Chapter Text
Fighting Luo Binghe isn’t like fighting anyone else he’s ever fought before. Most creatures or cultivators are scarcely a challenge. Sure, sometimes they get some good licks in but he’s never really doubted that he’s going to win.
Liu Qingge’s never allowed himself to get cocky because that’s how you get dead, but he’s always been perfectly honest with himself about his cultivation prowess.
He’s fighting Luo Binghe and he’s very much aware that it’s a struggle . Everytime he thinks he’s gaining the advantage something happens and he’s suddenly on the defensive again.
He doesn’t dare look, but he prays that Shang Qinghua has taken Shen Qingqiu out of here and the two men are far away.
Out of the corner of his eye he sees Shen Qingqiu throw himself forward and he instinctively rears back. To his surprise (and his anger) he sees Luo Binghe do the same too.
Their blades cease to clash for a moment and when he looks at Shen Qingqiu’s former disciple he sees a twisted parody of devotion in his eyes.
If he ever looks at someone like that then he can almost forgive Airplane’s decision to kill him.
But the brief respite in the fighting doesn’t last long, Liu Qingge can see the little beast poised to strike again and Liu Qingge shifts to sweep Shen Qingqiu out of the way before resuming the fight.
Then something happens that he’s pretty sure no one could have expected to happen- including the man doing it himself.
Shang Qinghua runs forward screaming like a deranged creature and slams something into Luo Binghe’s mouth before grabbing Shen Qingqiu and running off with the other Peak Lord.
Liu Qingge prepares to reengage now that Shen Qingqiu is safely away, except he’s being dragged too and Shen Qingqiu’s fingers are tight on his wrist.
He doesn’t dare turn his head away from Luo Binghe. You never turn your back on a dangerous animal.
Luo Binghe snarls , and any objective attractiveness he may hold is wiped away by the sheer anger he displays.
“You useless, insignificant- stupi- Airbruw- wha-” the beast slurs out before collapsing to the ground in a dead faint.
He swears to himself to never do anything to get on Shang Qinghua’s bad side.
“The Talentless Hack caused him to collapse with his heavenly might!” an onlooker in the crowd calls out.
Liu Qingge doubts it. But nevertheless he is afraid . Sometimes he forgets how dangerous knowledge can make a person, it can be easy because the An Ding peak lord is an idiot . An idiot who knows things though.
“What did you do to him?” He asks vaguely curious. He feels like he should be a little more awed but frankly he just wants to know. It could be a useful trick. Besides, he’s glad- it probably saved their Shixiong.
“Uhhhh, you know the vaccine thing we were working on? So I was like, we should get needles, but like why stop at vaccines you know? Why not antiseptic, and anaesthetic, so I was like hmm, might as well get some supplies and try some things out and-”
Liu Qingge has absolutely no idea what most of those words are let alone what they mean. He gives up on trying to follow an explanation that’s probably meant for the other peak lord and draws Cheng Luan lest Luo Binghe wake up. It’s good to be prepared.
Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua keep talking, but none of it makes any more sense than the first part had so he doesn’t pay it much mind.
He’s debating the honour of killing a man while he’s down without a trial, when he feels himself being whisked away.
Because it’s Shen Qingqiu he lets himself be taken.
He’s in the infirmary being checked over by Mu Qingfang at Shen Qingqiu’s insistence who had practically dragged him here upon arrival. The other Peak Lord had then abruptly left the room- presumably to discuss whatever had just happened with Shang Qinghua- and he can’t help but feel irrationally jealous and left out.
He’s curious too.
He lets Mu Qingfang clinically check him over- if only to stave off Shen Qingqiu’s complaints and peels his ears to see if he can overhear any of his fellow peaks lords conversation.
He can’t.
But once Mu Qingfang gives him the all clear and the Medical Peak Lord takes his own leave through a small side door Liu Qingge goes up to the main door and presses his ear against it. It may be undignified and beneath him but he wants answers .
Shang Qinghu and Shen Qingqiu know far more about Luo Binghe than they’re letting on. They had been surprised by the former Qing Jing Peak disciple, but not nearly as shocked as they should have been.
He can’t make much out, and what he does hear doesn’t make much sense. He wonders if they’re deliberately talking in their own language in an act of deliberate deception or if it’s genuinely easier for them to speak like that.
He startles when he suddenly hears Shen Qingqiu shouting about his legs .
About his legs being ripped off -
Shen Qingqiu is genuinely terrified that he’s going to be tortured and that makes fear rise in Liu Qingge’s own heart.
He will find this “protag” and he will ensure they never get near to Shen Qingqiu. Just after he deals with Luo Binghe. The man is deranged, and his fellow peak lord is terrified .
Liu Qingge doesn’t want to think about what the disciple who Shen Qingqiu had adored could do to make him so scared.
