Work Text:
When Liu Qingge woke up, it felt as if his head was exploding.
One moment, he thought he was looking at the rubbles of what used to be Maigu Ridge, where Yue Qingyuan was being buried and Shen Qingqiu laid lifeless, pinned down and humiliated by the demon who still dared to cry “Shizun”. Another moment, he thought he was seeing Shen Qingqiu’s devastated face as he cradled Liu Qingge in his last moments, after a failed attempt to save him from qi deviation.
It felt as if he was living two different lives. One, where he had died in the Spirit Caves. Another, where he lived only to see the demon forcing his claws into Shen Qingqiu instead.
He opened his eyes and it was to the sight of the white ceiling of his own room in Bai Zhan Peak. Liu Qingge could barely process anything else before his body automatically jumped and brought him flying to Qing Jing Peak. He had no idea how long he had stayed unconscious, nor did he bother to ask anyone about what had transpired after the event. All he could think about now was about Shen Qingqiu.
What happened to Shen Qingqiu? Did he bring him out and explain to their martial siblings about what happened? Or did Shen Qingqiu die after the entire place collapsed? Which was real and which was not?
He could see Yue Qingyuan, looking like he had also just woken up, flying from Qiong Ding Peak and landing right in front of the door, too anxious that he had even forgotten to knock before he barged in. “Xiao Jiu!”
Shen Qingqiu sat in front of his dressing table, combing his silky long hair. He looked at Yue Qingyuan with an annoyed and unimpressed look before putting his comb down. “Has Zhangmen Shixiong forgotten everything including his manner? I have reminded you many times to not call me like that.”
Yue Qingyuan blinked. His shoulders slumped and he exhaled with relief. “You’re… here. You’re safe.”
Shen Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. “... What do you mean?” He then turned his gaze to Liu Qingge, not even bothering to hide his displeasure at the arrival of the unexpected guests. “Liu Shidi, too. I’ve always known you are a mannerless brute, but what do you want?”
He’s safe… and alive . Liu Qingge frowned as he examined Shen Qingqiu’s appearance - neat and clean as usual, albeit lacking the usual softness in his expression. No, wait, wasn’t he always like this? Liu Qingge could not even tell anymore. He looked around. “You look fine. What happened to that brat?”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about nor do I care,” Shen Qingqiu snapped. “Now get out of my-”
“Shen Qingqiu!” “Shen Shixiong!”
The Qing Jing Peak Lord paused when more of his martial siblings appeared, each one looking at him and calling his name with a tone of urgency and panic. Qi Qingqi did not even have her hair done properly, only tied with a single ponytail. Wei Qingwei was missing one layer of his robes and Mu Qingfang’s moustache was slightly crooked.
Yue Qingyuan coming unannounced was not an unusual occurrence. All of his martial siblings flying to his home looking like their place had just been hit by a typhoon? Shen Qingqiu stood there dumbfounded as he glanced at them one by one. “What is wrong with all of you?”
“How can we stay calm! After everything that happened…” Qi Qingqi said. “He must have done something!”
Shen Qingqiu only looked confused. “What happened?”
“Luo Binghe happened, what else?” Liu Qingge pointed.
Shen Qingqiu blinked.
“Who is Luo Binghe?”
The entire room fell silent for a moment. The Peak Lords all exchanged curious and suspicious glances.
Mu Qingfang was the first to speak. “Your former disciple, remember?”
“....” Shen Qingqiu frowned. “You must be mistaken. I’ve never had any disciple with that name.”
Liu Qingge stilled. How could he not remember? Luo Binghe was his most prized disciple (no, hated disciple? Which one?) . Even after all that happened, Shen Qingqiu still refused to act hostile against Luo Binghe. He had grieved for his disciple and when said disciple returned, he had died for him. Everyone knew Shen Qingqiu had always favoured (despised) him.
“Shizun, aren’t we going to the entrance test- oh!” A young female voice interrupted them and immediately apologized. “Shibo, Shishu. Please forgive me for intruding.”
Shen Qingqiu’s face softened a little. “It’s fine, Yingying. You can wait outside first.”
“Okay!”
The Peak Lords all watched Ning Yingying as she walked away, their eyes as wide as a cup. Shen Qingqiu crossed his arms. “Well? Will anyone care to explain what is happening here?”
“... That girl is Ning Yingying, isn’t she?” Qi Qingqi suddenly asked.
“She is, so?”
“She’s… small,” Liu Qingge uttered in disbelief.
Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes. “She is of average height and size for a twelve-year-old girl. There is nothing wrong with her.”
“Twelve…?” Yue Qingyuan sounded like he was in disbelief.
Shen Qingqiu frowned. He slowly approached Yue Qingyuan and took his wrist to examine him. “Do you have a fever or are all of you drunk? Are we still going to do the entrance test today?”
Liu Qingge had no idea what happened exactly, but one thing was clear. They had somehow traveled to the past, back to the day of the new disciple selection.
The day Luo Binghe first came.
It was truly unnerving, to see the seemingly innocent child working hard digging holes, while knowing the boy would one day grow up to become a powerful, uncontrollable demon lord who would obsess over his teacher.
Waking up with two sets of memories was confusing - no, confusing would be an understatement. The Peak Lords still had no idea if they were possibly under a demonic influence, or if Xin Mo in the midst of the chaos had opened a rift through space and time that sent them to another parallel universe in the past. They did not quite have the time for a meeting but they all had a tacit silent agreement.
To not let Luo Binghe get the chance to lay his paws on Shen Qingqiu.
"There seem to be a lot more candidates this year but…" Shen Qingqiu commented, then paused as he eyed his martial siblings suspiciously. "Why do all of you look so tense?"
Neither of them could escape Shen Qingqiu's keen eyes. When Shen Qingqiu questioned the reason for their sudden gathering, Yue Qingyuan immediately made up an excuse saying they received a false alarm that Qing Jing Peak was attacked, but clearly Shen Qingqiu did not buy it. Aside from Shang Qinghua, the only Peak Lord who was neither at the bamboo house this morning nor particularly alarmed by the sight of Luo Binghe - all of them were feeling extremely nervous as they stood there observing the selection test.
