in Shen Qingqiu; horror and panic choking him at the sight greeting him,

“Shen… Shen-Shixiong…” Liu Qingge’s voice cracked, his eyes wide and his body started to shake at the image of stillness greeting; bile rising in his throat as the scent of blood assaulted him… “S-Shixiong…” Liu Qingge choked, crawling the rest of the inches toward his Shixiong, his hand extended to touch the man, and recoiling at the icy coldness that greeted him. “S-shi… wha…?” Breath picked up as panic mounted Liu Qingge tried once more to touch the man, feeling nothing but icy coldness and a stiff body that refused to move. “Is this… is this… no… no, no… Shixiong… S-Shen Qingqiu… w-wake up… wake up!” A shout was heard as Liu Qingge all but launched himself the rest of the way, shouting the word ‘No’ over and over again…

It was the sight of Cheng Luan impeded in Shen Qingqiu’s chest that…

 What happened after was nothing but a distant blur as Liu Qingge slipped into a state of insanity, screaming his most hated enemy’s name… screaming his Shixiong’s name… as he tried to wake the man up… thinking of this as nothing but a bad dream… a Qi Deviation that trapped him into an endless nightmare with no way out… what happened was a sight that refusing to leave Liu Qingge for the rest of his life, haunting his soul and choked him with the scent of metal and blood that filled his lungs.

What happened… was insanity as the sight of his sword stuck in his Shixiong’s chest burned in his retina, informing him of the demise of his martial brother by his own hands… summoning the buried memories of what happened in the caves, every scene more damning than the last as it choked him and squeezed his heart until he thought it would give up… summoning more horror as his eyes took his robes and hands that were covered by blood… his Shixiong’s blood…

What happened, was the weeping and wailing that Liu Qingge was sure everyone in Jianghu had heard; the choked screams and pleas as he all but threw himself at the man and begged him to come back. Crying and heaving as begged and begged like a child but was met by a silence that held no response… What happened would be forever etched in his soul; guilt and despair that would never be washed away even if he were to jump into the Yellow River…

“…You were my only friend…”

What happened was sobs wrecking his body as he clutched the bloody robes; tears running down Liu Qingge’s face as he choked apology after apology. Begging the man who lost his life to save him to come back, giving promise after promise to be good, to change, to do better; to be the friend Shen Qingqiu claimed he was… he just had to… just…

“Did you know?”

A bloody cold body in his arms, breathless, without any heartbeat, paler than a sheet; tangled hair hiding the face that held a gentle smile even in death… a disheveled man that was all wrong, when Liu Qingge had never seen Shen Qingqiu being anything less than perfect… this was wrong… this was wrong… so wrong… wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong; wrong!

“You hurt me…”

He was sorry, he was sorry; he didn’t mean to, he didn’t mean to do this… this wasn’t… he didn’t mean to do this! Liu Qingge wailed, his cries hiding the sound of voices and footsteps heard in the distance… the phantom feeling of fingers through his hair, the gentle voice singing to him, the calming feeling spreading through his body…

“You are going to be fine…”

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?! It was Liu Qingge who was the one who was supposed to die in these caves! It was Liu Qingge who was meant to be in Shen Qingqiu’s place! It was Liu Qingge who… “Liu-Shidi! She… Xiao Jiu!” A wail resonated through the wall of the cave as Liu Qingge held his Shixiong’s body tightly, refusing to be removed, even when hands tried to detach his arms from his Shixiong’s body; shouts were heard and orders were snapped as the words ‘Qi Deviation’ were whispered like a curse.

“Liu-Shidi… thank you…”

“What happened… Liu-Shidi… what happened?”

“I killed him… I killed Shen-Shixiong…”

“Wha… why? Why?! You… you are not this kind of person, so why?!”

“Zhangmen-Shixiong, stop! You are hurting Liu-Shidi, Stop! Zhangmen-Shixiong, stop, we can't have you suffering Qi Deviation!”

“Liu-Shidi… If you don’t explain the exact reason, I will assume you killed Shen-Shixiong in cold blood… don’t blame me for using your sword to execute you…”

“Qi Deviation…”

“What did you say, Mu-Shidi?”

“When I examine Liu-Shixiong I found signs of Qi Deviation in his system… I can only assume that Liu-Shidi suffered a Qi Deviation and…”

“I Still killed him!”

“Liu-Shidi… please… tell me…”

“I… I fell into Deviation… shi… Shixiong found me… he… he t-tried to help… I stabbed him… b-but he still gave me his Qi to stabilize me…”

Sobs, heavy breaths; choked cries that wrecked Liu Qingge’s throat… deadly silence blanketed the hall before the Sect Leader slid down to the floor, his legs not holding him anymore.

“It should have been me! It should have been me who died! But in the last second, he stopped himself from taking my life and in return, I stabbed him! I Killed him!”

“Liu-Shixiong, you are not at fault… you were not in the right state of mind…”

“I’m sorry… I am sorry… I killed him; this is all my fault…. I am sorry…”

“What’s done, cannot be undone… Don’t beat yourself Liu-Shidi...”

“I’m sorry… Shixiong, I… I am… Shixiong… Shen-Shixiong… I…”

“He is going into a Qi Deviation!”

‘Everything is going to be fine…’

After that…

Everything dissolved… the veil had been snatched from over his eyes, and his world had shifted upside down with him being powerless to the change; not knowing what to do, as he watched emotionlessly from the sideline as the truths that he believed in and lived by turned out to be nothing but baseless lies with no grain of truth to them. Bringing a feeling of shame and guilt that weighed him down like shackles attached to his limbs and neck, choking him and immobilizing him as the days passed.

After that… Yue Qingyuan went into seclusion, only to be seen once a month before he disappeared once more… not only their leader had secluded himself without a successor, but the Sect’s tactician and second in command was dead; which resulted in the Sect falling in disarray barely keeping afloat and barely having the budget to care for everyone… and wasn’t it a slap to the face? For years, Liu Qingge accused Shen Qingqiu of being nothing but a lazy scholar who never pulled his weight in the Sect, now? It was after they lost Shen Qingqiu that everyone realized the workload that their Shixiong was responsible for… 65% of the Sect budget, was provided by Shen Qingqiu's income, and almost 87% of the Sect inner work of their Sect, was done by Shen Qingqiu; resulting in the realization that their Sect wealth and fame were due to their hated Martial Brother.

After that… it was months later before Liu Qingge managed to corner his Sect Leader, asking him… pleading with him… to be told where the Shen family was… because if Liu Qingge can't repay Shen Qingqiu for saving him, at least he can repay his family for the life his Shixiong saved… only to feel like his believe shatter when he was told…

“Shen-Shidi had no family; he was an orphan… Liu-Shidi; Shen Qingqiu had no home before Cang Qiong Mountain…”

“I… n-no… it c-can't be…”

“Liu-Shidi… I know you used to have a lot of prejudice against him, but many of your one-sided beliefs were just that… one-sided ideas that were not true at all…”

“He… he was… He didn't have a home…?”

For years, Liu Qingge had believed that Shen Qingqiu was a spoiled Young Master; a Young Master who had everything he wanted whenever he wanted, and damn the consequences of his actions… to be told that the Young Master was nothing but an orphan; to be told that everything he believed about Shen Qingqiu for the past twenty years was a lie… was a hard fact to swallow… because then that meant… that meant everything happened between them for the past twenty years was do to the misunderstandings that Liu Qingge never allowed his Shixiong to clear…

After that… the crying and weeping of the Qing Jing disciples and hall Masters kept Liu Qingge up for days; playing over and over again in his mind until he couldn’t separate their pained cries from his… over and over again their screams and choked cries of ‘A-Die!’ and ‘Gege!’ kept him awake worse than a dream demon taking hold of him and tormenting him. Their screech as some of them turned against him and hit him made him stand still and allow the children to scream and hit and call him a ‘Murderer’… ah… how strange… didn’t his martial family tell him that Shen Qingqiu abused and tortured his disciples? Their reaction was that of children who lost their father… how blind were they not to see?

After that… the women of the Warm Red Pavilion came, their cries echoing throughout the mountains as they cried and wept for his Shixiong. Their cries of ‘A-Jiu’ their cries of ‘Didi’ their cries of ‘Gege’ and 'JiuJiu', haunted him to this day… ‘It’s all because of you! We told him you were bad news, we told him you weren’t deserving! Murderer! You were never deserving of his love!’ Liu Qingge never stopped them when they slapped him and vented their anger, the feeling that he deserved every slap, every hit, never left him no matter how much time passed… because wasn’t Liu Qingge the one who accused his Shixiong of being a lecherous and lustful man? Wasn’t he the one who spread those false rumors around? If those rumors were true, then the brothel women should rejoice that one of their tormentors had died instead of weeping and crying, begging the Gods to return their little brother…

After that, the days passed; all in a choking monotone that continued to repeat day in and day out… the weeks passed; bringing the truth to light and making Liu Qingge question everything he ever knew about what was right and what was wrong… the months passed; making it stark clear that the loss they suffer by no mean was small… the years passed… and the realizations that Liu Qingge come to, had shaken him to the core…

After that, Liu Qingge fought and fought, trying desperately to do everything right, trying to follow in his Shixiong’s footsteps hoping it would lessen the guilt, failing a day in and a day out as he felt all eyes on him, watching him, studying him… waiting… he tried to do right, to be right, to never judge another person again, to never believed the rumors again; Liu Qingge tried to be the man that Shen Qingqiu though him to be… honorable, kind, good… even if he failed in being the man his Shixiong believed him to be over and over again…

“You have to make it up to me…”

After that…

“Gege… it is not your fault… you had a Qi Deviation; you couldn’t control yourself.” Liu Mingyan said softly, her hand extended toward his brother, wanting to consult him but not knowing what to do; months had passed, and still, Liu Qingge continued to kneel in front of the grave, refusing to budge even when his fellow Peak Lords tried to remove him. “Gege…” Liu Mingyan whispered when her brother did not answer, instead Liu Qingge continued to kneel in front of the tomb, looking more like a statue, his gaze was blank as he stared at Shen Qingqiu’s name.

“But I still did it…” Liu Qingge whispered, voice hoarse from disuse, his red-rimmed eyes turned to his sister, whose eyes filled with tears as she foolishly stood her ground and tried to comfort him, even when everyone had given up after the fifth month. “He… I… before he died, he told me…” His voice broke, and he could only close his eyes as he felt a fresh wave of tears running down his face. “I have wronged you…” Liu Qingge turned back to the tomb, shoulders shaking as he tried to suppress his sobs.

“Gege…” A sniffle was heard, before Liu Mingyan knelt beside her brother, gazing at the tomb as she lit up an incense stick and added it to the numerous amounts of incense on the tomb. Liu Mingyan let out another sniffle before she put her palms together and started praying.

“Mingyan… do you… do you think a person can love another even when they continue to hurt them?” Liu Qingge asked suddenly, his words causing his sister’s breath to hitch as she turned her eyes toward him. “Doesn’t Loving another meant to never hurt them? Then how? How can someone love another while being degraded by the one they love? How can someone say they love another even after they were killed by the one they loved? That doesn’t make any sense!” Liu Qingge choked out his breath hitched as he turned to gaze at his sister with desperation in his eyes; pleading with her to give him an answer that would stop the guilt from consuming him until there was nothing left.

“Oh Gege…” Liu Mingyan ended up saying after a period of silence, the tears she held onto finally slid down her face as she glanced at the tomb and then at her brother, despair shining in her eyes. “I am sorry, I can't give you the answer you want…” Liu Mingyan whispered, putting her trembling hand on Liu Qingge’s, trying to comfort her brother who let out a broken ‘Oh’…

“Liu-Shidi… when we get out… let’s get married…”

“Ah… Peak Lord Liu; what a surprise to see you here…” The scent of incense and roses, the faint sound of giggles and moans not that far; a seductive smile sitting on the face of a stunning beauty, made his skin crawl but he continued on.

“I…” Closing his mouth, Liu Qingge gritted his teeth before coming to sit on the other side of the table, slamming a Qiankun Pouch on the wooden surface, ignoring the annoyed twitch from the woman. “The Seeds of Everlasting Rose; enough to keep you and your succubus fed for a whole year.” He stated, watching the woman’s green eyes widen before a pleasant look took over her face.

“I see… such a high price for freeing the humans…" A happy chuckle before the woman turned to the succubus under her command. “Meimei, go tell the others to free the humans we have, we are no longer in need of them.” Liu Qingge watched until the succubus left and the two of them were alone. “So… you came here to learn about Little Nine..." Said the woman with a knowing look and an amused smile. "With such a generous price, who am I to stop you… ask away.” The fortune paused a little to sip her tea and ignored how the man in front of her tensed.

“I wanted to know… wanted to know if he… was Shen Qingqiu in love with me?” Liu Qingge finally spoke, voice low and gruff as he gazed at the woman with blank eyes.

Silence; another sip, and a clank as the cup was put down. “Yes.” The woman said with finality, the amusement had long since left her face replaced by contempt. “But do you… ache for him?” The woman questioned then, returning to her tea and taking in the silence.

“I killed him…” Liu Qingge ended up choking, after what seemed like decades of silence, his words making the woman hum and nod her head as if agreeing with him.

“You did, you didn’t; in the end, it was Little Nine’s decision, not you… it was his choice, his dignity; you have no right to undermine his sacrifice.” The succubus said, rolling her eyes before taking another sip, seemingly waiting for the fight that she knew would take place, but was pleasantly surprised it didn’t…

Liu Qingge raised his head, gazing at the cave’s ceiling and the rose petals that rained down on them, refusing to blink; refusing for the tears to escape… it took time before he regained himself to ask. “Our first meeting… it was nothing but clashes of swords and fists; insults and degrading words that our Masters had to break… why did he tell me that he…?” Not wanting to continue, Liu Qingge clenched his hands into fists and gazed at the woman long and hard knowing that she would understand.

“Because it wasn’t.” The Madam hummed, her eyes tracing the rose petals that fell from the ceiling with a wry look, before raising her hand and plucking a petal mid-air. “Your first meeting was once upon a Winter morning, where snow blanketed the land and the cold nipped on the skin; your first meeting was a meeting between a Young Master holding a Tanghulu and a street rat shivering under the snow… your first meeting ended with a street rat smiling like the sun when the Young Master offered him a Tanghulu and a warm coat…” The woman said, lowering the petal on the table and sliding it toward Liu Qingge, whose shaky hand took hold of the petal…

“He… he was still too young… maybe four… younger… he would have never remembered…” Liu Qingge let out a choked sob before he managed to reign it in, gazing at the woman with wild eyes.

The Madam didn’t seem to be fazed as she turned her gaze to the petals once more, plucking another one before it descended to the ground. “Your first meeting was once upon autumn noon, where leaves painted the ground with colors and the sound of merchants barging was heard; your first meeting was between a Young Master who traveled with his grandmother as he learned Cultivation and a slave crying in fear for the horrible fate waiting for him back home because the young Mistress lost their money… your first meeting ended with the slave prostrating in thanks and relieve like the Young Master was his salvation when he was handed enough money to buy what his Master and Mistress wanted…” The succubus hummed, handing the petal toward Liu Qingge whose breath picked up.

“N-no… no… it… it c-can't be…” Liu Qingge whispered under his breath, his hands shaking as his breath picked up, gazing at the woman who once more looked at the petals before plucking another one.

“Your first meeting was once upon a summer night, where the fireflies buzzed around and the sound of river lolled people to sleep; your first meeting was between a disciple of a great Sect who was sent to slay a river monster and a runaway slave who started learning Demonic Cultivation… your first meeting ended up with the runaway slave promising his love for the disciple who again and again saved him from pain and death…” With that, the Madam gave Liu Qingge the final petal, her lips twitched into a wry smile. “Poor, poor Xiao Jiu, no one wanted your love no matter what you do… poor, poor Xiao Jiu, always loving the ones who ended up betraying you… poor, poor Xiao Jiu, accepting a violent love from someone who hated you… poor, poor Xiao Jiu, how delusional were you…” The woman chanted finishing her tea, before she stood up, picking up the Qiankun Pouch as she walked away before she stopped to say. “Did you know? Love is like water. It doesn’t have a defined shape; it takes the shape of the object it inhabits. Unrestrained by the rules, unrestrained by ideals; it can be either a gentle stream to quench the thirst or raging seas that sink ships…” Before she left Liu Qingge crying silently in his seat, clutching the petals tightly as he tried to reign his sobs…

He got his answers…

“Liu-Shidi…”

That was then, this was now…

Now, everything had changed and madness had sat over the world, now problems came left and right without giving them an inch to breathe; now they were betrayed by one of their Peak Lords, the one, Shen Qingqiu always warned them about… now, Liu Qingge stood on the rubbles of what used to be Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, snapping out orders and trying to defend the people that were still moving and hadn’t fallen prey to the demons surrounding them… now… now, Liu Qingge clashed his sword with Luo Binghe who was hell-bent on taking revenge from their Sect for taking the ‘Good Shizun’ away from him…

Luo Binghe… his Shixiong’s youngest disciple… Luo Binghe, who disappeared years ago and was presumed dead after the disastrous Immortal Alliance Conference; Luo Binghe, who returned after years as a Heavenly Demon razing the world to the ground and burning the place that Shen Qingqiu protected with all his might… Luo Binghe, who screamed about wanting the ‘Good Shizun’ back, and how the world own it to him; Luo Binghe whose madness burned the Sect down as he called out to his Shizun who had long been dead and buried in the ground… Luo Binghe, who burned Qing Jing and the Bamboo House, making Liu Qingge scream in hysteria as he forget everything and runs inside the burning house, trying to save whatever he could of his Shixiong’s past…

The fires of hell burned their Sect to ashes, burning everything Shen Qingqiu held dear in him; the fires of hell burned, rending Qing Jing Peak into ashes and coals, erasing the place that his Shixiong cherished, erasing the home he built… the fires of hell raged, killing every person Shen Qingqiu held dear to his heart; his disciples, his hall Masters, the brothel women… Yue Qingyuan… everyone… everyone!

By the time Luo Binghe and his army had retreated… there was no one left standing… no one… everyone had met their end, everyone burned with their homes, everyone was killed on their peaks… everyone… there was no one standing… Luo Binghe had won… he had won; he burned their home… burned Shen Qingqiu’s home… his legacy... Luo Binghe burned their home and took Shen Qingqiu’s remains with him…

 What’s left of a great Sect was nothing but broken beams and burned peaks… the ashes fluttering in the morning breeze as the silence dominated the world… what’s left was a lone figure standing alone, looking for survivors as he clutched the only thing he managed to save from Shen Qingqiu’s burning house; his green outer robe… what’s left was Liu Qingge, who roamed the Sect day and night, burying his falling brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and trying not to break apart as he prepared himself for what’s to come…

The War God? Wasn’t he killed by Luo Binghe when his Sect burned down?

No, he survived… the only survivor of the great Cang Qiong Mountain Sect…

How sad…

Yes, sad!

To be the only one left…

What did he do?

He spent the next five years challenging Luo Binghe! Fighting him day after day after day after day!

But he lost , he lost every battle the two of them fought!

Ha! And to think they called him the War God!

Why did he continue to fight?

Did you not know?

Know what?

Luo Binghe razed his old Sect to steal his Master’s body from his tomb and then he spent the next five years trying to revive him…

Wait, didn’t Qing Jing Peak Lord die thirteen years ago?!

Yes, he did, so really, who can say what the condition the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s body was in when he was taken from his tomb?

That’s sick…

So, as you can see, the War God of Bai Zhan not only trying to get his revenge for the destroyed Sect, but he spent the past five years trying to return his Martial Brother's body from Luo Binghe’s clutch!

Yes, and then the War God went mad no longer after Luo Binghe attacked his Clan and wiped it away… Do you know? They say you can find him muttering and talking to himself, and then screaming and attacking when he sees someone; that’s why no one allowed into the territory that used to be Cang Qiong…

That’s scary!

Poor man….

And to think that…

The last thing I heard, was him marching to Huan Hua Palace, ready to kill Luo Binghe in their final battle…

Their final battle?

And how do you know it’s their last?

…Because he was seen wearing Qing Jing green…

“I d-did it, Shixiong…” Liu Qingge coughed, his chest rattling as he continued to drag himself forward, ignoring the pain of his broken leg, as he took a step after step; gripping the outer robe in his hand like it was a lifeline that kept him going. “I… I d-did it… I k-killed hi-m…” Liu Qingge choked, coughing once more and spitting the blood that clogged his airway. “S-sorry… I’m s-sorry I c-couldn’t g-get y-your… b-body… b-but I… I ma-managed to c-cremate it… n-not e-ven t-the b-beast… c-coming t-to lif… cha-change t-the outco…” With chest-rattling breath, Liu Qingge almost crawled to the Lingxi Caves, wanting his resting place to be there…

“Shi… Shixiong…” Liu Qingge choked out, managing to crawl toward his destination, crawled into the cave where he lost his Shixiong all those fateful years… curling around himself Liu Qingge ignored the pain and blood and the fire running through him, holding tightly into Shen Qingqiu’s robes and taking comfort in the tattered cloth. If Liu Qingge focused his senses, he could feel the soft thighs under his head, the gentle fingers running through his hair, and the hand on the center of his chest that banished the pain and fire away.

“Shi-Shixiong… d-did you k-know? I… I never managed t-to t-tell you… I… I s-spent y-years f-falling in l-love with y-you… t-too s-stupid to s-see what’s… in f-front of m-me… wasted… wasted s-so many y-years… s-shi… S-Shen Qing… Qiu… w-when we… w-when we meet a-again… le-let’s get m-married… I p-promise I…” Whatever Liu Qingge wanted to never manage to leave his lips as suddenly the feeling of being weightless took over him before he…

“Liu-Shidi… thank you…”

Why do people come to like another person?

I’m never going to like anybody…

At least… I’m never going to like somebody too much…

Because that’s like putting a collar and a lash on yourself…

Or at least, that’s what I used to think…

I have made so many mistakes in the past…

Mistakes I can't rectify, no matter what I do…

Shen Qingqiu… I have a lifetime of mistakes and a mountain of regrets…

And yet…

You fought for me…

Cared for me…

…Loved me…

If I die…

Shixiong …

let’s meet in the next life…

I promise you this time, I…

“Liu-Shidi, did you know? The first time we met… I fell in love with you…”

He was falling…

Falling…

Falling…

When his body came to a halt, it was him slamming harshly into the ground he made a crater in the shape of his body; the pain resonated within his bones, shocking him enough to force the air in his lungs to evacuate, leaving him breathless. His eyes held dark spots dancing in front of them, and his ears continued to ring, a buzzing sound that refused to subside so he could gather his barriers.

When Liu Qingge gathered himself enough, it was to the sound of shouting, the frantic jumbled words made him close his eyes as a headache signaling its arrival; there was an oppressive pressure on his lungs summoning a coughing fit that seemed to go on forever and ever as he tried to regain what little dignity he left not die choking by his own blood.

“L… Liu-Shidi?” A confused voice resonated from his right, causing Liu Qingge to take a shuddering breath as a familiar voice tickled his ears, almost throwing him fourteen years into the past, where everything was salvageable and Liu Qingge was redeemable… a past where someone loved him so much, but Liu Qingge with his idiocy and brutish nature did nothing but hurt that person, intentionally and unintentionally. Liu Qingge hurt him so badly that he ended up dead.

Such a bastard he was, doing nothing but make Shen Qingqiu’s life a living hell, when Shen Qingqiu did nothing but love someone undeserving… someone so stupid he did nothing but birthed misunderstandings so great they tarnished the Qing Jing Peak Lord's reputation and made him the Sect's pariah, just because he couldn't open his mouth and asked.

"Idiotic brute…" A snap from the right, a huffy tone so similar to the one Shen Qingqiu used to have so long ago… long ago before their fragile bond shattered because of his stupidity. Letting out a pained groan Liu Qingge opened his eyes, turning his head to the source of the sound before letting out a broken noise, tears gathering in his eyes as the image finally registered in his brain.

“Shi… Shixiong…” Liu Qingge mouthed, not having the power to make a sound, too afraid of the heavenly image disappearing if he as much as breathed wrong in that direction. Against his will, Liu Qingge raised his trembling hand, wanting to touch but too afraid to do so… it wasn’t long before darkness danced in front of his eyes, informing him that his time with the living was up; heart light by the sight that graced him before he departed from this world, Liu Qingge closed his eyes, feeling calm for the first time in decades…

“I am here, everything is going to be fine, Liu-Shidi…”

Chapter Text

Did you see?

Did you see?!

Do you mean the man?

What man?

The man who crashed into the Peak Lords' meeting hall!

What?!

Yes, yes! That man!

How can someone just…?

We don’t know, but Qi-Shijie said he appeared out of thin air!

Yeah! When I asked Shang-Shixiong he said the man fell from the sky and crashed into the meeting, breaking the oak table!

Huh? The great oak table was broken? For real?

Did you not see how Shang-Shixiong spent that day crying and moaning about the old oak table and the amount of paperwork that needed to be done because it was destroyed?

Poor bastard… anyway! Shijie, tell us more about that man!

Yeah, tell us more, tell us more!

Eh? What’s there to tell? The man had been confined in Qian Cao Peak until he woke up and explained how he found himself there…

But did you hear?

Hear what?

They said the man went berserk when people tried to move him, they said that even when put together, the twelve Peak Lords couldn’t subdue him; even with the Head Disciples there!

What?

You are joking, aren’t you?!

That’s a lie! They are the Peak Lords! The strongest Peak Lords' generation in 6 centuries! The ‘An’ Generation and you are telling me they didn’t manage to subdue a stranger?

No, no, it was true, I was there and heard the scuffling that happened, that man went into Qi Deviation and was about to kill everyone!

Then how did they manage to subdue him?

I heard it was the Qing Jing Head Disciple who did it…

What? Shen Qingqiu?

How did he do it?

No one knows, but what I really know is that something big is going on because…

The Liu Clan had come to Cang Qiong…

Shen Jiu never thought he would experience such a shock in his life…

Today started as normal as every day did for Shen Jiu... or as normal as it can be when today was the day the Peak Lords were going to host a meeting to officiate their Head Disciples becoming their successors and receive their courtesy names… so to say that Shen Jiu was a nervous mess was the understanding of the century.

Everything started like another normal morning, with Shen Jiu preparing everything for today’s lessons as well as preparing for the meeting; trying his hardest to ignore the whispers, laughs, and the pointing of his Martial Siblings as he went on with his day, his heart pounding in his throat the closer they arrived to the time of the meeting.

Everything was normal… or that’s what Shen Jiu tried to convince himself as he gazed at his reflection in the bronze mirror, trying to find if something was amiss or if a hair was out of place. Gazing at his hair, Shen Jiu couldn’t help but scrutinize the style he always chose, gnawing at his lower lip as he moved his head left and right, watching as the high ponytail flipped left and right. Shen Jiu looked out of the window, calculating how much time he had left, gazing nervously at his reflection and then outside, before he swallowed, turning to the mirror and letting his hair down, trying to find another style that would befit him.

Many Head Disciples would come to the meeting wearing new clothes or new hairstyles, to show off in front of their Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts; trying to give good impressions while showing off their wealth in a way. Today some would be chosen as successors, future Peak Lords of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, while others would be demoted from their positions and would have their Shizuns nominate another name to be the successor of the peak.

While Shen Jiu doesn’t care that much about flaunting himself off for the other Peak Lords and being gazed at like he was a show, he knows how the opinions of the Peak Lords matter and how it would affect and influence the others' treatment toward him, which was why Shen Jiu had sequestered himself in his room that day for half a Shichen, going through clothes and styles, trying to look the part of elegant and graceful immortal like how his Shizun always looked.

After a while, Shen Jiu stilled for a half-up half-down style that suited him better; swallowing, he turned to the green outer robe that his Shizun gifted to him last night when the man told him about the meeting; Shen Jiu touched the robe gently almost nuzzling the material for how soft the robes were. With a small smile, Shen Jiu donned the green robe, and turned to the mirror, his breath hitching when his eyes fell on his reflection.

What greeted Shen Jiu was a sight different from what he was used to, what greeted him was a sight that almost took his breath away… what greeted him… what greeted him was a sight Shen Jiu was sure his special person would be proud to be seen standing beside…

“You look amazing, A-Jiu…” A soft and airy voice stated behind him, making Shen Jiu whirl around, feeling embarrassed that his Shizun had witnessed how unsightly Shen Jiu was by admiring himself in the mirror like an arrogant peacock.

“This disciple greets Shizun!” Shen Jiu bowed, almost stuttering but got a hold of himself, his words summoning a warm chuckle from his Master who entered his room and stood in front of him.

“Now, now, none of that.” His Shizun hummed, straightening Shen Jiu’s robes and hair exchanging the ribbon holding his hair up with a hair crown and fussing over him like he was a child; the happy smile on his Shizun’s face, made Shen Jiu feel all warm and fuzzy inside. “Just one thing missing,” His Master muttered to himself before letting an ‘Ah’ and pulling his fan from his belt to give it to Shen Jiu, making Shen Jiu’s breath hitch as he turned to his Shizun with wide eyes full of wonder, before finally gathering the courage to take the fan and open it, studying it with reverence. “Perfect… you look perfect…” His Shizun praised, his eyes shining with pride as he gazed at Shen Jiu, almost making the young adult squirm. “Now come A-Jiu, they are waiting.” Happiness and warmth took over Shen Jiu as he followed his Master, feeling like he was on top of the world as he walked side by side with his Shizun, his heart pounding in his chest, as he clutched the fan in his hand like a lifeline, taking comfort from it as he walked to Qiong Ding, ready to face his destiny.

When Shen Jiu woke up this morning, it was like any normal morning; he thought that he would go to the meeting with his Shizun like they always do at the end of the week. When Shen Jiu woke up this morning, he thought that everything would play out like it always did, with him standing behind his Shizun, doing his usual thing by ignoring Yue Qi and gazing subtly at his special person; hoping that his special person would notice him, maybe even comment on his new looks, complement his choice, maybe even talk to him a little bit? Shen Jiu wasn’t picky as long as he was acknowledged by his special person.

What Shen Jiu thought would be a normal morning, turned into anything but, as in the middle of the Peak Lords meeting and just after they received their courtesy names, a portal of sorts opened up above them, causing everyone to jump and draw their swords getting ready for a battle no one was prepared for…

What they got was not a battle, instead, what they got was the portal spitting something that crashed into the oak table, breaking it into pieces before closing, leaving everyone dumbfounded and frozen in their place as they gazed at the oak table that was passed from generation to generation since the formation of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect becoming nothing but broken pieces on the ground.

Shen Jiu though, could only gaze at the person lying in the middle of broken wood and tiles; his breath stuck in his chest as the scent of blood and ashes wafted to him. What Shen Jiu thought was a normal morning was anything but as he gazed at the person who smelled like death, his eyes not leaving the green robes that were ribbed and dyed red but still looked similar to the one he wore, making Shen Jiu clutch his own sleeve tightly as fear suddenly took a grip of his heart compelling him to take a step forward and ignoring his Shizun’s hiss as the man ordered him to stand back.

The broken body let out a broken gasp and started coughing blood; every cough wrecked their entire frame as they spat and hacked and tried to take a breath and not die choking. The thrashing exposed the person’s face which was covered with hair, exposing wounds, blood, and dirt, and those familiar grey-blue eyes that made Shen Jiu’s heart skip a beat because he knew the owner of those eyes. He knew that face even if it was dotted with wounds, dirt, and blood, he just knew.

“L…Liu-Shidi?” Shen Jiu called out, voice uncertain, and worry gripped his whole being, and before he tried to do something stupid like run toward the man lying on the table and help him, his Shizun took a grip of his arm and pulled Shen Jiu behind him, only to get pushed by Liu-Shidi (And that was a little confusing wasn’t it? Because Liu-Shidi was lying on the table right there! Bleeding and dying in front of him!) who pushed everyone away trying to reach the man on the ground with his sword drawn ready to fight. “Idiotic brute!” Shen Jiu couldn’t help but snap, feeling wronged by the action of the man who didn’t even spare him a look.