Unless of course he hadn’t actually adored him? If he’d always been scared, if he’d just been trying to make nice .
Liu Qingge might have thought the theory preposterous once. Not anymore. He thinks back to immediately after the abyss and all of the other peak lords had thought that Shen Qingqiu had been in grieving. That he’d been heartbroken at the death of a disciple.
Liu Qingge thinks now that it wasn’t grief but fear. So if he’s been wrong about Shen Qingqiu’s feelings towards his ex-disciple before why not again?
But if Shen Qingiqu had been so utterly petrified of what a fourteen year old boy could do to fawn over him…
Liu Qingge is not well acquainted with fear, but he shivers.
He’s broken out of his musings by a knock on the door and it’s only his quick reactions which have him stepping back to avoid being clocked as Shen Qingqiu opens the door and steps through in quick succession.
“Are you hurt?” Shen Qingqiu asks him politely. Liu Qingge is always fine, War Gods don’t have time to be hurt.
“I’m fine, how are your meridians?” he asks, sweeping his eyes over Shen Qingqiu just to confirm the little beast hadn’t harmed him.
“They’re fine of course,” the other man says airly, waving him off, not quite meeting Liu Qingge’s eyes. “I need you to promise me something,”
His heart clenches.
Anything .
He doesn’t say that though, instead he hums for a moment before answering in a measured tone.
“I will do anything I can to try and fulfil your wishes,'' He will try no matter how painful, anything to help Shen Qingqiu, to keep him safe.
“Leave Luo Binghe alone,” Shen Qingqiu says, and he’s still not looking Liu Qingge in the eye. “ Please , whatever you do, promise me you won’t go near him again. No matter what happens. Please .”
He hears Shen Qingqiu’s voice break and he knows this is a promise he can’t keep. Liu Qingge has no time for bullies.
He doesn’t say anything, just quietly reflects on how to keep Luo Binghe far away from his friend. Liu Qingge takes no joy in killing- contrary to what some may believe- but if an animal is dangerous and unrestrained you put it down.
“...Say something Liu-shidi?” Shen Qingqiu says after he clearly takes too long to respond, looking up at him with wide eyes.
“It is dishonourable to make false promises,” Liu Qingge says heavily, it brings him no joy to not satisfy Shen Qingqiu’s request but he cannot promise this to the man. “I will not put myself in a situation where I am likely to have to break my word.”
“You won’t be able to defeat him,” Shen Qingqiu tells him desperation leaking through his voice, “He’ll kill you if you try. He wins every battle he gets into, and every woman he casts eyes on falls for him, and he gets everything he wants. Binghe can’t lose.”
He sounds sad, and so afraid , and it probably has the opposite effect on him than what Shen Qingqiu desires. Liu Qingge can’t sit by and leave Binghe alone. He respects Shen Qingqiu’s wishes, but Luo Binghe is dangerous.
Liu Qingge’s always suspected, or even known really. If you’re competent you’re dangerous and Luo Binghe had decimated all the other contestants at the Immortal Alliance Conference. All cultivators are dangerous- even Shang Qinghua.
Liu Qingge may favour physical prowess and attacks but he’s not stupid enough to discount other methods. Whatever Shang Qinghua had done had worked . But while cultivators are dangerous Luo Binghe is clearly a threat . The way the former disciple had stared at Shen Qingqiu had put Liu Qingge’s skin on edge.
Luo Binghe may have beaten everyone he’d fought in the book, but Liu Qingge is meant to be dead , and yet here he is alive and able to fight.
Why won’t Shen Qingqiu let him protec- help him?
“Is this what your weaselly friend wrote in his book?” Liu Qingge says slowly after he’s thought this all through. “So all of our fates are fluid and up to us except for your disciple? His is set in stone?”
It’s the only reason he can think of that Shen Qingqiu would be so adamant he didn’t fight the man. Liu Qingge can’t really believe that the man could have any real love left for his disciple.
“Our actions and our choices are all our own except for him ? He gets excuse after excuse. He tries to hurt you! But it’s okay because he doesn’t have a choice ?“ou told me that we all had choices, that the Talentless hack didn’t control us. Were you lying ? Or do you just not want to admit that your disciple has rotted , that he doesn’t want to be better? You are not a valid sacrifice!” He’s aware that he’s shouting, but he needs to convey how stupid , how self sacraficing his friend is being.
Shen Qingqiu had told them that their fates were their own. So that means that Liu Qingge has chosen to love Shen Qingqiu, and Shang Qinghua has chosen to be an idiot, and Shen Qingqiu chose to save his life.
And Luo Binghe chose to be angry and cruel and obsessed . To try and own another human being.
“Everyday now I wake up and I am thankful that I’m alive. Because I was meant to be dead, but I’m not. Because you refused to be subject to fate. You seem to think- but- you’re” he roars because roaring is easier than crying. Doesn’t Shen Qingqiu understand how important he is? He cuts himself off before he says something overly emotional and embarasses himself.
