Work Text:
"Your soulmate is younger than you, either that or of a position of your junior. You two were always together, even saving each other's lives. Yes, your soulmate is of noble birth. Yes, your soulmate has a spectacular cultivation. Yes, your soulmate is a peerless beauty among garden of blooming roses.
How envying, daozhang, as your soulmate is totally in love with you and the side who does all the chasing. Your fated one seems to be utterly devoted to you, as this soulmate of yours would chase you to the end of the world.
But daozhang, I see that your line has a blur spot. This means you and your fated one would be separated at some point of time, but you would be able to overcome the adversity as I see the line continues after the blur spot.
However, daozhang, it is quite unclear to me whether the string would be revealed before or after your temporary separation. This Meiyin apologizes for that."
"In what circumstance would the soulmate be revealed, madam?"
"Fated Cultivators would have a string of qi attached between their wrists, daozhang, and it would reveal itself when the universe deemed it was the right time."
Shen Qingqiu thought that with a mess of Airplane as its creator and all, this universe surely will be a total bullshit. (He will learn how right he was)
"I told YOU to never trust those lecherous demons!" Liu Qingge shouted, swathing off rose petals from his face, "Not even half a shichen after that ridiculous assumption called fortune telling and here we are," Liu Qingge, still in extremely foul mood, said. Or more like, screamed.
Shen Qingqiu decided right then, upon that exasperated and the perpetual scowl that seemingly deepened on his shidi's face, to relent,
"This shixiong has always equipped the 'blameless until proven' principle, and this shixiong would not discriminate any other races in the implementation. Them stabbing us on the back is a faulty on which we failed to notice, on this specific occasion only,"
Shen Qingqiu tried to do his ritual inner countdown -like every single time he faced a grumpy grumbling shidi- and it truly did wonder to surpress his growing urge to just screech.
"But this shixiong offers his apology in employing the principle that has caused not only this shixiong, but also shidi to caught in the consequences," Shen Qingqiu exhaled, while slowly lifting his body from leaning on both his elbows. Shen Qingqiu picked a strand of his wet hair caught between his mouth, while (tried) subtly to snorts water forced inside his nose.
Damn it, System! Damn it, Airplane! Why is Shen Qingqiu, currently, drenched like a wet rag AND almost depleted of spiritual power??? If he is depleted completely of qi and Without-A-Cure flared up, he SWEARS Airplane would be his primary target to be haunted and--
"You and your non-evil demon preach. Wait until your poison flare up and a demon snatch your head while all you have is that strange belief!"
"Oh, shidi, are you worried of this shixiong's future?"
And I have you right?, Shen Qingqiu almost added, because Liu Qingge has been acting like his personal watchdog since Without-a-Cure incident.
"That's not!!" he grumbled,
"Nevermind. Here," a hand was outreached toward Shen Qingqiu, which he took with unabashed smile plastered on his face,
"Thank You, shidi"
Liu Qingge only hums in answer.
Now, where was he? Oh, right. Succubus attack. Madam Meiyin. Soulmate. His Soulmate. Airplane. Airplane!! That good-for-nothing rat never wrote anything about the original goods' potential lover, much more one that is a soulmate! And one that is deeply in love with him! Shen Qingqiu didn't know whether 'him' is himself or the original goods.
Although Shen Qingqiu quite suspected that it is, in fact, his own soulmate, as soul bonds connect between souls and not physical bodies. But isn't the apparently-visible 'line' on his palm, the original goods' palm, not physically his? But Madam Meiyin said they (Shen Qingqiu guessed their souls, based on Airplane's own brief opening regarding the soulmate talk) will eventually connect?
Just who is this maiden his junior that will chase Shen Qingqiu?
This is weird, and getting even more confusing as Shen Qingqiu thought more of it. Shen Qingqiu was not a real denizen of this harem novel world, so having a soulmate in a different dimension from his origin should be out of question. Any chance it's going to be another transmigrator? If that's the case, at least Shen Qingqiu knows--most likely--that the twice-damned Airplane Shooting Toward the Sky is not going to be his. Not only he doesn't swing that way, it's just impossible for that hamster to be his fated. Shen Qingqiu would know.
Does somehow the system, or the universe (ugh), popped a soulmate for him?
It was not like the Soulmate concept was truly explored in the PIDW universe (what would you expect from Airplane's universe? You would only hurt your conscience for expecting anything), as Luo Binghe never found his soulmate even when his harem count reached thousands. Thus Shen Qingqiu thought it was very odd that his line, from his own, Shen Yuan's soul, was clearly readable by Madam Meiyin.
Ugh, he's just going to cast this aside in his head because nothing even makes sense.
"And all things about your soulmate. Forget those, they were all absolute lies" Liu Qingge suddenly barked.
Shen Qingqiu heard low grumbles on how being deeply in love is ridiculous and absolute insolence, which he ignores because sometimes Liu-shidi just being randomly funny, before he responded,
"Succubus or not, Madam Meiyin has always been famously accurate on her soulmate reading, Liu-shidi. It is quite unfair to just assume her a liar due to our attack just now,"
Shen Qingqiu heard a groan, and he wasn't that insensitive to not know that it was a frustrated one.
"Of course you are still going to defend them, 'objectively', aren't you? Damn Qing Jing Scholars."