Shen Jiu didn’t even pounder on the matter long enough as his voice summoned the attention of the person lying on the ground, making the man turn his gaze toward him and blink several times as if trying to clear his vision. It wasn’t long before a broken noise left the man as tears made themselves known, sliding down his face and smudging the dirt and blood into a mess; through all of that the man didn’t move or seem to breathe, he continued to gaze at Shen Jiu with many emotions that Shen Jiu didn’t know how to decipher or make sense of.

It was that shaky hand reaching out to him, it was those eyes that gazed at him with tears clouding them, it was that person who mouthed the word ‘Shixiong’ in a broken tone that made Shen Jiu pull away from the safety of his Shizun and tried to walk to the man, his heart pounding in his chest as fear and panic gripped his heart because that person lying in the crater was Liu Mingyu! His Liu Qingge, his Shidi! His Liu-Shidi who was dying!

“His Qi is unstable; he is going into Qi Deviation!” Chang-Shishu shouted in panic; the words hadn’t left him completely before the explosion of Qi threw everyone in different directions like they were straws in the face of a storm with how powerful the blast was.

Some of the Head Disciples couldn’t even stand, lying on the ground and gasping for air as they felt suffocated by the oppressive Qi that managed to spread outside the meeting hall, while some Peak Lords froze in their places as their legs shook, barely managing to support themselves from the massive pressure that crushed them; never before had anyone felt such a powerful Qi, never had anyone felt such a danger before… the power immitted from the man on the ground was almost inhuman, powerful, insane… dangerous…

 The fine hair on Shen Jiu’s body stood on its ends as he watched the man suddenly stand up; swaying on his legs as blood trickled from his seven orifices and the numerous wounds littering his body. The man’s eyes were glazed over as he gazed at the ceiling, swaying and shaking in his place as the Peak Lords stood and attacked, trying to subdue the man and stabilize his Qi, or his core would self-destruct and destroy everything in the vicinity.

What happened next was a massacre; Shen Jiu could only watch with wide eyes as the Peak Lords (The ones that were known to be the strongest generation that graced the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect after the founders) were thrown around like flies, like they didn’t amount to a thing in the face of the man who suddenly crashed their meeting. The Peak Lords were thrown around, and then it was the Head Disciples who tried to assist their Masters; bones were broken, many were injured, and the fear was so obvious in everyone’s eyes that everyone could smell its scent.

 “Liu-Shidi!” Shen Jiu could only shriek, fear and panic clouding his eyes and almost choking him when he saw his Liu Qingge being thrown by… himself? And crashed into a wall, making a dent before he slid down, coughing blood as his broken bones pressed against his lungs.

His shout seemed to draw the attention of the man, who gazed at him with a tilted head and glassy eyes, not as much seeing him as seeing through him. “A-Jiu, run!” His Shizun shouted, trying to get back up by using his sword as a makeshift stick to do so, both of his Shizun’s legs were broken, but his Shizun ignored the pain as he tried to crawl toward Shen Jiu, and the Qi Deviating Liu Qingge who was advancing toward Qing Jing Peak Head Disciple.

Instead of running as his Shizun ordered, Shen Jiu stood rooted in place, gazing at the massive and bulky man that was Liu Qingge, his Liu-Shidi who looked at him with a bruised face covered in dirt and blood, and a body that was broken in more ways than one. “L… Liu-Shidi… Liu-Shidi, stop!” Shen Jiu managed to coax those words after what felt like centuries, his heart pounding in his throat and almost refused these words to leave Shen Jiu’s mouth.

The man blinked, opening and closing his mouth several times; Shen Jiu managed to detect a flash of recognition in the man’s eyes and the sound of the man… Liu Qingge’s sword falling to the tiled floor, resonated through the hall; freezing everyone who gazed at the scene with wide eyes full of confusion and panic. “Sh… Shixiong…” The man rasped in a dry and cracked voice, a voice that just confirmed Shen Jiu’s suspension as he saw Liu Qingge raising both of his shaky hands and placing them on Shen Jiu’s cheeks in a gentle hold, so contrast to the way he almost eviscerated the Peak Lords and their Head Disciples. Seeing an opportunity to calm the man down, Shen Jiu took hold of Liu Qingge's hands and passed his Qi to him, trying to stabilize him until Chang-Shishu reached them. “I… s-sorry… I… Shixiong… I...” Whatever Liu Qingge wanted to say he never managed to leave his lips as his consciousness faded and he ended up falling forward, making Shen Jiu let out an undignified yelp at the sudden weight that fell on him and trapped him under the man’s massive bulk…

Shen Jiu wondered if he had gone mad…

For a long time, everything was foggy, his body burning and freezing at the same time; for a long time, time passed and he was lost to its passing. For a long time, Liu Qingge felt suspended between death and life with no clear indication of the destiny the fates decided for him; Liu Qingge almost felt like he was back in the Lingxi Caves, back to the day that he lost his Shixiong when pain and fear and fever took hold of him and refused to let him go.

Liu Qingge thought he had woken up once or twice before, he didn’t remember much, only the panic and pain and the voices that screamed and shouted as arms tried to hold him down as he thrashed; throughout the whole madness he found himself in, one thing was constant, the familiar voice that soothed him, and gentle hands that touched him erased the pain… a feeling so familiar that it sent him years and years into the past.

For a long time, there was the agony that tormented him, an excruciating pain that left him breathless, and a fever mixed with freezing ice that left him shaking uncontrollably… for a long time, Liu Qingge was alone, so, so alone that he could only set in the darkness and curl into a ball to make himself smaller, thinking that if he made himself small enough the pain will leave him alone and stop persisting. Then just like back when he was in the Lingxi Caves, the pain vanished as a gentle Qi cooled the fever and stopped his agony; then it was a gentle hand running through his hair, patting it and combing through it before caressing his face. Then it was a gentle voice talking to him, singing to him, soothing him… bringing tears into his eyes as it reminded him of the day, he lost his Shixiong; reminded him of the same scenario that happened in the Lingxi Caves.

When Liu Qingge woke up, he continued to pretend to be sleeping; his throat was tight, and his eyes stung with unshed tears, sobs trapped in his chest as he felt a gentle hand threading through his hair and a soft humming soothing him. A gentle hand caressed his face, tracing the scar on his right side, a scar that ran from the top of his eyebrow to his lower lip. It was an ugly scar, a hated one, not because it marred his face or ruined it, but because it reminded him of the many failures and regrets he had; the day he gained the scar was when he managed to find his Shixiong’s body in Luo Binghe’s bedchamber with the beast on top of it… Liu Qingge remembered how he had lost it that day as he tried to get his Shixiong’s body from that disgusting monster’s grip, only to fail spectacularly and barely manage to survive with his life, nearly losing his eye and having his heart ripped out if his grandmother hadn't come to his aid… not a week later his whole Clan was wiped out by that monster who defiled his Shizun’s body in death, as if it wasn’t enough that he took him out of his resting place.

It was minutes, maybe hours, Liu Qingge didn’t know, he only knew that it took him a while before he managed to gather enough courage to open his eyes; once again, Liu Qingge had to fight the tears that wanted to run down his face when his eyes fell on his Shixiong, his beautiful, beautiful Shixiong who was caressing his face with gentle hand and a soft look in his eyes. His lovely, lovely Shixiong, who hummed a familiar song under his breath; his beloved that gave everything he had to Liu Qingge even when he wasn’t deserving… his Zhiji… When Shixiong noticed him, he tried to pull his hand away, only Liu Qingge’s hand taking a gentle hold of his Shixiong’s retreating hand, making the younger man stop and look at him with his mouth open in surprise.

“Liu-Shidi…” His Shixiong ended up saying after a while, relaxing his hand in Liu Qingge’s grip; hearing that familiar voice, calling him by that familiar title, made Liu Qingge lose the battle as tears finally made their way down his face, and a sob he tried desperately to hold into had left him. It was only the gentle shushing and the soft fingers running through his hair and wiping the tears away that managed to calm Liu Qingge down, and he couldn’t help but nuzzle the soft hand in his grip and take his Shixiong’s scent... bamboo and tea...

“Ah… Shixiong is so kind to this lowly one…” Liu Qingge let out a soft laugh after what felt like decades of misery and suffering, nuzzling his Shixiong’s hand once more with a smile playing on his lips even when the tears clouded his eyes, amusement took hold of him as he heard the squeak his Shixiong let out… ah, how shy his Shixiong was, easily annoyed but still caring and kind in his own way… “My Zhiji…” Liu Qingge breathed as he pulled Shen Qingqiu’s hand to his lips and gave it a small kiss, his heart feeling light as all the weight that Liu Qingge carried for years vanished with the heavenly sight greeting him; Liu Qingge saw how his Shixiong stilled as he heard those words, and a part of Liu Qingge wondered, how long had his Shixiong waited for him to realize what they were? “I never managed to tell you how much I adore you, never managed to answer your confession… Shixiong… as the years passed and seasons changed; I fell in love with you… so let’s get married, let me be your Zhiji like how you always considered me yours…” A smile crossed over Liu Qingge’s face as he said these words that had been trapped in his chest for years and years ever since he opened his eyes and got to know who his Shixiong was; falling in love with a person who left this realm, leaving Liu Qingge to mourn what could have been if wasn’t a blind fool and actually listened to what his Shixiong had to say instead of assuming… these words that were the answer his Shixiong had longed for, for decades upon decades as he waited for Liu Qingge to remember who he was and what they were, but was disappointed at every turn when he got rejected by the one he loved. Liu Qingge finally gathered the courage to tell his Shixiong about his feelings, how Liu Qingge considered no one his Zhiji, his one and only, but his Shixiong who gave everything to him even when he knew how Liu Qingge was undeserving. Liu Qingge can finally let go of his regrets, he can finally walk hand in hand with his Shixiong and cross the Naihe Bridge, ready to start their next life with the joy and hopes of finding his Shixiong once more and live their lives without regrets; this time, Liu Qingge would make everything right, this time he would stand by his Shixiong’s side, this time he won't let his sight be blinded once more by the morals of old, and will get the chance to know his beloved… this time Liu Qingge will get the chance to have the wedding that his Shixiong always longed for and Liu Qingge dreamed of… this time…

Liu Qingge saw his beloved face turn bright red as his jaw dropped; he saw how Shen Qingqiu opened and closed his mouth several times before pressing his lips tightly and hiding his flushed face with his free hand. Liu Qingge saw how Shen Jiu’s eyes widened and how they started sparkling with an emotion that was familiar to the one burning in Liu Qingge’s heart, for years and years after discovering the love he could have all along if he just stopped being an idiot and talked to his Shixiong.

Before Liu Qingge managed to do what he dreamed of for years and steal a kiss from his beloved, the sound of wood snapping and glass breaking made him turn to the source of the sound, only to be greeted by Qing Jing Peak Lord who was clutching his broken fan standing beside his grandmother who had a broken tea set in front of her, both of them looking at Liu Qingge with undeciphered looks (Well, not entirely, Qing Jing Peak Lord, Shen Anwei was looking at him with horror and fury, no doubt the man was this close to skinning him alive for stealing his precious cabbage; the man never particularly liked him when Liu Qingge was alive, but after knowing his Shixiong’s feeling and the pain he suffered at the hand of the person he loved, Liu Qingge can understand and even sympathize with the Peak Lord for his feeling) eyes wide, and jaws dropped as they looked between Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu, who was trying his best to disappear from the room.

“Oh my…” That voice was none other than the voice of the Sect Leader Xian Anxiu who leaned over Shen Anwei’s shoulder to gaze at Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu with amusement shining in his eyes, a grin twitching on his lips as he gazed between the Qing Jing Peak Lord and Liu Qingge, like he was excited in a way to see if a fight was going to break out. “What a love confession that moved the hearts!” The Sect Leader said as he fanned himself with his hand, throwing more fuel to the fire as he waited for the fight, Liu Qingge saw how Shen Anwei was fuming at the mouth and almost attacked if it wasn’t for his grandmother’s presence kept him in line; if look could kill, Liu Qingge would have suffered another death and have his soul erased from every realm in existence.

“Ah… I forgot how much of an asshole you were…” Liu Qingge said absentmindedly, his words summoning a choked noise from everyone in the room as they looked at Liu Qingge like he lost his mind; Sect Leader Xian instead of being offended, let out a happy laugh wiping the imaginary tears off his face when he finally regained his breath after his fit.

“My! Liu-Shizhi is so unhinged, I like that!” Sect Leader Xian said, entering the room like he owned it and taking a seat on the chair near the bed, a grin stretching his lips all the while. Ah… Liu Qingge almost forgot how happy the Sect Leader always was; the big brother who was born with a smile on his face that made everyone feel safe and cared for no matter what the situation was… a man Yue Qingyuan tried to imitate but failed at every turn… Liu Qingge couldn’t help but wonder what Qing Jing Peak Lord and the previous Sect Leader were doing in the afterlife, did the two of them die? What kind of monster was strong enough to kill two Gods? The image of Luo Binghe crossed his mind, and Liu Qingge could only take a deep breath, trying to calm down and not remember.

“Grandmother…” Liu Qingge whispered after a while, his eyes zeroing in on his grandmother who still stood near the door, gazing at Liu Qingge with wonder and confusion in her eyes, but still at the sound of his voice calling out to her, the woman gave a small albeit uncertain smile before walking inside the room and coming to stand near the bed.

“Qingge…” The gentle way his grandmother called him almost brought tears to Liu Qingge’s eyes, and he sniffled as he studied the woman who raised him, seeing her in her glory before she fell to Luo Binghe’s sword; so many emotions choking Liu Qingge, reminding him of his failure, his failure in saving his Sect, his failure in saving his family and Clan, his failure in saving the people from Luo Binghe’s madness. But seeing his grandmother’s youthful face and the gentle grey-blue eyes as she stood near him, informing Liu Qingge that he did right and was successful in avenging his family almost made Liu Qingge sob if it wasn’t for his Shixiong shifting beside him, looking as red as a berry as he shifted his gaze away from everyone in the room, which summoned a choked laugh from Liu Qingge… ah… he never knew his Shixiong could be so shy; Liu Qingge wondered what his grandmother would do after knowing that the person he complained about most of his life was his Zhiji.

“I killed him…” Liu Qingge told his grandmother after a while, his words making everyone still and gaze at him with wide eyes as if they couldn’t believe what Liu Qingge said. “I killed that demon spawn; I avenged our falling family and Clan…” Liu Qingge’s breath shuddered as he said these words, a sniffle left him as he saw how his grandmother opened and closed her mouth several times with shock dominating her features. “Nainai…” Using the title that he hadn’t used since he joined Cang Qiong, Liu Qingge saw how his grandmother stilled in her place and gave him her full attention. “Everyone can move on… you can finally move on… you don’t have to live as ghosts because of unfinished business anymore… the scum had died, we can finally cross the Naihe Bridge with no regrets…” Liu Qingge smiled, feeling as light as a feather as he told his grandmother the happy news, his strong and amazing grandmother could finally move on and cross the Naihe Bridge with the rest of their Clan, finally free from the suffering and pain that was brought by Luo Binghe and his minions… finally being avenged after years of suffering as shades in this world because of that scum and the Xin Mo sword.

“I… wha… m-move o-on?” His grandmother whispered, almost looking unsure, causing a painful pang to resonate through Liu Qingge’s heart; how long did his grandmother suffer that the mere idea of moving on and reincarnating in a new life sounded so strange and foreign?

“En, we can finally move on…” Liu Qingge reassured, giving his grandmother another happy smile, wanting the woman to be reassured that it was okay, that everything was alright, that nothing was holding them back in this realm; that their killer and tormentor was no more.

“You seem to have made peace with death…” Shen Anwei said, seeming to drill holes through Liu Qingge with how intense he was staring at him as if trying to decipher every word that left him. “Though it is strange to know yourself to dead and be so happy about it.” Shen Anwei tried to fan himself, only to frown harshly when he realized that his fan was broken and thus useless, an action that made Liu Qingge’s lips twitch up.

“Why wouldn’t I be dead? You all are dead after all…” Liu Qingge said absent-mindedly, not noticing how the room descended into suffocating silence as everyone looked at their companions with horror. “Why wouldn’t I be happy with death… when I can finally be with everyone now.” Liu Qingge caressed his Shixiong’s small hand in his, giving Shen Qingqiu a happy smile when he saw the young man’s wide eyes greeting him.

“Liu-Shizhi… how old are you?” The Sect Leader asked, the smile vanishing from his face rending it emotionless, the only thing that informed him how affected the Sect Leader was, was how pale the man had become; Xian Anxiu’s face was almost grey, making Liu Qingge concerned about the man falling sick… but can ghost get sick?

“Ah… I stopped counting after I reached fifty…” Liu Qingge hummed, and for a split second, he wondered how old he was, before scrapping that thought away. Before his Shixiong’s death, Liu Qingge remembered being forty-three, maybe forty-two; after his Shixiong’s death, Liu Qingge stopped counting the days that droned in the same monotone that suffocated him, it was only his sister trying with all her might to cheer him on the day of his birth that made Liu Qingge aware of how old he was, aware of every year that passed with his Shixiong being dead… after his Sect was destroyed… after Mingyan was killed… after his family and Clan was annihilated… Liu Qingge never cared about how old he was as much as he cared about wiping Luo Binghe from the face of the earth.

…(Silence dominated the room, suffocating everyone, stilling everyone in their places as they gazed at the man lying on the bed, looking like he was lost in time as his hand continued to hold the person, he called ‘Zhiji’… the past few weeks were madness incarnation as everyone ran around the place trying to make sense of what took place, trying to unmask the man who appeared out of thin air and nearly killed a mountain of Peak Lords when going into Qi Deviation…

The past few weeks were hell, as everyone got the shock of their lives when they heard the Head Disciple of Qing Jing Peak turn to the stranger and call him Liu-Shidi, freezing everyone as they saw how the strange man… how ‘Liu-Shidi’ turned to Qing Jing Peak disciple with recognition in his mad eyes, as he walked toward the little disciple and calling him ‘Shixiong’ before passing in his arms…

After that, everything descended into madness when Chang Anning the Qian Cao Peak Lord confirmed that the man who crashed their meeting was, in fact, Liu Qingge, the Liu scion… just older… after that everything decided into madness when the Peak Lords got a good look at the battle-hardened body riddled with wounds that no human or Cultivator could survive, and scares that told the tales of horror stories and near death and mutilation…

After that there was the man's constant Qi Deviation at every opportunity there was and attacking anyone who dared to come closer to him like a rabid animal, only to calm down when he saw Qing Jing Head Disciple; leaving everyone with no choice but to force the boy to stay with the unconscious man if they wanted to avoid a major fight that would destroy the peaks…

After it was the time to call the Matriarch of the Liu Clan, Liu Yanli… and that in itself was a battle everyone feared… and after… after… all this madness, after all the insanity, after all the tiredness and late-night planning and the many countermeasures and crazy ideas and theories they agreed on… only to be told that the person lying on the bed looking so at peace, looking so joyful as he held into the one, he called his ‘Zhiji’; looking so happy as he took them in, though himself dead? That they were all dead?

What in the name of every God out there happened in the future?!)…

The door was slammed open, and grumbling was heard as familiar voices hissed and snapped as someone was forced into the room; that more than ever made Liu Qingge look up to see who had come, only for his heart to almost burst in happiness when he saw his father followed by his mother enter the room. Before Liu Qingge managed to call his family and tell them the happy news of killing their murderer and the scum who wiped out their Clan; Liu Qingge’s breath froze in his chest when his parents parted to reveal… himself…

 For a moment Liu Qingge thought this was a mad dream brought on by too much blood loss and being near death gave him a messed-up dream that would vanish any moment now as his body shut down and his soul moved on from this world. Right? Right? This was just a silly dream that would disappear once he died… right?

A flash of memory… a snarling and raging beast… an endless nightmare that took hold of him and refused to let go… screaming himself hoarse before he broke down… the Lingxi Caves… killing his Shixiong over and over again… in many different ways… different circumstances… different… Luo Binghe...

His Qi suddenly spiked, and a snarl crossed over his face as he all but lapped out of bed and barreled toward the disgusting beast that no doubt trapped him in a dream within a dream like he always did. “Luo Binghe!” Liu Qingge shrieked managing to evade his parents' clones and take hold of the demon, slamming him into the wall and taking hold of his neck, choking him. “Have you no shame, demon?!” Liu Qingge snarled, ignoring the chaos behind him and how hands were trying to pull him away from the thrashing body. “You dared! You dared to invade my dreams once more and wear my face? You dared to conjure the memories of the family you killed? How low can you reach you demon?!” Liu Qingge growled, ignoring the painful grip Luo Binghe had on his wrists as he tried to break free, ignored how the man tried to kick him anywhere he could and how his face turned red and purple… that despicable monster… that disgraced creature! Daring to show him a battle where Liu Qingge won; daring to show him his family and loved ones to try and lull him into a false sense of security before attacking!

Disgraceful creature, despicable demon! A monster like this had no right to conjure the image of his family when he was the one who killed them and collected their blood; a disgusted stain on the humans and demons kind who dared to touch his Shizun’s corpse like Shen Qingqiu owned him a thing. A madman who drove Liu Qingge over the edge day after day as he used every second of the day to torment him; either in his waking hours when the two of them fight to death for the corpse of Shen Qingqiu, or in the realm of sleep when the monster sent his dream demons to create a never-ending nightmare that trapped Liu Qingge until the man freed himself by slicing his neck with Cheng Luan.

“Liu-Shidi! Stop! Stop! Please!” It was the hysterical voice of his Shixiong that snapped Liu Qingge out of his murderous haze, it was his Shixiong’s hands taking hold of him and trying to prey him of Luo Binghe that made Liu Qingge soften his hold, allowing the imposer to take a much-needed breath before he started coughing and shaking; it was the tears in his Shixiong’s eyes that made Liu Qingge let go like he was burned and take a step back, not wanting his beloved to cry, even when he knew this was a trick from the monster to disarm him.

 “Even now… even in this realm, you dared to use your Shizun as a shield… have you no dignity, you scum!” Liu Qingge screamed, almost attacking once more if it wasn’t for Shen Qingqiu putting his hands on his chest to try and stop Liu Qingge from advancing… not that Liu Qingge would, because want it or not, Liu Qingge cannot have it in him to hurt his Zhiji even if he was nothing but a figment of his imagination… even if it meant that it would end in his death… even if it meant showing his weakness and painting a target on his back… Liu Qingge won't dare hurt a hair of his Shixiong, not when his beloved had suffered enough… not when Liu Qingge was forced by Luo Binghe to wake in the Lingxi Caves day after day, only to kill his beloved over and over again.

“He is not! He is not! Liu-Shidi, Shidi! He is not who you claimed him to be!” Shen Qingqiu’s voice ranged in the room, putting his hands on Liu Qingge’s chest to prevent him from advancing at Luo Binghe once more… Luo Binghe, who dared to manipulate the surroundings and make the images of his family rushed to him and hide him behind their backs, almost causing Liu Qingge to go into another Deviation if it wasn’t for the sudden Qi blasting through his Meridians.

Liu Qingge could only grit his teeth, glaring daggers at the disgusted demon that acted all meek and weak as he hid behind the ghosts of the past to stop Liu Qingge from hurting him, and fastening Liu Qingge’s descending into madness with this disgusting play; it was his beloved shaky form that made the anger dissipate a little and Liu Qingge could only let a tired sigh leave his lips. “Ah… I am sorry, Zhiji…” Liu Qingge murmured leaning down to kiss his beloved Shixiong gently on the forehead, causing his beloved to let a hitched breath as he gazed at Liu Qingge with wide eyes. “Don’t worry, I will make this right… Shixiong, I will get your body back from that demon, just wait a little bit, OK? I promise we will meet again.” With a gentle smile, Liu Qingge’s hand moved fast to snatch the hair stick from his Shixiong’s hair crown flipping the sharp stick with a practiced move and thrusting it toward his jugular, knowing that he would wake up after killing himself in the dream realm, only for once again to get ready for his march to Huan Hua Palace and the awaited fight to death against Luo Binghe.

“No!” A shriek was heard, and Liu Qingge didn’t know where that animalistic scream came from, he only saw a golden sword glare piercing through the air, blocking the hair stick from its fatal blow and shattering the wood into pieces. Liu Qingge froze in his place, his eyes tracing the golden sword before finding its owner, when his eyes met his grandmother, Liu Qingge’s breath stuttered in his chest as he saw the crazed and fierce look in the woman’s eyes. Swallowing, Liu Qingge raised a shaky hand to touch the sword, his heart pounding in his chest and almost escaping his ribcage when the image in front of him stayed the same.

Liu Yanli, the Liu Clan Matriarch, the shield of Jianghu, the wielder of Huàn Miè, the golden sword that only leaves its sheath to expose the truth; the sword that no illusion or enchantment was strong enough against its truth bearing light… a sword that Luo Binghe cannot replicate even in Liu Qingge’s dream no matter how much he tried for it was a sword that cannot be manipulated or seen by those will ill intension… a sword that disappeared after his grandmother’s death… a sword that turned everything upside down with the truth it exposed not a second ago…

Ah… it seemed that this wasn’t a dream, everything here was real, the person lying on the ground in his parents was him, not Luo Binghe; the phantom of his Shixiong who nearly fainted from the stress was his Zhiji and not a shield that Luo Binghe created to distract and drive Liu Qingge mad… everything was real, everything was the same as Liu Qingge remembered it to be… just the time that was messed up… suddenly a gust of wind blow behind Liu Qingge, and strange mechanical voice whispered in his ear, making his body lock in its place as ice ran through his veins as the words penetrated his ears…

Congratulations, congratulations; congratulations!

Important things must be said three times!

You fulfilled your role, Peak Lord Liu.

You got a second chance to make things right.

After all...

What The Lingxi Caves take, the Lingxi Caves give…

Chapter Text

…What The Lingxi Caves take, the Lingxi Caves give…

Words that continued to repeat over and over again in Liu Qingge’s mind, choking him, as they slithered around him, and trapping him, like a snake that trapped its prey and strangled it until there was only death. Words that repeated in his mind over and over again, never leaving, and echoing even as he lay in bed, acting like he was sleeping… trying to make his overwhelmed mind focus on something, instead of the events that took place days ago; rending him frozen and confused as he faced his supposedly deceased family and his beloved that he killed more than thirteen years ago…

What the Lingxi Caves take, the Lingxi Caves gives…

Words that were said in such a strange mechanical voice, that underneath contained a tone full of amusement and mockery, causing Liu Qingge to twitch and almost whirl to look around the room like he was a crazy person; further cementing his madness to the people surrounding him, informing them of how low Liu Qingge had fallen, how the famed War God had fallen into madness with no way out of… how losing everyone and everything had changed him in such irreversible way; changed him to the worse until he almost thought that he would turned into the second Luo Binghe once upon a time…

What the Lingxi Caves take…

Liu Qingge didn’t even know what these words meant, only knowing that something bigger (And possibly more sinister) was being brewed behind the scenes; a fact that made Liu Qingge twitch in his bed, as he felt his body tense and ready itself for a fight… years of war and pain and a kill or be killed scenarios had shaped Liu Qingge’s world into a violence mess with no way out. Letting out a tired sigh, Liu Qingge opened one of his eyes and inspected the room, looking around to see if there was anyone else with him, planning on stopping him or intercepting him…

…The Lingxi Caves gives…

Seeing no one was in the same room as him, Liu Qingge sat up, putting his head in his shaky hands, the shock of what happened still repeated in his mind over and over again until it almost consumed him; leaving him nothing but a hollowed shell with everything that defined him being erased… He was back… his mind whispered, these words finally made sense in his own being, causing Liu Qingge to still in his place before letting out a burst of choked laughter that was too manic and crazy even to his own ears; almost startling Liu Qingge if the man wasn’t so used to the outburst, the sudden mood swings he suffered, and the manic episodes that leveled everything in its way, a madness that inflected him ever since his Sect was destroyed by that demon spawn, and his beloved corpse was stolen by a despicable creature who touched it every night…

Back…

He was back…

…He was back…

Back to the past…

Back before Luo Binghe was born…

Back before… back before his Zhiji’s death…

He was back…

Back , back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!! Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!!Back, back, back, back, back, back, back; back, back, back, back, back, back!!!

He was Back!

What the Lingxi Caves take, the Lingxi Caves gives…

Those words rang in his eardrums, cutting whatever madness Liu Qingge was spiraling to and causing him to let out a hiss through his teeth; the major part of him was nagging at him to know the true meaning of these words, to discover the person who said those words to him without anyone managing to find them and without Huàn Miè’s light exposing them to everyone in the room. Looking around the room one last time, Liu Qingge stood up from the bed and walked toward the door, leaning his ear and listening to the whispering and hissing that was taking place on the other side.

After trying to kill himself… after having his grandmother unsheathe her sword… after going into another Qi Deviation when he realized that everything around him was real and not a figment of his imagination that Luo Binghe had created in the dream realm. Liu Qingge pretended to pass out for three days, being too shaky and confused to make anything make sense in this strange kind of madness he saw himself thrust into. A madness that Liu Qingge was still trying to make sense of, especially those words that were whispered in his ears.

What ‘Role’ did Liu Qingge fulfilled? Why did the entity congratulate him? And what a second chance when Liu Qingge was supposed to enter the reincarnating cycle with his Zhiji in the hope of finding him in the next life! What a second chance?! This was definitely not a reincarnation cycle that Liu Qingge was thrust into, especially when this cycle seemed to have his younger self waltzing around the place like he owns it and being an ass about it; if the way he saw him glaring and huffing and demanded that Liu Qingge ‘Fight him!’ after almost getting killed was anything to go by, Liu Qingge was sure his younger self was in his twenties or younger... a bullheaded idiot who never knew what true agony and hardship were... 

Part of him was still under the suspicion that Luo Binghe managed to trap him in his mind with no way out, tricking him into staying in this dream realm by his own choice; especially when being present with the sight of his beloved family and Clan being alive, and the fact that his Zhiji was alive and well, and in a place where he would accept Liu Qingge’s love so the two of them can live the rest of their lives how they wanted… but the huge part of Liu Qingge; the part that saw with his own two eyes the golden sword glare almost blinding him, knew that this was not one of Luo Binghe’s tricks, and that this was really the past… or future… or whatever place Liu Qingge found himself in.

Another dimension or a world was a crazy theory, but not an impossible one, as Liu Qingge had fought against Xin Mo; the sword that was known to be able to cut through space. If a sword managed to open a portal from Cang Qiong to the demon realm, what guarantees it wouldn’t manage to open a portal into another world that was so different but similar to Liu Qingge’s? Many mysterious caves held this ability too, that Liu Qingge was sure of as he had heard many tales about people claiming that they entered many strange caves, only to find themselves in strange lands where people wore different clothes and spoke different languages. But what Liu Qingge was sure of was the Lingxi Caves didn’t have this ability at all, because if that were true, then Cang Qiong Sect would have closed those caves for good, banning everyone from entering that place; the fear of the danger and the unknown that these caves might bring would be too great to allow people to walk freely in those tunnels.

The last theory that Liu Qingge would spare a thought for but discard immediately was ‘Time travel’, not because it seemed far-fetching and a much crazier theory than Liu Qingge would like to indulge in or was comfortable considering. But because of the many paradoxes that he was warned of and the dangers of creating a paradox that would destroy the timeline or something; his sister used to always go on and on about many dangers someone could suffer in such situations when talking about such far-fetching topics. His sister also used to stress about the fact that the past and future selves of a person should not meet each other if they didn’t want the world, they lived in to be destroyed or cause irreparable damage that would take decades to correct if it happened… or at least that’s what Liu Qingge understood from his sister’s hours long rants about time and space and what’s in between, every time someone brought in the use of time travels or messing up with time and space.