He can’t finish his thoughts, he can’t be soft, not here not now. Not with the stress, and Luo Binghe, and the niggling fear that Shen Qingqiu will reject him and Liu Qingge will never be able to enjoy that easy friendship again.
“It’s my fault,” Shen Qingqiu replies at last in a small voice, his head tilted down towards his hands, “What Binghe’s become, I- I kicked him and now he’s angry and
No. No. He can’t do this, he wont’ tolerate this self loathing. He slaps the wall to try and stave off his rage before continuing quiet and sincere.
“What he does- his actions are not your actions, and you cannot take the blame for what he chooses to do! You kicked him- that was your fault. What he chooses to do now is on him. Not you - not even Airplane, him .”
He watches Shen Qingqiu carefully, as if he could convey the truth of his message with his eyes, intently watching as he hopes that it’s sunk in.
Maybe Shen Qingqiu shouldn’t have kicked his disciple into the cliff. But from the sounds of things he really hadn’t had a choice. But regardless Shen Qingqiu doesn’t deserve whatever Luo Binghe wants to do. Shen Qingqiu was not subtle earlier about his desperate fears for his legs. He doubts anyone deserves what Luo Binghe wants to do- not even Luo Binghe.
“Promise me you won’t fight him,” Shen Qingqiu begs him. “ No matter what he does- don’t let him bait you- don’t go after him. If he wants to-” the other man cuts himself off and Liu Qingge thinks he might see tears building up in his eyes. Whatever happens,” he continues, “Leave him alone, I won’t be worth it.”
Then Shen Qingqiu turns away from him once more.
All this conversation has done is cement Liu Qingge’s certainty that he needs to protect Shen Qingqiu from Luo Binghe. He may not seek the half demon out, but he will be damned if he lets him hurt Shen Qingqiu. He couldn’t forgive himself if he sat there and did nothing.
“You are ,” he says forcefully, Shen Qingqiu is always worth it. Before he can say anything else Shen Qingqiu has stood up and pushed past Liu Qingge to run out of the room.
Liu Qingge watches him go and doesn’t know what to do.
There is someone who might, though.
He scowls, if he keeps doing this Shang Qinghua might think he likes him.
(Why is the most useless man on this mountain the only one who’s useful?)
“Liu Qingge,” Shang Qinghua says warily when he eventually arrives at An Ding peak.
Liu Qingge just smiles politely. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
“What’s the little beast going to do to Shen-shixiong’s legs?” he asks, calm and pleasant tone deliberately at odds with his words.
Shang Qinghu pales. “I didn’t know it was going to happen to him! We’re- he’s not even meant to be here! I wouldn’t-”
Liu Qingge waves him off, taking some pity on him. “You wrote what you wrote.” It’s not quite forgiveness, and he’s still not really over him being killed off so early, but he knows that Shang Qinghua would never want his friend to be hurt.
It’s interesting that Shang Qinghua had said “we”. He wonders how long this Shang Qinghua has been here. He’s never noticed any change, but he also can’t honestly admit that he’d ever paid too much attention.
He’d only paid attention when it had been relevant to Shen Qingqiu and when he’d briefly suspected the An Ding peak lord of being a spy.
He shakes his head, none of this really matters right now.
“Legs.”
Shang Qinghua still looks deeply uncomfortable, but he looks Liu Qingge directly in the eye when he finally responds. “I- I can’t really say.” The man rubs his ears a little, “But I promise you that we’re not going to let Luo Binghe hurt him. We’re working on a plan, we’d hoped for a little more time but…” Shang Qinghua breaks himself off and shrugs.
That is…
That’s actually reassuring. Even if he is still kind of annoyed at Shang Qinghua and finds him a little irritating he trusts him. At least when it comes to Shen Qingqiu. He glares but Shang Qinghua doesn’t elaborate further.
This means either that they can’t tell him, or that Liu Qingge wouldn’t approve of the plan. He trusts Shang Qinghua’s silence though.
“What was that thing that you gave to Luo Binghe in the town?” he asks, taking a seat. It could be useful for the future, incapacitating your enemy is always a useful tactic.
He sees Shang Qinghua relax a little and settle back at his desk, clearly glad that this conversation is on safer ground.
“Right!” the man says rubbing his hands gleefully, and Liu Qingge is almost sorry he asked because nothing that inspires that much happiness in this man is to be approached without intense caution. But he also is desperately curious to know, because whatever Shang Qinghua had said had made sense to Shen Qingqiu, and whatever he’d done had worked .
“It’s called chloroform , bro, chloroform ” Shang Qinghua repeats the strange word a few more times until Liu Qingge thinks he has it and nods.
“Great, yeah so basically it’s this- well drug- and you’re really meant to sniff it, but swallowing works and I wanted it to be potent because Luo Binghe is crazy OP,” OP?