"Knowledge is learned to perceive objectivity in human's subjectiveness after all, shidi. This shixiong also takes pride in our knowledge-seeking peak"
If the original goods was here, Shen Qingqiu thought he will undoubtedly add something along the line of unlike your brute, meathead brats you called a peak. To be fair, Shen Qingqiu quite agree with that. The Bai Zhan brats' regular attacks were never a properly strategized one, they just dove head first until knocked out by his disciples or their own recklessness.
"Are you saying that people except you Qing Jing nerds are self-centered idiots?" Liu Qingge questioned, brows deeply furrowed while looking at Shen Qingqiu that stood by his side. His tone sounded very annoyed, somehow.
..What the hell is this guy talking about?
Shen Qingqiu was grateful that although wet, his fan was undamaged. Because this kind of conversation with anyone requires an absolute support of his fan. Shen Qingqiu's eyes stranded to Liu Qingge's side profile, gaze fell on the proportionally-placed beauty mark under his eye. He opened his bamboo-painted fan, closing it in until his lip touched the fabric.
"This master only intends to pointed out the importance of scholarship and knowledge, shidi. No intention of lifting our peak above anyone in objectiveness or whatsoever. I believe it is not good to persist in that assumption, don't shidi think so?"
Liu Qingge's brows furrowed even deeper, his scowl more prominent. He made a 'tch' sound and grumbled something the line of goddamn Qing Jing tongue. He then proceeded to walk to the land, looking grumpy in his steps.
Well, if Liu Qingge thought so, that just proved how Shen Qingqiu's front was still as flawless as ever, and he took that as a compliment personally. Shen Qingqiu followed Liu Qingge and began circulating his qi for warming up.
Now then, for the reward..
System, you promised a reward for this side-mission.
The system brought back to life, with a ding sound.
Congratulations for finishing side-mission: Adventure with Great-Master Liu in Succubus Cave! ＼(^o^)／Thanking user-dada for his commitment and completion for the mission! ( /^ω^)/
What commitment bullshit is that? He was only thrusted a sudden mission alert while they were on journey, as usual. Shen Qingqiu also could not refuse a (potentially-good) reward anyway.
Yes, yes, system. Now where's my reward?
Yes, user-dada! User-dada gained a very important tool that we hopes would help user-dada in his journey! (✧ω✧)
We wish for the best for user-dada to paves the road toward protagonist's happiness! Good luck! o((*^▽^*))o
Very important tool? Shen Qingqiu is very skeptical about this. Shen Qingqiu opened his storage, and..wtf is that??
Shen Qingqiu saw a strange..thing, in his floating storage, which was a..seed? The seed(?)'s name was Moonflower Dew Seed. Huh, curious. Sounds eerily similar to the Sunflower one that Airplane planted. But, that was a name he never heard in PIDW and (Shen Qingqiu was sure) nearly-all plant books in the Library of Qing Jing, the praised library with its unmatched completion in the entire jianghu.
System.
Here, user-dada! (^‿^)
What kind of seed is this?
One that would presented something precious, user-dada!^^
..and what kind of precious something that would be presented?
One that is precious! (◕ᴗ◕✿)
Yeah you aren't going to tell me anything, are you?
The item will be valuable for user-dada's current and future predicament! <(^o^)／
Current? Future? What kind of predicament are you talking about??
Good luck, user-dada! (✯ᴗ✯)
This shit is fucking with him.
You know what? Find. Whatever. You made me push a white lotus into abbys with knife on my neck, what's new about unknown seed, right?
He was met with silence.
Go to hell, system.
He was wondering how could he survives this system that slaves him to the dog blood of a plot that blackened his little sheep until now.
"Why are you standing there like a idiot? We are getting out of this damned cave!" Liu Qingge's roar echoed within the cave.
"So impatient, Liu-shidi" Shen Qingqiu said with a hint of tease. Disturbing Liu-shidi with little tease here and there was becoming his favorite passing time activity everytime they met.
Shen Qingqiu watched Liu Qingge turning his back toward him, with his high ponytail swaying due to the speed he turned his back, then drew Cheng Luan. Liu Qingge proceed to ride Cheng Luan, and faced Shen Qingqiu again with seemingly angrier expression than before.
"What are you waiting for? Get on!"
"Xiu Ya is completely usable, Liu-shidi"
"And made me watching a spectacular Without-a-cure-induced falling to death? Not a chance. Get on."
Shen Qingqiu internally sighed and follow his sword-uber to return to Cang Qiong Mountain. Looks like he needs to ravage all plant-related books in Qing Jing Library, again.
Liu-shidi has always been a quite funny fella, but after the succubus cave incident, Shen Qingqiu felt he's getting odder and twitchier. Yes, twitchier, because Liu-shidi jolts a lot when talking.
Bai Zhan War God didn't jolt.
Exhibit 1: Liu Qingge was dropping valuable monster parts, that Shen Qingqiu took so much delight to study into, at least once in two days. Not that this didn't happen before, but usually it was only around once every two weeks. Another visible change in this event was everytime Shen Qingqiu thanked him, his shoulders jolted upward slightly like a robber caught red-handed. This didn't happen before.