But want it or not, someone… or something… had brought Liu Qingge here, in this time and place, and with a hidden agenda that no one knows about other than the entity that spoke to Liu Qingge. And want it or not, the only place that could shed some light on this madness was the last place Liu Qingge was in before he found himself here; the place that brought many events that shaped Liu Qingge’s life in many ways, from the good to the bad… the place that the entity spoke about clearly, causing Liu Qingge to suspect that the entity did it on purpose to try and lure Liu Qingge to the direction it wanted him to go to.

This was probably the reason why Liu Qingge was eavesdropping on the Sect Leader, Qing Jing Peak Lord, and his family all but having a fistfight in the room adjacent to his; trying to decide his fate, and no doubt too fearful about asking what was going to happen in the future that rendered him into this jaded person that was too delighted by the prospect of finally dying. His Zhiji had long since left the room to refresh and rest, too frazzled and on the verge of Qi Deviation to be left out in the same room as Liu Qingge after he nearly took his life; something that made his heart give a painful pang as he promised himself to make it up to his beloved when he got the answers he desperately needed.

Cheng Luan was not by his side, no doubt it was taken and given to Wan Jian Peak Lord to verify if the sword he had in his hands was really Cheng Luan or a replica made to confuse everyone, and knowing Pei-Shibo, Liu Qingge won't get his sword back unless it was checked by every mean necessary that it was Cheng Luan. With that Liu Qingge headed silently to the window, sliding it open and looking around the place to see if anyone was present to witness his escape. Being Bai Zhan Peak Lord and spending most of his time on Night Hunts, meant that Liu Qingge was always in one way or another, bound to get injured, and nine out of ten that meant Liu Qingge was going to be forced to go to Qian Cao by his little sister. An annoying situation that Liu Qingge always complained about because he could take care of himself quite well and didn’t need to stay in a stuffy room with fluttering disciples around him who would have heart failure every time Liu Qingge called out for them; that was one of the main reasons that Liu Qingge had mapped Qian Cao Peak for every possible entry and exit route that could be found, every secret hideout and room, every glasshouse there was, and every tree that can help in his escape… so you can say that Liu Qingge was a Master at escaping from Qian Cao Peak, even if he was blind, deaf, and dumb.

Seeing that nobody was outside, reassured Liu Qingge of his successful escape, even if it meant that he was on the third store; a drop like this wouldn’t even hurt him or injure him even if the distance was far away. Using the opportunity to escape, and thanking every God out there that Chang-Shishu didn’t ward off the windows to stop any escape attempt; Liu Qingge jumped, twisting his body in the air and making sure to fall on his feet and minimize any sound that would have been produced in his quest.

Touching the ground with the tip of his toes, Liu Qingge used the momentum he had gathered to propel him forward, using the burst of speed to direct himself toward the bushes in the distance that would hide his presence from preying eyes. From then on, it was just trying to reach the Lingxi Caves while evading everyone’s presence; a task that was too easy for Liu Qingge who lived five years mapping these once-upon-a-time burned peaks, learning their ins and outs and every secret hideout and groove, every nook and cranny, leaving nothing unturned until he learned the fastest way to travel without his sword between the peaks… in a world where Luo Binghe reigned and killed, Liu Qingge knew he had to be as fast as he can or else he was going to get killed by that demon spawn; forever unable to avenge his fallen Clan and martial family and fail in his task of returning his Shixiong’s body to its resting place.

By the time Liu Qingge reached the Lingxi Caves, the sun was already high in the sky, and he was a thousand percent sure that his grandmother, parents, and martial family were searching Cang Qiong from the tip of the mountains to the surrounding villages to find him. Not that Liu Qingge cared about this fact as much as he cared about finding the answers that evaded him since he woke up in this strange world.

Entering the caves, Liu Qingge couldn’t help but close his eyes and put his hands up to protect his face when he felt a harsh gust of wind blowing from the inside, causing his hair and robes to wipe around him. It took a few seconds before the wind dissipated, but by then, Liu Qingge had confirmed his suspicion that whoever brought him to this world was already waiting for him in the Lingxi Caves. Knowing that Liu Qingge’s eyes darkened as he rushed through the twisted tunnels, planning to find the entity responsible for his situation and no doubt give them a good thrashing.

So, Liu Qingge walked, his legs taking him deeper and deeper inside the Lingxi Caves until nothing but darkness greeted him; so, Liu Qingge walked, his legs unconsciously taking him toward the place that he despised with all of his being… so, Liu Qingge walked, his legs freezing in the cave where he took his Shixiong’s life, and where he wanted his tomb to be… the cave in which both started and was supposed to end the madness that was Liu Qingge’s life.

Part of Liu Qingge doesn’t even know why his legs followed the familiar path until they reached here, while another part of him, the part that had spent years after his Shixiong’s death, always coming into this place day after day after day, until there was a warn trail leading everyone to this particular cave, knew why he was here.

“Liu-Shidi…” A familiar voice whispered a loving voice breathed out; a voice that made Liu Qingge’s heart almost escape his chest as he whirled to the caller, making his breath freeze in his chest and his eyes tear up at the sight that graced his vision. There, near the entrance of the cave stood Shen Qingqiu… His Shen Qingqiu… the man who saved Liu Qingge from the Qi-Deviation and sacrificed his life, the man who confessed his love for an unworthy worm that did nothing but bring him pain, the man who died in these caves, leaving Liu Qingge to mourn him for years upon years. “Liu-Shidi…” The person said, taking a step toward Liu Qingge, a soft smile on his face as his eyes crinkled around the corner, causing a sob to leave Liu Qingge’s chest.

“You…” Liu Qingge breathed, his body shaking in its place as he almost ran out toward the man in front of him and held him tightly, but… “You are… you are not Shen-Shixiong…” Liu Qingge said after what felt like centuries of staring at the man in front of him… staring at the entity in front of him… his words caused the entity to tilt its head and give him a wide smile… such a strange and fascinating action that Liu Qingge never saw his beloved do.

“What gave it away?” The entity asked curiously, no drop of malice in their voice, causing Liu Qingge to let out a shuddered breath. “Was it the smile, or the soft voice?” The entity continued, and Liu Qingge didn’t grace the entity with an answer, knowing if he was forced to give one it would be ‘Everything’. “Or are you too much of an animal that your instincts can recognize danger when it sees it?” At this Liu Qingge saw the mask finally fall away from the entity, and instead of the soft eyes and smiling face, the entity looked at Liu Qingge with disdain and mockery that almost made him laugh out loud… if the entity had greeted him with this face, then Liu Qingge would have fallen into their trap before the entity even said his name.

“Congratulations, congratulations; congratulations…” Liu Qingge started, as he took a step toward the entity. “Important things must be said three times…” He mocked, using the same words the entity whispered in his ear after he realized where he was. “Does this ring any bells?” Liu Qingge raised his eyebrow, twitching at how the entity used his Shixiong’s face to give a lopsided grin and a shrug.

“I always wanted to say that; especially after I heard a pesky entity say these words in my caves once upon a time.” The entity said in an airy voice as an aggravating grin took over their face. “It sounded catchy, right?” The entity hummed, as it started walking around Liu Qingge in circles, repeating these words he said over and over again, ending their strange chant with a ‘Ding’ sound that made Liu Qingge unbalanced and annoyed, especially, when the entity was still using his Shixiong’s appearance to talk with him.

“What are you? A God?” Liu Qingge asked, his eyes tracing every step the entity took, and every move it made; a painful feeling took hold of his heart as he saw the face of his Shen Qingqiu (His, the one he fought with, the one he grows up with, the one who died for him… the one Liu Qingge spent years trying to get back from Luo Binghe’s clutch) scuff at those words. “A Yao?” That made an amused grin take over the entity’s face as it turned its sight to Liu Qingge, giving him a look so similar to his Shixiong when he thought he was being stupid.

“What The Lingxi Caves take, the Lingxi Caves give~,” The entity said in a sing-song voice, causing the fine hair on Liu Qingge’s body to stand on its ends, as the horrifying realization of who this particular entity was slammed him in the face, making his blood raced through his veins feeling like the warm blood was akin to icy water in the situation he found himself in.

“A Xian…” Liu Qingge said after what felt like eons, his tongue was too thick as the horrible realization coursed through his body… all along, maybe for decades; maybe centuries… centuries of Cultivators going in and out of these caves like it was a ritual to follow without questions, some being found dead after years, and some coming out stronger than ever; centuries of the Lingxi Caves being considered one of Jianghu's richest grounds full of natural spiritual energy, where many Cultivators from all across the lands would give anything and everything they had to come to these caves and cultivate in them regardless of the dangers surrounding the place… centuries, and not once did anyone thought that an incident like this would occur under everyone’s noses… and who would, honestly? “How?” Liu Qingge said in a raspy voice, causing the entity… no the Xian to giggle happily and look at him with his Shixiong’s emerald eyes… eyes that Liu Qingge wanted to march straight to the Xian and rip them off; because that entity had no right… no right to look at him with those eyes, especially when they…

“I think you know how Liu-Shidi…” The Xian said, a too-happy and too-wide grin taking over their face, making his Shixiong’s face twist in an unnatural way that almost made bile rise in Liu Qingge’s throat. “Just as we both know, how no one can ever get rid of me, because guess what, Zhiji…” Liu Qingge bristled like a wet tiger as he heard that word coming from this creature’s mouth. “I am these mountains as a whole, I am the start and end of this Sect; I am the gates of time and space that no one can close… I am also a guardian bonded by their words…” The entity said, looking Liu Qingge up and down with a ravenous look that brought both excitement and hate (Excitement for how such a look transformed Shixiong’s face, and hate for how his heart raced when he knew that this creature was not his beloved) before a sneer took over Liu Qingge’s face.

“Oh, and those are?” Liu Qingge questioned donning an arrogant look as he crossed his arms over his chest, wanting to edge the Xian to know what words could keep such a creature bonded when their hearts were so fickle, an immortal fancying a new toy before discarding it after a few minutes. The Xian’s face twitched for a second before he headed straight toward Liu Qingge, looming over him and causing Liu Qingge’s hackles to rise despite the sliver of fear that took over Liu Qingge’s heart as he finally realized how huge the Xian was when coming to stand chest to chest, having been to distracted by seeing his Shixiong’s face, Liu Qingge didn’t pay any attention to the creature donning it, which was a mistake, as Liu Qingge had to raise his head so high to look at the Xian who had an amused smile on his face like he was looking at a mere a child.

The Xian lowered their body as they put their hands on Liu Qingge’s shoulders (And as much as Liu Qingge wanted to push the creature, as much as it wanted to fight it, he couldn't, because unlike facing Luo Binghe, when facing this entity, his body froze in fear) before coming to whisper something in his ears that made Liu Qingge’s eyes widen as denial and pain took hold of his heart and squeezed tightly.

‘No’ Liu Qingge wanted to scream, wanting his voice to shake the earth and sky for the unimaginable pain coursing through his soul as he understood the words this creature said; ‘No’ Liu Qingge wanted to weep, wishing those words he heard were nothing but a lie from an angry deity but he knew damn well that this entity was telling him the truth, and wouldn’t gain anything from killing or lying to Liu Qingge when the man could be useful to this entity… why? … was the only word that could ring in Liu Qingge’s ears, and even then, it was answered not a few minutes later.

“…This is your second, Liu-Shidi…” The Xian continued whispering in his ear, bringing Liu Qingge close to its body in a mockery of an embrace, causing Liu Qingge to choke on the sob that wanted to leave his chest but was trapped. “A chance like this rarely came, if ever…” The entity then started to pet Liu Qingge’s head, humming softly as if trying to comfort him, no doubt they were aware that the actions they were doing were doing exactly the opposite. “The heavens and fates may have chosen Luo Binghe as their son and gave him everything he wanted; a pesky entity may have helped the son of fates to bring nothing but destruction and unbalance to this land…” Hearing that name, made Liu Qingge bristle, his hands fisting tightly, until his nails broke his balms, leaving bloody crescents behind. “But these are my mountains and you are my worshippers; so, just this time I will do something different… Not the Jade Emperor, not the fates, and especially not that pesky entity called ‘System’ can change my mind now.” With that, the Xian let go of Liu Qingge and backed away, an amused grin on their face before they took out a folded fan from their belt and opened it, almost taking Liu Qingge’s breath away from how familiar this sight was. “There are many years until Luo Binghe reaches this world; maybe five, maybe ten, twenty years? I don’t care, because one way or another you will stop him, just like you did… as for what you do in the meantime… well, it’s up to you Liu-Shidi!” The Xian let out a laugh before they turned around, walking out of the entrance before stopping one last time to say. “Oh, and I almost forgot… when you see him, tell him just this once, I will overlook our deal… bye-bye Liu-Shidi~” With that, the Xian dissipated into thin air, causing Liu Qingge to let out a choked noise as he saw the whisp of fog disappeared into the caves system never to be seen again; shock and pain still running through his system at the mind-exploding news he was told and the secrets he uncovered… Liu Qingge could only lean on the walls of the cave; suddenly feeling all of his fifty-plus years weighing him down…

He wondered if this was a nightmare, he needed to wake up from…

Shen Jiu could only run; his heart was pounding in his throat as his voice cracked from how much he called Liu Qingge’s name over and over again; in the distance, there were many shouts in many different voices and tones, calling out ‘Liu-Shidi’ or ‘Liu-Shixiong’ or even ‘Liu-Shizhi’ over and over again without an answer being given.

The Liu Clan Matriarch was running beside Shen Jiu, calling out ‘Mingyu!’ in the loudest voice she could, her face twisted in worry and in her grey-blue eyes there was nothing but terror swirling inside. An emotion that was also dominating Shen Jiu’s features no doubt, because was it not a few days that Liu Qingge tried to take his own life in front of them? Was it not a few days ago that the man gazed at them with confusion and terror before passing out after his grandmother stopped him? Was it not a few days ago that…?

Shen Jiu breathed, tears almost clouding his eyes before he controlled himself, trying not to show any weakness in front of people; trying not to show anyone how this was affecting him. Trying to act as aloof and uncaring, even when Shen Jiu wanted to huddle in a corner and let his emotions loose… this was all his fault… all his fault… if Shen Jiu just stayed beside Liu-Shidi and refused to budge like he wanted this wouldn’t have happened; if it wasn’t for his Shizun dragging him to get checked out by Chang-Shishu, then he could have kept his eyes on Liu-Shidi, not allowing him to escape to Gods know where, and do Gods know what to himself… the man tried to take his own life a few days ago for God's sake!

“Did you find him?” The Sect Leader asked as he reached them, jumping off his sword and joining the party on the ground, looking at the Liu Matriarch before turning to Shen Jiu, his face twisted in worry and concern when he saw how haggled the two of them were; with no Liu Qingge in sight. Taking their silence as a negative, Sect Leader Xian cursed under his breath, before he took an emergency talisman before lightening it up using his Qi.

“We searched everywhere…” The voice of Shen Anwei, his Shizun, filtered through the clearing, giving his report as soon as he reached them after a few incense sticks time. “Every Peak Lord searched their peaks thoroughly; even the disciples that were sent to the surrounding villages returned empty-handed, the beasts from Yěshòu Peak couldn’t detect anything from the surrounding forests…. It is as if the man had completely disappeared…” Shen Anwei frowned, his words causing everyone to shift as a dark cloud descended upon everyone; fear could be felt in the air, especially when the Liu Matriarch’s face darkened and her fists clenched tightly… everyone no doubt was fearful of the action that the woman was going to take hearing such news.

“What about the Lingxi Caves?” Shen Jiu suddenly asked after a while of silence, his words causing everyone to turn and study him… judging him… almost made Shen Jiu take a step back, but he swallowed and stood his ground, not wanting to back down when he knew that Liu-Shidi’s life depended on it. “When Liu-Shidi arrived at Cang Qiong through the portal I managed to glimpse his surroundings a bit and…” Shen Jiu said when he saw his Shizun giving him encouraging looks to continue, only to be interrupted by the Liu Matriarch who was frowning.

“…And they were familiar enough that the first thing you thought of was the Lingxi Caves…” The Liu Matriarch hummed, looking Shen Jiu up and down, almost making his skin crawl with the way the woman was appraising him. “Shen Qingqiu, Successor Disciple of Qing Jing Peak, right.” The woman said in a tone that told everyone she wasn’t asking, but confirming her words, almost making Shen Jiu shift in his place as he saw those grey-blue eyes shine with something before the woman turned around and started walking toward Qiong Ding.

“Ahhhh… that woman is scary…” Sect Leader Xian shuddered as he said those words, coming to stand beside Shen Anwei, who gave the Sect Leader a scolding look. “Anyway, good job, Shen-Shizhi for noticing such important detail! Now come, we have a cave system that needed to be searched once more.” Xian Anxiu said, grinning happily, petting Shen Jiu on the head like he was a child before dragging Shen Anwei to follow the Liu Matriarch who was walking fast toward Qiong Ding; leaving Shen Jiu confused and uncertain about the Sect Leader’s actions toward him, but he shook it off as he ran after the Cultivators, his heart pounding in his chest as he headed to the Lingxi Caves.

It took time before reaching the Lingxi Caves, and by then, Shen Jiu could only pant as his legs shook with every step he took; the hours spent searching for Liu Qingge (Proceed by a near Qi Deviation and unstable Qi) had taken its toll on him; the only thing that propelled Shen Jiu forward was his stubbornness and the refusal to rest until he found Liu-Shidi safe and sound… stupid, Liu-Shidi! … still causing Shen Jiu so many hardships and stress even after growing up and no doubt becoming a power-house; an idiot that should be put on a leash if the only thing that he would succeed in doing was causing Shen Jiu’s hair to turn grey from the stress and Qi Deviations he no doubt was going to suffer because of that idiot!

It took time to reach the caves, just as it took time for the Peak Lords and those of the Liu Clan to go on their separate ways to search for Liu Qingge who was no doubt in one of these caves, doing Gods know what, and no doubt was planning on driving people insane by finding his corpse. Once again, Shen Jiu found himself walking beside the Liu Matriarch (A fate Shen Jiu didn’t know how it happened but was too afraid to question it), who was calling out Liu Qingge’s birth name, a ball of Qi in her hand lightening up the way as the two of them walked deeper and deeper into the Lingxi Caves.

It took time, before Shen Jiu managed to hear it, the sound of soft thumbing that made him all but whirl around and look behind him like a madman, ignoring how the Liu Matriarch turned to him with a frown and a confused look. But by then Shen Jiu didn’t care about telling the woman what was going on as much as following the soft thumbing noise, the Liu Matriarch following behind him, being strangely silent. It took time before Shen Jiu managed to locate the cave with a thumbing noise, and by then, Shen Jiu’s legs had already made the decision and were running toward the source of the sound without stopping.

It took time before Shen Jiu managed to find Liu Qingge, and by then, Shen Jiu could only stand frozen in place as his eyes took in the sight in front of him, not knowing what to say or do to the disheveled man sitting on the cave’s floor with his back to the walls; absent-mindedly picking up small pebbles and throwing them as far as he could before picking up another.

“Mingyu!” The Liu Matriarch cried out, rushing toward the man who blinked out of his daze and turned to the woman who threw herself at him, hugging him tightly to her body as she cursed and hid her sobs from how stressed she was. “What were you thinking?!” She hissed, her words causing Liu Qingge to shrug and look at his bare feet; Qian Cao patient’s robes that Liu Qingge wore were dirty and ripped in some places, causing Shen Jiu to tense as he inspected the man, fearing that he was injured someplace.

“I died here… or I think I did…” Liu Qingge crocked, his voice too broken and rough, the same voice he used when he called Shen Jiu ‘Shixiong’ the first time he arrived in Cang Qiong; those words almost blindsided Shen Jiu and the Liu Matriarch as they both gazed at Liu Qingge with horror itching in their faces. “…I don’t know what to think anymore…” Liu Qingge breathed out, his free hand that wasn’t in his grandmother’s grip went to his face, wiping his eyes harshly before he leaned his head on the wall behind him. “I just… I just wanted to die where my Zhiji did…” That made Shen Jiu take a harsh breath, unconsciously taking a step back as he gazed at Liu Qingge with horror; studying his Shidi who was gazing at his hands with a lost look, seemingly not realizing that Shen Jiu was standing near the entrance and was having an existential crisis over those last words.

Shen Jiu couldn’t help but swallow, his eyes darting around the cavern they were in; taking the place where he was supposed to die in… Qi Deviation… was the first conclusion that Shen Jiu came to, because knowing his rotten luck, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to die by a Qi Deviation, not when his spiritual roots were so fucked up with no way salvage them because of his messed up past. “A-Yu…” The Liu Matriarch whispered, her hand raising to pet her grandson who was still too dazed and too lost; Shen Jiu couldn’t help but swallow before he turned around and left, giving the pair the privacy, they needed away from any preying eyes. Citing to himself that he needed to call the other Peak Lords and inform them that they found the missing Liu scion…

Shen Jiu ignored how his hands shook like dry leaves in a storm…

“What are you planning on doing, A-Yu?” Liu Yanli asked, many Shichen later, when everyone was back on their respectable peaks, and Liu Qingge was dragged back to Qian Cao to bathe and have his wounds looked after once more.

It was many Shichen later and the Peak Lords had finally left the Liu Clan alone, leaving them alone to decide what was going to happen from then on; having spent many Shichen and hours questioning Liu Qingge about the future, only to get the shock of their lives when he told them about the beginning of the end, and how the world they knew was no more.

It was many Shichen later, and everyone escaped this suffocating room, not knowing what to do when they learned about the downfall of their Sect and every other Sect out there because of one Heavenly Demon that was madness incarnation.

It was many Shichen later after Liu Qingge told everyone what happened ever since Shen Qingqiu’s death and how their Sect fell not that much later, how their only defense and protection was destroyed because of Liu Qingge being nothing but a reckless brute who decided to force a breakthrough when it wasn’t due…

It was many Shichen later since he stood in front of every Peak Lord, and told them how their successors brought nothing but shame, spitting on the meaning of martial family and only using it when it suited their goals, leaving everyone disheartened and angry, at the knowledge of their Sect falling apart because of their choice in the successors who would inherit their places…

It was many Shichen later, and Liu Qingge narrates everything that took place after Luo Binghe’s resurfacing from the Endless Abyss, telling everyone the tales of betrayal and massacre that almost wiped their world, his face was an emotionless mask, and his voice drown on and on as he tried to categories every event that happened like a general finally making their report.

It was many Shichen since his grandmother brought him here; many Shichen since he was back into Qian Cao, many Shichen since Sect Leader Xian Anxiu and the Peak Lords came to question him… many Shichen since Liu Qingge opened his mouth to talk and refused to be quiet no more after he found his voice.

Exposing many people who liked to hide behind the masks of ignorance, exposing many people who hide behind the perfect image of righteous Cultivators only to destroy other’s reputations and images; exposing the traitors who lived in their Sect for decades and decades before betraying them to join Luo Binghe and destroy their family…

It was many Shichen later, that Liu Qingge had finally managed to tell everyone about the Lingxi Caves being a Xian, a deity, an entity, an immortal within their own rights; a fact that brought horror and fear as everyone couldn’t help but turn their gaze to where the Lingxi Caves were located, no doubt everyone was wondering if they should seal the Lingxi Caves shut, or build an alter to worship and give tribute to the entity living there.

“I don’t know…” Liu Qingge ended up saying; his voice was hoarse from how much he talked and talked and talked, until his throat felt like it was bleeding, and the burden that weighed him with its crushing weight almost disappeared. “I didn’t think I would live after killing Luo Binghe… didn’t imagine what comes after killing Luo Binghe… I don’t know what I am supposed to do…” Liu Qingge confessed, knowing that his grandmother could read between the lines clearly, and would have known what he would have done in the end even if there was a chance of survival.

“But you are in the past, now…” Liu Yanli stated, offering Liu Qingge a cup of soothing tea, causing the man’s lips to twitch into a smile full of nostalgia as he smelled the scent of lotus tea, which his grandmother adored. “Everyone is alive; our Clan, your Sect, the martial family you love and hate… your Zhiji…” At the last word, Liu Qingge could only breathe deeply. “Surely, this is enough reason for you to stay here and consider your next step.” His grandmother hummed as she took a sip of her tea, making Liu Qingge close his eyes before taking another sip.

“A lifetime of mistakes and a mountain of regrets…” Liu Qingge whispered, his words making his grandmother glance at him before putting her cup down, something akin to understanding shining in her grey-blue eyes. “Can I change that when I feel like an imposter seeing my younger self waltzing around? Can I change that when I see dead people walking and going about their day like nothing else matters? …can I really change that when I already feel dead on the inside?” Liu Qingge was curious in a way to hear his grandmother’s answer, knowing if someone had an answer for him, it would be the immortal sitting in front of him, who saw the rise and fall of many dynasties she lost count.

“A lifetime of mistakes that was erased and you were given another… A mountain of regrets that are as small as a hill at the moment but easier to cross over and if act right can be leveled down...” Liu Yanli stated with a voice that was full of strength and belief, making part of Liu Qingge ache. “…And your scars… are scars that remind you to never stray from your path or the consequences would be dire… that’s all there is to it.” His grandmother finished her words by taking a sip of her tea, causing Liu Qingge’s lips to twitch into a tired smile.

“You never failed in knowing what to say, Nainai…” Liu Qingge whispered, gazing at his tea with a lost look and a tired smile, his words summoning a hum from Liu Yanli who was studying him intensely.

“Your Zhiji…” The mention of his Shixiong caused Liu Qingge to raise his head and look at his grandmother who looked a little lost before she continued. “He is a smart one I must say… knows how to handle you and especially your younger self who was a pain in the ass the whole time you were incapacitated… so different from how you used to describe him at this age…” That made Liu Qingge wince, wondering what his younger self had done to make such an annoyed and dark look cross his grandmother’s face, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel shame at how blind and idiotic he was at this age. “He was the one who told us to search the Lingxi Caves…” That made Liu Qingge’s heart drop, hating the image of Shen Qingqiu entering those cursed caves that took and took and took and left nothing but broken Spirits and hearts.

“Shixiong always knew where to find me…” Liu Qingge smiled for a bit before when he noticed how curious his grandmother was. “He was always smart, and capable; kind in one way and petty in another, he was the one who ran the Sect and made it the Great Sect it was in the future before our downfall… but want it or not, he was always misunderstood, and it didn’t help that I was an idiot who couldn’t see farther than his nose and listened to others who spread rumors without going to him to clarify the situation… I let my pride and righteousness blind me until…” Liu Qingge couldn’t continue, the words feeling too heavy and thick on his tongue.

“Until it was too late and you were left picking up the pieces, wondering how blind and a fool you were to follow the path that everyone spoon-fed you since you were young without questioning it… until all there was left was the what-ifs and the hope that if you did right you can atone for your sins…” That made Liu Qingge close his eyes, clutching the porcelain tea cup tightly in his hand it almost shattered; Liu Qingge could only gaze at his grandmother, whose face was twisted in pain and resignation before the woman let out a tired sigh. “What do you wish to be called? It is kind of confusing to be calling you Qingge when we both know your bratty self is outside causing problems at this moment and wouldn’t be happy to give up the courtesy name, he worked hard for…” His grandmother grimaced, making Liu Qingge give a tired chuckle before relaxing his grip on his cup.

“Mingyu is fine… it has been decades since someone called me by my name, and I don’t think I can shoulder the name ‘Qingge’ anymore… not after…” Liu Qingge trailed off not knowing how to continue, but in the end, he got a nod of acceptance from his grandmother who refilled both of their teacups. A silence descended upon them, and there was no hint of awkwardness or need to fill it with meaningless words and chatter. A comforting silence enveloped them both with its presence that offered understanding and companionship…

They spend the night like this…

Chapter Text

“You promised…” A voice cracked as it delivered these words, a piercing gaze filled with anger and pain as black eyes settled on the person standing not that far from them. “You promised me he would never be hurt.” A hiss left the man who spoke, his fists clenched so tight that his nails pierced his palms leaving behind bloody crescents. “You promised me that as long as he stays here, Cang Qiong would always have his back and protect him from everyone out there…” A growl left the man’s throat, his Qi crackling around him dangerously, charged with so much power the scent of ozone filled the air. “You promised me, Xian Anxiu!” A snarl and a booming sound of thunder made itself known as the Qi exploded, destroying everything in its path and turning the room into ruined beams and charred wood.

“I am sorry…” The second man in the room spoke after a while, not raising his head from its lowered position, his heart squeezing in pain at the sight of his beloved looking so disheveled and a step away from Qi Deviation; he knew it was the wrong thing to say when his beloved let out a snarl and another boom was heard. “An-Er, I…” Xian Anxiu tried to calm his beloved who was shaking and looking a second away from breaking down and crying.

“Sorry? Sorry?! He says he is sorry!” Shen Anwei mocked, a cruel light shining in his eyes as he paced around the room, looking more agitated by the second, like a tiger that was forced into a corner. “You promised me he would be fine! You said the ‘Qing’ generation would take care of him, that they would protect him, that I have nothing to worry about after ascending because you were sure that your successor and the rest of the succeeding disciples would stand by his side, just like you stood by mine!” Xian Anxiu’s fists clenched, as he watched his beloved paced around the room, looking more stressed and furious as the seconds passed.

“An-Er! Calm down, please!” Xian Anxiu tried once more, rushing to his beloved and trying to get hold of him and pass him Qi to staff the Qi Deviation that was no doubt just around the corner; again, for whatever reason, this also seemed to be the wrong thing to say as a loud clap of thunder was heard, and Shen Anwei’s Qi almost burned him when he got to close

“Calm down? Calm down?! How could you just tell me to calm down when my son’s life turned into a living hell?!” Shen Anwei snapped, and the word that slipped from his lips caused Xian Anxiu's lips to part, his eyes widened as he gazed at Shen Anwei who didn’t seem to notice the slip of the tongue he had. “Baseless rumors, bullying, sabotage, and disrespecting my successor even when he practically led this Sect that turned into a circus by those baboons you always give more credit to, even when I tell you they are nothing but spoiled children! I told you they weren’t good to lead this Sect, that they were nothing but spoiled children who see nothing but black and white! I told you that Yue Qingyuan was nothing but a pushover who couldn't decide what to do to save his ass, let alone lead a Sect filled with people that depended on him! I told you that we needed to stay here because it isn’t our time to ascent yet! But what did you do? What did you say?!” Shen Anwei ranted, panting as his hands fisted his hair and messed it up; a mad sight that Xian Anxiu never thought he would witness ever since he met his elegant and aloof Shidi, who never looked this messy a day of his life.

“I told you everything was going to be alright…” Xian Anxiu said tiredly, his hand coming to rub his forehead in the hope of stopping the headache that wanted to make its presence known. “I told you everything would be fine because if your disciple was anything like you, he wouldn’t take anything lying down and would kick everyone until they finally opened their eyes and saw the wrongs they committed.” Xian Anxiu could only gaze at Shen Anwei who let out a tired sob, breaking whatever was left of his heart as he rushed to pull his beloved into his arms, passing him Qi and rocking him until he calmed down, and ignoring the burns and suffocating feelings he got when he got too close to his beloved.

“He… he wasn’t even allowed a peaceful death…” A sob left Shen Anwei’s throat as he hid his face in Xian Anxiu’s chest. “He wasn’t allowed a peaceful death, A-Xiu… he… he… A-Xiu… he was killed by his Zhiji and wasn’t allowed a peaceful death… this is not fair… this is not fair, you promised…” A wounded noise left Shen Anwei’s throat, causing Xian Anxiu to close his eyes tightly and give a shuddered breath, his arms tightening around his beloved as he kissed his lover’s hair.