"How about if we don't take any this year? It doesn't look like there is anyone worthy," Mu Qingfang suddenly suggested, hoping his other martial siblings would understand.
Shen Qingqiu scowled. He observed the children one by one. Yue Qingyuan could feel his heart drop when Shen Qingqiu suddenly pointed his fan at Luo Binghe. "I am not an expert in assessing those with the healer potential, but that one looks like he has some talent."
Liu Qingge clicked his tongue. Even without him pointing to Luo Binghe, it appeared that Shen Qingqiu would still end up picking the boy, almost as if their encounter was preordained by fate. "Not that one."
Shen Qingqiu glared at him.
"He looks...poor and uneducated. He wouldn't suit your peak," Liu Qingge said, unable to think of other excuses.
Shen Qingqiu's eyes twitched. "What do you mean?"
"Just pick someone else. Someone normal. Not that thing."
" Thing ?" Shen Qingqiu repeated with a frosty voice.
Qi Qingqi nudged the Bai Zhan Peak Lord on the elbow and Liu Qingge realized he might have touched yet another sore spot of Shen Qingqiu. He already did it before in the past, back when he was still unaware of Shen Qingqiu's past. Now he failed to think of a better excuse. Well, what else could he have done then? That boy really did have the potential - he would grow to be someone who'd overpower them because of his dangerous bloodline!
"I think what Liu Shidi means is the boy might suit Bai Zhan Peak more," Yue Qingyuan tried to remedy the situation.
However, it seemed like Liu Qingge had already made the mistake of infuriating Shen Qingqiu twice within the span of less than an hour and the sect leader siding with him only made it worse. The Qing Jing Peak Lord turned to Yue Qingyuan. "I want that boy."
Yue Qingyuan for obvious reasons was not pleased. "Shidi…"
"Can't I? Or are you going to give that boy to someone who calls him 'that thing'?" Shen Qingqiu questioned.
Liu Qingge's face turned red and he looked away. Qi Qingqi was already facepalming. So much for trying to change things, it seemed like they had only made it worse. She should have known that Liu Qingge had traded his ability to speak well for extra buff on physical prowess.
"Liu Shidi does have a point. If the boy comes from an impoverished family, Qingqiu Shidi will have a harder time having to teach him from the basics," Yue Qingyuan tried again.
"It's not like Bai Zhan disciples aren't required to learn how to read, just like how Qing Jing disciples also need to learn martial arts. Or do you dislike letting me choose my own disciples? Are you going to take that freedom away from me?" Shen Qingqiu questioned.
"That is not my intention, Qingqiu Shidi-"
"Fine. Who am I to question your authority. Qingqiu will listen," Shen Qingqiu said and looked away.
Anyone could tell that he was sulking!
In the past Liu Qingge normally thought that it was annoying whenever Shen Qingqiu was showing his temper. However, hearing and looking at Shen Qingqiu now, his manner of speech was rather endearingly childish.
Yue Qingyuan, being the way he was, could not bear to refuse Shen Qingqiu in the end. Either way they still had no choice but to take Luo Binghe in. Seeing that he still came here to take the test, he likely did not have his memories, so they should be safe for now. What if the demon were to go elsewhere, like Huan Hua Palace and still ended up awakening his demon blood? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer , Yue Qingyuan decided. Who knew how the boy would grow up under the Palace Master's machinations? If other sects were also attacked despite having no relations, wouldn’t that mean their sect would also be in danger even if they didn’t take him in?
"... Pick who you want, Qingqiu Shidi," Yue Qingyuan weakly uttered.
Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi both dropped their jaws, while Mu Qingfang only shook his head. They would need a long meeting discussing their plans, plus an entire session to warn Yue Qingyuan not to fall for Shen Qingqiu's 'irresistible charm' again.
Yue Qingyuan was acting strange. Liu Qingge was acting strange. All of his martial siblings, save for Shang Qinghua, were not being their usual selves. Shen Qingqiu knew for a fact that Qi Qingqi hated him due to the rumors of him gallivanting at the brothels circulating through the entire sect. She banned him from his peak, why did she come to see him this morning? Why did they all come to his place this morning?
"Shi...Shizun?" The boy he just selected asked timidly.
Oh, right. He had almost forgotten about this boy. This boy would be the only exception in this peak. Being a scholarly peak, Shen Qingqiu would tend to pick those from at least financially stable families, since it meant they had at least the basics of literary education down. This boy...he might regret picking him, he was indeed more suited for Bai Zhan Peak, but if it meant irking that prick Liu Qingge, Shen Qingqiu wouldn't mind. "What is your name?"
The boy bowed down. "This disciple is Luo Binghe."
Shen Qingqiu went still. Luo Binghe?
His mind went back to the event this morning.
Hmm. Interesting. It seemed like his martial siblings were hiding something from him. How did they know that there was someone named Luo Binghe who would be coming here? Was there a reason why they were so against Luo Binghe entering his peak, to the point where they were even suggesting to cancel the selection test entirely? Shen Qingqiu would need to find out. "Where do you come from? Who are your parents?"
"This disciple comes from a small town and only has a mother, who has gone to the heavens years ago."
"Your father is?" Shen Qingqiu continued to question.
“This disciple does not have a father and is unclear of his origin. My late mother was an old servant with no family. She found me and raised me on her own," he answered.
An abandoned child, just like him. Except that Luo Binghe was a lot luckier to be found by a decent human being than slave traders. His manner of speaking was decent, suggesting that his mother might have served a large household and was trained to speak courteously. He had a jade pendant on him, though at one glance Shen Qingqiu could tell it was a fake, meaning she was still a poor and uneducated servant.
That did not take away the suspicion Shen Qingqiu had on him, though. What if his background was made up? How convenient, that he had no family to be traced?
"Raise your head," he ordered.
Luo Binghe did as told. His cheeks bloomed red the moment their eyes met and he failed to hide the awe in his expression.
"Is this the first time you've met a cultivator?" Shen Qingqiu questioned.
Luo Binghe nodded.