Exhibit 2: Liu Qingge returned fans...that don't belong to him. The man always said that he's returning those fans, that your goldfish memory can't remember this one among thousands of yours, but Shen Qingqiu knew every single fans that he owned. Every single one. Shen Qingqiu was absolutely sure that he doesn't have the silver-colored handle one nor the phoenix-painted one. He knew that Liu Qingge has pride as high as Cheng Luan could soar, thus probably embarrassed to give him these new fans. But why would Liu-shidi gave him so many gifts? More importantly, if he's shy, why would he kept getting Shen Qingqiu more? Although, does his shidi think Shen Qingqiu's going to embarrass him for these lovely gifts(yes, even those monsters' parts)?
Now if you think so, this shixiong is going to be disappointed of you, shidi.
But that still does not explain the endless supply of presents. What's Liu-shidi thinking? Did he do something to me? Or did I do something to him?
...Is he making amends for his Bai Zhan brats?
Or worse, is he offering us consolation prizes for an upcoming raid??
Shen Qingqiu quite sure it's either of those two, although all this time he knew that his shidi's only method of teaching was beating up his kids thus making it questionable for him to apologize to Shen Qingqiu on their behalf, but any other reasons would be a total nonsense.
Yet, those are the less-odd changes.
The actual-odd and the most-odd changes, however, are the occasional stutters. And chokes. And coughs. And inexplicable one-sided awkwardness, when they were talking. Liu Qingge (that he knows, at least) doesn't talk that way.
The Bai Zhan War God that he knew of don't speak much, more often just tch-ing and let his glares spoke itself. But once he speaks, it's like thunder, filled with a mix of pride, confidence, often annoyance, and sometimes reprimand. But never like this. Like this instance.
Shen Qingqiu was just about to return from his regular check-up in Qian Cao, when he saw Liu Qingge, with all his glory, stood in the middle of the peak's wide open field.
"Let's go"
"Does Zhangmen-shixiong just tasked us with immediate mission, shidi?"
Liu Qingge stared at him.
"Why would you ask a mission first hand after a patient visit?"
Liu Qingge looked confused. Shen Qingqiu was confused that he looked so, Shen Qingqiu should be the only party confused here.
"This shixiong just assumes another mission is waiting, as shidi is here and asking this shixiong to ride together,"
"What, do you think this master is one that only offer help to a sick person like you only in upcoming mission?"
Shen Qingqiu was totally, utterly confused. That was..
"..not what this shixiong tried to imply"
"Then just get here and hurry return to that Qing Jing of yours. Here,"
Liu Qingge stretched an arm again, as always. Liu Qingge always stretched his right hand, palm facing the sky with slightly crooked fingers, always waiting for another hand to be placed upon it. Like his long, open arm has fallen into a habit of aiding another's.
Huh.
Weird. Those observations just popped out of nowhere in Shen Qingqiu's head. And they were all about someone's hand. His shidi's right hand, packed with muscles.
Huh. Okay, that muscle thing was also another thought he didn't expect. But well, every human beings walked upon this earth would objectively believe those muscles are worth every damn observations, even without a stallion-protagonist halo making it irresistible.
"Why are you staring at my hand like that?"
Shen Qingqiu was startled out of his thought, half of his face already covered by a fan that he opened habitually. He looked up, purposefully trying to see his shidi in the eyes.
Liu Qingge averted his stare in an instant.
Liu Qingge supposed to never back out from a staring contest.
"Do not observe and attempting to read me, Shen Qingqiu. Just take this hand and go back."
"Why so fast? So that you can go ahead and hunt another piles of monsters again for this master, shidi?" Shen Qingqiu said, adding a hint of tease.
Liu Qingge coughed. Shen Qingqiu frowned upon that.
....is this musclehead actually the sick one?
"Is shidi..okay..?"
With patience reaching its short span, Liu Qingge pulled Shen Qingqiu and return him back to Qing Jing.
Liu Qingge did not utter even a word in that short journey.
One other day, one Liu Qingge that (definitely) refused to met Shen Qingqiu in the eyes, brought a single luxurious-looking qiankun pouch.
"People are tired of those endless plant-related complaints of yours"
Suddenly, there are (very) rare plant seeds and many plant books facing Shen Qingqiu inside a qiankun pouch that probably equals in value to a peasant's a-year-worth of salary.
Shen Qingqiu just stared at those. Because what in the heavens are these???
"To stop you complaining. Study them all, Qing Jing."
Shen Qingqiu changed his direction of staring to his shidi. His very much odd, questionable-acting shidi, that somehow keep having something to give to his shixiong.
Are these, like, friendship gifts??
Does Liu Qingge values a friendship with gift??
Shen Qingqiu couldn't know, because at least he knows his shidi doesn't really do the friend business, except with Shen Qingqiu that literally saved his ass.
"This master will studiously read this,
...much appreciated, Liu-shidi"
Liu Qingge only grunted and was about to fly again to god-knows-where, before Shen Qingqiu spoke up.
"Wait, shidi,"
Liu Qingge stopped in his track and looked back.
"What is with all these..pleasantries, lately? Does shidi felt like he owes this shixiong something?"
Liu Qingge only stared at him silently in respond, eyes trailed down to the luxurious qiankun pouch.
"Just accept what you are given, and don't left your hand fans all over Cang Qiong."
As Liu Qingge said that, he immediately flight up above to the direction of Bai Zhan.
Answer was intended to clear slight confusion.
But now, Shen Qingqiu was thoroughly confused. Confused as hell.
What the hell is happening inside that pretty head??