“I’m sorry…” Xian Anxiu whispered again, trying to suppress his shudder as he remembered what the Bai Zhan’s future Peak Lord told them; trying not to throw up as he remembered what happened to Cang Qiong after Shen Anwei’s successor died, tried to ignore how sick to the bones he felt when he was told that Cang Qiong burned to ashes, and the little disciple’s remains were stolen by a mad demon trying to revive him… so many crazy stories that made Xian Anxiu wonder if he had lost his mind or Liu Qingge had hallucinated all of this when he was in coma, but that body and its life-threatening injuries don’t lie, those eyes that were so tired and old didn’t lie; the ancient soul and the burden the man seemed to carry wasn’t a lie… everything was told to him was the truth…

“I told you to never say that word…” Xian Anxiu tried not to wince at the jab he received from his lover, whose Qi finally calmed down enough that the danger of Qi Deviation was averted. “Sorry, doesn’t put food on the table, nor does it bring the dead back, or erase decades of abuse… sorry is just an empty word people say to elevate the guilt their conscious feel…” Shen Anwei sniffled, pulling away from Xian Anxiu’s embrace and wiping his face.

“I know, I am so…” Xian Anxiu said before his words trailed off and a nervous smile took over his face when his beloved gave him a dark look. “But look at the bright side, An-Er!” Xian Anxiu finally spoke after a while, his words receiving a raised eyebrow from Shen Anwei. “We got a second chance, didn't we?” That made Shen Anwei pause for a bit, the unsure look on his face made Xian Anxiu smile. “Someone from the heavens must be smiling at us, don’t you think? To be given another chance; to have someone from the future drop on us all of sudden… your disciple’s Zhiji no less… a powerhouse that managed to slay a Heavenly Demon, an impossible fate that not even the heavens managed to do; to be told about what was going to happen in the future before it did… don’t you think we were given another chance to right the wrongs before they were even committed? We could save your disciple this time...” That made Shen Anwei let out a choked noise, looking closer to tears once more before he finally gathered himself, trying to look collected and cold even when Xian Anxiu knew his beloved would no doubt break down on the inside.

“You… you will listen to me this time.” Shen Anwei said, his fists clenching as he glared at Xian Anxiu daring him to disagree with his words. “This time… I won't believe any of your and our Martial Siblings’ reassurance.” Xian Anxiu nodded his head in acceptance, knowing that this was within Shen Anwei’s rights, after all, wasn’t his beloved the one who warned them about how unfitting their disciples were? “Our ascension would not be delayed or postponed, but canceled, and if you refused or made a fuss about that, then all of you can fuck off to the heavenly realm and leave me here because I will not come no matter how much you plea.” Xian Anxiu nodded his head, agreeing with his lover a thousand percent, knowing that after the events that took place, their ascension was the last thing on everyone’s mind, and maybe it would be something that wouldn’t take place in their lifetimes; something that didn’t make Xian Anxiu feel sad or angry, not when he knew this realm needed him more than the heavenly realm would ever need him. “The ‘Qing’ generation… all of them, every one of them, every entitled brat that made this generation… they would be demoted from their positions as succeeding disciples and more suitable disciples would be chosen to take their places, ones that wouldn’t destroy people’s lives because of hearsay or sabotage their Martial Siblings because of their difference… I will be the one who oversees this selection, and every word or order I say will be heard and done.” Shen Anwei hissed, looking angrier and more agitated by the minute that Xian Anxiu started to sweat.

“Ah… I do agree with you on this An-Er… but…” A glare that was more powerful than the sun was sent his way, causing Xian Anxiu to sweat and look at his lover who looked a step away from murder. “You do know that it would be impossible to demote all of the ‘Qing’ generation, right? Especially, Bai Zhan, you know how they select their succeeding disciples, and as a treaty that the founders signed on; demoting a whole generation from their position needs the agreement of all the current Peak Lords…” Xian Anxiu tried to explain, his words causing Shen Anwei to snarl and take a step forward to strangle him. “But! I am sure in light of what we heard coming from the future Peak Lord of Bai Zhan, everyone would agree with your decision to demote the succeeding disciples of the ‘Qing’ generation with the exception of a few.” Xian Anxiu tried to compromise, letting out a relieved sigh when he saw Shen Anwei actually stop in his advance to think of the situation from Xian Anxiu’s point.

“Fine… that annoying brute can stay as a succeeding disciple… but everyone other than him and A-Jiu is to be demoted immediately, especially that pushover disciple of yours Xian Anxiu!” Shen Anwei snapped, his words causing Xian Anxiu to let out a nervous laugh and nod his head, even when he felt doomed when he heard his lover use his whole name. “We have to move quickly… we need to catch the traitors before they escape, we also need to host a Peak Lord meeting as soon as tomorrow to discuss what we should do about the Lingxi Caves and the succeeding disciples’ future, followed by another meeting with the rest of the disciples to tell them about the final decision; we also have the Liu Clan to think of, I am sure the Liu Matriarch would never let things stand as they are after what she was told, she would probably want to be with us every step of the way and will refuse to be told otherwise… and then… we have the future Liu Qingge… I don’t even know in which category I should place him, and I am sure that this bastard will refuse to leave the Sect after seeing A-Jiu… I need to get rid of him somehow…” Shen Anwei murmured to himself, his hand resting on his chin as he started scheming how to get rid of the powerhouse that was the future War God and make him stay as far away from his disciple as he could.

Xian Anxiu could only sweat as he felt a forbidding feeling taking over him, making him shake in his place as he wondered what he would do when he was forced to face the rage of his beloved and Liu Yanli when the two of them clashed in the future… Ah… he really needed to find and talk to Shen Anwei’s little disciple to create a contingency plan before that happened… knowing that when his beloved entered one of his moods he wouldn’t stop to listen even when it was important; Xian Anxiu sat on the chair not that far away, watching his beloved pacing around the room with a concentrated look that was mirrored by him as he tried to find a plan that would be favored by everyone around them and won't throw the Sect into chaos…

They had a lot of reevaluations to do

“Why?” The word felt like a frost descending on the room, making everyone kneeling shiver in terror as they kowtowed to the woman sitting on the blush chair in front of them, surrounded by pillows and softness; the said woman was crossing her legs and taking a sip from her tea with closed eyes, looking the picture of elegant and aloofness, uncaring about those kneeling and squirming like worms not that far from her.

…(“Why?” An Ding Peak Lord Lao Anjin growled, causing the boy kneeling in front of him to whimper and stutter the word sorry over and over again, looking closer to breaking down and having a mental crisis as the seconds passed. “Stop crying and tell me why! I am not in the mood for your games Shang Qinghua!” Sobs were heard, stuttered explanations, begging, and pleas filled the room, as the shivering mess on the floor wept and tried to avoid the death they knew was just around the corner.)…

“S-Shizun… I d-don’t k-“ Whatever the kneeling woman tried to stutter to appease her Shizun, it was swallowed as everyone froze in their places at the clacking sound of the ceramic teacup being put harshly on the wooden table, producing a sharp sound that made everyone shiver and held their breaths.

“Rumors, sabotage, bullying, baseless accusation…” The Xian Shu Peak Lady continued to narrate the offenses one after the other, making everyone’s faces turn deathly white as the Peak Lady looked at them with a blank gaze. “…and last but not least, banning Qing Jing’s Succeeding Disciple from Xian Shu Peak using false charges and not informing me of it.” The Xian Shu immortal fairy, Wang Anwen finished, studying every face in the room before settling on the face of her Head Disciple. “Do you have something to say, Qi Qingqi?” The Lady asked, taking her cup from the table and sipping the tea with a calm and confident look on her face, her eyes not leaving her disciple who was shaking and shivering as the silence stretched.

…(“I am so disappointed in you, Mu Qingfang…” Cheng Anning said, looking down at his disciple with cold eyes, no sympathy was seen on his face as he looked at the trembling boy kowtowing near his feet. “We are healers, we don’t show favoritism, we don’t refuse those who come to us; we don’t judge people, nor do we treat our patients badly because of baseless rumors that hold no grain of truth.” The boy flinched, voice cracking as he apologized over and over again, trying to hold back his tears as he once again was scolded by his Shizun who took his acupuncture needles from him, informing him that he was no longer his succeeding disciple and that he doesn't deserve to be a healer.)…

 Silence… utter silence that blanketed the room, as the Peak Lady gazed at every face with a bored look, waiting for someone, anyone really to take the step and speak up; especially Qi Qingqi who was gazing at the floor with wide eyes full of terror, fists clenched on her lap and her mouth refused to be opened.

A few incense sticks time had passed and with every minute filled with silence, the Peak Lady’s patience evaporated until she let out a hum. “You know… my Shixiong… your Shibo… did tell me how useless and unsuitable you were as a Peak Lady; he said you were nothing but a spoiled child who had too much infatuation with someone who doesn’t spare you a look, that you wouldn’t hesitate to ruin someone for that silly crush…” Wang Anwen took another sip of her cup, ignoring the way Qi Qingqi flinch, and how her terror mounted. “I told him that he was just imagining things, that you are a good child who worked hard to be where she is now, that you would never ever fall as low as this; I told him that you are a noblewoman who always protected her martial family and that no silly thing such as liking someone romantically, would make you do such heinous crimes…” Wang Anwen put her cup down, her eyes taking in her disciple who had turned ashen, shaking like a leaf in the face of a storm.

…(“It seems that I was remised in my teachings…” Pei Anzhu the Wan Jian Peak Lord said with a tired sigh, gazing at his disciple who was looking at him with a tense posture and blank face, trying not to show how much his Shizun’s words had affected him. Pei Anzhu could only look at his disciple’s face with pity mixed with anger, not knowing how he should react and what he should do in such a situation)…

“Shizun I…” Qi Qingqi tried to speak up, almost jumping from her kneeling position if it wasn’t for the dark expression on her Shizun’s face that froze her and trapped the words in her throat; the pressure everyone felt before intensified as Xian Shu Peak Lady let her Qi loose and put the cup back on the table, rending the room deadly.

“Did I allow you to speak?” Wang Anwen suddenly asked while tilting her head, her words causing Qi Qingqi to shiver and open her mouth before closing it, terror taking hold of the young woman as it all dawned on her how she fucked up so badly. “Today… I got the shock of my life when someone came to me and told me how low my venerable peak of fairies had fallen; how this sanctuary for men and women who seek protection had turned into nothing but a cat house were the women turned those who needed them away and did nothing but spreading rumors and destroying lives… today, I got a wakeup call from a ghost that came from the future, who told me that this peak, my peak, the place that was founded on the idea of healing the heart demons of those who suffered from unjust by either men or women who took from them what they didn’t want to give; had turned into nothing but the heart demon we tried to destroy and heal its pain… today I had seen how my peak treated the men who needed them so badly because men are disgusting… and that… that wasn’t even the worse of it after I decided to look into the matter myself and see if what was said was true… what you did to the Qing Jing’s Head Disciple, what you said and spready about him… the sabotage and bullying and even the embezzlement… Qi Qingqi… do you know how hard it is for me to control myself not to come and skew you with your own sword?” Wang Anwen smiled while tilting her head, making everyone shiver in terror when those furious eyes that promised death skimmed the room, taking every face with a smile that got wider and wider by the second.

…(“Do you know why I chose you as my successor?”

“To think I have…”

“…It is this Shizun’s fault…”

“…how could you?!”

“…You have… shamed us…”

“What did I do wrong in teaching you for you to act like this…?”)…

“S-Sh-Shizun I… I… so-sorry… I…” Qi Qingqi stuttered, shaking and shivering and looking so close to tears and a mental breakdown that some of the girls kneeling beside her felt sorry for her, even when they were in the same boat as her and were sure to be punished harshly for their wrongdoings.

“Ah? What use is sorry for me, Qi Qingqi?” The Xian Shu Peak Lady leaned forward gazing at her disciple with a hard look, her smile had vanished a while ago, making everyone gulp in fear as they waited for what the Lady was going to do. “It certainly won't correct the wrongs you all did, nor will it make that poor boy you bullied so harshly look at my peak in a favorable light, and it certainly won't save me from the shame I will suffer the next time I see my Shixiong and tell him he was right all alone.” Several women were crying by the end of Wang Anwen’s speech, and most of them were kowtowing and begging for mercy they knew they wouldn’t be granted knowing their Shizun’s reputation. “I really, regret choosing you as my successor Qi Yan.” The Peak Lady said with a smile, ignoring how her words caused Qi Qingqi to start crying and blubber apology after an apology that went unheard by Wang Anwen who leaned back on her chair and gazed at one of the old hall Masters that was brought out of seclusion so this mess would be resolved. “Every one of you would receive a befitting punishment for the crimes you committed, be it a hall Master or senior disciples of the peak; Qi Yan is demoted from her position as a succeeding disciple and is relieved from her place as the Head Disciple, further punishment would be given to everyone in this Sect after the Peak Lords meeting is held tomorrow…” With that Wang Anwen stood up and walked outside of the hall, ignoring the sobs and cries from the girls as many tried to beg her to change her mind.

…(“…It’s because of your favoritism, because of your inability to stay firm in your decisions….” Xian Anxiu stated, looking away from his Head Disciple who looked like the world was ending. “Did you know the many problems your favoritism had brought? What problems your pushover personality had caused? Do you realize that the way you belittled and treated the Qing Jing Head Disciple… your friend… had opened many doors and allowed too many undeserving people to also bully and belittle him and spread so many false rumors about him until everyone here considered kicking him out of the Sect?” A sob was heard and Xian Anxiu let out a tired sigh, trying not to comfort the kneeling child, wanting him to know how grave the situation was. “I don’t claim to know the situation between you and the Qing Jing’s successor, nor do I want to know, but the way you handled the situation was wrong on so many levels that it's not even funny…” Xian Anxiu continued, hardening his heart so as to not be swayed by tears, continuing on lecturing the child on his wrongdoings before telling him about the meeting that would decide all of the ‘Qing’ generation tomorrow.)…

Wang Anwen growled and gave those girls a disgusted look before continuing on her way, feeling annoyed that those troublemakers refuse to accept their punishment with grace after what they had done behind her back for years. The Xian Shu Lady could only close her eyes and accept that by the end of this day, this was her fault for being too lenient on the girls of her peak, thinking that they were open-minded and pure-hearted like the front they donned when in her presence. To think for years… maybe even before Qi Yan became her Head Disciple… they had bullied and spread so many rumors, and did as they liked on her peak without her knowing; to her shame, even her Shixiong had noticed and had warned her about them, but she thought them still children that can learn from their faults if pointing at them… to think she almost trusted her peak that was meant for healing those with dark past and a broken hearts in those spoiled brats hands; spoiled brats who never once in their life suffered by getting the short end of the stick in this madness that was life… but that was ok, it wasn’t late, there was still time for Wang Anwen to correct her mistakes and the mistakes of those under her; there was still time to help and heal and apologize for those who were wronged in the crossfire and power struggle that took place under everyone’s noses because the Peak Lords couldn’t believe that those children they raised would turn this rotten… it was fine, everything is going to be fine; after all…

…(“Shizun… is something wrong?” Shen Jiu asked, his head tilted to look up at his Shizun, his Shizun who came home late at night looking disheveled and on the verge of Qi Deviation; his Shizun, whom as soon as he saw him had pulled Shen Jiu into a tight hug, refusing to let go, even when Shen Jiu squeaked and squirmed before he quieted down. This was the first time, his Shizun had done something like that; hugging someone or acting all physical wasn’t something his Shizun was known to do, rarely if at all, so, Shen Jiu could say he was confused about how he should act in such situation.

“No…” His Shizun suddenly said after a while, still refusing to let go of Shen Jiu and holding him tightly. “No… everything… everything is going to be fine… I promise you A-Jiu… everything is going to be fine…” His Shizun whispered, his words confusing Shen Jiu who let out a non-descriptive noise, but didn’t do anything to detangle himself from his Shizun’s embrace, allowing the man to take the comfort he desperately needed if the trembling was anything to go by. “Everything is going to be fine… after all, we were…” His Shizun mumbled, taking shuddered breaths as he started to rock Shen Jiu.)…

They were granted a second chance…

Death… such a strange concept that didn’t bring as much fear as it should have to his heart… death… a concept that he was familiar with and had accepted as his end once upon a time… death… something that he had wished for over and over again as a child, never to be granted to him even when he wanted it desperately at that time… death… an idea that brought him terror and made him stay up, gazing at the walls with blank look as he curled under the sheets… death... he was going to die...

Shen Jiu never feared death, not once in his life; death was a concept that Shen Jiu begged for most of his life, especially when he was under Qiu Jianluo and later Wu Yanzi’s clutches. The concept of death was what kept him warm on the nights that Qiu Jianluo took everything too far, or when Wu Yanzi forced him to rob and kill. Death was Shen Jiu’s true companion from his birth until now, never once leaving Shen Jiu, always to be found around the corner of his eyes… stalking… waiting… wanting…

So, Shen Jiu never felt uncomfortable or even terrified at the concept of being close to death, or the idea of him dying at any moment. He had long ago made peace with the fact that street rats had no right to live a long and happy life and that they should be killed as soon as they were spotted. Shen Jiu had made peace with the fact that death always embraces those hated slaves who fell under mad Masters who tortured them until their will to live vanished. Shen Jiu really made peace with the fact that becoming an outlaw, a killer, a thief, a scum of a human being, was the fastest way for death to embrace you and refuse to let you go even when you beg and beg until your throat bleed. He knew, Shen Jiu knew, that death was his only true companion after he became a Cultivator, a fact that he had made peace with for a long time now… Shen Jiu knows that, he made peace with that; he accepted it!

Then why was Shen Jiu terrified if he knew that? Why was he furious if he made peace with that fact? Why was he crying and shaking when he already accepted the fact that by the end of the day he might die? What could make Shen Jiu who stared at death in the eyes without feelings, tremble in his place as he tried to hold back his tears? What made Shen Jiu who was spiteful and vengeful enough to mock death; cry, whimper, and beg for a few more minutes of life when before he wouldn’t care?

…My Zhiji…

As the years passed and seasons changed; I fell in love with you…

…Let’s get married, let me be your Zhiji…

Ah… so that’s why… Shen Jiu thought with a self-conscious smile, biting the inside of his cheek harshly to stop the tears that wanted to leave his eyes… stupid, stupid, stupid! Why was he crying because of something like this? So, what if Liu-Shidi confessed and asked for his hand in marriage? So, what if he kissed his forehead and told him he was his Zhiji? So, what if Shen Jiu felt like he was on cloud nine and a step away from ascension? So what? It doesn’t mean that all of Shen Jiu’s walls needed to be destroyed and broken down because of a few sweet words and kisses that made him feel warm and happy.

Is this what happiness does to people? Turn them into scared sheep that would tremble and baa in terror just with the scent of a wolf being nearby? Turning people into a terrified mess that would shake and cry and scream, in the fear of losing their reason for happiness? Fearing death and begging the Gods for a few more seconds to be added to their lives? Is that what Shen Jiu turned into after he tasted what it felt like to be wanted by his special person?

“…-ong… Shixiong!” The call of his title followed by a hand touching his shoulder, caused Shen Jiu to squeak and nearly drop the scrolls in his hands; his previous line of thinking had all but vanished as he turned to give the annoying person who startled him and give him a piece of his mind, Shen Jiu froze when he saw Liu Qingge (The older version of his Shidi, with scares, and pain, and love, and smiles every time he saw Shen Jiu; the one who made Shen Jiu into this mess that was afraid of death with just a few sweet words and kisses), giving him an apologetic look.

“What are you doing here? You are supposed to be on Qian Cao to recover!” Shen Jiu huffed, examining the man desperately hoping that idiotic Shidi hadn’t injured himself while crossing the Rainbow Bridge; it seemed that no matter how old Liu-Shidi become, he was still that idiot who would make Shen Jiu rip his hair off because of his inability to listen.

“I am fine, Cheng-Shishu said I am good enough to be allowed to leave my room.” Instead of looking guilty about the fact that he ran away from the healing pavilion (A fact that Shen Jiu knew, and no matter how his Shidi tried to act innocent, Shen Jiu knew in fact that Cheng-Shishu had put his stupid Shidi on bed rest until further notice), Liu-Shidi’s lips twitched up, causing Shen Jiu to hiss when he saw the smile on his stupid Shidi’s face. “My Grandmother said you were there, in the caves…” Liu Qingge suddenly said, his words causing Shen Jiu to stiffen and look away from his Shidi, clutching the scroll in his arms tightly to stop his hands from trembling.

“Yeah? So what?” Shen Jiu questioned his Shidi, turning to continue his way to the library, trying to ignore his Shidi who followed him, not taking his eyes off of Shen Jiu even when the Qing Jing disciple, sent a reprimanded glares to his Shidi ordering him to stop.

“I… so you heard about…” Liu Qingge’s words trailed off, causing Shen Jiu to pause and take a good look at the older man, his heart squeezing painfully as he saw the haunted look in those grey-blue eyes. “And I… this time I…” Shen Jiu didn’t let the man continue, raising his hand and slapping it on the man’s mouth to keep it shut, ignoring the shocked look on his Shidi’s face (He didn't want to hear any of it; didn't want useless promises that would make his heart skip and for his stupid soul to hope. He didn't want his beloved to look at him so sweetly and promise to save him from this dark fate, like a Martial God in shining armor, only to betray him and stab him in the back when he wouldn't be true to his promise... better nip this stupid idea from the bud before Shen Jiu started to hope and destroy himself in the process) It wasn’t long before the haunted look disappeared, and the older man’s eyes crinkled with a suppressed laugh as he raised his hand and took hold of Shen Jiu’s, caressing it and making Shen Jiu feel all warm and tingly, even when he tried his hardest to frown at the man.

Pulling his hand away from Liu-Shidi's rough hand, Shen Jiu huffed as he turned to continue his walk, trying to ignore Liu-Shidi who looked at him with such an intense look it almost made Shen Jiu blush, and feel happy that his special person was finally paying him attention... even if it was an older version of him. “I don’t care… not really… so don’t try and make stupid promises like being able to stop it or something…” From the look on Liu Qingge’s face, Shen Jiu knew that the stupid man was planning to do something as stupid as trying to prevent his death; an idea that shouldn’t have made Shen Jiu’s heart flutter crazily as it was doing at the moment.

“Ahhh… Shixiong is so smart but so cruel!” Hearing that, Shen Jiu snorted, his lips twitching into a smile that he tried to suppress as he continued his walk; ignoring how his heart pounded as his Shidi acknowledged his smarts, even if it was in a teasing manner. “…But that’s what I always liked about you the most…” Liu Qingge suddenly said with a smile, his words causing Shen Jiu to freeze in his place before blushing so brightly that his whole face turned red; what the hell was his Shidi saying? Did he lose his mind?! To be this shameless as to say these words; Shen Jiu must take this stupid Shidi to Qian Cao and have Cheng-Shishu look at him! “…And I will make things right this time, even if you told me otherwise because I adore you and want you to live happily this time.” His Shidi gave him a bright smile, as he stood in front of Shen Jiu, stealing his breath when he raised his hand and caressed Shen Jiu's cheek, ignoring how shocked he looked and how red his face was. “I promise…” Liu Qingge said, lowering his head to drop a kiss on Shen Jiu's forehead, ignoring the sharp gasp that left Shen Jiu’s lips and how his face turned crimson red at the feeling of his Shidi's lips on his forehead... What? What? What? What? What?! What the hell happened to his Liu-Shidi?! Did old age scramble the man's personality and turn him into this?!

“Shameless!” Before Shen Jiu was able to pull away and kick his Shidi in the shin or do something as stupid as kissing him; someone screeched at the top of their lungs, causing Shen Jiu to jump away from his Shidi’s embrace and turn to the caller with his heart pounding in his chest at the thought of being caught in such position by other disciples…

What greeted him was the sight of his Shidi (The younger version) looking so sick as he looked between the two of them; his horrorstricken face, made Shen Jiu’s face become red in mortification, as he felt so wrong and offended by being at the end of such look; it wasn't long before he managed to gather himself to glare at his young Shidi who was still looking at them with disgust and a face that turned redder by the second, looking ready to fight if his grip on Cheng Luan was an indication…

This was going to be a long day…

Chapter Text

“Shameless!”

Shen Jiu could only flush in embarrassment and anger, feeling his face getting redder and redder by the second the longer his Shidi continued to look at him with disgust; his heart pounded in his chest like crazy, and hurt almost took hold of him, the longer those anger and hate-filled eyes looked at him, because why? why was his Shidi looking at him like this when just a few moments ago, gentleness and love filled those grey-blue eyes?!

Feeling someone’s arms tightening around him, Shen Jiu snapped out of the spiral he almost threw himself in, feeling flushed and unbalanced as his logical mind started working once more, informing him that he was talking with Liu-Shidi before (His beloved’s older self, the one who confessed his love, the one who was always gentle with him; the one who always showered him with kisses, the one who asked for his hand in marriage… the one who called him, Zhiji…) before his younger counterpart came into the picture and shattered the beautiful fantasy Shen Jiu lived in when he felt his beloved’s arms around him, and felt him kissing his forehead.

Feeling embarrassed, and silly (And a little bit reluctant to let go) Shen Jiu pulled away from his Shidi’s embrace (And now, Shen Jiu started to feel a massive headache making itself known because there were two Liu Qingge and he didn’t know how to address them!), which seemed to remind his Liu-Shidi of the reason why his shriek resonated throughout the whole peak.

“You! You!” Liu-Shidi choked, his eyes darting from Shen Jiu to future Liu-Shidi, horror and rage (And something else that Shen Jiu never saw before, but made him swallow as the fine hair on the back of his neck stood on its ends) coloring his face looking a step away from skewing Shen Jiu with Cheng Luan. “Shen Qingqiu! How could you be this shameless?!” The Bai Zhan Disciple snarled, taking a step forward, his words making Shen Jiu flinch at such accusation as hurt and anger took hold of him, because why was Liu-Shidi saying these words to him when it was obvious that he wasn’t the only one found in such compromising position?!

Before Shen Jiu managed to snap something at his idiotic Shidi, maybe even take Xiu Ya and start their daily fighting and protect his wounded pride (And his heart that Shen Jiu felt crack, with every harsh word and hateful look), Shen Jiu felt a shiver running down his spine as a dark aura blanketed the area they were in. “What did you just say?” Future Liu-Shidi (Which Shen Jiu decided against his well to call, Liu Mingyu or Liu-Gongzi because he was very lost when dealing with his two Shidis) said after a while of tense silence, the tone he spoke, held a dark threat and a promise, that made Shen Jiu swallowed as all of his instincts screamed at him to run away because the man behind him was nothing but dangerous.

His idiotic Shidi, who didn’t seem to even care about his stupid life, glared at Liu-Gongzi and put his hands on his waist before snapping. “I said what I said!” While sending the older man a hateful glare. Shen Jiu didn’t need to be a genius to know then and there that his Shidi had chosen death, especially when everything inside him screamed at him to run and hide. Knowing that his special person was about to get killed if Shen Jiu didn’t act face; he stood in front of Liu-Gongzi when he took a step toward his counterpart, his action stopping the older man in his blood path, causing him to look at Shen Jiu but not moving an inch further when Shen Jiu took hold of Liu-Gongzi right arm, further securing his hold on the man and stop him from killing his younger self.

Eyes darting from his Shidi and his future counterpart, Shen Jiu tried to find something that would distract his Shidi from saying something that would result in his death; when he found it, Shen Jiu’s hands unconsciously tightened on Liu-Gongzi’s arm as he tried to ground himself. “Liu-Shidi, from what I understood, the Peak Lords had prohibited the Head Disciples from leaving their peaks until further notice, would you enlighten me about the reason why you are here when you shouldn’t?” Shen Jiu said, hoping that this reminder would make his Shidi realize his mistake of escaping Bai Zhan and coming here, maybe even make his stupid Martial Brother rush to his peak if he didn’t want to be scolded by his Shizun and later grandmother.

Instead of worry, or annoyance at the reminder, Shen Jiu noticed how his Shidi’s eyes narrowed, and a growl almost left him, causing Shen Jiu’s hands to tighten unconsciously on the man beside him, which made his Shidi hiss like a wet cat when he noticed. “You really have no shame…” Those words made Shen Jiu’s breath still in his chest, as he looked at his Shidi who was still sending him looks filled with disgust and anger, cracking his aloof persona with the way his precious person was looking at him.

Shen Jiu swallowed, trying not to let his Shidi’s words affect him, even when he felt angry and wronged by this; gripping Liu-Gongzi's arm tightly when he heard the man growl, almost taking a step toward his younger counterpart. Gathering himself enough, that he didn’t feel like breaking down and crying, or feel angry enough that he would fight his stupid Shidi and damned everything there was. “Oh? And why is that, Shidi? As far as I know, I haven’t done anything wrong for you to sneak into my peak, and start spewing such unnecessary accusations.” Shen Jiu ended up saying through gritted teeth.

“Why?! You dare to ask why when you are already handing on someone’s arm like a shameless incubus?!” Liu Qingge snapped, taking a step toward him his hands inching toward Cheng Luan; his words freezing Shen Jiu, rending him so shocked that his grip faltered and he let go of the man beside him, not even knowing what to say to defend himself against such stupid accusation. “And you!” Liu Qingge suddenly whirled on his future self, glaring and looking a step away from attacking his counterpart. “How could you fall for this snake’s schemes? We both know that he is a lecherous scum who spent his days and nights in brothels; a cheater and a liar who won't hesitate to stab someone in the back if given the chance, a spoilt Young Master who never had an honorable bone in his body! So how are you calling him Zhiji when we both know he is nothing but a scum?!” Liu Qingge sneered, looking at Shen Jiu like he was something foul at the bottom of his shoe.

As for Shen Jiu, he could only stand still in his place, feeling like the world tilted and that he was falling; there was pressure in his eyes and heat that informed him of the tears that wanted to fall but he held them back by the sheer will of spit. In the back of his mind, Shen Jiu wondered if the sound of glass he heard as those words were spat at him, was his heart breaking into thousands of pieces as he was told by the person he loved all of his life, that he was nothing but an unrepenting scum who doesn't even deserve a redemption. Shen Jiu couldn’t even open his mouth and deflect the accusations, not when he felt his throat constricting on itself, refusing to even make a sound that wasn’t a choked sob that he desperately tried to trap.

Silence descended on them, Shen Jiu could hear nothing other than the rush of blood in his ears, as he looked at his Shidi who was looking at them with such anger and disgust that it almost made Shen Jiu cry right then and now. His legs could barely support him, but still, he stood stubbornly in his place, even when his face felt flush, and he wanted nothing but hide and cry after being at the receiving end of his special person’s harsh words.

So what? This wasn’t even the first time Shen Jiu was at the receiving end of such words! This wasn’t the first, nor second, nor the hundredth time someone had stood in front of him and spat these exact same words at him! It wasn’t like Shen Jiu didn’t know that these were the exact same words running through everyone’s mind when they met him; these were the exact same words people always say to him when they spent even a sliver of time beside him… so why? Why did these words that his Shidi just told him hit differently, and made him feel like he lost half of his soul? Why?!