If it was truly his first time, then how did Yue Qingyuan and all his martial siblings know about this boy? They spoke as if they already knew this boy would be his disciple. Shen Qingqiu frowned. Divination? It did not make sense for a dream of premonition to come to multiple people at the same time, unless…
His face darkened as he realized of all Peak Lords, only he and Shang Qinghua appeared to be unaffected. Could it be that the divination only came to those who achieved a certain level of cultivation in their sect? That would make sense, as both he and Shang Qinghua had the weakest cores of all the Peak Lords. He clenched his fists.
"Ask Ming Fan to show you to your room. Until you’ve learned to read and done enough chores, you will not be given any manual yet. You're dismissed." He should not give away any manual of Cang Qiong Mountain until he could be certain about this boy’s identity.
Luo Binghe repeatedly bowed down and thanked Shen Qingqiu for accepting him into the peak. Shen Qingqiu had a feeling he had seen Luo Binghe's face before somewhere but he could not quite remember from where. He would have to pry more about the boy's past later.
Yue Qingyuan called for a meeting involving all the Peak Lords, except for Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua. They all knew what he wanted to discuss - the two conflicting memories, and the two people who weren’t there at the meeting hall. For some reason Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua appeared to be the only ones among the Peak Lords who did not return back in time with them, since both did not recognize Luo Binghe’s name. Luo Binghe also did not seem to be affected, though Liu Qingge wouldn’t put it past that half-demon possibly pretending to lose his memories.
“Zhangmen Shixiong, we were expecting better from you,” Qi Qingqi rolled her eyes.
Yue Qingyuan coughed. “Qingqiu Shidi would be suspicious. Since he doesn’t seem to remember anything, it wouldn’t make sense for him to have his request declined for no reason-”
“You’re the Sect Leader, of course you can decline it for no reason!” Liu Qingge uttered angrily.
“We have no way of monitoring Luo Binghe if he goes to another sect,” Yue Qingyuan explained. He paused. “That said, I wished I had taken him first so Qingqiu Shidi doesn’t have to get involved with him.”
“Speaking of Shen Qingqiu, are we going to do something about that unexplained fever?” Wei Qingwei asked.
The inconsistencies in their memories began with the high fever caused by the qi deviation. Everything before that remained the same but after the fever, Shen Qingqiu became a different person. The way he treated his martial siblings and his disciples was different. The difference in the way he treated Luo Binghe, especially, was like heaven and earth.
Qi Qingqi crossed her arms. “Isn’t it fine? He is a lot more tolerable after that fever. Let it happen.”
Yue Qingyuan looked dispirited. “But…”
Liu Qingge scowled. “No.”
Qi Qingqi raised an eyebrow. “No? Liu Shidi, you…”
“He’s a prick, but he’s still the same Shen Qingqiu I knew since our disciple days. Putting his life and health at risk just to make his attitude more tolerable is not acceptable,” said Liu Qingge.
Qi Qingqi snapped back. “Liu Shidi, you were the one who couldn’t stand him the most back then! Also, have you forgotten what Shen Qingqiu did to you? If his attitude doesn’t change, he’s going to kill you!”
Liu Qingge frowned. “... What? What are you talking about?”
“Liu Shidi, did you not remember that? When you were meditating in the Spirit Caves…” Wei Qingwei said.
“Yeah, I remember it. He saved me,” said Liu Qingge.
“That was after he had that fever. In the other one, didn’t he use the chance to kill you?” Qi Qingqi asked.
Liu Qingge scowled. “No. Both times, Shen Qingqiu tried to save me.”
The nine other Peak Lords all froze.
“It’s just that the cold one… well, he was still a prick, but he did try to save me. He failed though, he got into a qi deviation himself. Don’t tell me all of you really thought that he killed me?” Liu Qingge said.
Qi Qingqi’s jaw dropped. “Then… then… the charges… but why didn’t he say anything?”
Liu Qingge frowned. “What do you mean he didn’t say anything? He didn’t tell you what happened in the cave?”
The rest of the Peak Lords fell silent. Mu Qingfang then slowly began recounting the events to Liu Qingge - of how after Shen Qingqiu had brought Liu Qingge’s body out, he had completely lost the trust and respect of his martial siblings, who all thought he had murdered the Bai Zhan Peak Lord in cold blood. Hence, years later when Luo Binghe returned from the Endless Abyss and laid out all the charges against Shen Qingqiu, none of them chose to side with him and had gladly handed him over to Huan Hua Palace, where he was detained and tortured for years.
Luo Binghe was sneaky and did not reveal his true heritage until he had completely taken over Huan Hua Palace and the demon realm. He later launched an attack on other sects and razed the entire mountain. By the time they realized that they had handed one of their Peak Lords to an actual demon, it was too late. Cang Qiong Mountain had crumbled and fallen apart.
Liu Qingge stared at his martial siblings in disbelief. “... What the fuck.”
There was nothing they could actually say to defend themselves. Some of them thought if Shen Qingqiu treated his disciple better and didn’t kill Liu Qingge, they wouldn’t be faced with the misfortune. Back then, they blamed the destruction of their sect on the Qing Jing Peak Lord.
The secondary set of memories showed that Shen Qingqiu was not the sole contributor to the incoming chaos. He treated Luo Binghe so well and the half demon was still obsessed with his master, only in a different way. In both worlds, Luo Binghe was hellbent on getting Shen Qingqiu no matter what, regardless of his intention - whether to torture him, or to somehow keep him by his side.
“He didn’t even say anything much to defend himself back then,” said Qi Qingqi. “He didn’t tell us that Luo Binghe is a demon.”
“Of course he fucking can’t, our entire sect would be accused of cahooting with demons if he did. How can he even prove it, when Luo Binghe is so good at manipulation and hiding his demon blood? You even falsely accused him of killing me, even if he had told you that, would you believe it or would you think he was making up lies to escape imprisonment?” Liu Qingge pointed out.
He had a point. Shen Qingqiu’s reputation was already so tarnished. He had been accused of killing his martial brother. He was accused of harassing his female disciples. Qiu Haitang came up revealing that he had killed her family. At that point, would anyone even believe him?
