Work Text:
By pure chance, Liu Qingge is present on Bai Zhan when Yue Qingyuan takes ill.
He rushes to Qian Cao without a thought. It’s unthinkable for Yue Shixiong to die. Qingge’s Shixiong is the peak of their generation's noble young cultivators, and the only person worthy of inheriting Cang Qiong.
Despite every attempt to throw him out, Liu Qingge still paces Qian Cao’s halls like a hound pining for its master. The Qian Cao healers tell him nothing, except that the Peak Lords are treating Yue Qingyuan and he’ll be going into seclusion soon. Once they’ve gone, Qingge breaks into Yue Qingyuan’s sick room, hears his Shixiong brokenly begging for someone to save ‘Xiao Jiu,’ and agrees immediately.
He might’ve thought twice if he’d known that the person Yue Qingyuan wanted him to retrieve is a foul-mouthed, sharptongued, dishonorable hooligan.
At least the retrieval part is easy. Following Yue Qingyuan’s directions, Liu Qingge flies down into the courtyard of the correct nobleman’s estate, scoops up the slave matching his senior brother’s description, and tosses a tael of gold down as payment before flying away.
Xiao Jiu single-mindedly mauls Qingge the whole way back. Young master Liu’s robes are thoroughly shredded and his forearms look like a beast gnawed them by the time they reach the town at the foot of Cang Qiong. Qingge tosses his passenger down like a bag of rice, mentally dusts off his hands, and goes back to hunting beasts and beating up his fellow disciples.
Then one day, passing through the town on the way back from a hunt, Qingge sees Xiao Jiu duck into a brothel. He’s overcome by outrage.
Yue Shixiong is studiously and virtuously cultivating in seclusion to heal himself, and this scum he’d begged so hard to save is sullying his good will by tangling with prostitutes!
Qingge stomps into the brothel, ready to castigate this dishonorable scum to pieces. He only gets a few words out before Xiao Jiu slaps a hand over his mouth and sneers at him. “I work here.”
Liu Qingge freezes for the crucial seconds it takes Xiao Jiu to send him one last glare and disappear into the back rooms.
After retreating to Cang Qiong and thinking hard over what Yue Shixiong would want, Liu Qingge returns to the brothel with a purse of coin and a new plan. Xiao Jiu is Yue Shixiong’s precious person. In Yue Shixiong’s absence, Liu Qingge needs to guard him.
This time, Liu Qingge gets several sentences into his speech about how Xiao Jiu doesn’t have to sully himself to make ends meet, before Xiao Jiu chokes Qingge by stuffing a pork bun in his mouth. “I work in the kitchen here, you pea brain. Do you even understand that not everyone comes here for sex? We also sell food and hold performances!”
That is the beginning of Liu Qingge’s association with that scheming, ill-tempered, prideful creature who will be called Shen Qingqiu.
Over Liu Qingge’s protestations, Xiao Jiu continues working at the Warm Red Pavilion until Cang Qiong holds its disciple selection in the spring. After discreetly shadowing Xiao Jiu up the mountain – since Yue Shixiong would’ve done the same – Liu Qingge loiters on Bai Zhan, then wrings out Xiao Jiu’s fate from the challengers who come to fight for entrance to Bai Zhan.
An Ding? Xiao Jiu may be older than most who start cultivating, but surely Yue Shixiong’s–Yue Shixiong’s precious person deserves better than being lumped in with those mousy door-fixing An Ding cowards. Liu Qingge stews over this as he slaughters a pack of three-browed sage rabbits.
Xiao Jiu – no, he’s calling himself Shen Jiu now – scoffs at Liu Qingge’s objections. “Have you seen my shixiongs? I’ll be the head disciple within a year. Only that rat Shang Hua is any threat.”
Liu Qingge, who’d never wanted to be head disciple and found paperwork a headache, does not relate, but knows by now he’ll lose any arguments against Shen Jiu.
Out of obligation, Qingge checks on his new shidi whenever he’s in Cang Qiong. Mystifyingly, Shen Jiu has somehow caught the favor of An Ding’s peak lord.
“It’s because these rich brats don’t know what anything is supposed to cost and don’t know how to haggle,” Shen Jiu explains, looking accusingly at Liu Qingge. Qingge has been scolded at least two dozen times for paying a whole tael for Shen Jiu, which would have been enough money to buy twenty slave boys.
The best thing about Shen Jiu enjoying his master’s favor is that he receives direct guidance and first access to cultivation resources. Despite his late start, Shen Jiu is very good at cultivation and very eager to beat people up using his new strength. Liu Qingge gets a new sparring partner! What Shen Jiu lacks in cultivation and experience he makes up for in viciousness and creativity.
That’s about the time that Shen Jiu starts taking missions outside the sect, which unanimously involve Shen Shidi’s life being in danger. Remembering his obligation to Yue Shixiong, Qingge assigns himself as Shen Jiu’s guard, which helps cut down on the injuries. Liu Qingge didn’t realize buying supplies was so dangerous.
