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The bi-weekly Peak Lord meetings tend to happen in the same order.
First to arrive is Yue Qingyuan, who sets out mission scrolls and snacks, then Shang Qinghua with his budget papers and any other forms he needs to hand out. Last to arrive is Qi Qingqi, who often makes a dramatic appearance, slamming open the door and walking loudly to her seat. The meeting begins soon after, lasting about a shichen before a recess is called. After the break is when arguments start, usually between Shen Qingqiu, Qi Qingqi, and Liu Qingge. At this point, the peak lords either walk out or the meeting is adjourned.
This time, however, there is an anomaly.
Shen Qingqiu arrived before Shang Qinghua, which wouldn’t be too odd if it weren’t for the state he’s in. His robes are ruffled and his collars slightly crooked, dark locks are pulled into a hastily done ponytail instead of its usual half-up half-down style. The dark bags under his eyes make him seem more ghostly and pale in a way he hasn’t been since receiving Without-A-Cure.
He doesn’t wait around, instead walking straight to his seat on the right of Yue Qingyuan’s, placing his elbows on the table and settling his head into the crook of them.
Shang Qinghua entered not long after, shooting puzzled looks at the Qing Jing Peak Lord. He placed his stack of scrolls and papers down before walking to the sect leader.
“Is he, uh, alright? He has never done that before,” Shang Qinghua whispered.
“This one isn’t sure. He hasn’t been this early since we first ascended, let alone sit at the table so improperly.”
“Do you think he’s sick and trying to hide it? Should we get Mu Qingfang to check him?”
“He’s probably being dramatic, that spoiled man.” Wei Qingwei joked, approaching the pair, joined by Liu Qingge. “Qingfang’ll probably notice immediately and check on him anyway, knowing him.”
The three converse a little longer, waiting for the inevitable storm a worried Mu Qingfang will stir.
_--_ _--_
Many of the other peak lords arrived without sparing Shen Qingqiu another glance, unsurprisingly.
What else is unsurprising is the anticipated franticness Mu Qingfang gains upon seeing the state of the Qing Jing Peak Lord. The four watched as he debated on waking the man or checking over him without his consent. He chose to let him rest and gently placed two fingers on the back of his hand, the only exposed skin he can reach aside from his face. He frowned. He glanced up, looking for the sect leader, and quietly walked to the group.
“Has anyone visited him recently?” He looks at Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge specifically, receiving twin head shakes. “He’s severely exhausted and seems to have a few new heart demons, impling nightmares. Something he absolutely cannot afford to have in his condition.”
“‘In his condition’?! Has something happened recently?” Liu Qingge asked, his tone harsh, thinly hiding the concern.
“Nothing particularly,” Mu Qingfang placated. “Without-A-Cure spread a little further down his arm, but it isn’t a shock considering he missed a dose or two of tea due to a mission. That does not change the fact that his health has always been fragile, something that Without-A-Cure isn’t helping, unfortunately.”
“As concerned as we all are, this one is afraid that this conversation must be put on pause. The discussion is not only no one else’s business but ours and Shen-shidi’s, but the meeting is due to start soon,” the Sect Leader stated apologetically, before leaving to stand at the head of the table.
“If everyone is amendable, the meeting shall start.”
_--_ _--_
Halfway through the meeting, another anomaly occurred.
The meeting, for the most part, ran smoothly, until a loud BOOM rang through the room, putting every martial lord on guard, the non-combatives taking hold of pre-written talismans, ready to launch them – except for the sleeping Shen Qingqiu, who somehow continued to snore softly.
There were a handful of Qiong Ding disciples loudly chasing after the disruptor, begging them not to interrupt, but the person just continued on. A person who somehow knew how to not only enter the wards on Cang Qiong, but also knew their way around Qiong Qing.
The stranger came into sight, wearing a translucent veil that obstructed the view of their face, making the peak lords all the more wary.