Whatever a scathe return Shen Jiu tried to think of, was cut short as he heard an unholy shriek that resonant across the peak; a sudden feeling of terror encompassed him, as heavy and dangerous Qi rolled around them uncontrollably, bringing the feeling of forbidding and death that Shen Jiu only felt once before, and that was when the Peak Lords and their Head Disciples almost met their demise. Before Shen Jiu could do anything, a blur passed him, too fast to even catch a glimpse of, going straight at his Shidi, who for once in his life looked truly terrified…

…(When Liu Mingyu found his beloved, he couldn’t help but exhale in relief and happiness at the thought of finally, finally, having some time with his beloved. To explain, to beg, to talk, and tell his beloved how sorry he was, and how he would make everything right... He was alone with his Zhiji, alone. Without people annoying them with unnecessary questions and taking his beloved attention away from him. Liu Mingyu was happy to be with his beloved and hold him, kiss him, and see his beautiful flushed face as he looked at him with wide eyes that held the same sparkle, he saw the day he first called him, his Zhiji…

But then their beautiful moment was cut short, by an annoying screech that made him pull his beloved into his embrace and stand guard in front of him, trying to protect him from anything that would try and harm him. In the end, it turned out that the source of that annoying screech, was his past self, which made him frown harshly when his eyes fell on his younger self, because if there was someone that Liu Mingyu still didn’t know how to deal with, then it was that bratty self that pranced around Cang Qiong like he owned the place. The majority of Liu Mingyu hissed at him that he should get rid of that brat, who was giving his beloved those dirty looks. After all, wasn’t it, his younger and stupid self, the reason for his beloved’s pain and suffering?

Liu Mingyu’s face was dark, his fingers itched to strangle that worm who looked at his beloved with such disgust and horrorstricken face. It made Liu Mingyu’s face twist into a snarl because how dare this brat send his Zhiji a look like this when his beloved deserved to be gazed at with nothing but love and adoration?! A hitched breath was heard from his beloved, which told Liu Mingyu how his love was affected by his past self’s actions. This made Liu Mingy almost lose it and strangle that useless idiot who was making his beloved feel like this.

But then, his Shixiong pulled away, making Liu Mingyu mourn the warmth that was taken away from him, and then suddenly his beloved called out using his title. “Liu-Shidi…” Making Liu Mingyu feel a pang in his heart, because how long? How long did Liu Mingyu wish to hear his beloved call him by this title once more? How long did Liu Mingyu repeat the memories of his beloved calling him by that name? Be it when he was annoyed, angry, embarrassed, or many other emotions his beloved felt when he called him by this title. Suddenly, his beloved took hold of his arm with his dandy and small hands, freezing Liu Mingyu in place because for how long, did he want to feel his beloved touch him like this?

But then… then his younger counterpart opened his mouth and spewed his poisonous words, looking at his beloved like he was the scum of the earth. Then that idiotic and foolish bastard opened his mouth, spitting lies that Liu Mingyu had discovered them to be false decades ago when he was forced to open his eyes and see how kind and loving his Zhiji was, and that only Liu Mingyu’s stupid pride prevented him from seeing that… Then, Liu Mingyu saw the tears in his beloved’s eyes and how he tried to hide them behind a flushed face full of anger, and he was suddenly back in the Lingxi Caves when his beloved held him closer and cried tears of pain and despair, those pearly drops raining on Liu Mingyu’s and causing his world to come into a screeching halt.

He is a lecherous scum who spent his days and nights in brothels!

No, you are wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! His Zhiji was the kindest person there was, his beloved spent all of his life caring for women and offering them a safe place even when no one offered him the same courtesy! His beloved never once raised his hand and touched a woman or a girl inappropriately, and his eyes never strayed away! Forever loving someone as worthless as Liu Mingyu who didn’t deserve his beloved’s devotion! His Zhiji only went to brothels to sleep, to sleep, and help those women there; those women who called his beloved ‘Gege’, who called his beloved ‘Didi’, who called him ‘A-Jiu’, and ‘Jiujiu’, and ‘A-Die’.

A cheater and a liar who won't hesitate to stab someone in the back if given the chance!

You wrong! Wrong! His beloved never lied to anyone, never hurt anyone! Even when his beloved would hiss and spite, and allow his petty side to be known; even when he snapped at people and ignored them and used barbs and nails to hurt them as they did him, his beloved never once lied about anything! It was them! It was always them, who couldn’t handle the truth and tried in any way there was to scheme their Martial Brother’s downfall because they couldn’t handle how the truth hurts. His beloved was the most loyal and kind, giving his loyalty and years of his precious life to a Sect that treated him like he was nothing but a pariah and the dirt under their shoes; ridiculing him and hurting him day after day just for existing, they were nothing but annoying Young Masters with wretched pride who stabbed their Martial Brother in the back… they were the ones who stabbed their Martial Brother in the back!

A spoilt Young Master who never had an honorable bone in his body!

You are wrong, you are wrong, you are wrong! Why wouldn’t you shut up?! Why wouldn’t you shut your trap?! You don’t know anything, anything. It was them that didn’t have an honorable bone in their body, it was them. Always badmouthing their Martial Brother, always spreading false rumors, always bullying him and belittling him; always hurting him when he deserved none of that, it was their fault, their fault, always their fault because they let their twisted honor blind them so much that they allowed their arrogance and pride to color their life!

…But didn’t you say those exact words to your Zhiji a long time ago?

Suddenly Liu Mingyu could only hear statistics, nothing could be filtered in; suddenly Liu Mingyu found himself standing near a well, his beautiful Shixiong standing in front of him, holding his sword in fear as Liu Mingyu advanced on him. Suddenly Liu Mingyu remembered the sickening feeling of Cheng Luan being impeded into his beloved shoulder as he stood above his Zhiji and spewed those same exact words… suddenly… he remembered the pain and heartbreak in his beloved’s eyes, as a lone tear escaped his Zhiji’s emeraled orbs… suddenly… Stop! …Liu Mingyu could only choke, the scene repeated over and over in his head…

Ah, but wait…

Stop…

Wasn’t those the exact same words you thought, the day you killed your Zhiji?

Stop…

Oh? Why? But He was right, wasn’t he?

Stop…

You did this, you made Shen-Shixiong cry…

Stop!

But why? You are doing it again, right? So, it’s only right to remind you…

Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂

̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̷̦̫̟͓̝̣͙̞͓͂̈́ͯ̌͡S̛͇͉͈ͥ͊̉̄̾ͫ̂͜͡͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰͈̼̯̜̄͋̔͆͂̇͝ͅơ͇̬͎̪͍̘͕̥̠̮͇͚ͦͩ̈́̍ͮ́ͦ̈̎̀p̙̞͍ͪͨ̔̂

Why are you stopping me? I am not the one saying these words, the one who is talking…

.̼̟͈̹̙͔̟̏̉̽̅͛..H̷̬͈̩͔̜͔̝͎̩̠͈̥̻̗̣͚̺̋̂̂͂͌̏̀̕͝e̒ͦ̇̈҉͙͓̳ ̮̘̣̭̰͓̖̗̆͗̊ͮ̏̑ͯ̈̉͞i̓͏͙̬̝̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ ̪̻͉̞̞̗̠̎͂̃̑ͧ͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰̄͋a̷̸̴̙̬͍̪̗̝̤̪̹͓͍̘͗̀͊́̏͒ͣ͛n̨̥͍̬͈̩͔͉̙̪̘͓̟ͧ̓́̿͌ͥ̉ͤ̏̕d͕̮̘̣̭̰͓̖̗ͭͮ̽ͧ͗̆͗̊ͮ̏̑ͯ̈̉͠͞͞͞i̓͏̸̴͙̬̝̹͓͍̘͊́̏͒ͣ͛n̨̥͍̬͈ͧ̓́̿ͤͦ̅̽̈̍̕͏̩̠͚ḡ͕̤͕ͪ̉͟ ̵͕̺ͮ̀̚ͅr̨̲̦̰̪̮̘̣̭̰͓̖̗̿̅̓̇̀̒̐̆͗̊ͮ̏̑ͯ̈̉͜͟͞i̓͏͙̬̝ͤͦ̅̽̈̍͏̩̠͚ḡ̷͕̤͕̝̦̮̹̫̭̲͔ͪ̉̏͋̇̂̾͟h͚̬̲̘̥͐͋̒ͣͫ̂͟͢͢͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰̄͋ ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̷̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰̝̦̮̹̫̭̲͔̄͋̏͋̇̂̾h̷͚̬̲̘̥̠͈̥̻̗̣͚̺͐͋̒ͣ̏̀̕͟͢͢e̒ͦ̇̈҉̵͙͓̳͕̺ͮ̀̚ͅr̷̨̲̦̰̪̠͈̥̻̗̣͚̺̿̅̓̇̀̒̐̏̀̕͜͟e̒ͦ̇̈҉͙͓̳...

Liu Mingyu could only let out a shriek and attack…)…

“Stop! Stop, please, Liu-Shidi! Liu-Gongzi! Please! Stop!” Shen Jiu cried out, his heart in his throat as he saw the savage scene taking place in front of him, his hands shaking as his eyes refused to move away from the fighting figures in front of him, fear and terror almost choking him and freezing him in place. To say this was less of a fight and more of a one-sided massacre wouldn’t be far from the truth. As Shen Jiu stood in his place and saw his Shidi being killed by his future self; he could only feel terror choking him, not knowing if his shaking was because of the fear he felt, or the strain he was undergoing as he felt that massive Qi pinning him in place.

Never had Shen Jiu felt such insanity before, such a dangerous Qi that almost flattened people to the ground and left them breathless, gasping as they felt their lungs shrivel and refuse to expand. Never had Shen Jiu felt such an insane power before, a power that made Shen Jiu wonder hysterically if the person in front of him was a God descending from heaven, or a Calamity who was born to destroy the world.

“Stop!” Shen Jiu screeched at the top of his lungs, wondering why it was taking the Peak Lords so long to come when Shen Jiu had sent the emergency flare not even a second later after the fight had started. “Please!” Shen Jiu couldn’t help but beg, looking between the two counterparts with terror and horror that kept on mounting as he saw Liu-Shidi (His Liu-Shidi, the one of this timeline, the one who always looked at Shen Jiu like he was the scum of earth… the one Shen Jiu offered his heart to but was always rejected) being beaten black and blue.

“Why won't you just shut up?!” Liu Qingge snarled as he attacked his counterpart, looking a few seconds away from falling into madness as he attacked and attacked his younger self with his bare hands, beating him until his counterpart could barely stand; the fact that he didn’t even have a sword in hand, and was facing someone who was armed, didn’t even seem to register or matter when he was already making a good show of destroying the other. “Why won't you shut up?! Why do you always have to be like this? Why do you always have to ruin everything?! It’s always your fault!” The man continued to advance on Liu-Shidi ignoring the fact that his younger counterpart was shaking, terror clear as daylight on his face as he raised his sword in fear trying to ward off the mad creature that looked less like him and more like a madness incarnation with every mutter under his breath.

He is going to die, he is going to die; he is going to die, his Liu-Shidi is going to die! …Was the only thing running through Shen Jiu’s mind as he saw his beloved being thrown around like a rag doll, terror choking him as he saw the mad scene in front of him… He needed to stop them, he needed to stop them right now! He needed… Shen Jiu’s breath picked up, and he almost felt like he was hyperventilating once more, shaking in his place as he stood helplessly.

“A-Jiu!” A voice called in the distance, not that Shen Jiu was paying attention as he froze in place when he saw Liu-Shidi finally stab his counterpart in the shoulder, getting the upper hand for a second when he saw his future self, freeze at the mention of Shen Jiu’s name.

Liu-Shidi’s elation didn’t last for long, as his move turned out to be foolish and reminded his opponent of his existence, causing Liu Qingge (Liu-Gongzi? Liu Mingyu? A Calamity?!) to turn to him with such a cold and dark look that it made his blood freeze and his face pale. Shen Jiu could only watch in detached fascination and horror as Liu Mingyu (?) took a grip of Cheng Luan with his left hand, his hand tightening around the blade until it bled; that wasn’t what froze Shen Jiu in place, not what made him stumble until he nearly fell down… No… what made him nearly slide down the floor in shock was Cheng Luan emitting a screech that resonated across the peak before breaking into tiny pieces right in front of his own eyes.

How? Just how?!!!!!

How strong was Liu Mingyu to be able to break a spiritual sword with just his bare hand? How insanely powerful was the man to do something out of the realm of possibility?! A spiritual sword would never break unless their companion died and their soul shattered; a spiritual sword would never break unless it was by the will of the heavens! Other than the Heavenly Emperor or a Calamity equal in power, nothing in the world has the power to break a spiritual sword that had Cultivated next to its partner and gain consciences of its own…

He is going to die, stupid Liu-Shidi, he never listens… an amused thought crossed Shen Jiu’s overwhelmed mind, as silence seemed to descend on Cang Qiong and time seemed to stop.

…My Zhiji…

As the years passed and seasons changed; I fell in love with you…

…Let’s get married, let me be your Zhiji…

A tear traveled down Shen Jiu’s face, followed by another, and another, and another… and another… and before he could register, his body moved on its own as he barreled toward his Shidi and his future counterpart, wanting this madness to stop before it goes any further and he was forced to witness his beloved's death. The terrified screams of his name and the hands that tried to hold him back went unnoticed as Shen Jiu ran toward his Shidi.

Reaching the fighting pair, Shen Jiu abandoned all his rationality and jumped on Liu Mingyu’s back, taking a strong grip on the man with both his arms and legs, trying to pull him away from Liu-Shidi with his weight. “Stop, stop! Didn’t you promise!” Shen Jiu cried out, his arms tightening around Liu Mingyu’s neck trying to pull him away. “You said you will make things right! Please, stop! Please! You are not making me happy, Liu-Shidi, please, you are scaring me!” A sob that Shen Jiu tried his hardest to hold back escaped him, the terror, fear, and helplessness all crashed on Shen Jiu, almost making him fall to the ground, shaking as he tried to stop himself from sobbing like a lost child. “You are scaring me, Liu-Shidi… please…” Shen Jiu choked out, his words finally seeming to register in Liu Mingyu’s mind as the man stopped in his place not moving an inch.

“He should have kept his mouth shut…” Liu Mingyu said after what felt like decades, his words ranging in the silent clearing, as his left hand finally letting go of Cheng Luan, allowing the blood-soaked shards to drop to the ground. “If he just kept his mouth shut… if he could just shut up and think… you… you wouldn’t have died…” Shen Jiu sniffed, his heart pounding in his throat as he heard many screams and shouting, and in the distance, he could even hear the sound of his Shidi fritting and calling Cheng Luan’s name, which made relief struck Shen Jiu with strength of rolling boulder, causing him to slump on Liu Mingyu, almost sliding down his back, as he let out a wet laugh that could almost be a sob.

“…Liu-Shidi… you scared me…” Shen Jiu choked, finally allowing his legs to touch the ground and for his hands to let go of his Shidi, stumbling and standing on his shaky legs feeling like he was going to fall any minute now. “You scared me so much… so…” Shen Jiu clutched Liu Mingyu’s arms leaning his head on his beloved's chest when the man turned to him, trying to support himself and stop his stupid and shaky legs from failing him and losing the strength to hold him up. “So, you have to make it up to me…” Shen Jiu said took a deep breath, and another, and another, trying to calm his racing heart…

…(“Liu-Shidi… you hurt me, so you have to make it up to me…”

Liu Mingyu heard these words ring in his ears over and over; words that brought tears to his eyes, and made his heart squeeze as he suddenly remembered those wretched, wretched caves that took his beloved away… those wretched, wretched caves where Liu Mingyu lost everything because of his stupidity and pride… words that made both of this event and that of those wretched caves overlapped until he couldn’t separate them without feeling like he was losing his mind.

Why can't you do anything right?! … A desperate part of him questioned, choking and crying as he once more messed everything up and made his beloved cry… Why do you always make things worse? …A desperate part snarled and accused as Liu Mingyu finally lost all his power and slid down the floor, finally losing control as tears slid down his face… Your fault… It was always your fault…

Liu Mingyu could only weep…)…

Seeing Liu Mingyu falling to his knees; feeling his body shaking and hearing the sobs and choked cries, made tears gather once more in Shen Jiu’s eyes; his heart felt like breaking at the sight of his precious person breaking down into this mess in front of him (His beautiful and amazing Zhiji, the one who always protected Shen Jiu since he was young; protecting him from that wretched Winter he thought he was going to die, protected him Qiu Jianluo and his disgusting designs, protected him from Wu Yanzi and his madness…).

Ignoring his Shizun’s voice as he ordered him away from Liu Mingyu, ignoring the Liu Matriarch as she cautiously made her way to them; ignoring his Shidi’s annoying counterpart who was being held back by Chang-Shishu and his parents to be treated, and definitely ignoring those Disciples and hall Masters and everyone who made it their business to come and witness what happened.

Shen Jiu finally allowed himself to fall on his knees, gathering the strength to pull his Shidi in his arms, holding the weeping man tightly and patting his head, trying to reassure him even when he knew he was failing spectacularly if the wails that left his Shidi was anything to go by. But even then, his Shidi’s arms sneaked around him, holding him tightly, and refused to let go, even when the Liu Matriarch reached them and tried to pull her grandson away. “It’s ok…” Shen Jiu choked, and he didn’t even know if he was saying these words to his weeping Shidi, to the Liu Matriarch who looked panicked but tried to ground herself and pass Qi to her grandson; or to reassure himself or the people around him that everything was going to be fine even when Shen Jiu didn’t have any optimistic bone in his body…

Shen Jiu never felt this lost…

“…You should worry more about yourself than Cheng Luan, Liu Qingge! I swear to all Gods above, I will kick you so hard you will be back in your mother’s womb…”

“Why were you even on Qing Jing when…?!”

“How stupid could you be?”

“…If you don’t tell me what you did!”

Screaming and shouting could be heard from the meeting hall, and Shen Jiu could only narrow his eyes at the loud screeches that resonated all over Qiong Ding Peak; the loudest of them was the Liu Matriarch who from the sound of it looked like she was one step away from skewing her own grandson with her sword than worrying about him and fritting like his parents had when they first found them… a sentiment that Shen Jiu found himself sharing with the woman as he felt nothing but anger and annoyance at today’s events… more at his stupid Liu-Shidi who couldn’t keep his mouth shut even if his life depended on it than Liu Mingyu who everyone around knew how delicate his situation was considering that everyone he ever loved and cared about was dead.

It took time, a longer time than Shen Jiu would have liked for Liu Mingyu to finally calm down from his breakdown that reduced him to a weeping mess that clung to Shen Jiu desperately. It took a long time before Liu Mingyu finally calmed down to be put to sleep with Chang-Shishu’s needles lest he did something to those around him (Or himself… was what everyone truly feared as they sedated the unstable Peak Lord). Shen Jiu couldn’t forget the sight of his proud Shidi (His beloved, his precious person, the one Shen Jiu did everything he could think of to protect and make his life easier; helping him from the shadows and being happy and overjoyed every time his beloved achieved the impossible) being reduced to this broken person, broke Shen Jiu’s heart into pieces and made anger and fury take grip of him and squeeze until he was breathless.

Because who dared?! Who dared to make his beloved like this? Who dared to kick the man when he was already down and broken? Just the thought of his Shidi turning like this because of him was enough to make Shen Jiu’s self-loath and anger to rage on until it set everything ablaze.

To see his beloved protect him and defend his honor (A thought that made butterflies flutter inside of him because never in his wild dreams did he think his beloved would protect him like this) was something that Shen Jiu didn’t want to happen again if it meant that his precious person would end up turning into this broken mess that clutched Shen Jiu’s clothes and refused to let him go.

Shen Jiu was used to those sharp words, he was used to the broken glasses and barbs and hate that followed him all of his life, ever since he was a child who was thrown down an icy river once upon a night. Hate, anger, terror, and disgust; that was Shen Jiu’s life ever since he was born, a child of darkness and misfortune who should have been killed years ago but despite everything he survived out of sheer spit and will. That was normal, Shen Jiu was used to it, he lived his life expecting nothing other than that and he had made peace with it… but to see his precious person breaking down like this? To see the child of light and fortune reduced into this hot pipping mess because of him? To see his beloved shed tears and weep like a lost child because people spreading rumors about Shen Jiu and he didn’t help by ignoring them? That was enough for Shen Jiu to prepare for war, even if the war in question was against his beloved’s bratty self for initiating something that ended up as a catastrophe on both ends.

“You!” Shen Jiu snarled, thrusting the doors to the meeting hall open; anger was what made Shen Jiu move, and spit and fury what made him march inside even when this meeting was only between the Peak Lords and the Liu Clan. “You brute, brainless ape, morally uptight, idiot, fool, ass!” Shen Jiu growled, advancing on his Shidi with rage that made some of the Peak Lords take a step back (Though what made them take a step back was probably his deranged look, with how rumbled his clothes were and how his hair was sticking every which direction, showing everyone how he spent his hours pulling at it). “For once in your stupid life, you couldn’t just shut your mouth and think!” Shen Jiu pushed his Shidi with both hands making him stumble a step back before he righted himself, looking so angry and furious at Shen Jiu, not that he cared about what his Shidi was thinking at the moment, not when the picture of his beloved weeping and crying still fresh on his mind.

“Wha… you!” Liu-Shidi's face flushed red and his fists balled tightly as he growled at him. In the back of his mind, Shen Jiu couldn’t help but feel relief when he noticed how the injuries his Shidi had suffered had healed thanks to Chang-Shishu and the Liu Clan.

“Shut up!” Shen Jiu snarled, as he advanced on his Shidi, whatever dark look that made it was on his face, made his Shidi flinch back, looking confused and angry as he seemed to look at Shen Jiu in a strange light. “One rule! One goddamned rule and it was to never leave your peak until further notice, how can you fuck this one simple rule so much that you almost resulted in not only your death but endangering others on my peak! Can't you for once in your damn life use that goddamned empty space in your head and think?!” Shen Jiu was on roll, not paying attention to the Peak Lords surrounding them nor the Liu Clan (Especially Liu Qingge’s parents whose faces turned red in anger, but they held their tongues when the Liu Matriarch sent them a look), his anger and want for justice for his beloved overcome everything, that it turned Shen Jiu into a careless idiot who would dare and start a fight and destroy his image to protect his beloved.

“Like you are the one to talk!” Liu Qingge finally snapped, ignoring the fact that his family and Peak Lords surrounding them looking like they wanted to stop them but was held back by the Liu Matriarch who gave all of them a harsh look ordering them to step back. “When you are running around hanging around that… that imposter's… arms like some kind of…!” But Liu Qingge couldn’t even finish his words, he froze when he felt a sharp hairpin touching his jugular, pressing firmly but not breaking the skin.

Shen Jiu could hear the shouting of his name as everyone ordered and demanded that he back away; he could see how everyone jumped in their places, some even pulling their swords ready to defend the Liu scion, something that Shen Jiu didn’t care about as the feeling of being wronged almost consumed him. “Do you really want a repeat of what happened this morning? Wasn’t Cheng Luan enough of a lesson to you?!” That made Liu Qingge shut his mouth, glaring at Shen Jiu with hate that once upon a time would have made Shen Jiu spend many nights in panic and tears trying to understand why his beloved would treat him like this, but not now, not today, not when Shen Jiu had a mission he needed to fulfill.

“Don’t you dare bring Cheng Luan into this, when you and that imposter were the reason it broke!” Liu Qingge snarled looking like he was a step away from starting a fight but held himself back when the hairpin pressure increased in a subtle threat.

“Oh, shut your yapping mouth, you brute! None of this would ever happen if you hadn’t started that fight by accusing us of having an illicit affair and started spewing shit like you do every day!” This made silence descend on the hall, a choking noise could be heard and a muffled voice spewing curses (That was no doubt Shen Anwei who was held by his partner Xian Anxiu) and screams that went unnoticed by the two of them. “Now! Listen and listen carefully Shidi. I never once gave a fuck about what everyone here thinks of me, never have, and never will because you are nothing but spoiled Young Masters and Mistresses who never knew how real-life work! Too absorbed in your twisted form of honor to understand that your ‘Oh-So-Righteous’ actions have consequences! Believe me, if I was less like myself and more like the scum you and everyone in this Sect believe me to be, I would have already followed Shang Qinghua’s example and betrayed this Sect a long time ago!” Silence, suffocating silence, even Shen Anwei stood frozen in place as he gazed at Shen Jiu who was glaring at his Shidi.

 “As if…!” Liu Qingge started only for the pressure on his neck to increase, shutting him immediately; anger poured off every pore in the man’s body, and a hateful glare met Shen Jiu’s look of righteous fury.

“You shut up, I am the one talking now, and this time you would shut your goddamn mouth and listen!” Shen Jiu hissed, his anger driving him to stay here and say his piece and stop this madness from escalating when normally Shen Jiu would glare, and turn away refusing to explain everything because he thought people have brains to think with. “I am not the one to explain things because I like to believe that people have enough brain cells to try and search for truth instead of believing half-assed rumors that hold not even one grain of truth. Sadly, my assumption and hope for this world turned out to be wrong so here I am; I wouldn’t have even given you the honor of explaining what happened today if I didn’t know you would do something stupid in the future that would result in your death.” Shen Jiu pulled back, clutching his hairpin as he glared at his Shidi, feeling exposed and uncomfortable but determined to clear everything (The sight of his beloved weeping; the sight of his Zhiji breaking down and crying, the wailing that resonated in his ears… it gave him enough strength to continue). “Now, rumor number one, I am nothing but a lecherous scum who spent his days and nights in brothels…” Shen Jiu spat, clutching his hairpin tightly so that he felt it bend, his words summoning a choked noise from his Shizun who let out a growl and almost attacked if it wasn’t for Xian-Shibo.

“Ji Jue…!” Liu Qingge started before he shut up when Shen Jiu welded the hairpin in threatening manners once more, almost daring Liu Qingge to continue talking, an action that shut his Shidi immediately.

“Is nothing but a scum and misogynist who terrorized the women in the red-light district because he felt entitled to their service; a bastard who only wreck chaos and force himself on women and did not even pay for their service!” Shen Jiu spat, just the memory of that bastard who laid his filthy hands on one of the younger girls in the Warm Red Pavilion made his blood boil, his words causing the Bai Zhan Lord to twitch and narrow his eyes. “He laid his hands on one of my eleven-year-old sisters, and broke her wrist, so I broke his bones, and he hated me ever since, the end!” Shen Jiu sneered, his words causing Liu Qingge to open and close his mouth, shock clear on his face. “Now as far as I know, and excuse me if I forgot, but the Sect’s rules don’t prohibit its Disciples from visiting their family in their downtime; so, tell me, why would I stay in a Sect that hated my gut and always sabotage me when I could visit my sisters and stay in the brothel with them?” Shock, confusion, denial, and horror made themselves known on Liu Qingge’s face as he gazed at Shen Jiu with a look that made bile rise in Shen Jiu’s throat but he swallowed it up and continued. “If you or any of your ‘Oh-So-Righteous’ Martial Siblings just done the bare minimum of asking the women in the brothel about our relation they would have told you, but instead of doing that, you just listened to that Ji bastard and started spewing speculations out of your ass, going as far as to come to the Red Warm Pavilion and destroying the place to find me!” Shen Jiu ignored how silent the room was, he ignored how his skin crawled when he felt everyone’s eyes on him. “Rumor number two, I am nothing but a cheater and a liar who won't hesitate to stab someone in the back if given the chance…” Shen Jiu spit, clutching the hairpin so tightly it snapped.

Shen Jiu wanted to stop… he wanted to stop and run away as far as he could, clarifying this one rumor had already destroyed all the years he spent crafting his aloof immortal persona; clarifying this rumor and daring to imply that he was of such wretched origin (Even if it was true) had already destroyed all the respect and fear he managed to gather all these years he spent in Cang Qiong. The Peak Lords would no doubt kick him out of the Sect now, and his Martial Siblings would no doubt use this opportunity to dub him as a scummy son of a whore; his Shizun (The one he looked up to and respected, and part of him even considered a father) would no doubt kick him from his position as Qing Jing Successor, before sending him on his way after dragging Qing Jing’s reputation to the ground, when it became known that the Qing Jing successor was nothing but a son of a prostitute who belonged to the gutter. But Shen Jiu swallowed, glared at his Shidi, and continued.

“As I said before if I was less than myself and more like the scum everyone accused me to be, I would have already betrayed the Sect a long time ago! Probably even siding with that rat Shang Qinghua and his minions that infiltrated the Sect and helped them invade Cang Qiong instead of spending nights and days trying to thwart his plans and expose him when you refused to listen to me because I quote ‘What a scum?! Look at him! Trying to drag us down and break us apart by accusing one of our Martial Brothers without proof; oh, how shameless! Just wait until we tell our Shizuns that you are spreading lies about our Martial Brother!’ end quote.” Shen Jiu said in his best ‘Qi Qingqi’s annoying and gritty voice, which caused both Liu Qingge and Wang Anwen to wince. “As far as I know I never once lied to any of you! If I hated you, I would say it to your face without sugarcoating it, if I despise you then I won't hide it; if you made a mistake, I would have made it known how much of an idiot you were. I never lied; you just couldn’t handle that the truth hurt!” Shen Jiu could see how his Shidi was breaking under the pressure, as horror and realization painted his face, but Shen Jiu didn’t care, he didn’t care; he just wanted to get this weight off his chest then he would be off this mountain! “And cheating, really? Since when was using decoy and anything in the vicinity to my advantage cheating? I don’t see you calling Xian Shu Peak a punch of weak cheaters who hide behind tricks, even when our fighting style is similar, or is it because they were women that it didn’t count? If this was how you think then you better open your goddamn eyes and look around because the world doesn't revolve around honor! People won't fight you honorably just because you do; people would stab you in the back and try to break you as soon as you turn your eyes away! Just look at me, aren’t I the best example for you to follow?!” Shen Jiu’s breath picked up, and he had to swallow to stifle the panic that wanted to consume him… “Last but not least, rumor number three… I am a Young Master who never had an honorable bone in his body…” Shen Jiu whispered, feeling so tired and done all of a sudden… “I don’t need to explain anymore, do I?” He spat, feeling so exposed and naked as he felt everyone’s eyes on him.

Shen Jiu could only bite his tongue harshly, glaring at his Shidi whose face turned so pale that he almost looked sick; he looked at his beloved opening and closing his mouth, looking so lost and confused as he looked at Shen Jiu… looking at him with a look like he was only now seeing him… that look on his Shidi’s face was almost enough to make Shen Jiu feel sick, but he held himself trying to rebuild his walls before he ended up breaking down and sobbing in terror and fear when he exposed himself to everyone around him.

That’s it… they knew everything now… they will kick me out… Shen Jiu swallowed, pressing his lips into a thin line as he gazed at his Shidi who shook in his place, his eyes were wide as they gazed at Shen Jiu. “I am sure if you decided to use that brain of yours and ask around you will manage to clarify most of the rumors if not all…” Shen Jiu mocked, using arrogance and mockery to hide the panic and terror that almost blanketed him. “Well now, after explaining everything in very simple terms that even your pea-sized brain can manage, I pray to every God that this empty space will finally be put into good use before you doom yourself like the foolish brute that you are.” Shen Jiu sneered, throwing away his hairpin before rushing away (He was not running… he was not running… not running!) ignoring his Shizun’s desperate voice as he begged him to stop, dodging the hands that wanted to hold him back, escaping as far away from everyone as he could…

Tears of anger and shame pricked his eyes when he noticed some of the Disciples were standing outside of the meeting hall, no doubt eavesdropping and would spread everything later; Shen Jiu just confessed his darkest secrets and now they would be on every waging tongue by tonight, which made anger and humiliation burn every fiber of his being… but at least he did it… he did it… he defended himself and Liu Mingyu’s action, he made sure that if they dared to blame someone, then they would blame him… he made sure that…

“Gods… this is such a mess…” Shen Jiu choked, as he made his escape slamming into something hard causing him to stumble and almost fall if it wasn’t for someone pulling him into their embrace, the familiar scent of a storm, of a forest after rain with under tone of ozone, invaded his senses, resulting in the tears he tried desperately to hold back, to slide down his face. “Shouldn’t you be asleep? How are you even awake?” Shen Jiu said through hitched breaths, his words muffled as he pressed his face into Liu Mingyu’s chest, trying to gain comfort from his beloved’s presence.