Mu Qingfang drummed his fingers. “Liu Shixiong is right, we still should not let the qi deviation happen.”
All of them turned their attention to Mu Qingfang.
“Our first mistake was to distrust our martial brother, even though we were supposed to support each other. We expected him to be courteous but we were never courteous to him, and we will need to fix that. As a healer, I will stick to my role and treat all of my patients equally. Should Shen Shixiong need my assistance, I will come to him,” Mu Qingfang stated.
The Zui Xian Peak Lord laughed. “Well said, Mu Shixiong! Why should Shen Shixiong receive different treatment?”
“You’re drunk most of the time, you don’t have to deal with his temper,” Qi Qingqi huffed.
“Neither have you. Zhangmen Shixiong is the only one who gets his death glares, when has Shen Shixiong actually troubled you?”
Hearing that, Qi Qingqi shut her mouth and admitted defeat. True, in both memories when she thought back about it Shen Qingqiu had never actually done anything bad to her or her disciples. She had blindly believed rumours of him being a lecher, then resented him after for killing Liu Qingge - again, an unproven crime.
Yue Qingyuan stared into the distance, as he remembered the last moment before he blacked out and was sent back to the past. He had confessed the truth about Xuan Su, hadn’t he? In one world, he never did get to tell Shen Qingqiu about why he never came back, though. Back then, he never thought things… would turn out like that. Worse of all, he had not listened to Shen Qingqiu’s warnings about Luo Binghe. He did not trust that his shidi was innocent. He had on numerous occasions ignored Shen Qingqiu’s warnings, like with Shang Qinghua…
Yue Qingyuan blinked. “Wait. Qingqiu Shidi aside, don’t we have a bigger problem? What do we do with Shang Shidi?”
The ten Peak Lords looked at each other.
Qi Qingqi snorted. “Offer his ass to Mobei Jun.”
“Offer his ass to Mobei Jun,” Wei Qingwei nodded.
“I don’t know what Mobei Jun will do to his ass but sure,” Zui Xian Peak Lord agreed.
Shang Qinghua was still inspecting the items in the cart when he noticed the Qing Jing Peak Lord approaching him. He sighed and tossed the scroll to his head disciple. "What do you want?"
First his martial siblings suddenly came to see him, asking if he knew about Luo Binghe - a name Shang Qinghua had never even heard of before. Then Mu Qingfang suddenly wanted to assess his current health and Yue Qingyuan wanted to examine his current cultivation level. They had been acting weird lately, Shang Qinghua noticed Liu Qingge often dropping by Qing Jing Peak without initiating a fight while Qi Qingqi now had suddenly started talking to Shen Qingqiu in a civil manner. They never respected him before, they wouldn't even call him Shen Shixiong, so what changed?
Now even Shen Qingqiu was suddenly seeking him personally, even though he would only send out his disciples to run errands for him before.
"Did Zhangmen Shixiong or Liu Shidi ever come asking you anything about me?" He asked.
"... If you are curious why don't you ask them?" Shang Qinghua said dryly. He had enough on his plate, mending relationships wasn't part of his never-ending tasks. He was not responsible for Shen Qingqiu's emotional constipation.
"They didn't say anything about Luo Binghe to you?"
Oh? Interesting. Exactly who was Luo Binghe and why did it look like Shen Qingqiu was being left out of the loop as well? Here he thought he was the only one being forgotten as usual. "I don't even know anyone with that name."
Shen Qingqiu's expression changed, though he hid it quickly with his fan. Well, most of the time he only had two moods anyway, bitchy or twitchy, so Shang Qinghua could tell that Shen Qingqiu too realized both of them were being left out of something. It didn't help that they were both targets of either mistreatment or disrespect among the Peak Lords. Brotherhood? That was a farce only for the sake of maintaining their reputation to outsiders. Everyone was looking down at the others.
"I see. Pardon me for taking your time, Shang Shidi. Please resume with your work, this Shixiong will excuse himself first," said Shen Qingqiu.
Shang Qinghua rolled his eyes. Pretentious prick , he thought.
He returned to his quarters after he was done organising and delegating the tasks. He then sat at his desk, staring at the map of Cang Qiong Mountain. He needed to find a way now to test the waters - to try and see how Cang Qiong Mountain would react to an actual demon invasion. Luring a lower level demon general should be good enough. He ought to find out if there were any young powerful demons seeking opportunity to gain fame, that he could use.
He could not use Mobei Jun yet, that man was too powerful and should be kept as the secret weapon.
As Shang Qinghua hummed and picked up a brush, a cold gush of air suddenly filled the room. He turned around and was surprised to see Mobei Jun.
"Your Excellency," he greeted. "What brings you here today?"
Mobei Jun stared at him. "Why aren't you calling me like usual?"
"...." Isn't this what I normally call you?
"Shang Qinghua always calls this Mobei his king, has your loyalty changed?" Mobei Jun questioned.
Was that a subtle way of asking Shang Qinghua to upgrade his title? Whatever. It was easier bowing his head down than troubling himself with small details. If it made Mobei Jun happy, sure. "My King. What brings you here?" He asked.
Mobei Jun stared at him too long to his liking, so Shang Qinghua fluttered his eyes innocently to hide his nervousness. The ice demon suddenly nodded, looking satisfied, then patted his head.
Shang Qinghua’s entire being was shocked to the core. What the fuck.
"Shang Qinghua, what do you plan to do this time? Are you planning to do something about Tianlang Jun in advance?" Mobei Jun asked.
Shang Qinghua blinked. What? Who?
"It is better to get rid of Junshang's enemy early on. With Tianlang Jun and his right hand man gone, Junshang will have an easier time wooing Peak Lord Shen as he planned," said Mobei Jun.
Whoa, whoa, whoaa! Hold on a second there. The only lord holding a higher position than Mobei Jun whom he had to obey would be his father, as well as possibly his uncle. Clearly Shang Qinghua had missed an entire conversation before this because it sounded like his father or uncle was courting Shen Qingqiu!
Hm. Well, getting a demon to kidnap the sect’s strategist wasn’t a bad method. He was going to approach Jiuzhong Jun or his daughter for a start, but Linguang Jun would be fine as well.