“You idiot,” is the only thing Shen Jiu says when Liu Qingge voices this observation.
Liu Qingge hears about an An Ding disciple being executed for treason shortly afterward. Shen Jiu, for some reason, also stops encountering so many dangerous situations. Liu Qingge continues to accompany him on missions anyway. No guarantees the danger won’t come back.
Life is good, the hunts are satisfying, Shen Jiu is becoming a decent sparring partner – and then Yue Qingyuan comes out of seclusion.
The instant Yue Qingyuan sees Shen Jiu, he has eyes for no one else. Liu Qingge watches his admired shixiong weep brokenly with Shen Jiu buried in his arms, and wonders what he’s supposed to do next.
He’s turned over Xiao Jiu to Yue Qingyuan, as promised. He doesn’t need to guard his Shen Shidi anymore. That idea does not feel as good as Liu Qingge expected. Qingge puzzles over this. Habit, maybe?
“Liu Shidi,” calls Yue Shixiong, coming over with Shen Jiu tucked securely under his arm. His eyes glitter with joy and his cheeks are still streaked with tears.
Liu Qingge straightens bolt upright.
“Liu Shidi, I can never repay this debt to you,” Yue Shixiong says, giving Qingge a look holding intense fondness and respect. He’s never looked at Qingge like that before. “Thank you for taking such good care of Xiao Jiu for me.”
“Of course, Shixiong,” Liu Qingge remembers to say. He gropes for something to say next. “I’ll–I’ll continue to look after Shen Shidi!”
At this, Yue Shixiong bestows another glowing look upon him. “He’ll be relying on your care,” he says, squeezing Qingge’s shoulder fondly, and sweeps away arm in arm with Shen Jiu.
Liu Qingge goes back to Bai Zhan and beats up his fellow disciples until the warm, bubbly feeling heating his cheeks goes away.
Now that Liu Qingge has promised to keep an eye on Shen Jiu, it’s only honorable to keep his word. When Qingge shows up to follow Shen Jiu around, Yue Qingyuan, more often than not, is also present, wearing a sheepish smile.
Liu Qingge expected Shen Jiu to complain, or at least try to sneak away. He’d done such things to Qingge many times. It has been excellent practice for Qingge’s tracking skills. But Shen Jiu never says a word against Yue Shixiong accompanying them, and never again tries to shake off Liu Qingge.
Qingge misses it.
Fortunately, Shen Jiu’s worthiness as a sparring partner makes up for the loss. After Yue Shixiong’s return, Shen Jiu’s cultivation soars like he’s conquered a heart demon. He’ll never equal Qingge or Yue Shixiong, but he’s easily the third strongest of their generation.
The three of them, wandering together through the cultivation world, eventually make a name for themselves. Qingge finds it bothersome, especially when the peak lords take an interest.
Wielding his new strength, Shen Jiu is finally appointed as An Ding’s succeeding disciple, and receives the name Qingqiu. That wouldn’t be so bad, except that the Qing Jing Peak Lord is bent on poaching Shen Jiu from An Ding, and he keeps dragging Shen Jiu away from their spars.
“His efforts are pointless. As long as I’m An Ding’s head disciple, I’ll never join Qing Jing,” says Shen Qingqiu when they’re away from the sect and having dinner in their inn room.
“I thought you’d want to be second-in-command,” replies Yue Shixiong, trying not to look too downcast.
Liu Qingge, who has no opinion, grunts.
“Why do I need that thankless position?” retorts Shen Qingqiu. “Putting up with rich brats and having to teach them? I’d rather die. The hall masters handle An Ding’s disciples. They might be dull but at least they’re sensible. Respect? Everyone knows where I came from. They'll never respect me anyway. Power? My informants don’t care which peak lord they report to, and as An Ding’s Lord I’ll hold the purse strings of Cang Qiong.”
Shen Qingqiu gestures toward the two of them with his utensils. “Besides, I’ll have the ear of Cang Qiong’s Zhangman and Bai Zhan’s war god. Compared to an empty title, isn’t that worth more?”
“Of course,” Yue Shixiong hurriedly replies, perking up. “Then you’ll tell the immortal master your decision when we return?”
Shen Qingqiu glares halfheartedly at him. “Yue Qi, you’re still too soft. I’m not telling that Qing Jing snob anything until I’ve squeezed every bit of benefit I can out of him.”
Liu Qingge squints. “Is that why you’re practicing the guzheng instead of running your sword drills?”
“Yeah. Wanna make something of it?” Shen Qingqiu replies, pretty eyes narrowed like he’s looking for a fight.
“Play something,” is what Liu Qingge says, to his own puzzlement.
Shen Qingqiu, also looking a little taken aback, does.
Liu Qingge falls asleep to the sound of strummed cords and plucked notes, and wakes to slick noises and soft moans.