Since then, Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu developed a new routine: different gifts at least once a week from (Shen Qingqiu guessed,) purposefully-vague Liu Qingge for a reluctant and confused-Shen Qingqiu.
Everything was way too different from PIDW, but to be fair the Liu Qingge of PIDW was, well, dead. In the original PIDW. Shen Qingqiu didn't even understand this development anymore, but it wasn't one he dislike, too.
There were days where the remains of Zheng Yang was not a good reminder at all, and Shen Qingqiu would sit in front of the sword mount for as long as he felt like it.
Those days usually meant 'No Disturbing Shizun' day for the entire Qing Jing Peak.
No one ever disturbed him on those days, and he wouldn't admit it, but he's grateful to be left alone with the sword. He just like to reminiscing his moments with his white lotus, after all, before everything would come to an inevitable confrontation full of hatred.
One day, Shen Qingqiu sat still, eyes closed in front of the mount, when he felt a presence behind him. He could sense that the other has no bad intention, no bloodthirst, so he intended to pretend ignoring the newcomer until they leave.
Half a sichen later, the person persisted on his back. Shen Qingqiu felt the presence was familiar, but he really could not thought of any reason on why would anyone familiar stayed in his silence. (Shen Qingqiu absolutely refused to call it grief, even when the whole mountain seemed to think otherwise).
"Is there anything this master could help?" He tried.
Silence persisted.
"Is this master urgently required, then?" Shen Qingqiu tried again.
An audible inhale, then,
"You are not a widow,"
Um. what.
Shen Qingqiu was startled, confused, to the point of immediate almost 180 degrees turn of his head.
"You are not a widow left by your dead husband. You are just sad, and eventually you will not."
That was all Liu Qingge said before he turned and left.
That's..obviously what's happening?? Who's a widow here??
Seemingly all Liu Qingge up to these days were confusing Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu do not really appreciate constant confusion, but he cope with it like how he cope with his very existence in this goddamn trashfire novel. Liu Qingge, along with Shang Qinghua, really should take a lesson on 'how to properly socialize and not confuse others on daily basis'
The routine has happened for a full year when things took a strange turn, and Shen Qingqiu found himself in the most confusing state he ever been in his entire life. Or to be more exact, two lives.
It was a meridian-cleansing day, and as usual they did the cleansing inside Shen Qingqiu's humble bamboo hut.
That day, too, Liu Qingge brought him another gift. Usually Shen Qingqiu would just accept it wordlessly, but something inexplicable just made him want to push clear his shidi's vagueness, even if just a little bit. The 'gift' that day was new guqin strings. Highest quality, obviously, and just when he used his very last string supply quite some time ago.
Shen Qingqiu thought that Liu Qingge could not possibly make up a reason like 'you forgot your strings in Bai Zhan', so Shen Qingqiu shot his shot.
"Shidi, pray to tell me why this shixiong has been worthy of your generous acts for these past few years?"
"What generous?"
"This," Shen Qingqiu lifted his new strings,
"And others. For the past few years. Don't give this master another silly reason, shidi. Why all these presents constantly? It's not like you are giving me courting gifts right, shidi? Hahaha"
Yeah, right, this man seems like he only has fighting and fighting and beating up others in his head. Even if not that, this is Proud Immortal Demon Way! Pretty dudes like Liu Qingge are destined to be involved with some of Luo Binghe's harem in some ways or another. There's also no way the Great Master Liu is a cutsleeve. Heck, would Airplane even created a world where cutsleeve exist? 3000 women and not a single story involving each other, so guess not.
"Shen Qingqiu." Liu Qingge asked,
"Hm?"
"What do you think about those..presents?"
Shen Qingqiu stared at Liu Qingge with confusion (again!).
So you are answering a question with another question? Well, two can play in this game.
"Oh shidi, do you want an approval and good impression from this shixiong? Hmmm?"
Liu Qingge's whole neck became red. Shen Qingqiu didn't notice this at all.
"..ship."
Shen Qingqiu didn't catch that.
"Hm? What is it shidi?"
"..you said us. Friendship."
It sounded like it took all Liu Qingge had to utter the word. Shen Qingqiu thought so. But if it is..
No way that's the truth, but if it was, that's downright adorable of him! Aiya shidi, this shixiong can already see your blooming! His shidi might takeover the protagonist when he fully blooms to the beautiful man of PIDW persona!
"So you are recognizing us as friend? Wow! Liu-shidi! This master didn't expect that at all from you!" Shen Qingqiu exclaimed with full smile.
Liu Qingge frowned at that.
"Are you trying to say that you thought hostility was all I am capable of?"
Huh. Why is he assuming like that?
"No! Shidi! Of course not. Are you also thinking of your shixiong that way? What I said about being friend way back in Lingxi Cave was a heartfelt truth, you know,"
So that maybe you can save me in the case of protagonist's wild chasing of Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu looked down at his wrists, where they were connected in a point of touch, where he could felt the gentleness of this rough, battle-ridden man.
Is that really all?
The thought popped out of nowhere. Shen Qingqiu felt a somewhat discomfort kind of feeling in his being. He doesn't know what is this discomfort.
"Then that's enough." Liu Qingge responded.
Shen Qingqiu was not dumb. Shen Qingqiu was simply looking at things logically, based on what has happened and his insight of future in PIDW. But nothing seems logical about this, not with the added purposefully-vague was from Liu-shidi.