Liu Qingge was here to visit again.
Ever since the morning of the selection test, Liu Qingge had been frequenting Qing Jing Peak quite a lot and most of the time he would just stand there at the corner of the training field to watch. Shen Qingqiu had tried to question Yue Qingyuan about what had happened that day but of course, the man would not answer. He was always like that and at this point Shen Qingqiu had given up trying to pry for answers from the man.
It wasn’t just Liu Qingge who had become weird. Qi Qingqi had started making small talks with him and even called him ‘Shixiong’, even though before this she had blatantly disrespected him by not addressing him properly ever since he became a Peak Lord (let’s not even talk about when he was still a disciple). Mu Qingfang paid regular weekly visits with herb tea to alleviate stress. Everyone was suddenly acting fairly decent to him. After the last time one shidi came offering a drink and another shidi suddenly started cracking up puns in front of him, Shen Qingqiu was half convinced that his martial siblings were possessed.
"Shizun, I've finished the task!" Luo Binghe came to him.
"Show me your work," he said.
The boy handed him the paper and Shen Qingqiu winced from the sheer atrocity of the strokes. Indeed, he really did not belong here. Luo Binghe had a good physique, everlasting stamina, and an excellent reflex. However, even though his memory was good, his (attempts at) poems were boring, his calligraphy was horrible, and his qin skill was far from passable. He would make a good warrior but definitely not a good scholar. However, Shen Qingqiu refused to lose face, especially since he had specifically asked for this boy to prove a point to Liu Qingge. He pushed the paper back to Luo Binghe. "You're calling this calligraphy? Shameful. Copy the poetry one hundred times and if I see any mistake or misshapen characters, punishment will be doubled."
It might be his imagination but for a second Shen Qingqiu saw a little puppy with the ears lowered down and the tail recoiling when he looked at Luo Binghe. "Yes, Shizun."
Liu Qingge scowled upon seeing the scene. "You're making him copy things?" He asked, as if Shen Qingqiu wasn't already known for giving out punishments. As if none of the other Peak Lords gave their disciples punishment. Why couldn't Shen Qingqiu do the same without getting chewed out by this man, who only dropped by once a month to beat up his disciples?
"As he should be."
"Zhangmen Shixiong already told you that he's not suited here, why were you so stubborn?" Liu Qingge questioned.
Exactly what kind of prophetic dream did they see? Did it have something to do with Luo Binghe and the reason why they were very wary of this boy?
"And why is it your business? Are you so salty about not getting him to your peak? Maybe you should have asked, but I suppose you're so used to having everything, asking for a favour is beneath you," Shen Qingqiu sneered.
Liu Qingge scowled. Why couldn't Shen Qingqiu be civil for even one interaction? Even when Liu Qingge tried to not be rude (at least he thought he wasn't), Shen Qingqiu would continue throwing jabs at him and sending that sharp, hostile glare that could petrify anyone.
Actually, no. Wasn't Shen Qingqiu always like this - aloof, cold, ruthless, constantly spitting out venomous words? In fact, it was the other Shen Qingqiu - the Shen Qingqiu who woke up a changed man after a fever, who was strange.
Which one is real? Even now, Liu Qingge found it strange how they had two different memories, but none of them could explain why and how.
The Shen Qingqiu whom he last saw at Maigu Ridge would no doubt praise Luo Binghe for his efforts, regardless of whether he did well or not. The other Shen Qingqiu, the one who was cold and ruthless, would send the boy to get beaten up. This Shen Qingqiu… well, he was closer to Shen Qingqiu before the fever.
Possession? However, Hong Jing already confirmed that it was not a possession. Amnesia? If trauma of the past caused him to be that jealous, bitter man, how did the qi deviation change him? Did it erase all the bad memories of his past? Did it make him realize all his past mistakes?
…. Speaking about that, why did Liu Qingge suddenly feel like there was an even bigger puzzle piece missing here?
"Well, aren't you going to get lost, or are you going to fight me again?" Shen Qingqiu questioned.
Liu Qingge vividly remembered that the Shen Qingqiu before the qi deviation would never accept loss gracefully. He often bit his teeth and clenched his fists, while dewy tears threatened to spill from his eyes and his cheeks would turn red from the embarrassment. Shen Qingqiu would then seclude himself for three months before coming back to challenge Liu Qingge, each time with a new technique or different tactic.
After the qi deviation, Shen Qingqiu would still come to spar with him but he was no longer as tense, nor was he particularly mad about losing. He took the pointers Liu Qingge gave calmly and would even ask for several more rounds until he got tired, before returning and promising to come again. He did not appear to be affected by the lost matches, often casually mentioning how it was obvious that Liu Qingge was the more superior one in battles.
That was not the Shen Qingqiu that Liu Qingge had known since his disciple days. Shen Qingqiu valued his cultivation and reputation so much, since he worked so hard to reach that level and obtain the position. Because of that Liu Qingge found it hard to believe he wasn't possessed, when he protected his disciple at the cost of his own health.
Now Liu Qingge realized why it was so odd. Shen Qingqiu had been enslaved for fifteen years and couldn't form a stable core because his cultivation was ruined by his late start and his first scum teacher. And heavens, Liu Qingge had been the one to criticize him about it, even though he had to work twice and thrice as hard as everyone else to reach where he was now. Why would he waste his years of hard work for an unknown disciple, then acted so calm after that? No matter how much Liu Qingge thought about it, it really made no sense at all.
As ridiculous as it sounded, he was convinced that the Shen Qingqiu after the qi deviation was a fake.
Time passed, as the Peak Lords waited if the day would come.
Yue Qingyuan received the letter requesting for help to deal with the skinner demon and reminded Mu Qingfang to be ready in case the fever were to happen again.
Yet, nothing happened. Shen Qingqiu did not experience any qi deviation or fever, and Luo Binghe was still hovering around him. He was neither being mistreated, nor was he particularly favoured. They wondered if this would be the start of a change from both timelines that they had experienced.
Yue Qingyuan warned him to not be reckless and wanted to stop him from entering the cave but even if he didn’t, he was still at his bottleneck. He knew better now and convinced the sect leader that it would be different this time.