“Anyway. So it works to make it so you don’t feel pain, so it knocks you out for a bit.”
“Why… why would you need that?” Liu Qingge asks, slightly disturbed.
“Okay, well say that I needed to like cut you open, then you wouldn’t want to-”
“WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WANT TO CUT ME OPEN!?!” Liu Qingge shouts, leaping out of his chair and flinging himself against the back wall of the office. He’s reassured to find Cheng Luan is safely at his side and he slowly works to start drawing out his sword.
A cruel and merciless god . Maybe Liu Qingge can see it. This is the same man who wrote Luo Binghe tearing off someone’s legs .
“... I don’t?” Shang Qinghua replies confused, and he hasn’t moved at all from his desk which does wonders to slow Liu Qingge’s racing heart.
“But like, I don’t know, if you were hurt, and wanted it to stop hurting. Or like if there was something inside that needed to be removed- trust me bro, you would not like someone rooting around inside your stomach while you watch.”
“If I don’t watch then how can I be sure that the healer has done their job right?” Liu Qingge asks suspiciously, “I’ve always watched whenever Mu Qingfang has healed me in the past. Make sure he does a good job.” He’s not sure what he’s said that is so weird, but the other man is staring at him utterly gobsmacked, mouth hanging open.
“That is- wow. Why would you ever want - so much blood - I-” he watches as the Peak Lord shakes his head. “Okay, so long time before anaesthetics make their way into the cultivation world. But yeah I guess you’re right for you. Non-cultivators can’t control their pain levels like we can though, and there are things they certainly won’t want to be awake for.”
He doesn’t quite dare approach the desk again, because he hates to admit it but Liu Qingge is still rather disturbed. Who thinks so much about this? Who would ever think- oh I have caused so much pain, let me knock them out instead of just stopping the pain?
He wonders if this is a weird whatever place Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua come from thing. He’s still grateful that it worked, that it allowed them to get Shen Qingqiu away from Luo Binghe.
And possibly let Liu Qingge keep his life.
But he can’t deny that it weirds him out and makes him feel vaguely uncomfortable. Not for the first time he is glad he has no idea what goes through Airplane’s brain.
“Yeah,” Shang Qinghua says after a while, seemingly apropos of nothing. “Shame Binghe had to come up and interrupt yours and Cucumber-bro’s date though?”
“What is that word you call him?” Liu Qingge asks at last, because it’s been bothering him for a while now. And also strategically ignoring the rest of that sentence.
“What? Bro? I call both of you it’s-” Shang Qingua says easily.
That’s not it. “No, the other one- cu- cyuckum? Also “bro”?”
Shang Qingua snorts a little and Liu Qingge glares .
“Cucumber. It’s his…, well the people call me Airplane -”
“They call you Airbrush ,” Liu Qingge interrupts, mostly to wind the other man up. “Only Shen Qingqiu and I call you Airplane,” He gets a very satisfying glare in response.
“ Fine , well they ought to call me Airplane- and by that logic they should call Shen Qingqiu Cucumber .”
“It’s his?” god? Not god. He flounders trying to think of the right word.
“Book name? Yeah, yeah bro.” Shang Qinghua interjects, taking pity on him. There’s that other weird word again, the “bro” that Shang Qinghua tosses out so easily, but only to him and Shen Qingqiu and why?
“Why do you call me “bro”? The only other person you call that is Shen Qingqiu, but I haven’t read your book.” And from the sounds of things he’s glad .
“Oh nah, bro. It’s not a book thing. Just a friend thing- for people you’re close to.”
“Should I call Shen Qingqiu “bro”? Or,” pauses trying to remember how to say it, “Cyuckum?”
Shang Qinghua goes bright red and starts laughing. “Cyuckum,” wheeze, “Cyuckum”.
Well he’s certainly not calling Shen Qingqiu cucumber then. Besides, he’s not really sure he wants to call the man he loves the same thing that Shen Qingqiu’s idiot best friend calls him.
“I mean you can bro, but it might send out the wrong signals. I don’t think bro vibes are the ones you want to give Cucumber-bro. Like I call you bro, and Cucumber-bro bro, but I wouldn’t call Mobei-Jun bro, because bromance is not the kind of mance I want and-”
Liu Qingge’s mind has caught on something Shang Qinghua had slid over oddly smoothly.
The little rat .
“Mobei-jun.... Mobei-Jun the demon king ?!”
Shang Qinghua pales. “ Shit . Ignore I said that okay I it’s I-”
“You are a fucking spy.” Liu Qingge can scarcely believe it. And after he and Yue Qingyuan had let him off the hook-. “How long? Before or after-” he thinks about it for a moment and groans. “Before, it’s before, you’ve always been a spy haven’t you? You’ve been a spy since before Shen Qingqiu chan- had his qi deviation.”