“There is an intruder amongst your ranks,” a soft, masculine voice intoned. “I wonder if any of you have noticed. Maybe not, considering he is still sitting within your ranks.”
“Pardon?” Yue Qingyuan stood, approaching the mysterious person, hand on Xuan Su’s grip. “It is not a light thing to accuse one of our peak lord’s of such a thing.”
“This one is aware, but your Shen Qingqiu is not who he claims to be.”
Qi Qingqi scoffed. “If this is about the brothels, then we are already aware.”
“Ah, this one is afraid he means quite literally. Shen Qingqiu is not Shen Qingqiu, and this one can prove it, if he is allowed to.”
The sect leader sighed. “As long as no harm will come to him, you have my permission.”
_--_ _--_
“A-Yuan,” a soothing, familiar voice crooned. “Wake up.”
“Mn, not now. Don’t wanna.” The other Peak Lords watch as Shen Qingqiu sighed, nuzzling further into his elbows.
Shen Qingqiu did not remember falling asleep, or even leaving the comforts of his home. But he does, however, remember that voice. It sounded almost like his er-ge, though softer. Slightly younger. Thought, almost how he sounded before he transmigrated.
He heard a shuffling, then he felt a sharp zap against his side. He yelped and shot his head up, blinding himself with the harsh light of the room. He was still on Cang Qiong, still on Qiong Ding, yet there in front of him was his old body. A young, frail figure cloaked in ill fitting green robes, cheeks still filled with clinging baby fat, his short dark, messy hair.
It was undeniably him – well, the old him. But if he was in Shen Qingqiu, then who was in his old body? Didn’t the system say his old body expired; how is it here???
The two stared at each other, gazes intense. The silence stretched on awkwardly, the (ignored) Peak Lords watching in confusion.
“Who are you?” is what killed the quiet room.
“That doesn’t seem too important now. I want my body back.”
“Your body?” A slightly puzzled look crosses his face, before harsh realization covers it. “Shen Jiu?”
Shen Qingqiu can’t help but think of his er-ge, who shared a similar name, though instead of ‘nine’, it was the character for ‘accomplish’. What a coincidence.
“Bingo,” Shen Jiu said, making Shen Qinggiu jolt. Such an out of place term to hear in this dumb, formal xianxia world.
Shen Qingqiu decided to ask questions, but without the peak lords behind them knowing, their words sounded almost like their language, but slightly out of reach.
“Did you live my life after I died? Are my siblings all alright?” Shen Qingqiu asked in modern Mandarin, knowing the peak lords struggled to understand this “ancient language” (Stupid hack author, how lazy can you be??)
“Not quite. Do you remember your er-ge?” Shen Qingqiu nodded. “That was me. I lived two lives, this one was my dream life; every time I slept, I ended up here. I was your er-ge every time I was awake. It was exhausting sometimes,” he sighed.
Shen Yuan’s second brother was an unfortunate loss. One day, coming back from a hospital visit, Shen Yuan’s parents and er-ge were in an accident – t-boned on the right, where Shen Jiu sat. Both his mother and brother were gone upon impact. Shen Yuan was 17, his brother 21. It weighed on him a lot during the last few years of his life.
“How are you here then, in my old body, if you’ve already died in both lives?”
“Great question. That’s something I have not been able to figure out yet. I don’t know if I want to know, honestly.” Shen Jiu switched back to the current world’s language.
“It is possible for us to swap bodies, but you have only my word on this.” Shen Jiu received a slow, hesitant nod. “Our best option is to create a circuit of our qi. Send your qi out through your right hand, and I’ll send mine into your left. Eventually, it will make a full circuit and our souls will touch – we can swap then, alright?”
The Peak Lords watched the exchange happen, Mu Qingfang especially, in case something went awry. He would never doubt either Shen Qingqiu (operating under the assumption that this is, in fact, the original Shen Qingqiu), but neither ever had very good luck when it came to their qi.
“Before we do this,” Shen Qingqiu started quickly, “what will become of the peak lord position?”