Shen Qingqiu had an inkling that they were, somehow, dancing around something.
Something that Shen Qingqiu could not identified.
Something that Liu Qingge could identify, but refuse to acknowledge, or perhaps acknowledged but refused to laid out.
But regardless, Shen Qingqiu pretty sure could see nothing's harmful ever be the fruit of this situation.
And Shen Qingqiu enjoyed this. Whatever Liu Qingge's gave to him.
The gifts. The meridian cleansing. The acknowledgement of Shen Qingqiu's ideas at Peak Lords Meetings. The missions together. The hidden interests that Shen Qingqiu could not identify.
Shen Qingqiu shamelessly thrive in them all, as this was the first constant given from others that Shen Qingqiu didn't quite initiate much. Shen Qingqiu was going to bask in his shidi's inexplicable attention, through and through.
So that was the strangest thing happened today. A kind of truce and acceptance mutually happened between them, and something grew in Shen Qingqiu, and he did not refuse any pleasant feeling that bloom in him.
As Shen Qingqiu saw where their hands were connected, he could sense a wave of warmth and pleasant feeling coursing through his body for the first time after years. It felt nice to have a revelation that Liu Qingge was such a good companion.
With all that, Shen Qingqiu never expected all this--borderline bullshit--development to happen.
Binghe came back. Much, much earlier.
Binghe choked him. (Binghe hated him)
He was sentenced to Huan Hua's water prison.
Qiu Haitang showed up.
Shen Qingqiu was probably on the road toward becoming Cultivation World's #1 most wanted criminal.
And now..he was on a tower. With an almost feral Binghe.
Shit, Binghe is qi deviating, and most probably a fatal one.
No one could ever blame Shen Qingqiu from absolutely forgetting the existence of protagonist's halo and fling himself to the fire, guilty-ridden and wanting to do anything that could appease his guilt.
But regardless, all should be good, his and Airplane's body-growing project should save him.
He'd die, but he will surely come back, with a plant body.
He was totally okay with all that, everything was within expectation even if this was not the best case. It should have been fine.
But not this.
Liu Qingge was not supposed to blindly chased Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu was not supposed to see Liu Qingge on the rooftop of the nearest tower.
Cheng Luan was not supposed to soar toward Shen Qingqiu.
These sequences of events were not supposed to be in the dogblood drama between an evil shizun and a wronged disciple.
Shen Qingqiu could see an arm outstretched behind Binghe's deviating body.
Shen Qingqiu could clearly see his face slowly morphing into one that was mortified.
Shen Qingqiu could see a man that seemed so, so desperate. Of something, perhaps out of his reach.
What are you being horrified of, shidi?
Why are you being so desperate, shidi? What are you trying to reach?
Shen Qingqiu's eyes stranded to his tingling left wrist. Something, some kind of bright string, was there.
Some seconds before detonating, Shen Qingqiu saw a blinding, straight-line light. It was directed to Liu-shidi.
What is..
Mere seconds before detonating, Shen Qingqiu had a revelation of a lifetime.
Oh,
It's you.
5 seconds before detonating, a look of pure sorrow was the only thing he saw. Probably would haunted him after he is awake again. Shen Qingqiu could not help a thought that emerge in his head,
Shidi, at this highest peak of Huayue, what emotion would be heightened in you? Would it be anger, or sorrow, I wonder?
3 seconds prior to explosion, Shen Qingqiu found that his own most heightened emotion was guilt.
"SHEN QINGQIU!!"
Shen Qingqiu could hear him loud and clear. Shen Qingqiu could also see their connected wrist, as clear as the blue sky he looked up to.
Shen Qingqiu could definitely see his soulmate. His soulmate. His soulmate. His soulmate.
Shen Qingqiu could see Liu Qingge, his soulmate, despite all.
Ah, how unlucky are you eh, shidi? What kind of a 'right time of revelation' is when one of us was on the brink of death? Curse this bloody, bloody universe.
Shen Qingqiu self-exploded.
From the very beginning, Liu Qingge opposed Shen Qingqiu's participation to Jinlan City Mission.
This isn't only about Without-a-Cure, this is also about the new-found recklessness of the man, that undoubtedly would stray Liu Qingge's focus away from the mission. Liu Qingge didn't want to be disadvantaged from that.
(Liu Qingge would always deny his concern toward his now-reckless shixiong, his now-selfless shixiong.)
Liu Qingge even personally approached Zhangmen-shixiong more than a few times for this regard, yet Yue Qingyuan stood his argument on Shen Qingqiu's much needed knowledge on demons, beasts, and other abnormalities. Liu Qingge could not refute that, in the end.
So he agreed.
And look where his agreement brought them to.
A capture. A prisonement. A condemnation. An ungrateful disciple. A death sentence. An actual death. A horrendously bad-timing of a lifetime revelation
Liu Qingge barely catches a glimpse of pale green robe that enabled him to chase them from the tall building across of the dreaded scene. Maybe he wasn't supposed to notice those flaring green robes, maybe he wasn't supposed to chase the other half-madly.
Maybe he was not supposed to find it.
But there he was, a red qi string attached to his wrist, connecting him to a man his heart has long for quite a time
And there he was, His Soulmate, His Beloved, seconds away from dying. Seconds away from ripped away from his arms, most likely a forever that he would spent as a dying man with heart full of regrets.