If Liu Qingge had been the man he was mere weeks ago then he’d be dragging the An Ding peak Lord’s limp dead body to Yue Qingyuan right now. But he knows things now so he waits.
He’ll give this man who’s desperately working to save Shen Qingqiu, and knows things, and can somehow keep an entire sect afloat a chance.
“Are you going to kill me?” Shang Qinghua says after a while, and Liu Qingge watches the little weasel squint up at him.
“The Cang Qiong Mountain Sect is still standing,” he says in a measured tone, “Therefore so are you. For now. I would like an explanation. I’m assuming Shen Qingqiu knows?”
“... which answer is more likely to get me dead?” The little rat author asks him and Liu Qingge glares , fingers hovering threateningly over Cheng Luan.
“Okay! He knows, yeah he’s always known. Well, our one- it was in the book.” Liu Qingge nods, Shen Qingqiu being aware is a point in the man’s favour.
He doesn’t always trust Shen Qingqiu’s judgement of character- Luo Binghe comes to mind- but he trusts him enough for this. Of course it comes down to the damnable book though. Still…
“Both you and Shen Qingqiu told me that nothing in that book is fixed . That fate is fluid .” People make their own choices, and Liu Qingge has to believe that. “So why are you a spy?” he asks, and knows it sounds a little dangerous.
“You remember when you overheard us talking?” Shang Qinghua asks, which is a question not an answer or a response, but Liu Qingge nods, he’ll give Shang Qinghua his time.
“Right, so you remember that I was complaining that Shen-bro could change things- and boy has he changed things-”
“Like me being alive ,” Liu Qingge interrupts a little pointedly. Maybe he’s still bitter.
“Yes! Exactly! Good. So yeah, you also remember me complaining that I couldn’t really change things? Like for the longest time if I ever tried to go off book the sys- well lets just say I couldn’t . Then Cucumber-bro did something and suddenly we could . Except for kicking Luo Binghe into the abyss. That had to happen for some reason…”
The idea of maybe not everything being free sends his blood freezing. Especially when he thinks of how invested the author seems to be sometimes in his feelings towards Shen Qingqiu.
Did Shang Qinghua make him feel this way for Shen Qingqiu? Was it just always going to happen? Is he just living out an empty facade and- and-
And if Shen Qingqiu had to kick Luo Binghe into the abyss then maybe Luo Binghe did have to be bad and it wasn’t his fault. Maybe Shen Qingqiu was right, they should help him. Liu Qingge would pick Shen Qingqiu over the little beast every time, but it feels wrong to take out his anger on a man who’s maybe merely having his strings pulled by the cruel arms of fate.
Equally though, if Shen Qingqiu had not been in control then the mess of the matter is not the Peak Lord’s bed to lie in. Luo Binghe should not be taking out his anger on his former master.
Shang Qinghua must see some of his fear or worry in his face, because in a rare example of emotional thought Shang Qinghua reaches out to pat him consolingly.
Liu Qingge withdraws, because he’s not a dog .
“Oh trust me Liu-bro. Everything you feel for Shen Qingqiu is 100% you. There’s no way this would have been in the book. It was tiring enough trying to write 300 relationships for the protag, I didn’t have time for dead side characters- no offense.”
Liu Qingge feels both oddly offended and reassured.
He decides to compromise by getting back to the matter at hand.
Spy, rat, weasel.
“So you became a spy because you had to?” Liu Qingge says a little sceptically, “And you were so good at it that you managed to keep your life and your position in the sect- but you couldn’t find out a way to leave , or come clean ?”
Liu Qingge didn’t know what he was expecting as a response, but he certainly wasn’t expecting a blush.
“Uh, well,” he stutters, and what the hell? “Mobei-Jun, may uh, be very attractive. He may or may not have been based off of this guy that I really liked and I- Look I’m young and I’m horny okay! Go lock me up in Horny jail! You can join me, and so can Luo Binghe!”
They both shudder.
“I’m not really doing anything harmful anyway." Shang Qinghua continues, "I mostly just pass on BS, everyone always seems to underestimate how much knowledge a Logistics person actually knows and that’s no different for demons. I just tell them that people think I’m useless and don’t tell me much. And everything I tell to my kin- Mobei-Jun I tell to Shen Qingqiu anyway so he can mitigate.”
Liu Qingge takes a while to work through that horrifying mess.
“Your unrequited romantic feelings have resulted in you becoming a spy, and you’re trying to give me romance advice?” is what Liu Qingge eventually settles on, even though it’s probably not the right thing to say.
“ Actually , everything was going fine until this whole stupid Airplane business came out, and I haven’t contacted him since because I’m worried it might go badly. But he hasn’t contacted me either , so it’s not like-” Shang Qinghua abruptly cuts himself off and Liu Qingge rolls his eyes.
“Stop spying.” He says at last, “If I found out you betrayed important information I’d have to report you to Yue Qingyuan.”