Liu Qingge sat down to meditate.In both timelines he had experienced qi deviation and Shen Qingqiu had appeared to save him. That was when his opinion on Shen Qingqiu changed and he began seeing Shen Qingqiu differently. While he was able to mend his relationship with Shen Qingqiu, another him died and was never able to tell Shen Qingqiu how wrong he was about him.
… Actually, that was not quite right. They were two different people, so in the end they never really reconciled. That meant the bitter-old-man Shen Qingqiu would never know how sorry Liu Qingge was for all the misunderstandings he had. Thinking of Shen Qingqiu’s fate in that world, his mind began to stir into turmoil, plagued with guilt for being partly responsible for smearing dirt on Shen Qingqiu’s reputation.
If he wasn’t so hostile towards him, making assumptions and throwing jabs at him, wouldn’t Shen Qingqiu be treated better by their peers?
He shook his head trying to chase the thoughts away but remembering Shen Qingqiu’s fate, he failed to calm down. It wasn’t long before his mind then began going on a rampage and all of a sudden, it felt as if his entire body was burning. He writhed and screamed to get out of the non-existent ropes binding him, swinging his fists wildly and thrashing.
Liu Qingge realized he was going through qi deviation, once more. Just like that time, even though he tried to be careful. Was it fated, perhaps? If so-
“Liu Shidi!”
Shen Qingqiu’s voice was calling to him. Liu Qingge could see him. He was gritting his teeth, desperately trying to stop him as he was going feral. Seeing his presence calmed him down. Just like last time, Shen Qingqiu still came to save him.
Would he succeed? Or would he also fall into qi deviation?
His worst fear came when it appeared that Shen Qingqiu was losing control as well. They were both rampaging and at this rate, if one of them didn’t stop it was clear that either one or both of them would die. Liu Qingge refused to have a repeat of his and Shen Qingqiu’s fate. Biting his own lips until they bled and scrunching his eyes shut, Liu Qingge finally snapped back and sent a wave of his spiritual energy, crashing into Shen Qingqiu.
It sent the Qing Jing Peak Lord flying, crashing against the wall. Liu Qingge gasped and heaved. Shen Qingqiu laid unconscious, blood seeped out from his head. The Bai Zhan War God paled, panic filled him as he realized that this time he might have possibly killed his martial brother. He quickly rushed towards Shen Qingqiu and was relieved to discover he was still breathing. He lifted Shen Qingqiu’s body and carried him out, carrying him out.
He paused for a moment as he noticed a familiar object on the ground. Liu Qingge bent down and picked it out before running to Qian Cao Peak.
Good thing this time around, Mu Qingfang was more than prepared for extreme qi deviations. As soon as he saw the bloodied state of his martial brothers, he immediately yelled out orders for his disciple to make space and called for his top disciple to treat Liu Qingge while he attended to Shen Qingqiu.
Liu Qingge, exhausted by the event, dozed off straight away after the treatment. When he woke up it was only him and the Qing Jing Peak Lord in the room. Shen Qingqiu seemed to be doing fine, he had a bandage over his head and he had changed into the spare white robes provided by Qian Cao Peak. He glanced at Liu Qingge, chewed on his lower lip while his hands fidgeted. Liu Qingge switched his attention to the random cupboards when the air began feeling awkward.
Without his fan Shen Qingqiu was unable to hide his expression nor could he regain composure more quickly, and perhaps having gone through qi deviation, he was still a little disturbed and his emotions were raw and openly displayed on his face. He averted his gaze and spoke, “I heard you saved me.”
Liu Qingge coughed. “Well, you tried to save me too at first.”
“... I didn’t do it.”
“Doesn’t matter, you tried. I appreciate that,” said Liu Qingge. He then paused for a while, before adding. “Um, I’m… I thought you were a jerk before. My bad.”
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes stared at him, wide and reflecting surprise. He then looked away and chewed his lips, before softly uttering, “.... Thank you.”
Liu Qingge’s head shot up and he looked at Shen Qingqiu in disbelief. “What did you say?”
For a split second he swore Shen Qingqiu was puffing up his cheeks. “Go and fix your hearing. I’m leaving.”
“No, wait!” Liu Qingge ran after him and grabbed his waist, pulling Shen Qingqiu to him. The lighter, slimmer body collided against him.
Liu Qingge had always thought that for someone so tall, Shen Qingqiu was pretty light. His body was slim, with flesh just enough to not be too skinny. Looking at Shen Qingqiu now, he noticed how his eyes were slightly moist, his cheeks flushed red from embarrassment, his body heat exuding a strange warmth that made Liu Qingge feel something. It was a feeling he could not describe with words. This Shen Qingqiu was still an asshole, his words were just as rancorous, his gaze still cold and his attitude still pissing him off. Yet for some reason, Liu Qingge was feeling reluctant to let go.
It was perhaps the same feeling he had, when he kept entertaining (sometimes even looking forward to) Shen Qingqiu’s non-stop attempt to challenge him in duels.
“Let go!” Shen Qingqiu demanded.
Liu Qingge held his wrist, then pressed something against his chest. “I picked it up.”
The fan worked well to silence the Qing Jing Peak Lord. Shen Qingqiu shook his hand away from Liu Qingge and walked away, muttering something under his breath. He gave one last glance at Liu Qingge before walking away. His eyes, usually bearing hostility towards him, now seemed more curious and Liu Qingge could not help feeling somewhat amused.
He was acting like a stray cat who finally calmed down after being shown a treat.
The other Shen Qingqiu, a stranger he might be, but was amicable and friendly, a good company. This Shen Qingqiu was hard to deal with and more sour than sweet, but once the sweet side emerged, it was very endearing. He was someone he had always known, yet at the same time someone he hadn’t known at all. Frankly, he quite liked the idea of getting to know this Shen Qingqiu more, to peel off the cold layer and to see more of this person’s hidden cute side.
Liu Qingge’s face suddenly froze. Cute?
He quickly slapped his own face. No, not that kind of cute! Stop!