Instead of answering him, Liu Mingyu held him tightly, his hand running through his hair before he said in a hoarse and tired voice. “Let’s get you home… I am sure Madam Li is worried about you…” That made a sob leave Shen Jiu’s throat as he clutched his Shidi’s robes, nodding his head and trying to stop himself from crying and weeping… Shen Jiu didn’t know how, nor did he know why the fact that Liu Mingyu knew about Madam Li brought him relief and made him slump in his Shidi’s embrace, happy that he didn’t need to say anything before his beloved took the initiative and spirited Shen Jiu to the Warm Red Pavilion…

Shen Jiu was glad he wasn’t alone…

Chapter Text

“Did you hear?”

“Did you hear?”

“Qing Jing Head Disciple…!”

“…Shen Qingqiu!”

“Who would have…?”

“…So, all along he was…”

“A son of…”

“Oh, my Gods!”

Silence had blanketed the hall; everyone inside could only stand still, shock and unbalance dominated them until they could do nothing but stare at the door. Qi rolled from several people, indicating their anger and fury at such a turn of events, the loudest in their anger was Shen Anwei, whose face twisted into a furious snarl that made many take a step back, afraid of angering the man lest he did something to them.

“So, it was like this…” These words were enough to make people regain themselves a little, and when they turned to see the one who was talking, everyone couldn’t help but cringe back when they saw the Liu Matriarch gazing at her grandson with a dark look that made shivers run down everyone’s spines. Some wondered if they should involve themselves because the woman looked a step too close to killing her own grandson and being done with it. “You know… I found it so strange, how different your future incarnation was compared to you… so, so strange… when I knew you were too stubborn to change your way of thinking, even when I tried to make you see reason.” Liu Yanli hummed, taking a few steps toward her grandson, gazing at him with such a cold look that made some shuffle uncomfortably. “It turned out that your future incarnation had known the truth in the harshest way possible, while you, even now, are spoiled beyond measure.” A sneer dominated the woman’s face as she looked at her grandson with so much anger that some wondered what the woman would do. “How painful… it seems that I was remiss in my teachings.” That made Liu Qingge flinch, the look of despair on his face increased even more, and his hands could only shake.

“A-Niang!” Liu Xuan, cried out, looking at his mother with shock, and a little bit of anger at such careless words coming from his mother when they both knew how Liu Qingge could be sensitive to his grandmother's words and actions. “I am sure Mingyu didn’t mean for that to-!” A growl coming from his mother was enough to shut him.

 “You shut up!” The Liu Matriarch snarled as she whirled to face her son, the anger in her face was so strong the man could only flinch back at such a look. “If you and your wife hadn’t spoiled this boy rotten, we wouldn’t have been in this situation, to begin with!” She glowered, taking a step toward her son, murder in her eyes as she clutched her sword tightly. “Do you still not understand? Are you still not caught up to the situation or have you detached yourself from it?! That man sleeping in Qian Cao’s healing pavilion, is your son, Liu Mingyu, the same person as this one, but from the future! Your son, who was so spoiled and turned rotten like the rest of his generation, corrupted by power and hearsay, until he was forced to open his eyes after he killed his Zhiji!” That made Liu Qingge flinch harshly, looking at the floor while biting his lower lip harshly. “This is exactly why I refused for him to join the Sects, knowing damn well this would be the end!” She pointed at Liu Qingge with fury in her eyes. “Honor, honor, honor! That’s all I hear this generation spewing, even when they lost their honor and sense of worth a long time ago!” Liu Yanli spat, glaring at Liu Qingge harshly, taking deep breaths to calm down and not do something she would regret in the end. “Ask; ask and investigate before you form your opinions, that’s the only thing I asked you to do, but what did you do?!” Liu Qingge shuffled back, not even daring to raise his head as his grandma scolded him harshly.

“Grandmaster Liu.” Shen Anwei interrupted, gaining everyone’s attention after he pushed his husband away and marched toward the Liu Clan with an enraged face. “This wasn’t the first, nor second, nor the hundredth time I had to deal with your brat over here harassing my Head Disciple!” Shen Anwei pointed at Liu Qingge, looking closer to killing him by the second. “I first let the matter go because he was my husband’s nephew; then I let it go again when my Head Disciple begged me to leave him be, but rumors? Sabotage? Bullying?! The ‘Qing’ generation orchestrated all of this and would be punished heavily for their wrongdoings; but never once did I believe that your grandson would be part of it, as everyone knew how honorable the Liu Clan is.” Shen Anwei glared harshly at Liu Qingge, causing the man to flinch when he felt the killing intent leaking from Shen Anwei in waves.

“Please tell me what you want without beating around the bush.” Liu Yanli stated after a while, her face red with rage and embarrassment at how low her Clan had fallen without her being there to make sure they didn’t stray. Now, more than ever, Liu Yanli felt all of her 400 hundred years of living weighing her down, making her truly feel her age.

“I want that brat to stay as far away from my A-Jiu as humanly possible!” Shen Anwei hissed, sending Liu Qingge nasty looks, his hands twitching as they got closer to his sword. “It wasn’t enough that he always followed A-Jiu and started unsanctioned sword fights with him, it wasn’t enough that he accused A-Jiu of trying to kill him and still did even when it was proven false; it wasn’t enough that A-Jiu always protected him and try to cover up for all of his wrongdoings for reasons he refused to disclose, but he still had to go and spread false rumors about my Disciple? Enough is enough! Grandmaster Liu, if you don't punish your brat, then I will be the one who will show him the consequences of his actions, but this time, even if A-Jiu begged me to be lenient with him, I will not!" Liu Yanli narrowed her eyes, glancing between Shen Anwei and then Xian Anxiu, wondering about the closeness the Qing Jing Lord had exhibited when calling his Disciple in such an endearing way when the man was known to be nothing but a cold and harsh person with no mercy.

“You don’t have to worry, Anwei, your concerns have been heard.” Liu Yanli assured, even when she felt nothing but embarrassment and anger for the situation they were in because of this bratty version of her grandson. “I am staying here…” That made many Peak Lords shift, looking at one another in confusion and apprehension at the thought of an outsider, even if it was the famed Liu Yanli the ‘Shield of Jianghu’, staying with them. “…And during my stay, I am planning on punishing this brat, thoroughly.” Shivers ran down many Lords’ spines, as they felt the dark Qi rolling from Liu Yanli as she said the last word with hidden fury.

Shen Anwei narrowed his eyes but hummed in the end and gave a sharp nod to the woman. “Then I leave this matter to you Grandmaster, but do know that if I see this brute on my peak or near my Disciple once more, I will be the one to punish him this time.” Shen Anwei sent one last glare to Liu Qingge before turning away and planning to leave.

“An-Er, wait, where are you going?” Xian Anxiu, finally snapping out of his dazed, moved fast to catch his husband before the man disappeared somewhere only the Gods knew. Hearing this, everyone turned their attention to the pair, their breath hitched as they heard the answer before they rushed to follow Shen Anwei planning on finding some answers to their questions.

“The Warm Red Pavilion.”

…(“Madam, Madam!” A happy voice was heard before the door was thrust open, and from outside, came an overexcited child no older than six, who jumped happily through the door, and rushed to Li Yi’s side, pulling on her sleeve with the biggest smile on her little lips.

“Eh? Ning Jiao? Did something good happen today?” Li Yi teased the child, ruffling her hair and watching as the child squeaked and backed away, trying to straighten her hair and braids, sending Li Yi a huge pout at such disrespect, making Li Yi’s lips twitch into a smile.

“So, mean!” Ning Jiao whined, patting her hair and trying to straighten it up, only to create a bigger mess than the one Li Yi was responsible for. “Oh! Right! Madam, Madam! Jiu-Ge is here! He came to visit us!” Ning Jiao jumped around, suddenly remembering why she barged into the room in the middle of the day.

Hearing that, Li Yi’s eyes widened a bit, before a gasp left her lips. “A-Jiu is here?!” Li Yi jumped from her chair, rushing outside the office with Ning Jiao running after her; her heart pounded in her chest at the thought of seeing her Didi after such a long time. “A-Jiu…?” Li Yi called happily, only to still in her place when she finally caught sight of A-Jiu; Li Yi could only freeze in her place, as she saw a strange man standing beside her Didi, holding onto her Didi tightly while looking around the place, wearily, Li Yi gazed at the man before squaring her shoulders, and walking toward both men, preparing to go into a war if the person beside her Didi wanted to do him harm. “A-Jiu?” Li Yi called out, her voice bringing her Didi’s attention to her.

Seeing A-Jiu’s red-rimmed eyes, Li Yi had to hold her gasps, her hands forming fists as she gazed at the man beside her little brother, wondering if the man had done something to her precious A-Jiu; just to be on the safe side, Li Yi touched the dagger hidden in her flowy sleeve, promising herself she would end this man if he was the reason that her A-Jiu looked like death warmed him over. “A-Jie…” Shen Jiu smiled, even if his lips trembled and tears shone in his eyes.

Seeing this sight, was enough for Li Yi’s breath to hitch, and she could only open her arms, beckoning her little brother to a hug, that A-Jiu was too happy to return if the way he buried his face in her chest was anything to go by. “What happened, Didi?” Li Yi could only question gently, receiving a sob from her Didi who mumbled something under his breath before letting out a choked whine. Gazing at the man, Li Yi could only see the pain and concern shining in his grey-blue eyes (A familiar grey-blue eyes, but now gazing at the man and taking his features… he looked familiar in a way).

“A-Jie… A-Jie… they… they know…” Li Yi managed to catch her Didi’s broken words, her heart dropping to her chest as she finally understood her Didi’s broken sobs and whimpers. Feeling pain and heartbroken, because she knew exactly what was going to happen to her Didi after those useless trash discovered his hidden past; Li Yi could only hug her little brother tightly before directing him to his room, raising her eyebrow as A-Jiu, immediately caught the man’s sleeve and pulled him with them.

Then and there… Li Yi swore to get to the bottom of this…)…

“So, that’s how it is…” Li Yi mumbled, gazing at Liu Mingyu with a look full of fascination and something too complex for Shen Jiu to interpret. “Is he… truly from the future?” His A-Jie asked, once more just to be sure, just like the other ten times that she asked the same question when Shen Jiu had returned back home and started telling his sister (Who was more of a mother to Shen Jiu than a sister, as the two of them were once upon a time slaves, and Li Yi was the one who raised him since he was one year old until she was sold as a courtesan to the Warm Red Pavilion when Shen Jiu was six; only after Shen Jiu joined Cang Qiong did he finally see his sister once more, and this time as the Madam of the Warm Red Pavilion) what happened since the last time they saw each other, going as far as telling her about Liu Mingyu and the time travel thing that even now, Shen Jiu was having trouble believing.

“Yes, A-Jie, he is… I was there when the portal opened and he came here…” Shen Jiu whispered, his fingers scratching Liu Mingyu’s scalp who was dozing on Shen Jiu’s thighs; as soon as Shen Jiu and Liu Mingyu arrived at his room, Shen Jiu all but had the scare of his life when he saw Liu Mingyu swaying and almost falling to the floor if Shen Jiu hadn’t taken hold of him and directing him to the bed to sleep.

It was hours later, and Shen Jiu couldn’t help but blame himself for being so careless about Liu Mingyu’s health when the man was in emotional turmoil not that long ago and was drugged by Chang Anning and put to sleep so as to not hurt himself. To top it all, Liu Mingyu had flown Shen Jiu to the Warm Red Pavilion, even when he wasn’t in the best shape to do such a thing, but he still did it because he knew that Shen Jiu needed his Jiejies at this moment and couldn’t stay a second longer in the Sect.

“The future… how… peculiar…” Li Yi whispered, gazing at the man with narrowed eyes, before turning her gaze to Shen Jiu. “And he is your… beloved’s older self?” Li Yi asked, getting a nod of confirmation. “How old is he? And… why did he come back?” Li Yi continued her line of questioning, the thought of seeing the proof of something as insane as time travel, made her curious and intrigued no doubt.

 “He is in his fifties… as for why he came back… A-Jie… something really, really bad happened in the future… really bad… and… from what I gathered, everyone died… Cang Qiong… Jialing village… I… I didn’t have the heart to ask him A-Jie, not when he was so broken and lost…” Shen Jiu confessed, knowing that if there was someone he could trust unconditionally, then Li Yi was the only one he could trust, his friend, his sister, his mother, his confidence, only she would keep his secrets and protect him, even after the years they were separated.

“Fifties…” Li Yi mumbled with a frown on her face. “He is twenty-five now from what you told me last time… that meant… the bad things that happened had taken place twenty-five to thirty years in the future…” Concern flashed on Li Yi’s face before she started biting her thump, with furrowed brows. “You two seem…” Li Yi started, giving Shen Jiu a look, knowing no doubt that Shen Jiu would understand her meaning.

Shen Jiu gazed at Liu Mingyu with soft eyes, his hands, running through the man’s hair as he tried to put his thoughts into order and give his A-Jie a satisfying answer. “The first time we saw each other… he… he asked for my hand in marriage… he called me his Zhiji… his beloved…” Shen Jiu’s breath hitched as he said that. “I… I thought it was a dream… that it was… I was so happy, A-Jie… but then… then he told us of the Calamity that would befall us… how Cang Qiong… everyone… A-Jie… he was the last person alive, and he had to fight day after day to avenge us before he…” Shen Jiu sniffled, wiping his tears with his sleeves, huffing as he tried to get a grip on himself. “A-Jie… I was so happy when he told me he loved me… he loves me… and I…” Shen Jiu put a little pressure on his eyes trying to calm himself down.

“And you were overjoyed that the future version of your beloved loved you back, it’s as simple as that.” Li Yi stated with a pained smile, knowing what Shen Jiu meant by his words. “How did the brutish version of him handle that?” Li Yi questioned gently, her words making Shen Jiu’s face fall before tears of anger and helplessness took over. “Bad?” Now Li Yi looked worried, and she shifted closer to Shen Jiu, sitting on the other side of Shen Jiu and pulling him into a one-arm hug, being mindful of Liu Mingyu who was still sleeping.

“Worse, A-Jiu… so much worse…” Shen Jiu sniffled, his hand going to wipe his nose, only to be stopped by his sister who pulled a clean cloth and wiped his face clean. “He said so many things… I… I don’t want to repeat them, A-Jie…” Shen Jiu begged, getting comforted by his sister/mother, who let out a gentle hum of understanding. “And Liu Mingyu heard everything and he just… snapped… he almost killed him…” Shen Jiu sniffled.

“Good riddance…” Li Yi whispered, her words summoning a reluctant laugh from Shen Jiu he pushed his sister away trying to control his sniffle that turned into a wet chuckle. “And then, what happened?” Li Yi hummed, patting Shen Jiu’s head gently and making him sigh and lean into his sister’s warmth.

“I had to stop him… he is his future self… what if he hurt his past version or did something that ended up hurting him?” Li Yi let out a hum, looking too overwhelmed with the past-future/time travel, and Shen Jiu couldn’t even blame her as he felt like that most of the time. “Then he broke down… A-Jie… the way he bawled… they had to sedate him before he did something to himself… after that… after that, I had to clear the rumors or else…” Shen Jiu let out a tired sigh, too tired to squirm out of his sister’s hold when she started dapping his face with wet cloth.

“Figure, you would only clear the rumors if someone you cared about was involved…” Li Yi grumbled, letting out a sigh, and gazing at Liu Mingyu for a bit. “Not bad… I approve of this one.” Li Yi smiled for a bit before frowning. “Didi, please, just… from now on… just stay away from that… that brutish version… he is not worth it, Didi! the pain he put you through is not worth it, you will just end up being hurt over and over because of him.” Li Yi pleaded, her words making Shen Jiu look away and swallow.

A sob left Shen Jiu’s lips against his will, his lips trembled and his eyes stung; still, Shen Jiu tried to control himself and not break in front of his sister, not when he dumped so much on her already. “Don’t worry… A-Jie…” Shen Jiu said after what felt like ages of silence. “Even if I want to stay near him, I can't… I doubt Cang Qiong would allow me to stay after…” Shen Jiu mumbled, his words making his sister frown harshly.

“Don’t say that, Didi, you don’t know what they are going to do, besides, didn’t you tell me about your Shizun? I doubt the man would allow you to leave or be bullied by others for who you are…” His sister reassured him with a gentle smile on her face, his words bringing hope to Shen Jiu’s heart even when he knew not to be optimistic about such things, as life had taught him better than anyone what happened to stupid people with big hopes and dreams. “And if they let you go after all of this, then it’s their loss, and they didn’t deserve you. This would just confirm how stupid and ignorant they truly are to everyone out there.” Li Yi smiled, gently pulling Shen Jiu’s cheek and letting out a chuckle as Shen Jiu patted her hand away with a pout. “I will leave you to rest now, I will bring you food and water for a bath at Haishi, so rest.” With that Li Yi left Shen Jiu and Liu Mingyu, giving him one last smile as she wished him sweet dreams before she closed the door.

Shen Jiu watched his sister go, the smile he forced on his face fell down, and tears once again stung his eyes wanting to be let down once more, sniffling, Shen Jiu could only wipe his tears with his sleeve once more, feeling so scared, angry, and helpless, as his mind could only conjure the dark fates waiting for him after today. “Shixiong…” Hearing his title, Shen Jiu could only gaze at his Shidi, who was still asleep, even when he clutched Shen Jiu’s mid-section refusing to let go; gazing at Liu Mingyu, a smile twitched over Shen Jiu’s face, and he couldn’t help, running his hand through his Shidi’s hair…

Suddenly, Shen Jiu didn’t feel so sad anymore…

“…Esteem customers, as I have said before, the Red Warm Pavilion does not open its door before Youshi, so please remove yourself from here!” Hearing this, Li Yi who was walking down the stairs paused, a frown marred his face as she turned to the gates of the establishment with furrowed brows, wondering what was going on.

“What’s going on here?” Li Yi called in a harsh voice, marching toward the gates, with cold eyes, wondering if this was one of the annoying pests who always harassed them day and night demanding a service that was never given here not when the real brothel everyone claimed her establishment to be was at the end of the street. Her home, her Warm Red Pavilion, the house of courtesans, and rare beauty had turned from its former glory and reputation, into something equal to a brothel that gave their services for free; all because those wretched Masters and Mistresses from Cang Qiong who thought themselves better than her little Didi that they indevoured to bully him in any way they could.

“Madam Li!” The one who called her was nothing but a young boy of thirteen, looking so relieved and happy when he saw Li Yi, that he almost ran and hid behind her before he controlled himself and stood guard in front of the door so as to not lose face.

Gazing at the people who came, Li Yi froze for a bit, his mouth open from the shock, before she managed to control herself and turn her face emotionless at the sight in front of him. “Well, well, well…” Li Yi could only hum, her eyes darting to every face, and narrowing her eyes at the colors she saw, automatically, giving a name to the peaks these Masters had come from. “What can this one do to help the esteemed Masters of Cang Qiong?” Li Yi questioned, a strained smile on her lips that twitched down momently when her eyes fell on Bai Zhan's colors and saw the brutish younger version of her Didi’s beloved, shifting and looking around the place with nervousness. “You two! Leave immediately, Bai Zhan is not welcome in this establishment! Especially you!” Li Yi lost it, pointing at her Didi’s stupid beloved, her temper flaring up as she remembered the tears her precious person shed because of this stupid idiot with a huge stick up his ass.

Li Yi growled at the brat, glaring at him until he all but shrank back and looked at the ground, not daring to raise his head to face her. “Oh? Could you please tell me what he could have done to summon such a reaction?” The one who spoke was a beautiful woman with a gentle smile, and graceful manners, but just looking at her, made Li Yi double-take and gaze at the brute before gazing at the woman who was a split image of the brat who shifted in his place, down to the very mole under her eye.

Li Yi narrowed her eyes, letting out a huff while sending the brat a nasty glare that made him flinch. “You mean what his peak had done? Destruction of property, obstruction of work, harassing my girls until they faint from fear, and many more! I swear if it wasn’t for my… I would have you all whipped to death!” Li Yi hissed, pointing at one of the broken pillars in the back. “Last time you were here, you nearly made the house collapse, we are still repairing all the damage to this day, and it had been months ago!” That made the woman’s face darken and she threw the brat a dark look from the corner of her eye.

“I see…” The woman said, the smile vanishing from her lips, and she closed her eyes trying to control herself. “And did he harass the girls too?” The woman questioned, putting her hand on the brat’s shoulder; the way he winced, informed Li Yi that the woman was putting as much strength in her gripe as she could.

“Him? Fortunately, no, his friends? Oh, definitely.” Li Yi said, throwing a glare at the man wearing Bai Zhan’s color, gazing at him like he was the trash under her foot. “You are Bai Zhan’s Master, aren’t you?” A timid nod followed that question, making Li Yi growl and raise her hand. “Then pay up for the damage your brats have done, all of you! Your disgusting Disciples had been harassing my girls and destroying my establishment for years, I am sure some of the other business owners would tell you the same, so come on, pay up, empty your pockets!” Li Yi snapped, her words getting angry glances, but not one of the people dared to open their mouth or do something.

“Of course, they will.” The man wearing green said, his face harsh as spoke. “But while they are paying for the damage, I would like to speak with you about another pressing matter.” Li Yi narrowed her eyes, taking the man in before she huffed.

“If you are talking about my Didi then he isn’t here, Peak Lord Shen.” Li Yi finally said, ignoring the skepticism in his eyes, but thankfully, the man didn’t press the issue and only nodded his head in acceptance; seeing that people outside were looking at them, Li Yi frowned harshly before beckoning the Masters inside and to her office, ordering one of the girls to prepare tea and snacks. “Here.” Li Yi stated, giving a box full of scrolls and books to the one wearing Qiong Ding’s colors. “Read what’s inside and calculate, I demand a full refund by the end.” Li Yi sneered, taking a seat in her office chair, and after a while, offered the Qing Jing Lord a seat.

“Why… why did you wait until now to… give this?” The Qiong Ding Lord sounded faint when he said that as his eyes darted around the scrolls, and his face paling the longer he looked at the number and incidents recorded in these pages, even the woman from before was scowling harshly, sending that bratty brute, a glare that promised death when she was done reading a scroll and passing it to the Bai Zhan Lord.

“Because my Didi is stupid, that’s why.” Li Yi huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at everyone. “If Cang Qiong’s reputation suffered, then his Shizun, his Shizun’s husband, and some annoying pests he cared about would be affected; so, my stupid Didi worked like crazy to pay for all the damage your Disciples had wrecked over Jialing village.” That made many Lords’ faces fall, guilt, and shame creeping on their features as they looked at one another. “Personally, I don’t even know why he stayed in that damned Sect when all you did was make him cry and bully him. Excluding Peak Lord Shen, and his husband by association, I don’t really see a reason for him to stay up there with these damned bullies.” Li Yi, hissed, glaring at the brat who still hadn’t raised his head, knowing damn well, this was the brute’s fault, as this asshole was the one who always made her little Didi cry.

“Why… didn’t he say something?” Qing Jing Peak Lord asked, his face getting colder and colder, as his eyes gazed at his Martial Siblings with a look that made shivers run down Li Yi’s spine. “I would have done something to stop this if he told me.” And Li Yi didn’t doubt the man, not when A-Jiu had been singing his praise and looking up to him like a father.

Li Yi tapped her fingers on the table, wondering if she should tell the man or keep what she knew a secret, it wasn’t long before a knock was heard, and her girls came inside, carrying trays of tea and snacks, pouring everyone present a cup before leaving, the oppressive silence that took over the room.

“He didn’t want to disappoint you… not when he sees you as a father…” Li Yi finally spoke, strengthening her resolve and looking at the man straight in the eyes. “After Didi, joined the Sect you must have known about his past, even if not detailed, am I right?” The stiff nod, made Li Yi sigh, picking up her cup and taking a sip. “Then you should know that the life of an orphan and street rat is rough and dangerous.” Several choked gasps were heard, but Li Yi ignored them and continued. “Us who grow in such environment, can be… traumatized in a way… some of us will turn bad, most of us would die, and the unlucky ones? They are caught like rats and turn into slaves against their will.” The Lord narrowed his eyes, recognizing and realization shining in them, and with it, a pain so deep that the Lord was unable to mask.

“Rarely are those who survived to be my age, even rare those who survived to be my Didi’s age and reach where he is now… you know, I remember when he was only two years of age, I saw how he did magic with my own eyes; creating butterflies out of pure light, morphing metal into various shapes, controlling leaves and making them sharp… I could see then and there, that my Didi was special… but then… you can say too many things happened, and in the end, only after years, did I finally manage to find him.” Li Yi put her cup down, gazing at the Lord with a tired smile. “The day I found him, I begged him to leave the Sect and come here, told him, that damned witless ass you know by Yue Qi, wasn’t worth the bullying and humiliation he was going through. Did you know what he told me? He told me he would not leave until the asshole who drenched him in tea, admit A-Jiu was good enough to be there and be respected.” Li Yi saw amusement shining in the Lord’s eyes, even when there was pain too.

“Then the answer became different after a while, something about making you proud of him… and last time I asked him? He told me about someone, who he sees as the father he never had, and how he didn’t want to make him disappointed, and how he promised him he would take care of Cang Qiong in his absence.” Li Yi admitted, not disclosing the fact, that the Bai Zhan brat, was also part of why her Didi had stayed in the Sect until now, and not just Lord Shen Anwei. “I thought it stupid… but when was my Didi anything other than a stupid and sentimental kid, who repaid kindness with ten times the amount. But in the end, I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to destroy my Didi’s stand and reputation in Cang Qiong, when everyone knows it’s the place of Young Masters and Mistresses, but now? You have to forgive me, Peak Lord Shen, I have reached my wit's end, and I am not in the forgiving mood anymore.” Li Yi stated, sending every person there a harsh look, her dark eyes, stopping momently on that brat before she returned her gaze to her tea. “Unless you compensate my Didi… no, unless you assured me of my Didi’s safety and future, and got rid of those who dared to bully him all these years and punish them harshly, be it in the Sect, or when he returned home to visit. Then I have to regrettably tell you, that my Didi, shall not return to Cang Qiong, not now, not ever, no matter what his feeling on this matter.” Li Yi glared, daring anyone to speak against her words, daring them to contradict her, just so she could finally unleash her anger on them.

“Madam, your concerns have been heard, and your conditions will be met; that I vow to you.” Lord Shen assured, standing up and bowing to Li Yi, making the woman blink in shock, having not expected an Immortal Master to bow to someone who was considered lowly by many.

“Your words have been heard, Madam, and punishment would be given to everyone, with compensation that would satisfy everyone involved.” The one with the Qiong Ding colors said, standing beside the Qing Jing Lord and bowing to Li Yi, making her swallow and nod her head in acceptance.

“The Liu Clan had heard your concern, and had seen the evidence, do not worry, Madam, the Liu Clan will take full responsibility for all the damage this brat has caused, and will punish him accordingly.” The beautiful woman from before said, bowing to Li Yi, and sending the Bai Zhan brat a harsh look that offered a heavy retribution.

“As long as you understand…” Li Yi answered after a while of silence, clearing her throat and wetting her mouth with a sip of tea, feeling a little unbalanced, before she paused a bit, remembering her A-Jiu and the unconscious man with him; humming to herself, Li Yi glanced at her Didi’s beloved, before gazing at the woman who stood up, still glaring at the boy with fury and anger. “Ah, Immortal Master of the Liu Clan.” Li Yi stood up, a small smile on her lips, as she caught the woman’s attention.

“A while ago, someone from your esteemed Clan had come here, and begged for my Didi’s hand in marriage.” Li Yi’s smile widened, as she saw the shock in the brat’s eyes as well as confusion. “He said he was the grandson of the Liu Matriarch, and if I remember correctly, his name was Liu… Liu Ming… Liu Mingyu! Yes, yes!” Li Yi clapped her hand, feeling a sick pleasure, at the choked noises and shocked looks. “At first, I wasn’t too sure, and was even going to refuse, even when the man begged day and night to have my blessing…” Li Yi paused for dramatic effects, trying to hide her dark smile, at the distress that was pouring off the Bai Zhan brat in waves. “But you see, I have never seen my Didi this interested in anyone like this before, other than well…” Li Yi gave a nervous look in the brat’s direction, internally holding her cackles when she saw the realization and horror on every face, especially that brat’s face, who turned so pale he almost looked sick when the realization slammed into him. “Anyway! I decided to accept his proposal, so if you see him, tell him he is welcome here to start the marriage negotiation; after everything, my Didi suffered… I think having someone to lean on and stand beside him would do my Didi many good.” Li Yi smiled, almost patting herself on the back for such a lie… and well, it wasn’t a lie per se, not when it was the truth but polished in such a dramatic way, that would make everyone’s heads spin.

“Ah…” The woman blinked, looking so dizzy and out of it; the same could be said for the Qing Jing Lord, who almost fainted but was held up by the Qiong Ding Lord, who looked so horrified as he gazed between the Qing Jing Lord, that annoying Bai Zhan brat, and the dazed woman who looked a step from slapping herself awake. “I see, I see… I… I will pass the word… I…” The woman blabbered looking so lost.

“Madam… Madam, please refuse! That good-for-nothing monster doesn’t deserve A-Jiu! He-!” Then the Qing Jing Lord coughed blood, causing the Qiong Ding Lord to let an alarmed cry, holding the man tightly and patting him on the back; fascinating, Li Yi could only gaze at the scene with a worried look that dominated the amusement she felt.

“Oh? But… you see… my Didi was there… and well… I never saw him look so happy before… the only time I saw him this happy was when he confessed that he had met the boy who saved his life near the Luo River many years ago, from a river monster, one summer night.” If that Bai Zhan brat could get any paler, he would have done so already, as a horrified light shone in his eyes, seeming to finally remember. “Peak Lord Shen… my Didi have never asked anything from me his whole life, what kind of a sister would I be to refuse the only request of my Didi when he asked nothing from me but my blessing to be with his beloved?” A sick twisted pleasure, took hold of Li Yi when she saw dismay and pain on that brat’s face, who always brought her Didi to tears with his careless words and actions.

Another mouthful of blood left the Qing Jing Peak Lord, as the man looked so distraught and close to tears that Li Yi almost felt guilty for stressing the man her dear A-Jiu considered as father; but want it or not, Li Yi was tired of waiting and watching from the sidelines as her Didi was bullied and had his heart crushed by the person he called beloved; a brat that doesn’t deserve any of the sacrifices her Didi had done for him…

“I see…” The woman from before swayed before standing straight, her hand going to her forehead before she leaned on the table behind her to support her weight. “I… I will tell Mingyu of your decision…” The woman offered Li Yi a strained smile before her face twisted and an enraged look was sent toward the Bai Zhan brat who looked a step away from crying and breaking down…

Li Yi smiled happily and nodded her head, feeling pleasure at the turn of events, and how by the end, her brother would be with his beloved, but this time a mature and loving version of him, not this brat who only made her Didi weep and cry and question his worth daily; want it or not, this time…

Li Yi would make sure her brother would have his happy ending…

Chapter Text

Shen Jiu hummed softly, mumbling the words of a silly lullaby his A-Jie used to sing for him when he was young (a song he thought he forgot, no… tried to forget because happy things weren’t meant to be in a place as wretched as the Qiu household). A smile unconsciously painted his lips as his hand caressed Liu Mingyu’s cheek, tracing every inch of skin before it ran through the older man’s hair and massaged his scalp.