There he was, Shen Qingqiu, some li away from his outstretched hand, suddenly exploded in a demon's arms.
Cheng Luan stilled high on the sky, but Liu Qingge could fell how fast he was falling.
He was falling, falling, falling, and when his body met the earthland, no one would be there.
Shen Qingqiu would not be there.
Liu Qingge could fell a scream ripped through his throat, a sole man's name, resuming his fly to another falling body. A lifeless falling body.
Liu Qingge sped up, sped up, sped up, utilizing all what's left of energy circled in his meridian, to catch those flowing pale green robes.
Barely before the body touched the hard land, Liu Qingge cradled him.
Liu Qingge has seen this before, countless times. When night has fallen, in the middle of woods, these serene face would be what he was staring at all night. Their cultivation was enough to sustain them from sleepless nights, but Liu Qingge wasn't taking a chance with his shixiong's frail meridians.
Yet, Shen Qingqiu remained as mesmerizing as he always been.
The serene face stayed the same, like perpetually frozen in time. Just that the chest no longer moving along a steady rhythm, the face no longer brightly lit by makeshift fire.
Their wrists, too, no longer joined by a single string. No more pulse of radiating energy that would confirm their adjoining souls, no more shocking revelations to admit his years-long denial of feelings.
That was the last verdict for Liu Qingge's entry into a miserable existence.
Liu Qingge sobbed into his beloved's hair crown, intended to stay still there of permitted.
In front of the same red tower, in the face of the whole cultivation jianghu, Liu Qingge kneeled to the ground, with an unconscious Qing Jing Peak Lord in his embrace. The Bai Zhan Peak Lord cried, cried, and cried like there was no tomorrow. The War God cried as if nothing the world offer could salvage his pain.
Liu Qingge mourned for their shattered bonds. Liu Qingge mourned for their horrendously-timed revelation. Liu Qingge mourned for his beloved.
Liu Qingge just wanted to take his shixiong go back to Lingxi Cave and isolate themselves, when he could felt a towering body and an absolute rage in front of him.
"Give back Shizun," a hoarse voice said.
Liu Qingge really do not have any interest to look away from Shen Qingqiu's face, but sudden bloodthirst jolted him into defensive position, one hand cradling a body, another taking his sword which was put flat on his side.
"Give back Shizun" the same voice, with angrier tone.
"Why should I, ungrateful demon mongrel?!"
Liu Qingge was determined to keep his shixiong -his soulmate shixiong- body, but the demon beast was fast.
Suddenly he was blown back, unable to stand the pressure, and when he looked up, his shixiong's body was already transferred to the ungrateful demon ex-disciple hands. Liu Qingge immediately stood up and flew toward the two.
"GIVE HIM BACK!"
"NO!" a demonic qi was spread again. Liu Qingge could see the beast was holding a black, sinister sword.
"Why? Your former master rightfully belong to Cang Qiong! WHY??" Liu Qingge roared, while trying to approach the two again.
"I AM MORE ENTITLED OF HIM! He has debts that should be paid!" Luo Binghe roared back.
Liu Qingge scoffed,
"What kind of debt owed by a master to his disciple? You, in other hand, owed a lot to him! Pay him back by returning him to where he belongs!"
"And how do you claim where he belongs to?? Shizun never said he truly felt at home there!"
The brat still has the nerve to call his shixiong 'shizun'. What a shameless, ungrateful demon brat.
"You don't have the right to question that. And I am his soulmate!"
Luo Binghe shocked face was something that Liu Qingge could use as an opening. He was preparing to launch another attack.
"What? No. You can't be. No. NO!"
The beast was going to descend into madness at this rate. Liu Qingge was attacking again. Cheng Luan flew at a speed of sound directly toward the demon's arms trying to render his limbs useless, but Luo Binghe deflect Liu Qingge's attack at last minute using Xin Mo, giving Liu Qingge an opening to close their distance. This time he's making sure that he will retrieve Shen Qingqiu's body back.
"What do you mean, no?" A bond that universe has set could never be rejected by anyone in this world!"
Liu Qingge, half forcing the truth and half provoking the demon, keep the conversation up to constantly create an opening.
"No! Shizun is mine! Should be mine! Not you! Why you, of all people??"
Liu Qingge was angered with the beast's exclamations. What did he mean by Shen Qingqiu being his?
There was no world where that beast should, could claim that. The red string was attached to him, and not the ungrateful demon in front of him.
"Mobei-jun!" Luo Binghe called a name with frantic, madness-driven desperation. Liu Qingge tried to stab his left shoulder and took Shen Qingqiu back again, but suddenly his surrounding was as cold as the deepest winter, and a huge navy portal was showing up right beside the demon beast. Realizing what was up, Liu Qingge tried to intervene.
"NO!" Liu Qingge screamed.
Liu Qingge was just a second late, But the demon suddenly vanished into the portal. Along with Shen Qingqiu. Along with his soulmate's corpse.
His soulmate that was not going back to home that day.
"Shidi, stop!" Mu Qingfang interjected. Mu Qingfang heard the biggest revelation of his two martial siblings being soulmate, and knew this meant Liu Qingge is going to be 1000% more reckless than usual, and it fell to him the duty to restrain the grieving shidi.
Liu Qingge just stood there, in the center of a barren field, not really looking at everything.