“Thanks Liu-bro!” Shang Qinghua shouts, jumping up and waving.
Liu Qingge makes a hasty retreat.
“Tell that idiot you love him before I throttle you!” He hears Shang Qinghua holler as he leaves.
He almost considers going back and threatening him with Cheng Luan, but he now has a healthy dose of wariness for Shang Qinghua.
Shang Qinghua of the cholorform so he can hurt you and you won’t know.
What kind of uncivilised world thinks of these things ?
A warning comes up from Qian Cao signalling for help.
Demons .
He is the war god and he will not let invaders threaten his home. As he had told Sha Hualing he will not permit people to simply enter and leave this Peak as they wish.
He can’t think why they would wish to target Mu Qingfang’s peak in particular, but he supposes he can see some strategy in wiping out the medical wing first. He would have thought they would go after Qiong Ding Peak first, but it’s of no matter.
Wherever they are they will feel his might and realise why he is Lord of Bai Zhan Peak.
But seriously, why this peak? It’s hardly the easiest to access, Bai Zhan Peak is, and then An Ding- who have the benefit of also being easy targets.
Why here? What’s so special about here?
He’s thinking he might be slotting things into place as he expels another demon, the blood glistening on his sword when he sees Shang Qinghua running up behind him.
Airplane should not be on a battlefield. And it’s not just because Shang Qinghua is his friend . Shen Qingqiu is perfectly fine to be on a battlefield because Shen Qingqiu can fight .
“What are you doing here?” he asks, one eye on the errant author and one on the chaos around him.
“I was looking for you! I ran into one of your disciples who was heading here, saying that you’d already arrived. Without a Cure Flared up, so I came to find you but-” the other man breaks off and gestures at the chaos, at the demon blood on Liu Qingge’s sword.
“Is he safe?” he asks urgently, and it takes all his training and all his instincts to ensure that he still keeps his one eye on the battlefield raging around them.
“I think-” then the man pales as if realising something and Liu Qingge finds himself wanting to burst over to Qing Jing as fast as he can fly.
“These are Luo Binghe’s demons,” he says, “ Fuck . Fuck, fuck, oh Cucumber-bro.”
Liu Qingge would like nothing more than to rush over and scoop Shen Qingqiu up and get him far away from here.
But he has duties as a Peak Lord, and this is his sect. He is the War God of Bai Zhan peak and he can’t leave these people- mostly medics unguarded.
“Get him somewhere safe,” he says urgently. If he can’t go he can do the next best thing. Shang Qinghua may be weak but he’s smart and cunning. He’ll know where to hide.
The man goes to nod and Liu Qingge knocks him down, bringing forward Cheng Luan with a sudden burst of spiritual energy. The demon standing behind the An Ding Peak Lord topples over.
“Go .” With that Liu Qingge turns his attention back to the battle.
Once Shang Qinghua has flown off he realises what was bothering him about Qian Cao Peak.
It’s the furthest away from Qing Jing Peak. It’s the perfect place for a distraction.
Be fast enough, be fast enough he prays to a man who isn’t a god but might just be his salvation.
Then he turns his full attention to the demons. They’re easy prey.
He’s washing the blood off his sword having finally returned to his chambers and is taking the lack of a frantic Shang Qinghua at his elbow to be a sign of good things over bad ones.
He can clean up and then go and look for Shen Qingqiu. The man will be fine .
“Hello Liu-Shidi,” he feels the most welcome voice he’s ever heard call out to him softly.
He looks up, face softening in relief, when he sees Shen Qingqiu standing opposite him looking maybe a little shaken but fine .
Shang Qinghua hovers awkwardly, like he’s not sure if he should stay or go.
“Are you okay?” he asks urgently, scanning for visible injuries.
“I’m fine, Shen Qingqiu responds firmly , “We both are. Without a Cure has flared up but I’ll live-”
Of course. Without a Cure. He gently guides Shen Qingqiu into a chair and prepares to transfer spiritual energy before the other man has even finished speaking.
He feels Shen Qingqiu relax under his fingers and he wonders what happened.
“Luo Binghe?” he asks, a sick feeling twisting in his stomach. He’s not sure if he wants to know the answer, but he’s aware that not knowing is worse.
“Oh yeah,” Shang Qinghua, perhaps no longer useless incarnate, pipes up, entering the conversation at last, “We might have accidentally killed Luo Binghe via nut,”
Liu Qingge stares at the two men, Shang Qinghua with an awkward expression and Shen Qingqiu hiding his face with his fan.
What ?
Nut!
What does that even mean? He must have heard wrong. He’s dead ?
No way, surely it would take more than an accident or a nut , if Shang Qinghua is joking with him he will take back his promises to not throttle the man.