The time-travelled Peak Lords remembered the demon invasion very well. It was a considerably significant event after all. Luo Binghe first gained some amount of fame after the event, and the other Shen Qingqiu was poisoned after protecting his disciple, though in the other world nobody was poisoned by Without A Cute.
So far it appeared that the world they were living in now was leaning towards none of the two sets of memories they had. Shen Qingqiu did not get any friendlier, in fact any attempts they made to befriend him only made the Qing Jing Peak Lord more suspicious. They tried to approach Shang Qinghua to obtain clues and proof of his betrayal as well but this Shang Qinghua was also quite different.
He seemed a lot more quiet, still as secretive, but he no longer appeared to be on good terms with Shen Qingqiu. Zui Xian Peak Lord noted that he was no longer carrying melon seeds everywhere too, even though he used to have bags of melon seeds delivered to his residence every month.
Yue Qingyuan was called for another meeting and he knew it was about time for the demon invasion. He could not skip the meeting but he made sure to train his disciples extra hard and have them carry signal flares so they could alert other Peak Lords to come. All the other Peak Lords also began training their disciples more intensely, especially Qi Qingqi who this time was determined to make sure Liu Mingyan would win against the female demon.
Luckily Shen Qingqiu was not too suspicious of their sudden change in training routine. He thought they were all preparing their disciples for the Immortal Alliance Conference and decided to up the standard at his own peak as well.
Liu Qingge did not change his daily routine. He still came over to Qing Jing Peak, though this time bringing his own disciples to battle against the Qing Jing disciples. Occasionally he would throw some pointers as well. While Shen Qingqiu did look irritated at first, Liu Qingge noticed he was no longer hissing at him to leave.
It felt like he was halfway through taming the stray cat. He was not yet at the stage where he could pet the cat, but he was deemed harmless enough for the stray cat to let him approach without showing hostility.
“We should have more matches,” he commented while watching Ming Fan and a Bai Zhan disciple fought. “You haven’t come to challenge me for a while.”
“For you to humiliate me? No thanks,” Shen Qingqiu said.
“You never stopped coming back to challenge me back then,” Liu Qingge said.
“Find someone else to fight.”
“Nobody else is as fun as you,” Liu Qingge said, then paused wondering if Shen Qingqiu would take it as him making fun of his defeat, and quickly added, “I mean, nobody else is as tenacious as you, I really like that part of you….”
His voice trailed off when he noticed Shen Qingqiu was staring at him behind his fan. Liu Qingge suddenly felt embarrassed and spluttered, “I mean, I like you as an opponent! Not that way! I definitely don’t think that you’re cute!”
The training field suddenly turned quiet. The Bai Zhan and Qing Jing disciples were all looking at the two masters. Luo Binghe looked like he had just swallowed a whole jar of vinegar.
His face turned completely red and Liu Qingge’s ‘fight or flight’ response took over. And so, for the first time he became the one to flee from Shen Qingqiu instead, only the confused gaze of the disciples following him.
Shen Qingqiu hummed and fanned himself. That was kind of adorable , he thought.
The day of the demonic invasion came.
The Peak Lords were already ready to face Sha Hualing and her minions. They had stationed some of their disciples at Qiong Ding Peak and made sure everyone had their signal flares to summon the Peak Lords as soon as the demons appeared.
However, something had changed. Instead of Qiong Ding Peak, the demons had come to invade Qing Jing Peak and instead of Sha Hualing, the one who came was Linguang Jun.
Compared to Linguang Jun, Sha Hualing would be considered as just a small delinquent. Linguang Jun however came in full force with his generals and deadly demonic beasts to attack the sect. The inexperienced disciples were ambushed by rare northern demons whom they had never encountered before and if not for the rigorous training they had in advance, there would have been more casualties.
Luckily even though Shen Qingqiu had no foreknowledge of a demonic invasion, he was always prepared. He had quickly launched the signal flares as soon as he found out that they were dealing with a high-ranking northern demon who also brought with him demonic beasts too dangerous for young disciples to handle. He stepped into the battlefield slaying the lesser demons to clear his way to Linguang Jun.
“You dare to come and attack our sect, demon?” He seethed.
Linguang Jun meanwhile was scanning the immortal in front of him from head to toe. Hmm, that rat wasn’t wrong. He wasn’t sure why the An Ding Peak Lord came to him suggesting that he should forcefully take the Qing Jing Peak Lord as his bride and even offered to help him break into the sect, but he did not hate the idea. What better way to increase one’s reputation other than destroying an entire cultivation sect? Cang Qiong Mountain was known as the strongest sect in the human realm, Linguang Jun would gain a considerable amount of fame if he succeeded.
Moreover, this Shen Qingqiu was certainly a beauty worth conquering a sect. He had an exquisite pair of green eyes, porcelain white skin, a slender body that would be nice to hold, just overall aesthetically pleasing features. The way he carried himself with pride and elegance also made Linguang Jun even more excited to make him his little bride.
“Words do no justice to your charm, Peak Lord Shen. Indeed, you would make a perfect bride for this Linguang Jun,” he purred.
Shen Qingqiu grimaced. “You must be out of your mind if you think this master is willing to marry an arctic ape like you.”
"Ar...arctic ape…" Linguang Jun gawked. Never in his life had he been insulted like this! However, this only sparked his desire to own this man even more.
While the disciples were forced to fend against the demonic beasts, Shen Qingqiu alone had to fight against Linguang Jun. Against an ice demon like Linguang Jun, he realized that a fire attack would be the best way to inflict damage but with the type of spiritual vein he possessed, his own spiritual energy was not suitable to combust fire strong and long enough to defeat Linguang Jun. He had to rely on high grade fire talismans to go against the ice demon.
Shen Qingqiu clicked his tongue. He had wasted enough fire talismans and Linguang Jun proved to be a harder opponent. Eventually the demon managed to pounce at him and pinned him down, hands on his neck. "Quite a fighter, aren't you? That's fine, it wouldn't be as fun if you were a meek one!"
"Release me," Shen Qingqiu gritted his teeth. "Before I cut off your hands, you filthy demon."