He was grieving. He really was. But he was determined.
Liu Qingge channeled his grieving into 5 years-long defeats of trying to retrieve his soulmate's corpse.
The famous tale of how The War God of Bai Zhan abandons all his pride and took defeats every single day just to retrieve a martial sibling's corpse from the Lord of Huan Hua Palace was famous among the folks, both cultivators and non-cultivators.
The entire population was an audience in a tale of a soulmate's desperation for a brief reunion with his other half's remain.
That was what Shen Qingqiu heard when he entered a big tea house, still disguised as Peerless Cucumber.
Shen Qingqiu could not deny he quite disbelief the tale, because people exaggerate things, but he could not deny the foreboding sense that every single exaggeration contains the truth. That his soulmate -his soulmate shidi, what the hell- was constantly fighting with his blackened disciple. Every single day. Without missing a day at all.
He gets why Liu Qingge might do it, but he didn't get Luo Binghe at all. If Shen Qingqiu's dead, wasn't that mean the revenge was already done? Or did his blackened disciple was not satisfied, and determined to enchained his corpse so that his soul may suffer as well?
Shen Qingqiu felt chill at the sheer horror.
Well, time to go then.
at least now with his full-of-qi body and no system yapping his ears every moments, he can probably reach Cang Qiong first, or maybe clear up things with Luo Binghe, before he return to his home.
His home. Returns to his..home.
Shen Qingqiu thought of not a place, but of someone, who was chained to him in this life.
Shen Qingqiu considers his life to be ridden with bad luck in this world, but he never thought his misfortune extended into....this situation.
He was captured by Sha Hualing.
Luo Binghe didn't recognized him, at first.
Luo Binghe kisses him in their dream.
That was the most what-the-ever-fuck situation Shen Qingqiu found himself in, and unfortunately it answers some questions that he had, but gave room to wayyy more questions, because Shen Qingqiu could not fathom how the straight harem master protagonist could fell in love with his shitty master that intent to killed him. This situation was out of control, and at some point Shen Qingqiu knew he could no longer depend on PIDW's information solely and began to rely on his limited observation to all the people around him.
If that was the what-the-ever-fuck situation, then the most heartbreaking and arguably the worst situation for him, was after the last showdown of Luo Binghe vs. Liu Qingge, where Liu Qingge actually retrieved 'his' body, and Shen Qingqiu came in between the almost fighting Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe.
At first from faraway he could see the never-seen sorrow on his soulmate's face, gazing on 'his' body, and he could not help but follow the both of them into what he knew would descent into another fight.
Shen Qingqiu hoped he could stop it before everything became to ugly, but of course the unexpected thing happen. Of course it is.
Shen Qingqiu didn't not appreciate it, but the crying fuck-fest happening afterwards was the least expectation that he had that day.
"Masters are culpable for their disciples,"
"Shixiong"
Shen Qingqiu was trying to own up his guilt, his mistake, what he should have not done. He was trying to repent. But his shidi was really stubborn. He can't be stubborn in this. Not when all these are Shen Qingqiu's fault.
Earlier, Liu Qingge claimed how Luo Binghe was an evil thàt must be eliminated immediately, and Shen Qingqiu felt his heart clenched for his (former?) disciple (that somehow fell in love with him).
"Is this master not the guilty one to raise such an evil harbinger, then?"
"Shen-shixiong,"
"Is this lord not the source of that evil then, shidi?"
"Shen Qingqiu!"
"Then let your punishment befall me, shidi,"
"SHEN QINGQIU!!" Liu Qingge exploded.
"Akin to all source of evilness, presents a gift of death so that righteousness stands, shidi. Give this shixiong a death, shidi. Give me another death in his disciple's stead"
Shen Qingqiu actually challenged Liu Qingge. He challenged his own soulmate. He could not figure out what level of devastation he brought to his soulmate, but he also could not let go of his responsibility, culpability, as the sole reason of why this situation ever come to fruition at all.
But Liu Qingge, Shen Qingqiu truly didn't know.
Because Liu Qingge could see his world crumbled apart, once again, right then.
Shen Qingqiu could hear Luo Binghe's soft, fragile exhale of 'Shizun..'
There was a long, standstill silence that Shen Qingqiu stubbornly endured, before Liu Qingge questioned him.
"Shen Qingqiu, do you ever thought that 5 years of defeat, to get any piece of you left behind, were enough to deter me?
Shen Qingqiu raised an eyebrow, lips thinned to a straight line.
"Wrong. I would have endured longer years of defeat if those were what make your corpse came home to me"
Shen Qingqiu's senses came to an alert. Shen Qingqiu almost wanted to just bolt away from this sudden confession-like scene.
"So do YOU actually think I would want your death in my hand? For my noble morals? Do you really thought of your shidi as someone who would kill the one he loves the most, the one his string attached to, for his so-called righteousness? Shen Qingqiu, do you really thought of this lord that way?"
Shen Qingqiu felt another sting of pain started to bloom in him.
"You are a cruel person, Qingqiu. Perhaps this is yet another karma for me for wasting all those years being by your side, yet no deeds were done."
Shen Qingqiu wondered, were those years that Liu Qingge talk about was the years with him, or?