“Are you sure? Could it not be a ploy for us to lower our defences so that he could strike when our guards are weakest? A nut?! ” That Luo Binghe would feign defeat and temporarily play dead makes more sense than a nut .
Why did they even have a nut? What did they do with it? Turn it into a talisman!!!?
Liu Qingge likes to think of himself as a mostly rational man. He’s not sure whether to laugh or cry and try and wake up from this hellscape.
“Yeah, it seems that the prota- that Luo Binghe had a weakness to nuts! Amazing, incredible, who knew…” Shang Qinghua tells him confidently, but there’s something off in his tone of voice. He narrows his eyes. If the weasel is lying… But why would he lie?
And stupid as it may be, it proves an important point.
Not everything about Luo Binghe is set in stone, not everything comes true. Airplane- Shang Qinghua- is not omniscient. The fact that “unkillable” half heavenly demons can die by accident just goes to show that.
“I told you that not everything that Airplane wrote about Luo Binghe would be concrete, and not everything about him would be written,” he tells Shen Qingqiu, because if he’s correct the man is likely feeling somewhat guilty. He’s about to continue, try and reassure Shen Qingiqu that this is proof that Luo Binghe chose his actions and is unworthy of sympathy when Shen Qingqiu cuts in.
“Oh no,” Shen Qingqiu says carelessly, as he casts the other Peak Lord a look that Liu Qingge can sympathise with.. “See, Airplane here actually did write about Luo Binghe’s weakness to nuts. He just forgot about it, easy to do I’m sure.”
“What.” he growls.
He can feel the rage grow on his face and he sees Shang Qinghua the useless weasel rat man, pale and dart behind Shen Qingqiu.
They could have removed Luo Binghe this whole time, could have saved them all so much grief. Shang Qinghua could have told them, or shoved a nut into his face instead of that weird drug when in the town but-
He forgot?
And here was Liu Qingge thinking the man was a master tactician, a considerable spy! He entrusted Shen Qingqiu with this?
“I wrote like 6,666 chapters of words bro!” Shang Qinghua says, sounding deeply panicked. “We can’t all be like Cucumber-bro and remember it all! Have some pity on me Liu Bro! It’s been like 30 years or something for me!”
So? Shang Qinghua clearly has a brain .
“I would think that the man who can do all the paperwork for an entire sect, manage being a highly successful spy and start his own enterprise would at least remember such an incredibly crucial detail such as our biggest problem’s weakness! ” He says pointedly. He can’t believe the man had let them down like this!
He might have continued, or Shang Qinghua might have squeaked out some more excuses, but their argument is interrupted by Shen Qingqiu diplomatically intervening.
“I hope Liu-shidi isn’t too angered that he didn’t have a chance to fight Binghe, and that this Peak Lord did instead. Liu Qingge shouldn’t take it as an insult to his own martial skills,” Shen Qingqiu says politely.
Why are these two men so insistent on trying to drive him to a qi deviation with their nonsense today? Liu Qingge can't even react properly to that or think of any words he’s so thrown.
He doesn’t care about the victory. He didn't want to fight Luo Binghe for the sake of glory.
He just wanted Shen Qingqiu safe .
(And now he is.)
“I don’t care about that!” he chokes out at last, “I don’t care, as long as you’re safe and you don’t have to be scared of him anymore then I don’t care how he died or who did it!”
Why can’t the other man see that?
“I can’t believe I never realised how much you hated Luo Binghe while he was still alive,” Shen Qingqiu continues after a pause, as if he’s come to a realisation. It takes Liu Qingge a moment to realise the man is laughing slightly.
Liu Qingge isn’t sure how Shen Qingqiu is missing the point he’s trying to make quite so spectacularly. Does he really think so little of him?
He can feel himself going red as he tries and fails to express himself, how he’s exposed his emotional vulnerability, tried to admit that he cares and Shen Qingqiu just hasn’t seen it.
“ No.” he says, trying to be as firm and clear as possible, and slides his fingers up Shen Qingqiu’s wrist to grasp his hand. He’s trying to make Shen Qingqiu understand . That he cares , that it’s about him .
He looks up to see Shang Qinghua making exaggerated kissing faces and pointedly gesturing at Shen Qingqiu. He reddens even more and he thinks his face might be about to burn off his body. Damn you .
“It wasn’t about him . It’s not about him. It’s- I-” love you . He can’t bring himself to say, not now not yet. And he’d vowed that he would say it, if he’d lived and Shen Qingqiu was safe.
He has, he is.
And yet.
Shang Qinghua coughs. “Well “Well I’m just going to go do some stuff, logistics stuff. I’ll uh, leave you two to it. Liu-bro ”. The useless author gives him a particularly pointed glare which Liu Qingge guiltily ignores. That excuse was not subtle at all!
But once Airplane has gone it suddenly becomes easier. It’s not so hard to be open without an audience. There’s nothing else left to say anyway
He had vowed he would tell Shen Qingqiu, and it is dishonourable to break one’s vows.