His mind was still overwhelmed, and what happened a few hours earlier still replayed in his head over and over again, almost suffocating Shen Jiu under its weight; crushing him until there was nothing left. To think, everything he worked up to, everything he spent years trying to achieve; the lofty image he tried to maintain, and the position he offered his sweat and blood just to reach… all of it dashed to the ground with his hopes, in just a few minutes spent to dispel all the rumors surrounding him…

Everything he worked up for… everything he gave everything for… the years he spent in that Sect, holding his head up and ignoring the hurt and humiliation he suffered under his Martial Siblings’ hands; never once speaking or telling his Shizun the extent of the bullying as he endured everything… all in the hope of making his Shizun proud and prove to everyone out there that Shen Jiu was deserving of his position, even coming from his shameful background.

All those sleepless nights, and the anger that held his heart close in its unforgiving grip as he saw how he was excluded and isolated by his Martial Siblings, never given a chance or allowed to socialize with them because he was a wretched Young Master in their eyes. All the heartbreak and pain Shen Jiu suffered as he was forced day and night to gaze at his once-upon-a-time brother, Yue Qi; living his life happily and carefree, forever prancing and enjoying the highs, life had to offer, by being Qiong Ding's successor, always happy and always with a smile on his face… a smile that vanished as soon as his eyes fell on Shen Jiu, and then there was nothing but guilt and discomfort shining in his eyes.

Those days were spent going over his studies, trying to perfect everything so as not to fail his Shizun when the time came; the pride he felt and the happiness that engulfed him every time his Shizun patted his head and told him of how proud he was of a job well done. The days he spent gazing at his beloved, hoping that the man would notice him one way or another, and maybe (Just maybe) give him a nod of acknowledgment for his offers, or even come talk to him about something without hunting him for a fight that Shen Jiu would feel obligated to accept because that was the only time Liu Qingge ever wanted to talk or be in the same vicinity as him.

 Everything… everything was over… just like that… Shen Jiu could only bite the inside of his cheek, feeling so angry and tired; tears gathered in his eyes and he didn’t even know what he should be feeling at the moment. On one hand, he was glad this was over, he was relieved that he wouldn’t be forced to stay there and suffer the ridicule and pain that would follow him after everyone knew what he truly was; on the other hand, he was angry and helpless to see all of his lifelong goals and work being destroyed before his very own eyes, not even holding on to his dignity because everything had to be thrown away if it meant his beloved’s safety.

But if it’s for him… then it’s fine… Shen Jiu agreed, even when he didn’t know if he should cry or laugh at the turn of events, but in the end, he swallowed everything and let go, content with the fact that his beloved was safe and sound, and now no one out there would be able to use Shen Jiu to get to his beloved and hurt him, even using his reputation and background.

“Stupid Shidi… getting worked up because of idiots…” Shen Jiu mumbled to himself, his hand running through his Shidi’s hair; a hum left his lips as he took a few strands and caressed them with his fingers, frowning at the roughness he felt, when he knew for sure, his Shidi’s hair was silky and soft. “Need to thoroughly wash and oil your hair and save it from further damage…” Shen Jiu murmured, distracting himself with making plans to take care of his Shidi, and maybe scold him for a bit about taking care of himself, after all, Shen Jiu would never allow his stupid Shidi to discard and hurt himself any longer, not when he was here.

Shen Jiu spent his day trying to ignore the huge problem, swimming outside of his field of vision, demanding Shen Jiu’s full attention even when all Shen Jiu wanted, was to ignore everything around him and just go to sleep (And preferably never wake up again). Anything Shen Jiu needed to think about, should be pushed so far back, Shen Jiu would get back to it when he felt the time was right (Which was never), to allow himself the chance to strengthen his heart and stop any pain from taking over at the thought of being forced to leave the only place that felt like home in his wretched life.

Zhiji…

Let’s get married…

…I fell in love with you…

“Stupid…” Shen Jiu sniffled, feeling tears stinging his eyes; tears that he desperately tried to stop, because he knew if he started crying now, then he wouldn’t be able to stop, and all the pain that plagued Shen Jiu would leave his lips as he wailed and cried and cursed everything around. Shen Jiu raised his hand to dry his eyes, almost jumping when he felt Liu Mingyu mumbling something while sleeping, before circling his arms around Shen Jiu’s waist tightly, refusing to budge even when Shen Jiu tried to squirm away.

“Lazy Shidi… still strong even during sleep…” Shen Jiu grumbled, his hand going to Liu Mingyu’s cheek to pinch him hard and pull his cheek, resulting in an amused smile that crossed over his face when Liu Mingyu whined, but otherwise didn’t wake up. “Come on, up, up, you lazy head, wake up.” Shen Jiu snickered, bullying his Shidi during his sleep for a few more minutes, feeling the pain and hurt that almost consumed him disappear until not even a wisp stayed with every minute spent with his beloved.

They stayed like this for a while, until there was a knock on the door, and the voice of one of the brothel servants called out. “Jiu-di, we brought dinner and bath.” The voice of a man resonated behind the door, causing Shen Jiu to tense for a bit before taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down; reasoning with himself that the caller was no other than one of the brothel workers and wasn’t a danger to fear.

“Come in.” Shen Jiu called out after a minute or so, resigning to the fact that Liu Mingyu’s grip was too strong for Shen Jiu to be able to break away from; still, Shen Jiu could feel happiness and safety in this close proximity to his beloved, even when he could see the servants entering his room that no one other than his A-Jie was allowed to enter, and looking at him with surprise and somewhat amused look, causing Shen Jiu to flush red in embarrassment.

It was only when the men finally left the room, that Shen Jiu managed to relax, allowing himself to loosen up a little and lean on the pillow behind. Running his fingers through Liu Mingyu’s hair, Shen Jiu's gaze traveled between the bathing screen and then the food, wondering which one he should force upon his Shidi first.

“Shidi… Shidi!” Shen Jiu called out, poking his Shidi’s cheek repeatedly, trying to wake him up so they could eat their dinner, considering they had missed lunch; instead of his Shidi waking up, Shen Jiu was left with Liu Mingyu who grumbled something under his breath and nuzzled Shen Jiu’s tummy, trying to hide his face there and prevent any more poking from continuing.

Unable to help it, Shen Jiu snickered, feeling something warm fluttering in his chest, even when he should really be annoyed and angry at his Shidi’s laziness. “Lazy Shidi, it’s already time for dinner; are you going to wake up, or what?” Shen Jiu inquired, his voice filled with amusement as he continued to poke Liu Mingyu’s cheek, trying to annoy him awake, one way or another.

“Shixiong…?” Liu Mingyu mumbled, his arms automatically tightening around Shen Jiu’s waist, as he nuzzled him, ignoring the fact that Shen Jiu was smiling against his will at such a cute display from a man sleeping on his lap, that everyone around him no doubt feared and were weary of.

“Yes?” Shen Jiu’s answer seemed to only manage to summon another content sigh from Liu Mingyu, who mumbled something under his breath, that Shen Jiu wasn’t able to hear or recognize what it was. “Are you a child, Shidi?” He couldn’t help but teased, his finger once more poking Liu Mingyu’s cheek. “Sleeping and refusing to wake up after crying? Honestly, just like a child…” Shen Jiu then pinched Liu Mingyu’s cheek harshly, causing Liu Mingyu to grumble and whine before finally opening his eyes, looking like a disgruntled cat forced awake from a pleasant nap.

“Shixiong…” Liu Mingyu mumbled, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes as he finally sat up, looking around the room in confusion, like he didn’t know where the two of them were. “…Time…?” Liu Mingyu mumbled, looking at Shen Jiu’s lap with an intensity that told him, his Shidi was a second away from confiscating his lap as a pillow and sleeping the day away once more.

“Up Shidi, it’s time for dinner, and a bath because you stink.” Shen Jiu teased meanly, his words causing Liu Mingyu to pause, trying to understand his words separately and together in his sleepy haze, when his Shidi did, Shen Jiu had to hold onto the snicker that almost left him when he saw Liu Mingyu’s face turn red from embarrassment, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. “Joking.” Shen Jiu couldn’t help it anymore, and he let out an amused snort and flicked his Shidi’s forehead. “But that doesn’t mean you should skip dinner, come.” Before dragging his still-confused Shidi to the dining table, letting out a soft hum when he saw that his A-Jie had sent his favorite dishes.

Shen Jiu could only smile subtly as he gazed at his Shidi, feeling many complicated emotions running through him at that moment, not knowing what to feel or do, other than feeling contentment at the fact that he was sitting beside the person he loved the most, eating dinner like it was the most normal thing in the world.

How long did Shen Jiu have this type of dream? To have a normal conversation with his Shidi during dinner, or maybe, just sit beside him and enjoy their food, no words needed to be exchanged, because the silence alone was filled with contentment that was enough to make Shen Jiu warm and happy.

“Hmmm… Shidi had been looking at me for a long time now, am I that pretty you couldn’t look away?” Shen Jiu teased a bit, wanting to see his Shidi stutter and blush like before; teasing his Shidi was too fun, and so far, had succeeded in diverting Shen Jiu’s attention from the more sad topics that he knew he should talk about but didn’t have the courage to, so he would stick to teasing and annoying the man in front of him, part because he wanted to know how much Liu Mingyu’s toleration of him could persist, and part because he wanted to know what his Shidi would do in situation such as this.

Instead of doing what Shen Jiu expected of him, Liu Mingyu smiled all of a sudden, leaning toward Shen Jiu, almost making him squeak at the closeness. “Shixiong's breathtaking beauty had stolen this Shidi’s breath from his chest; Shixiong wouldn’t be so cruel as to make me avert my eyes, would he?” Before taking a strand of his hair, and kissing it, his eyes still staring into Shen Jiu’s eyes, refusing to be shaken from the intense gaze.

“E-eh?” Shen Jiu all but squeaked, his heart pounding so loudly in his chest that part of him wondered if Liu Mingyu could hear it from this distance; his face was so hot that he knew no doubt it was red in color, the longer those intense grey-blue eyes continued to stare at him, unwilling to look away. “E-e-h… y-you…!” Shen Jiu stuttered, feeling so unbalanced and part of him was shrieking that this wasn’t supposed to end like this, not one a bit. “Shameless!” He ended up screeching, pushing Liu Mingyu’s face away with both of his hands, ignoring the squeak his Shidi let out as he fell down from his chair. “Shameless! Eat your food before you bathe!” And with that, Shen Jiu ran out of the room, his face and heart no longer able to handle the shameless man who was his stupid Shidi…

Shen Jiu couldn’t help the fluttering he felt in his heart, though…

…(Maybe Liu Mingyu had overdone it with teasing his Shixiong… Liu Mingyu who was left lying on the floor in a daze could only think, gazing at the door his Shixiong had slammed shut in his quest to run away from the room; feeling a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, Liu Mingyu could only snicker to himself, his mind could only associated Shen Jiu with a hissy kitten that was teased until it became annoyed and angry.

Shixiong start it first with that mean comment from before … Liu Mingyu thought amusingly as he remembered the horror and embarrassment he felt when his Shixiong had told him he smelled, a fact that made shame almost kill him on the spot just thinking about his Shixiong being forced to be in his proximity when his scent was less than pleasant (And wasn’t that a bit funny to think about? Now after Liu Mingyu lived years fighting and fighting against that wretch Luo Binghe, and getting drenched in the scent of blood and death until he thought that scent had saturated every pore in his body and would never be washed away even after hundreds of years? But again… this was the past, and here was Shixiong standing beside him, whole and happy, never had he faced the horror that would take place after the ‘An’ generation ascended and left the ‘Qing’ generation to ruin everything to the point of no return).

“Maybe I should bath first…” Liu Mingyu thought to himself, gazing at the bathing screen with a thoughtful look before he shook his head and stood up, sitting on the chair once more and preparing to have dinner, knowing that his Shixiong would no doubt escape to complain to Madam Li about Liu Mingyu bullying him or something. An amused smile crossed over his face at the thought, the happiness he felt knowing that his beloved Shixiong still had many who backed him and took his side was immense.

Gazing at the table before him, Liu Mingyu was frozen in his place. Anxiety and something else took over as he gazed at the plates that spread all over the table; all filled to their capacity with many dishes of vegetables and meat cooked to perfection. For Liu Mingyu who spent years practicing Inedia day after day (Courtesy of Luo Binghe who hounded him daily like the dog he was) barely eating (And if he dared to eat something, then fruit or anything in front of him would work), could only gaze with confusion and anxiety, not knowing where to start (Or if he even wanted to start to begin with). Even during his stay in Qian Cao, his Shishu never offered anything other than the medicinal congee, fearing for his health to the point of forbidding anything else that would be a strain on his body.

Liu Mingyu could only feel stress the longer he sat there alone, gazing at the dishes that were going cold, not knowing where to start or if he should eat anything. When his Shixiong was with him, Liu Mingyu managed to be distracted enough, and not pay that much attention to the food put in front of him, but now? Now Liu Mingyu could only gaze blankly at the table, the chopsticks in his hand shook to the point Liu Mingyu put them down or he knew he would spill or knock something.

You should try … Something inside of Liu Mingyu whispered, hissing at him and ordering him to eat, even when Liu Mingyu felt his stomach knotting itself at the thought of forcing himself to take even one bite from the food in front of him… You should eat something, if you don’t, then this would be an insult to Madam Li and the workers in the Warm Red Pavilion… That voice hissed once more and Liu Mingyu could only wince at the thought of insulting Madam Li, even if he had done it without meaning, or accidently.

You will make Shixiong sad … Here, Liu Mingyu let out a tired sigh, finally forcing himself to pick up the chopsticks, his hand firm this time, and not shaking like before. Pausing a bit, Liu Mingyu finally decided on a dish filled with sliced meat; he picked up a slice, and wondered to himself if it would taste like ashes or something (It had been such a long time since the last time he ate, that he knew something must have twisted the perspectives in his head to the point it made Liu Mingyu wary of putting anything in his mouth), Liu Mingyu couldn’t help but gaze at the meat long and hard before finally daring to risk it all and take a bit.

“Oh…”

Liu Mingyu didn’t know why… maybe it was the strange but familial taste, maybe it was the fact that he finally dared to eat something for pleasure instead of trying to force his body to survive another day. Maybe it was the nostalgia that reminded him of a past long gone, only he could remember now, or maybe… maybe it was the confirmation of being back to the past once more; a confirmation only now slammed into Liu Mingyu, telling him that everything was real, and he was truly back in the past…

Liu Mingyu didn’t know why, and he couldn’t help the tears that slid down his face after the first bite, which was so embarrassing that he could only hide his face behind his hands and stop the sobs that wanted to leave his chest… so embarrassing… just like a child… honestly… Liu Mingyu was glade his Shixiong ran away and didn’t witness him breaking down over food like this; even knowing that his beloved would understand and wouldn’t look at him differently, when he saw how having one bite of food reduced him to this sobbing mess was quite embarrassing, he didn’t even know if he would be able to face his Shixiong if the man was here and saw him… Though… that didn’t stop Liu Mingyu from taking another bite…

Even when tears continued to stream down his face…)…

“A crush!” Shen Anwei’s screech could be heard all over the mountain, followed by a cough of blood, that no one knew if it was because of Qi Deviation or because Shen Anwei went so hard on that screech his vocal cords ripped apart. “A fucking crush!” The elegant Peak Lord left all of his loftiness outside and started cursing in such a hardcore way that even Liu Yanli with all of her four hundred years of living, winced and looked away, ignoring the way Shen Anwei screeched and cursed to an early grave if the way he was coughing blood was anything to go by.

“Chang-Shidi! Help!” Xian Anxiu cried out, clutching his husband tightly in his arms, trying to stop his movement long enough for Chang Anning to rush and seal his Qi, stopping any potential Qi Deviation that would claim Shen Anwei who was huffing and buffing and looking a step away from letting out an ear-piercing shriek that would deafen everyone in the hall.

“A fucking crush!” Another hardcore screech resonated in the meeting hall (And probably reached Jialing village) followed by another cough, not that Shen Anwei looked like he cared, not when he continued on. “For years! Years! Accepting being bullied by that useless brat! Hiding the fact, he was bullied in and off the Sect! Forcing himself to accept his unsanctioned duels and getting beating black and blue, all because of a fucking crush!” Xian Anxiu once more tried to calm his husband, only to have the man take hold of the front of his robes and shake him like he was nothing but a ragdoll. “He accused him of trying to murder him! He almost got A-Jiu expelled from the Sect! He followed him down the mountain and destroyed his sisters’ establishment constantly, and A-Jiu forced himself to remain silent because of a fucking crush! Xian Anxiu! Was this the man you told me my A-Jiu would be safe in his presence?!” Shen Anwei continued to shake his husband, ignoring the way his husband was getting dizzy and frothing at the mouth from the harsh treatment.

“It looks more than a crush to me…” Liu Yanli grumbled to herself, her hand massaging her forehead as she tried to control the headache that made its presence known, still unable to believe what happened early that morning; her mind refused to understand that Liu Mingyu managed to evade everyone during his stay and go down the mountain to ask Shen Jiu’s family for the boy’s hand in marriage, and getting the blessing of Shen Jiu’s family who no doubted hated his younger self to the point of forbidding him of being within fifty Lis of Jialing village.

Hearing this, Shen Anwei who almost managed to shake his husband into a coma, whirled toward Liu Yanli, looking a second away from letting out a war shriek and attacking the woman for the implication he heard just now. “I refuse!” A shriek came out of Shen Anwei’s throat, and everyone winced at the blood they saw their Martial Brother spit. “I refuse for my A-Jiu to associate with that useless brute any longer; not this one, nor his dangerous and unstable self! Take them both and leave this place forever!” Shen Anwei’s voice was hoarse by the end of his screeching fit, and many could only pale at the way they saw their Shixiong talk to Liu Yanli, wondering if the woman would skew Shen Anwei with her sword for such disrespect.

“Boho! Cry me a river!” Liu Yanli snapped, not being able to handle Shen Anwei’s fit anymore. “You are not Shen Jiu’s father, nor his legal guardian, so you don’t have a shit to say about the situation!” Shen Anwei’s face turned red, and he looked a step away from strangling the woman, who crossed her arms over his chest. “His family already gave their blessing and are expecting us to come and start the marriage negotiation soon, so you are shit out of luck, Princess!” Many could only lean on the walls, feeling fainted and unbalanced as they heard the Revered Grandmaster Liu Yanli curse like a sailor right then and there. “Besides, I am not marrying him to this useless brat, I am marrying him to someone who actually loves and respects him! A much-refined gentleman you would never be able to find even if you scourge Jianghu for a thousand years!” Here, the Liu family winced, looking at Liu Qingge who stood in the corner and didn’t speak a word even when both his Shibo and grandmother slandered him and verbally hit him where it hurt the worse.

“They are the same fucking person!” Shen Anwei cried out, pointing at Liu Qingge, rage, and disgust coloring his voice and face to the point that many took a step away, fearing they would end like Xian Anxiu who looked so sick, and a second away from fainting. “The only difference is the man you are trying to marry my A-Jiu too, is a dangerous monster! He killed a Heavenly Demon! You felt his unruly Qi this morning! You saw him break a spiritual blade like it was nothing! That man is nothing but a Calamity that could turn on my A-Jiu any second and no one would be able to stop him!” Shen Anwei was on roll, growling at Liu Yanli who looked second away from throwing hands at the annoying scholar and maybe killing him on the spot.

“No, they are not!” Liu Yanli screeched, growling and looking a step away from jumping Shen Anwei and choking him until he departed to his next life. “He is not this bullheaded brat who has his head so far up his ass he didn’t see the truth in front of him even if it hit him and break his nose! Liu Mingyu is different than him! Had a different future than him and experienced a different life than this sheltered brat whose brain is as big as a goddamn hawthorn!” Liu Xuan and his wife winced, looking at their son who still didn’t move from his place or make a noise. “The Liu Mingyu we are talking about loved Shen Jiu to the point of going on a useless endeavor to fight a Heavenly Demon for years to retrieve his body and avenge his Sect, and actually succeeding in his quest, something that never happened or seen before!” Shen Anwei gritted his teeth so harshly to the point that many heard the sound and Chang Anning even stood up and stuttered something about broken teeth and jaw.

“Which wouldn’t have happened if your goddamn grandson didn’t kill A-Jiu!” That made even Liu Yanli flinch, something that Shen Anwei used to his advantage. “He killed him! He killed A-Jiu! And you are planning on marrying my A-Jiu to someone who succeeded in killing him in the future, because what? A-Jiu has a crush on him?!” Shen Anwei screamed, pointing at Liu Qingge who looked so pale he almost looked sick. “It’s because of that stupid crush my A-Jiu suffered! Because of that stupid crush, he accepted the bullying and humiliation and worked himself to the bone to appease this stupid child! Because of this stupid crush, he died! And you are demanding that I ignore all of that and allow A-Jiu to marry this murderer? Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” Shen Anwei hissed, his anger almost made him vibrate in his place before he managed to calm himself and send Liu Yanli a nasty glare that was met with a blank stare.

“Do you even have the right to talk?” Liu Yanli said after a while of deafening silence, walking toward Shen Anwei and putting her hand on his shoulder before leaning down and whispering in his ear. “You whose courtesy name ends with ‘Wei’, you who married your mother’s murderer…” In such a low voice that only Shen Anwei managed to hear. “Do you have any right to preach when you are worse than the man you condemn? At least Liu Mingyu didn't mean to kill his beloved, and did what he did when he was Qi Deviating, but what’s your excuse?” She hissed in a low voice, ignoring the way, Shen Anwei clutched his fists tightly to the point his nails broke the skin and he started bleeding. “My decision is final, want it or not; the boy’s family gave their blessing, and the boy himself seemed to be happy and eager to marry Liu Mingyu. Comes the sun of the next day, I am going to Red Warm Pavilion to negotiate with Li Yi, Shen Jiu’s blood family, about the marriage of Liu Mingyu and Shen Jiu.” Liu Yanli finally softened her death grip on Shen Anwei's shoulder, patting the place that no doubt was bruised a few times. “You and Anxiu can come, or you can stay here, I won't stop you, but remember, trying to sabotage this negotiation will have dire consequences.” Liu Yanli's tone was threatening, bringing a chill down everyone's spine, even when she had a placid smile on her face.

“…A-Niang…” Liu Xuan’s voice cracked as he finally opened his mouth to protest, flinching when Liu Yanli turned to him with a harsh look that promised him retribution if he dared to open his mouth and object. “B-but A-Niang! If you negotiated the marriage in Liu Mingyu’s name, then what about our Liu Mingyu?!” Liu Xuan cried out, pointing to his son who finally dared to look up from the ground. “What about his future? What about his future spouse?! Are you going to take his future away as punishment for his ignorance?!” Liu Xuan looked frazzled, freezing in his place when he saw Liu Yanli’s face crack into a dark smile before she started to laugh uncontrollably to the point of doubling over.

“H-his future… Gods above! This is the funniest thing I heard since the start of this mess!” Liu Yanli gasped, wiping the tears away, finally managing to calm herself enough and stop her mad cackles. “That brat… even now, so spoiled and favored by the heavens to the point it’s sickening!” The woman snapped, causing her son to take a step back, fear painting his face as he felt the heavy and dangerous Qi rolling off of his mother. “He should be grateful that his future won't repeat itself, should kowtow a thousand and one times and thank every God up in heaven that the future you are talking about will not take place; because believe me, if it did… then every life in this realm will be damned to a fate worse than death.” Sneered Liu Yanli, gazing at her grandson long and hard before she let out an annoying sigh. “He has a courtesy name, so use it from now on.” Liu Yanli hissed, turning around and marching outside of the meeting hall…

…Leaving nothing but silence behind her…

“A-Jie… why do you have a creepy smile on your face?” Shen Jiu questioned cautiously, eying the woman who was humming happily and all but dancing in her office as she put away her books and tidied the place. Shen Jiu who managed to escape his Shidi’s shamelessness not that long ago, could only narrow his eyes, wondering what the hell was going on or if something was in the air that made everyone around him go mad.

“Huh? Oh! Nothing but good news, Didi!” Li Yi chirped, clapping her hands together and looking so happy, like she was a step away from ascending to heaven; something that as much as it made Shen Jiu happy (Because then it meant that his sister wouldn’t be sad and heartbroken) it made him extremely concern and cautious (Knowing his sister’s volatile nature).

“…Which are?” Shen Jiu finally decided to bite the bait, knowing that he was going to deeply regret asking, but at least if he knew what was going to take place earlier, he could make countermeasures that would stop the catastrophe that would follow his sister’s ‘Brilliant’ plans.

“We are closing the brothel for good!” His sister chirped once more, his words rending Shen Jiu speechless, to the point he didn’t know what the hell his sister was talking about; one minute passed in total silence, two minutes, three… four minutes passed before his sister’s words made sense.

“What? What do you mean you are closing the brothel?!” Before Shen Jiu managed to screech, his heart pounding loudly in his chest, wondering from where his sister got this insane plan of closing the only place that was the home of dozens of workers who didn’t have anywhere else. “Do you even know what this means?!” Shen Jiu cried out, wondering if his sister understood the madness that was going to take place if she closed the only place that housed and took care of the slaves, the homeless, and the unwanted.

“It means, everyone will finally be free.” Li Yi smiled happily, walking to Shen Jiu, and patted his head gently. “A-Jiu… finally… we finally have the money to ditch this wretch life behind; enough money to buy a big plot of land, build an orphanage or a farm… away from this life… away from this damned place… a chance for everyone to start new without the past painting their lives black.” Li Yi grinned, her words made Shen Jiu’s breath hitch, and he could only gaze at his sister with wide eyes, his heart fluttering inside his chest.

“H-huh? B-but how?” Shen Jiu’s voice cracked, and he couldn’t help clutching at his sister’s dress. “F-from where…? How did you…?” He whispered shakily, not even being able to continue asking the questions he should be asking, feeling faint at the thought of his sister achieving their dream, and the dream of every worker living in the Warm Red Pavilion.

Li Yi giggled, walking outside of her office, leaving Shen Jiu alone before the man managed to snap out of it and follow his sister, who walked toward his room with a skip in her steps; looking like her emotions overflowing to the point of being unable to contain them anymore. “Through the power of negotiation and marriage!” Li Yi cried out, throwing her hands in the air, looking like a little girl who got the best gift in her life.

“Marriage? Whose marriage?!” Shen Jiu questioned with a raised brow, knowing that only marrying into the Emperor’s court, or one of the influential Clans that ruled over Jianghu could achieve a fate similar to the one his sister had implied.

“Your marriage of course!” Li Yi chirped happily, looking too proud, like a cat who hunted a big prey and was waiting for the owner to praise it for a job well done; Shen Jiu to his shame, felt his brain stop working for a second or two before everything slam into him and he was left a shrieking mess that demanded his sister to explain what the hell she meant by her words. “Oh, stop being dramatic!” Li Yi laughed, slamming the door to his room open, before freezing in her place.

In fact, both Li Yi and Shen Jiu froze in their place when they saw Liu Mingyu standing naked in the room (Well, almost naked, he was wearing his pants, but from the placement of his hands, it wouldn’t be long before that went discarded too), who was also frozen in his place, gazing at the two of them with confusion. “S-shameless!” Shen Jiu screeched after what felt like an incense stick time, finally managing to move his body and snatch the bedsheets to throw them at his Shidi and hide his body from his sister’s ravenous eyes.

“A-Jiu… please tell me you won't mind sharing?” Li Yi finally spoke after a while, her comment summoned another shriek from Shen Jiu who told her to get out, but as always, Li Yi wasn’t Li Yi if she wasn’t chaos personification and the one who would send Shen Jiu to an early grave because of her shamelessness.

“Uh… did something happen?” Liu Mingyu inquired, looking at Li Yi who was craning her neck to look at the exposed skin, to Shen Jiu, who was trying his best to hide his Shidi away from his sister’s piercing gaze; the poor brute probably didn’t know the problem he threw himself into when he decided to be obedient now of all times and take bath like Shen Jiu ordered him, only to have his virtue being threatened then and there by the perverted beast that was Li Yi.

“Huh? Oh, yeah!” Li Yi finally seemed to snap out of it, and a huge (And creepy, if Shen Jiu was true to himself) smile took over the woman’s face as she looked between Liu Mingyu and Shen Jiu with happiness and pride that dripped from her in waves. “The Liu Matriarch was here this morning…” Li Yi said happily, almost vibrating in her place from how hard she was containing her joy. “And it was decided that you and A-Jiu are going to get married!” Li Yi dropped the bomb with a clap of her hands, looking so overjoyed as she looked at the two of them with pride.

“Eh…?” Liu Mingyu raised his eyebrow, looking so confused, gazing at Li Yi like she had sported seven other heads, confessed she was Heavenly Demon in disguise, and started speaking in a language that was unknown to the people of this realm… not that Shen Jiu fault the man, not when Shen Jiu was feeling the same.

“Congratulations are in order!” Li Yi continued, uncaring of Shen Jiu who all but fainted if it wasn’t for Liu Mingyu taking hold of him and supporting him from making a joke out of himself by fainting in front of his sister and leaving his beloved at the mercy of this devil. “I am so happy for you, A-Jiu! Finally marrying your beloved after all these years!” Li Yi wiped her crocodile tears away, coming and patting Liu Mingyu and Shen Jiu on the shoulders (Not without coping a feeling and running her sticky hands over his Shidi’s body, which Shen Jiu was so going to raise hell for such shamelessness later), before turning to walk away. “Oh! The marriage negotiation is going to take place tomorrow, so sleep tight, and don’t be late!” Li Yi managed to throw before slamming the door shut behind her, cackling like mad as she left both Shen Jiu and Liu Mingyu in overwhelmed silence, not knowing what the hell had taken place just now…

To Shen Jiu’s shame, it was minutes before he finally managed to understand, and when he did… a screech shook the Red Warm Pavilion and made everyone jump in terror, thinking that a Demon or a ghost had managed to invade the protective talismans surrounding the place.

“A-Jie!”

Chapter Text

It was shock and surprise and confusion all at once, making Shen Jiu all but lose his mind as he found himself in a tizzy after the bomb that his sister had thrown his way before she ran, her laughter echoing in the Pavilion before she disappeared out of Shen Jiu’s sight and leaving him reeling and confused, frozen in his place not knowing what to do.

Surprise, delight, and hope slammed into him and stole the breath from his chest, causing his eyes to become impossibly wide as he froze in his place. His heart was pounding in his chest like crazy, and he almost jumped out of it as the words finally made sense. Words that made his face turn pink, and then pinker, and then it was red that spread and spread and possibly colored all of his face.

It was Shen Jiu standing frozen in his place, trying to make sense of what was said, feeling surprised at the turn of even and confused all at once, wondering what was going on around here; he felt hope fluttering in his chest, even when Shen Jiu tried to stomp the butterflies down and kill them before they manifested, knowing that this was crazy and that any happiness produced by such words should be burned down before it manifested and brought with it hope and expectation, because this was crazy, wasn’t it? I was crazy, right? Shen Jiu and marriage!? What was his sister thinking about?

Marriage… Shen Jiu then and there almost laughed and laughed and laughed out loud because what the hell was his sister saying? What was she saying?! Was this a joke or something? If it was, then it was one of very poor taste, especially with his sister knowing about his feelings for Liu-Shidi and how he had loved the man for as long as he could remember. Seriously, as if anyone would allow the ‘Venerable War God’ to sully himself by standing near the likes of Shen Jiu, let alone his family who would spit Shen Jiu’s way before they even thought about allowing their only heir and the future Patriarch of their Clan to marry someone like him.

Marriage… The thought resonated in his head, bringing with it the conversation he had with his sister (After he followed her; after he demanded answers; after having her smile at him and kiss his forehead and tell him that he just needed to wait and see before leaving him alone and going inside her office), and Shen Jiu almost ran after her sister once more; he wanted to demand that she explain to him what the hell was going on. He wanted to pout and huff and shout at her for saying things like this and go on with life without explaining like Shen Jiu wanted; saying such words that were nothing but sweet dreams only normal people could have and not him. Was his sister really unaware of what her words meant? Was she crazy or something? How could she be unaware of what her words meant to Shen Jiu, when he had never dared to think about or dream about this, especially when it concerned his special person?!