Yue Qingyuan approached. “That can be decided after you swap – assuming your theory works. We would also need to confirm your identity,” he looked at Shen Jiu, “and discuss having a stranger, act as peak lord under our noses,” he looked at the current Shen Qingqiu.
“This one understands,” Shen Qingqiu murmured.
_--_ _--_
Mu Qingfang was right to be worried. Upon circulating their qi, both Shen’s fainted.
He truly could not say he was surprised, things often went wrong when it came to Shen Qingqiu. Both versions, it seems.
He took his time checking them over. He finds that nothing was technically wrong, just non-sexual dual cultivation typically didn’t end up with fainting. This may be a result of body-swapping, but it's not like he would know. He has never seen or even heard of something like this happening.
He’s truly astonished at the situations he ended up in.
It takes about an incense time before the two wake, both coming to in a sweet state of confusion. He openly displayed his movements, unsure of how they would react, reaching for each a wrist to check their qi once more.
“Ah!” The smaller Shen yelped. “It worked! Ge, it worked!” He turned to Shen Qingqiu and slapped his arm multiple times in excitement.
“Quit hitting me, brat. Ugh, my head.” He squinted and rubbed a hand down his face harshly.
The Shens stood, Shen Qingqiu patting off imaginary dirt from the wrinkles his brother made prior, while Shen Yuan started checking out his old body, patting it down, walking a few steps – presumably readjusting to the change in height.
Here comes the third anomaly.
“Jiu-ge? Did my body hurt when you were in it?” Shen Yuan poked at his joints and took a deep breath.
Shen Qingqiu paused, then shook his head slowly. “Was it supposed to?”
Shen Yuan deadpanned. “I was chronically ill my whole life. Yeah, it was most definitely supposed to.”
Shen Qingqiu hummed. “Maybe it’ll show up later, when it can recognize its original soul? I hope not, but there is a small chance.”
“Ugh, it can stay wherever it is. I don’t want it.”
Shen Qingqiu let out a small huff of laughter, startling those around him, all but a few.
“Brat, be polite to your sicknesses, they tried hard to take you down, you know. Give them some praise.”
Shen Jiu? Telling a joke????? The peak lords, minus Yue Qingyuan and Mu Qingfang, were surprised. Yue Qingyuan grew up with him, so he was aware of his hidden sense of humor, though he hasn’t seen it in action since they became sect mates. Mu Qingfang was simply too professional to care about anything other than a potential patient.
“Ah, Shen Yuan? If this doctor may check you over again, now that he knows there is something to look for?”
He finds nothing, surprisingly. Shen Yuan’s body is about as healthy as it possibly could be for a mortal.
“You are quite young, aren’t you?” Mu Qingfang noted. “Mn, unrelated. This one does not note any developing diseases or ailments; everything is healthy as can be. Your meridians leave room for you to be able to cultivate, but you should start soon, if you hope to share the Qing Jing Peak Lord position.”
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow and looked at his brother. “Think I can do it?”
“If anyone could, it would be you, didi.”
_--_ _--_
Months later, many upon Cang Qiong could not tell you when Shen Yuan became Shen Qingmei, the second peak lord of Qing Jing.
Shen Qingqiu’s disciples quickly noticed their new shixiong was much like Nice Shizun, and that Mean Shizun was back. But even then, the old Shen Qingqiu was much different from how he was before, and they find themselves often thanking their shixiong for that.
Their new shixiong, however, quickly became their Shifu as Shizun demanded, much to their Shifu’s embarrassment.
Shen Yuan was even freer and care-free than he was as Nice Shizun, despite being a peak lord. Their Shifu was as sweet as can be, constantly offering head pats and gentle advice.
None dared ask where Shen Yuan came from, or how he became favored by the other peak lords, but that was clearly a well-kept secret.
The title “Qingmei” came a while after Shen Yuan appeared, and Shen Qingqiu was very satisfied with the way things were.
He was so proud of the person his brother became.