“I promised myself,” he starts after a pause, and his face still feels flushed but he’s forcing himself to press on, “When I fought your disciple that time in the square I made myself a vow that if I lived through it I would tell you something. I haven’t told you yet, but I would like to now- if I may?”
Shen Qingqiu nods, “Of course Liu-Shidi, you may tell me anything.”
There are butterflies in his stomach that could be excitement or could be fear. He is the War God , and he is scared about feelings ? Shen Qingqiu’s response actually does something to lessen it though. The idea that it could all work.
“You must tell me if what I am about to say is unwelcome but-” he won’t be like Luo Binghe.
“Nothing you could possibly say to me could ever be unwelcome,” Shen Qingqiu interrupts him and that is both the perfect and completely wrong thing that the man could say.
He’s really beginning to hope that maybe Shen Qingqiu will be glad to hear his words.
“I believe that I-” he clears his throat and takes the plunge, “I love you. I’ve been sure in my affections for some time but I wasn’t certain how to bring it up and then I feared that- No matter. I don’t even like tea, but I enjoy drinking it with you. And the way you talk, and even though you keep losing your fans everywhere - but I will always return them to you and- I- I.” Liu Qingge stutters a little before continuing resolutely, “I love you. Very much.”
He’s shedding his soul bare, he’s opening himself up and making himself vulnerable in a way that would never be possible on the battlefield. Now all he can do is wait for a response.
Silence reigns.
A beat passes, and then another, and Shen Qingqiu has yet to say anything.
He feels a telltale burst of spiritual energy as if searching for something. Something foreign.
He rips their hands apart and runs out into the night.
He’d been so stupid to think that Shen Qingqiu could ever feel the same way. He was talented, and smart and from an entirely different world .
Why would such a man ever settle for him ?
He flies off on Cheng Luan, desperate to get as much distance between him and his rooms as quickly as possible.
After a few minutes of flying around though he realises he has no idea of where he wants to go or what he wants to do. It’s also now that he realises so often his first port of call recently has been Shang Qinghua.
He doesn’t want to see the An Ding Peak Lord right now. Heavens know he can’t go drink tea with Shen Qingqiu either now- he probably can’t ever again.
He doesn’t want to head to the training grounds either- it’s the first place that people are likely to look for him.
He goes to the Spirit Caves.
Water drips from the ceiling, but otherwise they’re entirely silent. He’s not aware of anyone being in seclusion either at the moment so he ought to be alone.
He lays out his sword on the ground in front of him and then sits cross legged on the damp floor and closes his eyes.
He could stay here forever, he would rather like to. If it means he never has to face either of Shang Qinghua or Shen Qingqiu again- his “bros” as the stupid useless, interfering author would probably call them.
He lets his qi flow around him and doesn’t think about anything else for some time. It’s bliss.
But the War god is no coward, and he can’t abandon his peak and his duties out of fear . He’s trained his disciples to be self sufficient but he can’t hide away in a cave like a rat .
Shen Qingqiu ought to be far from Bai Zhan Peak by now, and perhaps he’ll have to face the matter tomorrow, but tomorrow’s problems require tomorrow’s solutions.
He steadily stands up and flies back to his peak.
The lights are off inside and it doesn’t look like anyone is there.
Good , he won’t have to face Shen Qingqiu today.
He shakes off the disappointment- because why would he be disappointed?
The sound of his feet walking across the grass is oddly soothing in the quiet night.
“Hello there,” a voice calls out softly and he stills immediately.
Shen Qingqiu is still waiting. Had Liu Qingge offended him that much? Is the other peak lord here to tell him to stay away from him? Does he consider him to be as bad as his ex-disciple?
“I think I might have left my fan in your room. And we never got to finish our conversation Liu-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu stops and Liu Qingge feels the heavily pointed pause, “Because someone ran off before I could reply.
“It’s fine,” Liu Qingge says, because he knows what Shen Qingqiu really means. The man is trying to be pleasant, to pretend nothing has happened. He’s being polite in fear of angering Liu Qingge most likely, perhaps he fears Liu Qingge will turn cruel and angry like the little beast.
Shen Qingqiu is too forgiving for his own good. He starts walking towards his door once more.
“You don’t feel the same, I must respect that. I will not bother-” he starts, because even if he is heartbroken he is a good man.
“I may have uh- reacted a little oddly, but it was just a lot to take in.” Shen Qingqiu tells him, and it’s too dark for Liu Qingge to make out his face. “Somehow, even as the literature Peak God I don’t think I will be as good with words here Liu-Shidi,” he continues a little wryly- as if that could ever be true, “So let this be my answer.
Shen Qingqiu links their hands together and brings them up between their chests. It’s like all the air has been knocked out of him.
There’s a mouth on his own and it’s more than he could have ever dreamed of.