Marriage… Something that Shen Jiu never even dared to dream of, not in this life nor the next, not when knowing what he was and what he would always be, and how he was the last person in this world anyone would ever look at and consider marriage. Something that Shen Jiu didn’t even allow his mind to daydream about because… look at him… he was nothing but a slave, a runaway slave and a murderer at that; not something that anyone out there would want to get involved with, especially not when… besides! This was Liu Mingyu they were talking about, and no one with a sane mind would allow such an amazing and powerful man to marry something like him, not even if the dead came back to life and the Heavenly Emperor himself descended from heaven and gave his orders. Shen Jiu and Liu Mingyu? People must have lost their minds because how could they think that someone as amazing as Liu Mingyu could be with someone as wretch as Shen Jiu who had nothing to himself, not even his freedom?

Marriage… Something innocent and sweet, and was all rosy dreams that everyone wished for and dreamed about… everyone that was normal, and free, and didn’t have blood on their hands, not someone like him. Shen Jiu had only entertained that thought a few times in his life (The strange thing with Qiu Haitang didn’t count because he didn’t even want to marry her and she was like a naïve little sister who got Shen Jiu in trouble and nothing else, no matter how Qiu Haitang stated otherwise and deluded herself with closeness that didn’t exist) before he shut down that idea completely because why would he even hurt himself with such fantasies that would break his heart because they would never happen and never take place? It was something silly, sweet, and innocent, something that wasn’t suited to Shen Jiu or the life he had that was all pain and hate and despair. Especially not after a life lived with the slavers when he lost his sister and later met Yue Qi, not under Qiu Jianluo’s thumb when the man bought him and tortured him and did the unspeakable to him, and then Wu Yanzi’s madness as the man took and took and took and left Shen Jiu more broken than he was.

Marriage… Something that Shen Jiu thought of when he was nothing but a tiny, tiny brat shivering in an ally and getting soaked with snow and icy cold water that drenched him to the bones; that was way before he was caught by the slavers and made one of the slaves, way before meeting his Jiejie (Way before he met that curse that followed him named Yue Qi), way before everything started and turned his life into hell. It was just after his parents had abandoned him and thrown him in the Luo River one night and forgot about him, leaving him a shivering mess not knowing what was going on and why the people around were cruel and mean and scary when just a few weeks ago they smiled at him when they saw him with his parents. That day, Shen Jiu thought he was going to die, he was scared, he was cold and he was terrified, but then… someone came… and that someone turned into a special person in Shen Jiu’s heart when a boy a bit older than him looked at Shen Jiu, tilted his head before he offered him his fur coat, his Tanghulu, and his money. Soft words were exchanged, and the boy held Shen Jiu’s hand as he guided him somewhere as if trying to take Shen Jiu with him, something that all but put on hold as a strange man out of nowhere came and pulled the boy away by the ear, scolding and ignoring the boy’s protests before dragging the boy away ignoring how the boy was struggling and reaching out to Shen Jiu; leaving Shen Jiu standing frozen in his place and staring at the departing boy with too many emotions to keep track of, but too terrified to follow because that scary man sent Shen Jiu a furious glare that told him if he followed he would hurt him (That memory was all Shen Jiu had left from a time when everything was salvageable and he wasn’t ruined beyond repair, and every time he thought of the past; part of him could only wonder what would have happened, if he didn’t feel fear and had followed the boy back then, or the boy had come back for him that night and took him away -As far fetching as that sounded- a silly fantasy that Shen Jiu used to dream about from time to time even after the slavers caught him not a week later and then his life was turned into hell).

Marriage… Something that Shen Jiu had dared to think of only once after years and years of pain and torture, and it wasn’t about the forced marriage to Qiu Haitang that loomed over his head (What Shen Jiu had with Qiu Haitang was not marriage, it was never marriage; it was an insane plan that Qiu Jianluo had came up with to keep his sister in his house of sin and madness, while ensuring Shen Jiu remained under his thumbs and wouldn’t dare to raise against him or do something). It was on a day that Shen Jiu had all but broken down and sobbed and sobbed and thought he would lose his mind and go mad when Qiu Haitang in her naivety and spur of stupidity had lost all of their money; back then, Shen Jiu was terrified and out of his mind, and he was sick and tired because he knew what was waiting for him if he returned home and reported what happened; he was scared and he was tried and he was one step away from doing something so stupid because of it (Shen Jiu was tired, and he was scared, and he knew that Qiu Jianluo had been eyeing strangely for days now, and if Shen Jiu failed today, he knew… he knew… Qiu Jianluo would have done something to him that night)… and then… he saw him once more… like a Cultivator in shining armor, the boy from his youth had appeared once more. This time older and more mature and powerful in a way that brought with it respect and admiration, and just like in the past, the boy who was now a young adult found Shen Jiu. The youth looked at him, tilted his head, and asked him why he was crying, and Shen Jiu, remembering those grey-blue eyes from years ago couldn’t help but break down and tell him what happened. The young adult was gone then, and Shen Jiu thought that this was it, but not even an incense stick after the youth departed, he was back with a pouch filled with money; money that the youth gave to Shen Jiu with a nod before he left Shen Jiu once more staring at his back, unable to follow him this time not because of fear, but because the Young Mistress had found him and dragged him away, stopping him from following the boy once more (Oh, how Shen Jiu wanted to follow him that day, how he wanted to shake Qiu Haitang off and follow the boy who saved him for the second time in his life from certain death and doom. His heart was pounding in his chest loudly, that night as he fantasized about the boy coming back and saving Shen Jiu from the Qiu Clan like a Martial God in shining armor descending from heaven; instead of Shen Jiu wishing for Yue Qi to come back and save him -Shen Jiu by then, had his heart broken and had washed his hands from Yue Qi because the man not coming back for him after years meant one of two things; either Yue Qi abandoned him and didn’t care, or he was dead- Shen Jiu started wishing for the boy of his youth to come for him).

Marriage… Something that Shen Jiu stopped believing or thinking about after he burned the Qiu Clan to the ground and escaped one hell that he replaced with another in the form of a deranged murderer in the hope of escaping the nightmare he was forced into. Stupidity incarnation, Shen Jiu thought marriage was, the biggest lie humans tell one another and force the other to live through when everything pointed to the contrary (And by then, who would even look at Shen Jiu and think him worthy to be with? By then Shen Jiu had lost everything and anything and he was a deranged murderer who killed a whole Clan in one night and burned them to the ground -Only sparing the women and children and slaves like him- so who would even look at him and see something worthy? Who would look at him and think him worthy when he had lost everything even his innocence?)… but… he saw him again… this time, the youth that Shen Jiu saw was shed away, and instead Shen Jiu was greeted by a man strong and just and was like a God in every meaning of the word. Shen Jiu even when he was a Demonic Cultivation in the making; probably stinks of resentment that poured out of every pore in his body, was once more saved by him. The man looked at Shen Jiu; saw him fighting a river monster, and decided to step in and save Shen Jiu’s life once more; defeating a huge monster with one slash of his sword before leaving Shen Jiu standing alone, staring at his back in a daze; this time, no one was there to stop Shen Jiu from following the man, no one was there to pull him away or scare him or make sure he didn’t follow… No one was there… but still, Shen Jiu remained frozen in his place, not daring to move an inch as he watched the man getting farther and farther away from Shen Jiu who was left doing nothing but staring (By then, Shen Jiu was assured that the man was a Martial God in disguise watching over him from heaven or a Benevolent Spirit who took one look at him and thought him worthy of protecting. By then, Shen Jiu could only let out a hitched breath and look down at his shoes, his hands balled into fists as Shen Jiu reached an earthshattering realization… by then… Shen Jiu promised… he promised that the next time the two of them met, Shen Jiu would shorten the distance between them… somehow, somewhere, Shen Jiu promised that the next time they met, Shen Jiu would finally gather the courage to talk to the man and at least tell him ‘Thank you for being there’ because if nothing else, the kind Spirit needed to know that Shen Jiu was grateful to them).

Marriage… Something that turned into a bitter-sweet thought that was taboo for Shen Jiu to think about, especially after years of suffering that followed by him finding Yue Qi once more and then ending up killing Wu Yanzi. Suddenly, Shen Jiu was brought to Cang Qiong not as a prisoner but as a Disciple, leaving Shen Jiu’s mind reeling and not knowing what to do or how to handle the situation. Suddenly, Shen Jiu met a ghost of the past he never thought he would ever meet again, feeling his heart once more skip several beats and all but jump out of his chest. Suddenly, Shen Jiu could only stare at his special person’s back, not daring to approach the man because he feared he would taint him just by being in his presence… suddenly… everything shattered to pieces, and Shen Jiu didn’t know what to do or feel as he was considered an enemy by his special person who only ever greeted him by sneers and hurtful jabs. It all started due to a tournament held within the Sect, where Shen Jiu fought and fought and tried to show his special person that he wasn’t a total lost case… only to have his fight or flight instincts blare in his mind and force him to react in the only way he knew how and in doing so, he was labeled by a cheater and a man who only fight dirty… Then it was followed by that asshole Ji Jue… by then all of Shen Jiu’s hopes and dreams were dashed into the ground, forever broken beyond repair. Any semblance of relationship Shen Jiu hoped to have with his special person was impossible as everyone had already formed a crooked image about him (As true or as false as it was) that destroyed his life and any hope he had of explaining and making things better, leaving him to do nothing but grief and lament the hand he was dealt (But that didn’t stop Shen Jiu from hoping that one day, his relationship with his special person would get better somehow, that the man would give Shen Jiu a chance and he would see how Shen Jiu was trying to pull his weight and work tirelessly day and night. Shen Jiu hoped, and he worked hard, and he fought and fought to reach where he was; all in the hope of one day being able to stand on equal ground with his special person and tell him how he felt, or if not, then stay beside him and protect him from the sidelines).

Marriage… something that Shen Jiu didn’t dare to think about for years and years because it was something stupid not for the likes of him… But all of that changed when someone from the future came into their world and turned Shen Jiu’s life upside down; breaking down everything he believed in and in doing so, the hope that Shen Jiu tried to snuff out, had returned to life once more, blazing stronger than even a forest fire and refusing to give Shen Jiu any respite. Fantasy after fantasy after beautiful dream, and suddenly, Shen Jiu felt like he was a child once more; a child who believed in marriage and love and didn’t help but dream about those rosy dreams that weren’t for his kind, but still Shen Jiu couldn’t help but wish for.

Zhiji…

Let’s get married…

…I fell in love with you…

Suddenly, Shen Jiu could only hope and wish and dream and want things that people like him shouldn’t even dare think about because that meant nothing but heartbreak and pain. Suddenly, Shen Jiu could only scowl harshly as he tried to control his stupid heart that fluttered in his chest and felt like it was about to jump any minute now because was this for real? Suddenly, Shen Jiu wanted to know what he had done right in the future, to make his special person look at him like this and ask for his hand in marriage, and confess his love for Shen Jiu like it was a universal rule. Suddenly, Shen Jiu started wanting things… he started wishing for things… and part of him knew how stupid it was and how he should stop now before he got his heart broken because let’s face it, his special person was so high above in the skies while Shen Jiu was so far below the earth, he could be in hell for all he cared.

It was stupid, Shen Jiu knew that… just as well as he knew that the person who came and confessed to him (Even if he was his special person), didn’t mean Shen Jiu by his confession, but meant the older version of him in the future who did right and managed to catch his eye; not Shen Jiu of this time who was still wrong and bad in all the ways and hated by everyone around for what he was and wasn’t.

It was stupid, Shen Jiu knew that… he knew! …But still, it didn’t stop his heart from pounding like crazy in his chest as he looked at his special person who looked at him with softness Shen Jiu never saw directed at him. There was softness, there was happiness, there was adoration… Love… and part of Shen Jiu couldn’t help but wish and hope for things, even when everything inside of him warned him that this was not for the likes of him and that if he made a move, he would make the biggest mistake of his life.

And then… his special person, the one from this time, the one who still hated him and never wanted him here in the first place looked at Shen Jiu, sneered, and spat so many words that were more painful than any injury Shen Jiu suffered in his life. Painful than the beating he suffered, the stabs, the whips, the chain, and the humiliation and wondering hands; so, painful they brought tears to his eyes and shattered these rosy dreams that started to resurface after years of Shen Jiu burying them in the farthest corner of his mind, never to think of.

Then, the fight took place, two sides of his beloved fought and fought and spat and screamed, and then before Shen Jiu knew what the hell was going on everything was over before it even started; by then Shen Jiu had to scramble around and save his special person in any way he could no matter how much he had to sacrifice even if he was put in danger.

Suddenly, Shen Jiu had dared to do something he never even dreamed about doing in his life, and that was clearing up all the rumors and whispers and speculation about him. Oh, how Shen Jiu felt sick just doing so, exposing everything to everyone around and showing people his weakness for them to make fun of him even more; Shen Jiu had committed the ultimate sin of exposing himself and becoming vulnerable to everyone to see, just to clear everything that happened this morning and stop it from happening again.

Years of working hard and building himself from the ground up were dashed right before his eyes. Years of working day and night and forsaking his health until he became a Head Disciple and later a Successor was thrown away when Shen Jiu decided to rise up and talk about truths that should have been buried and forgotten about. Years of building a home and hoping for the best and for somewhere safe for him to lay at night were burned down before his very own eyes by his very own hands because he refused to allow what happened that morning to continue to happen… suddenly…

Shen Jiu’s life should be in ruin, shouldn’t it? He should be cursed and hated and forgotten about, shouldn’t he? So, why did his sister come to him and inform him that his deepest dream and desire was going to happen now and then? Why did Li Yi come and tell him that the Liu Clan had come here to offer a marriage alliance between Liu Mingyu and Shen Jiu? Was Shen Jiu dreaming? Was this a joke? How did this even happen in the first place?!

Shen Jiu’s heart pounded in his chest at what was told and implied and how tomorrow the Liu Clan would come here to start a marriage negotiation between his sister for his hand. Shen Jiu’s brain was thrown into a tizzy, not able to make sense of what happened because really, this must be wrong. After all, why would the Liu Clan come and ask for him when Liu Qingge hated his guts?! Shen Jiu was feeling a bit faint, and he could only glance at Liu Mingyu from the corner of his eye with a pounding heart, wondering what the man could think of after this turn of events that all but pulled their world from underneath their feet and slammed it on top of their head.

That night, after everything was said and done and they were given time to think things through and make them make sense; Shen Jiu and Liu-Gongzi sat around the table in his room. Silence dominated everything while Shen Jiu watched the tea in front of him getting colder and colder the longer Shen Jiu and Liu-Gongzi remained tight-lipped and refused to say a word.

Shen Jiu who saw how Liu-Gongzi looked confused, shocked, and… angry, sad? Shen Jiu didn’t know, but his heart dropped then and there at the thought that this was a mistake and that Liu-Gongzi in the end didn’t want anything to do with him. “You know… if… if you are uncomfortable with this, we…” Shen Jiu finally managed to say after opening and closing his mouth several times; his voice trailed off and he felt a flush of mortification painting his face at the realization that he got everything wrong from start to finish.

“Wha…?” Liu-Gongzi looked up in confusion before his face paled when he saw how Shen Jiu looked. “No! that’s not it, you got it wrong!” The older man’s voice cracked as he said this, and Shen Jiu shifted, still not daring to look up at the older man, feeling confusion and many emotions warring inside of him for him to be able to make sense of them.

“Then… why are you so… quiet?” Shen Jiu finally dared to breach the subject, feeling an uncomfortable buzz under his skin when he finally decided to talk about his… feelings… and show some vulnerability to the older man; but really, considering what happened in the past few days between Shen Jiu and Liu-Gongzi they were past the stage of feeling uncomfortable to show their vulnerable side to the other.

Liu-Gongzi opened his mouth only to close it and look at his tea with a complicated look; this happened several times and with every occurrence, Shen Jiu could only feel mortification that bordered on hysteria. “…Because I don’t want you to end up hating me.” Liu-Gongzi finally managed to say after what could equal incense sticks time of silence.

“What…?” Shen Jiu whispered in confusion, looking at Liu-Gongzi who finally raised his head and was looking at Shen Jiu in the eyes with a look that made the younger man confused. “Why would I…?” Shen Jiu questioned, feeling so confused and surprised, because why would he hate the man sitting on the other side of him when he had spent years and years loving him from the shadows, never getting the courage and go to the light and admit his feelings to him.

Liu-Gongzi swallowed several times, his lips trembling but the man bit them to stop them from doing so. “I…” Liu-Gongzi let out a shuddered breath before looking Shen Jiu in the eye and whispering. “Because I am a monster.” Shen Jiu furrowed his brows and he all but stood up from his place and started to protest then and there, but Liu-Gongzi shook his head and gave Shen Jiu a pleading look that shut the man up. “You… you need to know… you need to know everything because I… I can't allow you to waste your life for a…” Here, Liu-Gongzi closed his eyes and he swallowed, butting his arms on the table and clasping his hands together. “…I thought I died… I… I never even entertained the thought of somehow going back in time… I thought I died…” Shen Jiu understood everything then and there, and he could only bite his lower lip bloody and look away; ignoring the sting in his eyes at the thought that Liu-Gongzi… that… Shen Jiu’s hands were held gently by Liu-Gongzi’s snapping Shen Jiu out of his spiral and making him return his attention to the man who squeezed his hands gently. “I thought this was nothing but a beautiful dream… not a second chance… but… I want it so bad; I want to be with you so bad; I want this to be a second chance… for you… for me… but… that can't happen unless you know everything.” Shen Jiu’s breath hitched, and he could only stare at Liu Gongzi who was gazing at Shen Jiu with such sincerity it took his breath away; Shen Jiu nodded his head and waited.

…And then, just like he said, Liu-Gongzi told him everything…

He talked about the future, about their relationship, about his death, and about everything Shen Jiu asked him. He talked about their breaking point, a mission near a well that would take place two months after they became the Successors of their respected peaks; about how Liu Qingge had accused Shen Jiu of trying to kill him, the fight that took place, and the words said that was the final nail that drifted them further apart. After that, it was only hated and sneers and jabs that were designed to hurt and break the hearts; after that, it was a Sect that took Shen Jiu for granted and never cared or listen to him, always making him the butt of every joke and showing nothing but disrespect and hate as they alienated him from them in every possible way.

After that, things did simmer down a bit after the previous Lords ascended and they were the new Lords. By then, Liu Qingge never stayed in the Sect for long, going from Night Hunt to Night Hunt and rarely coming back; he never took his position as a Lord seriously and only came back to beat his Disciples to ‘Test their Strength’ before he was off once more. Or, if Liu Qingge decided to stay a bit more, then it was always unsanctioned spars as Liu Qingge hounded Shen Jiu around and refused to allow him any respite; refused to defend him against their Martial Siblings who made Shen Jiu their target, or take his side, or…

The years passed, all the same, and then… the Lingxi Caves happened… Liu-Gongzi talked about how he rushed through his Cultivation because he thought he could do it and got in over his head. Then the Qi Deviation happened, and then it was a haze of pain and terror and hurt and confusion as his body raged on and on and he was nothing but a stupid bystander in a body that refused to listen. Then… then Shen Jiu showed up… Shen Jiu showed up, and the two of them fought, throughout everything, Shen Jiu tried to help Liu Qingge through his deviation even when the only thing he should have done during that time was run away and save himself. In the end, Shen Jiu managed to save Liu Qingge from dying, but the price was too much… too much… and Shen Jiu ended up dead because Cheng Luan had pierced his lung (Shen Jiu watched how Liu-Gongzi broke up as he told this tale, the tears that ran down his face and the agony in his eyes, and the sobs he tried to trap as he continued to tell the story through gritted teeth; breaking down when Shen Jiu’s final words was spoken by him).

After that… everything changed, and the veil that blanketed Liu Qingge was snatched from his eyes and showed him the reality of things. Truth after truth came and slammed into him one after the other, refusing to allow him any respite and rubbing into his face how much of a failure and how stupid he was all along for believing in lies and rumors and not having the courage to confirm them. After that… all the lies and rumors that Liu Qingge had believed in all of his life were sliced down by the truth, and one rumor after another was exposed as people came out and spoke what should have been spoken decades ago but refused to do so. After that… it was years spent searching for a ghost, searching for the truth, and hating himself for being a stupid brute who never learned until it was too late and the time to apologize for any wrongdoing had passed and would never come back…

After that… it was falling in love with a ghost that had left this mortal world a long time ago, taking with him the only chance of happiness Liu Qingge could have had but in his stupidity, he had wasted it, and for that, Liu Qingge accepted the punishment of suffering alone for eternity for everything he was stupid enough to say or do… Love… Liu Qingge had fallen in love with the only person who could ever love him and cared about him but had wasted it all because of his stupidity when he believed his Martial Siblings and alienated himself from Shen Jiu, all because he didn’t dare to go and ask around and find the truth.

Then… then Luo Binghe happened…

Luo Binghe happened, and then everything was a haze of fire and death as that Demon and his minions came into Cang Qiong, razing the mountains to the ground and killing everyone and anyone on the peaks; not a soul had survived that day other than Liu Qingge who survived out of spite and because he abandoned the battle and ran into a burning Bamboo House in the hope of saving anything that was left from a ghost that departed this world years ago. The only thing that Liu Qingge managed to save that day was the outer robes Shen Jiu loved and adored and always wore with pride ever since the day they were chosen as Successors to Cang Qiong.

After that… it was years of agony, pain, death, and blood as Liu Qingge went to challenge Luo Binghe day after day, after day, after day, after day… hoping that this would be the day that Liu Qingge would defeat him, hoping that this would be it and Liu Qingge would be able to get Shen Jiu’s body from that derange Demon who had stolen Shen Jiu’s remains from his resting place. Day after day, after day, after day, after day; Liu Qingge would wake up and go fight the self-proclaimed ‘Emperor of the Three Realms’ in the hope of finding Shen Jiu so he could lay in peace after his Spirit was disturbed by that deranged Demon. Day after day, after day, after day; until five years passed and Liu Qingge managed to kill Luo Binghe once and for all, and to stop that deranged Demon from coming after Shen Jiu’s body once more and try to revive him, Liu Qingge cremated his body in the hope of no derange soul coming and doing what Luo Binghe dared to do.

After that… it was Liu Qingge dragging his bleeding and broken body to the Lingxi Caves, wanting his resting place to be there after years of fighting and losing and having everyone he cared about taken from him either by his hands, by his foolishness, or by Luo Binghe who thought himself a God and did whatever he desired and damn everyone around. Liu Qingge was about to die, he knew he was going to die, he was dying for years and years and years ever since that cursed day in the Lingxi Caves when he lost Shen Jiu.

Liu Qingge was going to die… but then, he found himself in the past, and from then on he didn’t know what to do or how to act or what to think because at first, he had thought that this was the afterlife, and that Liu Qingge was finally allowed to rest in peace. Seeing Shen Jiu after all these years, healthy, whole, and alive like he should have always been, made him happy and overjoyed, and maybe, maybe then Liu Qingge could finally tell Shen Jiu his true feelings, and how it took him days and months and years to finally open his eyes and see what they could have been but weren’t able to be because of his stupidity. Finally, after years and years, Liu Qingge confessed his feelings to Shen Jiu, and then, Liu Qingge thought they could walk across the Naihe Bridge together, before waking up in their next life where Liu Qingge swore to find him and fulfill their dreams and desires of being together.

…………Shen Jiu, throughout the story, remained seated in his place, listening to every word said and every confession that left the other man’s lips. His heart was in his throat and his mind was trying to process everything while his emotions were all around the place because Shen Jiu didn’t know what to think or what to feel after hearing his Shidi’s confession and hearing what was going to happen in the future years from now and how everyone he loved and cared about suffered.

Shen Jiu looked at his hands which were still held over the table by Liu-Gongzi’s gentle hands, lost in thoughts as he tried to understand and make sense of how he died and what ended up happening after he did. In the end, Shen Jiu looked at the older man, the man he loved since young, the man he loved now, and the man he would continue to love in the future.

“I… I don’t hate you.” That was Shen Jiu’s final verdict as he looked at Liu Mingyu who raised his head to look at him with red-rimmed eyes. “I don’t blame you, and I don’t hate you; what happened to me in the future, my death, was not your fault. It was never your fault; it was my choice.” Shen Jiu saw how Liu Mingyu opened his mouth to protest and to stop the man, Shen Jiu gave Liu Mingyu’s hands a gentle squeeze, mirroring what the older man did before the start of his tale. “It would have killed me; it would have broken me… if you had died in those caves instead of me… I… I would have lost my sanity.” Shen Jiu confessed, looking at those eyes he loved and adored ever since he was young. “Me saving you, you being here… that was all because of my selfishness and my inability to live in a world you are not in without burning it down.” Tears once more started running down Liu Mingyu’s face and Shen Jiu couldn’t help but free one of his hands and wiping the tears away, shushing the man gently when he started sobbing uncontrollably. “But you are here, I am here; we are both alive, aren’t we? This is our second chance, and we are here, do you understand?” Shen Jiu questioned the older man gently watching how Liu Mingyu broke down and started sobbing, his emotions all high-strung after the years of suffering and pain he went through.

Shen Jiu’s heart could only break then and there at the sight presented to him, his heart hurting when he saw his strong and amazing Shidi breaking down like this and looking so lost like a boy whose parents had abandoned him. Unable to help it, Shen Jiu stood up from his seat and went to the other side of the table; pulling Liu Mingyu into his embrace and shushing him gently while petting his head and running his fingers through the older man’s hair, hoping that the man would manage to calm down.

This was their second chance… Shen Jiu would make sure of that…

Liu Mingyu was a nervous mess… he was a nervous mess through and through that it was a wonder how he managed to hold everything down and not explode or do something equally stupid. Liu Mingyu was a mess through and through, and he didn’t even know if it was because today was the day that his grandmother would come and start a marriage negotiation with Madam Li or because of the talk he had with his Shixiong yesterday.

A talk where Liu Mingyu had bared his soul to his Shixiong and told him what had happened, being so assured that his Shixiong after hearing the sins Liu Mingyu had committed, the man would run to his sister and beg for an out; forever hating Liu Mingyu for what he did to him because of his stupidity. Instead, of that happening; instead of Shen Jiu leaving and running away after the atrocity Liu Mingyu confessed to have done… Shen Jiu had stayed…

Many words were spoken last night, and many truths had come into the light. Forgiveness that Liu Mingyu didn’t deserve after everything he had done was given to him; it was only when forgiveness was offered, did Liu Mingyu realized how much he needed Shen Jiu to forgive him for what he had done to be able to draw his next breath without feeling knives of agony and pain stabbing his heart repeatedly until it was nothing but bloody mess.

They talked… after Liu Mingyu stopped weeping and crying and losing it; they talked and talked, and talked some more about what happened, about what was happening, and about what would happen in the future. Both Shen Jiu and Liu Mingyu wanted the other and wanted to be beside the other, but both of them were hesitant for different reasons.

Shen Jiu for thinking that Liu Mingyu wanted the ‘Him from the future’ and was having second thoughts about all of this (Oh, how Liu Mingyu hated himself for making Shen Jiu think like this; thinking that he and his future self weren’t just oneself that Liu Mingyu loved with all of his heart. It took time, and they talked and Liu Mingyu managed to make his Shixiong see that he was wrong and that no matter what time or place, Liu Mingyu adored and loved only Him), and Liu Mingyu for still having guilt and pain unimaginable and fearing that he would end up hurting Shen Jiu in the long run if this happened, and also… the Liu Qingge from this timeline that Liu Mingyu didn’t know where to put and what Shen Jiu feeling regarding him; Liu Mingyu didn't know if Shen Jiu wanted the still undamaged version of him that wasn’t jaded and crazy and actually had a chance with Shen Jiu, or if he would want to be with Liu Mingyu who was nothing but damaged goods at best, and insanity incarnation at worst (They talked, and talked and Shen Jiu admitted to him that just as he and the Shen Jiu from the future were one; Liu Mingyu and Liu Qingge were one, and that it would be impossible for Shen Jiu to love any one of them less than the other… but one loved him, and the other didn’t… would it be bad to be with the one who loved him instead of watching everything from the sidelines and wishing things were different? …That had broken Liu Mingyu’s heart, and he pulled Shen Jiu into his arms, promising then and there, that he would make everything better and that he would give Shen Jiu all the love he wanted or needed from now to the point he would even forget about that annoying bratty incarnation of his once and for all).

 They talked, and they solved their problems, and they agreed that they wanted this… a new start, courting, marriage, a happy life, a family… they wanted this… and if the world was kind to them for once, it would make this true and when Liu Yanli came into the Red Warm Pavilion to negotiate with Li Yi; everything would fall into place and by the end of the day, they would finally be together.

So, Liu Mingyu was a nervous mess through and through, and when morning came and his Nainai finally showed up for the marriage negotiation; Liu Mingyu all but perished then and there when he saw Shen Anwei and Xian Anxiu following the woman. His Jiujiu looked beaten up and nervous as he tried to smile, while Shen Anwei was glaring dagger at Liu Mingyu; his eyes promising him death and pain unseen before when he got his hands on him when no one was looking.

Before they started, Liu Mingyu saw how Shen Anwei pulled Shen Jiu to the side to talk with him (About what, Liu Mingyu didn’t know, but the way Shen Anwei pulled Shen Jiu into a tight hug and the small smile and glassy eyes, Shen Jiu had told him that whatever they talked about was personal and reassuring to both of them). As for his Jiujiu and Nainai, they pulled him to the side and started to interrogate him about how he managed to sneak off and come here to ask Shen Jiu’s family for their blessing (Liu Mingyu was confused, and he wondered what his Nainai and Jiujiu meant… but when he remembered Madam Li… Liu Mingyu had to suppress a flinch because he knew that it was this woman who arranged everything, and for once in his life, Liu Mingyu was grateful that the woman was on his side and not on the opposite where she had made her life mission to turn Liu Mingyu’s life into a walking nightmare as a revenge for what he did. Not that Liu Mingyu didn’t deserve it, but still, that woman was ruthless and a scary foe when she set her sight on someone and marked them as an enemy), something that Liu Mingyu only gave vague answers not daring to expose Li Yi and suffer her wrath.

After that, he could only look around wearily and then ask his Nainai about his… younger version… to which his Nainai and Jiujiu winced and looked away before muttering something about his parents keeping him in the Sect to stop him from doing something stupid and crash the negotiation (Liu Mingyu had to flinch at the mention of his A-Niang and A-Die and try desperately to stop from blurting out that those were not his parents and that his parents were dead). Liu Mingyu definitely didn’t point out how his Jiujiu and Nainai only did this to stop his parents from doing something stupid and not the other way around.

It ended like this, with Liu Mingyu nervously gazing at Shen Jiu; his heart was pounding like crazy in his chest when he sat beside his Nainai and Jiujiu (Definitely ignoring Shen Anwei who was glaring at him and wielding his fan in a threatening manner that told him he would use it as a knife to slight his throat). Watching how Shen Jiu took his place beside Madam Li and his sisters who were looking at them with scrunched noses and frowns (Not so surprisingly Shen Anwei sat beside Shen Jiu on the account of him being his Shizun, while glaring at Xian Anxiu and daring him to say something and then spending the rest of the time glaring at Liu Mingyu with a look that promised third death).

Madam Li, on the other hand, had a happy smile on her face that told Liu Mingyu that she found the whole drama happening around entertaining and that she would make sure to make this negotiation a nightmare for Liu Mingyu because even if she forgave him enough to allow this marriage to take place, she was still angry at Liu Mingyu for the years spent bullying her beloved Didi. “Well then!” Madam Li chirped happily while clapping her hands, a happy smile on her face as she studied every face…

“Let the negotiation begin!”