Shen Qingqiu didn't get to wonder, as Liu Qingge inhaled long, loud breath, head turned upward to the sky,
As if he's holding back himself to just not cry, Shen Qingqiu's treacherous inner voice spoke. But really, Shen Qingqiu also could felt tears pricking from both his eyes, as Liu Qingge started to talk again.
"All this lord hopes, is for the Qing Jing Peak Lord returned to his scholarly pursuit he's so proud of.
Liu Qingge pulled another breath.
"All this shidi hopes, is for his shixiong to return back to his martial family.
But also, all this friend hopes, is for Shen Qingqiu to find his happiness no matter what. No matter what he chooses to do. As long as Shen Qingqiu lives on, nothing matters more,
Shen Qingqiu felt that it was not the end. There are more Liu Qingge wished to convey, and but Shen Qingqiu was not prepared for every words he heard after.
"But you see, Liu Qingge is a selfish man, Shen Qingqiu. What a shame that the universe assign you to a greedy, hopeless, wretched creature such as myself. Because all Liu Qingge hope, is for Shen Qingqiu, his soulmate, his lifeline to the world, to return to his side"
Shen Qingqiu could sense the desperation, the tinge of longing in that voice. He thought he desperately missed the owner, too.
"Qingge begs of Qingqiu, to please do not deprive him of an existence of you in this lifetime, again.
Come home, Qingqiu. Come home to my side. Please don't cast this Qingge to a damnation this way."
Shen Qingqiu thought that was the longest he ever heard Liu Qingge spoke. Shen Qingqiu also thought that at times like this, he missed Qingge's perpetual scowl instead of the sorrowful one he was facing. Shen Qingqiu also realized, that both of them were crying so hard right now.
Shen Qingqiu perhaps understood a bit more how much part he's made up his shidi's world. His soulmate's world.
"Shizun," Luo Binghe called.
"Binghe" Shen Qingqiu answered, a broken voice to signals that he was listening, eyes full of tears steady on Liu Qingge.
"Everything about this disciple is not solely Shizun's obligation, and this disciple understands that Shizun missed his soulmate, that Shizun has a place to return to,"
And you can go, but I will miss you so,
went unspoken, but Shen Qingqiu weirdly knew its in the air.
Shen Qingqiu loudly exhaled, trying to gain any kind of sense. He tried to be calmer, calmer, and making sense of this situation, and perhaps stop bawling for a second.
He really can't do this.
Not with (still) his favorite sheep, not with his dearly-loved (YES HE'S IN LOVE, GODDAMNIT) soulmate.
Shen Qingqiu wanted to curl into a ball, or preferably just lock himself in his peaceful bamboo house and not meeting any living being for another countless years.
But he can't.
His soulmate has fought for his mere corpse for 5 long years.
Now it's time for Shen Qingqiu to fight for them both.
He was still looking on Liu Qingge, with both hands stubbornly kept at his sides, tears continuously streaming down that beautiful face, looking like he was holding himself back to not just run into Shen Qingqiu's embrace. Perhaps Shen Qingqiu was also holding himself back for that. So perhaps, small mercies?
This master apologizes, Binghe.
But both Liu Qingge and him needed it. A small reassurance, a small mercy.
Shen Qingqiu slowly stretched his hands open, his hairs and robe fluttered with wind, preparing himself to accept an embrace. A surely tight one. He tried to pour more of his repressed emotion into his facial expression, and he could felt his expression molded into one more honest, more open. Softly, Shen Qingqiu called with a slight smile tugging in the corner of his lips, eyes still damp with tears,
"Qingge,"
In a flash, he felt like a boulder pushed against his body. But this boulder was softer, warm. This boulder has a heart that beats so fast it felt like it was on the verge of explosion. His beloved shidi instantly engulfed his body, and Shen Qingqiu felt as if he's a piece finding it's missing void. Liu Qingge tightly clung onto his robes, sniffing and cried silently on his hair crown.
"Qingqiu"
Shen Qingqiu wished that he could always listen to the way Liu Qingge whispered his name like a prayer, every single day.
Liu Qingge could only stood there, wanting to just stole his dearest shixiong from the rest of the world, but knew better. So he just stood there, holding himself back, waiting. For anything.
It was enough that he knew his soulmate lives on. It does not matter whoever he chose. Whatever he chose. As long as he lives, as long as Liu Qingge could get a glimpse of his existence, nothing would matter. The bond they shared never will be a chain for Shen Qingqiu. The bond they shared was 'forced', indeed, but the sole knowledge that Liu Qingge is someone in Shen Qingqiu's life, even if not Shen Qingqiu's love, is fine.
(It would hurt him immensely, but he will learn to live with the scorching pain. He will. He surely will.)
(But, can't Shen Qingqiu just see him? Truly see, pierces his gaze, toward Liu Qingge? Liu Qingge sure his longing was as clear as the Luo River. Shen Qingqiu loves reading, Liu Qingge was sure his longing was so unbelievably easy to read.)
(Shen Qingqiu, am I not the kind of man you'd wish to be the companion of your heart?)
Of course, until a sudden whisper of his name, so full of adoration, called him.
It called to his very being, and Liu Qingge was just a hopeless man who longs.
"Qingge,"
So he just ran like his life depended on it.
He ran straight to his shixiong's embrace, the shixiong he thought the universe damned Liu Qingge of never uttering his devotion to. The soulmate he was never able to acknowledge properly.
Now he was here. In his arms. Liu Qingge weeps for this second chance.