Linguang Jun smirked and channelled his energy into Shen Qingqiu, making the immortal's body quiver from the sudden frost invading his body. However, before his whole body was frozen, a blast of spiritual energy hit the demon pinning him and Linguang Jun was hurled to the side.
Liu Qingge had arrived and needless to say, he was pissed off. Before Linguang Jun could even get up he swung his sword sending a second wave of spiritual energy that obliterated all the remaining demon beasts, while Linguang Jun was forced to shamefully admit his loss and flee. The disciples all cheered for their victory, while Liu Qingge quickly rushed towards Shen Qingqiu. "Are you okay?"
Shen Qingqiu got up and patted his robes to brush away the dust. "Took you long enough."
"I didn't expect someone like that demon to come instead, and we were held back by some monsters too. Still, you were pretty good, you held against him for that long and weakened him enough," said Liu Qingge.
Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes. "You didn't expect that demon to come instead ?"
Uh oh.
Shen Qingqiu grabbed his hands and dragged the Bai Zhan Peak Lord to his bamboo house.
Shang Qinghua gasped when Mobei Jun suddenly barged into his room and grabbed him by the collar of his robes. "What were you thinking?"
Shang Qinghua choked. "Mm…my King, I did exactly as you wished!"
"When did I ask you to work with my uncle to invade Cang Qiong Mountain?" Mobei Jun coldly said. Another hand was now dangerously creeping at Shang Qinghua's neck. "Are you on my side, or do you really plan to betray me after all?"
"This servant would never dare! All I did was according to your order! You said… you wanted to get Shen Qingqiu…" Shang Qinghua was shaking from fear.
Mobei Jun was really weird! Some days he would beat him up, some days he would pat his head gently, now he thought Shang Qinghua was betraying him.
Mobei Jun pondered. "A man… acts pathetic when he wants to attract another man."
Shang Qinghua had no idea what Mobei Jun was talking about but he quickly nodded to save his own neck. It seemed to work because Mobei Jun finally dropped Shang Qinghua down, allowing him to take a long and slow breath.
"I see. It is a chance for Junshang to show off his strength and also a way to humiliate my uncle. You're being foolish as usual, but again your plan always works out somehow," said Mobei Jun.
Shang Qinghua nodded again. Whatever, as long as the troublesome demon was pleased. It seemed like he had misunderstood Mobei Jun before, apparently he was not on good terms with his uncle considering he enjoyed hearing that his uncle was defeated. He hesitantly added, "My King, perhaps next time you can relay your order specifically so this servant won't make a mistake."
Mobei Jun only looked amused. "This lord doubts that. Shang Qinghua will always continue to make mistakes. However, you don't need to try and seduce this lord anymore."
Shang Qinghua's face remained stiff. What? Seducing? Who the fuck is seducing someone here?
"This lord has noticed you and your effort. We have something grander to plan, do not waste your time, you already have this lord's attention."
Again, what the fuck is happening here?
Shen Qingqiu crossed his arms. "Explain."
Liu Qingge wondered how he should explain this. They all agreed to keep it from Shen Qingqiu, but...at this point, what use was trying to keep it a secret? Shen Qingqiu wasn't a fool. This matter was concerning him, shouldn't he have the right to know what was going?
Liu Qingge sighed. "We're from the future. Two different futures."
Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes. "Elaborate."
And so he did, as simply as he could. He told Shen Qingqiu of the two contradicting memories they had, of how his interaction with Luo Binghe would affect his own and their fates. He told him about the reason why they were trying to stop him from taking in the boy at first, and that their martial siblings' pathetic attempts to make small chats with him were them trying to rekindle their relationship.
Shen Qingqiu snorted. "I see. What is to rekindle, I wonder, when no sort of loyalty has ever been formed in the first place?"
Liu Qingge coughed. "You're not angry? Not surprised?"
"I had an inkling. All of you are terrible actors," said Shen Qingqiu. "What about you? Aren't they going to be angry that you're revealing the secret to me?"
"You deserve to know the truth. You're not someone stupid...well, maybe you are sometimes, but anyway… you have the right to know, it is about you too," said Liu Qingge.
Shen Qingqiu fell silent. He then looked at Liu Qingge and asked, "The other me, the one who is different, the one who had the qi deviation… wouldn't you rather deal with him rather than me? Seems like you think he's more tolerable."
Liu Qingge frowned and contemplated a little before answering. "What I think doesn't matter, in the end you are here with us. You earned your spot rightfully, it's what you think that matters."
“....” Shen Qingqiu did not respond. He looked almost like he was dazed.
“Well, it would be nice if you were less prickly, but… you get what I mean,” Liu Qingge added.
Shen Qingqiu snapped out from his momentary trance and huffed. “How about you too, learn some manners, Liu Shidi?”
Liu Qingge clicked his tongue. “Of course even in this situation you still have to throw jabs. Well, I’ll go and tell Mu Shidi to come here later so make sure you get yourself examined. I’m leaving.”
He sighed and headed towards the door. Shen Qingqiu’s voice suddenly called back right when he was just opening the door. “Liu Shidi, wait.”
Liu Qingge turned his head. “What-”
The Bai Zhan War God froze, as Shen Qingqiu suddenly leaned towards him - very closely, so close he could see the green in his eyes clearly and feel his warm breath against his cheek.
“Thank you. You were quite a dashing hero.”
Liu Qingge froze. He promptly combusted, right then and there.
Shen Qingqiu smirked, and Liu Qingge fell backwards right on his butt as he tripped on the doorsill. The Qing Jing Peak Lord smiled triumphantly and turned back inside while Liu Qingge watched, his brain unable to process a single thing other than replaying Shen Qingqiu’s voice earlier.
He stayed there for a good few seconds before he abruptly shot off back to Bai Zhan Peak, unaware of all the spectators from different peaks who witnessed the Bai Zhan War God’s first ‘defeat’ against the Xiu Ya Sword.
Shen Qingqiu laid in bed, staring at the white canopy of his bed that night.
Hmm. Liu Qingge could actually look so cute too. He should tease him even more.
Closing his eyes to doze off, Shen Qingqiu suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something. Right, what should he do about Luo Binghe?