He’s confused, until he recognizes Shen Qingqiu’s voice rising in a choked-off whimper, and Yue Shixiong shushing him quietly, all while the slippery noises quicken.
Oh. Liu Qingge heats with embarrassment. Rather than shame his martial siblings, he pretends to be asleep, until the noises taper down to sighs and whispers of affection. Qingge isn’t…unaffected, but he thinks about dismembering mushroom-capped ferrets until it goes away on its own.
The next morning, he dresses before his martial siblings are awake and skips breakfast, working out his agitation with emphatic sword drills in the inn courtyard.
Shen Qingqiu comes to join him, moving with a limber, loose-limbed gait that Liu Qingge is embarrassed to recognize from past spars. So Yue Shixiong and Shen Qingqiu…all this time.
Liu Qingge flees onto the roof with no explanation until it’s time to leave.
Once he’s figured it out, it’s impossible not to see the signs. Yue Shixiong and Shen Qingqiu stumbling out of forests, red-faced and sweating. Arriving together to disciple meetings with their lips swollen from kissing. Catching their smells mixing on each others’ robes. The two of them wearing each others’ robes when Qingge visits their quarters.
Qingge tries hard not to react. He fails every time. Yue Shixiong has grown up to be tall and broad, with a handsomeness befitting his noble nature. Shen Qingqiu is lean and slender, sharp-featured and eye-catching, and Liu Qingge knows exactly how far his body can bend.
Liu Qingge fights off those memories every time they spar, until the day he pins Shen Qingqiu underneath him and realizes he’s shoved his hard cock against his shixiong’s back.
His mind goes blank.
Shen Qingqiu flips him over with ease, and straddles his waist, face flushed and pretty eyes flashing. Qingge would have recovered his senses, except that Shen Qingqiu, with his usual ruthlessness, throws the one bait Liu Qingge can never resist.
“I didn’t take you for a coward, Liu Qingge,” he says, grinding himself down where Qingge is hard and dripping.
Qingge watches Shen Jiu flex sinuously above him, and base fighting instinct takes over. He seizes his shidi by the hips, and ruts against him until they both reach completion.
Only as he’s lying there, spend cooling inside his soiled robes, does his brain catch up.
Guilt hits immediately. Liu Qingge has betrayed Yue Shixiong unforgivably – Yue Qingyuan, who deserves his loyalty in all things, both as his senior martial brother and as a friend.
“What’s that look for?” Shen Qingqiu says, still astride him.
Shen Qingqiu curses when Liu Qingge dumps him on the ground and flees, anxious to escape and unable to see beyond his crippling remorse.
Qingge takes the first mission that lets him leave the sect, and he doesn’t come back for months, accepting new missions by letter instead.
Eventually, the Bai Zhan peak lord gets fed up and comes to drag his disciple back to Cang Qiong by his ear. Liu Qingge trudges back to his room in the disciple quarters, opens the door, and freezes.
Shen Qingqiu, seated on his bed, smiles poisonously. “Liu Shidi. How nice to see you. Yue Shixiong expects us for dinner tonight.” He flicks an invitation out of his sleeve and stalks out gracefully past Liu Qingge.
Liu Qingge looks at the invitation like a rat-headed scorpion viper, but he doesn’t for a second consider refusing. After what he’s done, he owes it to Yue Qingyuan to have the courage to look him in the eye.
Dinner is strange. Qingge, who lacks the ability to discern a room’s mood, let alone read one, can’t figure out why Yue Qingyuan is acting so gracious when Shen Qingqiu is practically sitting in Qingge’s lap.
Yue Qinggyuan really is a noble soul, Liu Qingge reflects, to be so trusting of his partner even when Shen Qingqiu is openly disgracing him.
“Stay over tonight,” Yue Qingyuan invites him after dinner, placing a hand on Shen Qingqiu’s hip. “I have a spare bedroll for you; Xiao Jiu can share my mattress.”
Liu Qingge, who would’ve agreed to anything Yue Qingyuan wanted, accepts immediately, then spends the night agonizingly awake imagining what’s going on behind the silencing talismans on Yue Qingyuan’s door.
After sunrise, he goes out, collects their breakfast, and presents it to Yue Qingyuan like a shrine offering. At the scent of food, Shen Qingqiu comes stumbling out of the bedroom in the tender, loose-jointed way that means the two of them really did…
Liu Qingge’s ears go red.
While Shen Qingqiu watches with those sharp eyes, Yue Qingyuan rests a hand on Liu Qingge’s shoulder, unfailingly fond and earnest. “Liu Shidi, why don’t you spar with Xiao Jiu? You’re the only person I trust with Xiao Jiu, so whatever the two of you both like, I also like.”
Liu Qingge stares at him in confusion. Yue Qingyuan chuckles gently, fills Qingge’s hands with youtiao and gives him a push toward the door.
While Shen Qingqiu bolts down his own youtiao on the way to their usual forest clearing, Qingge gnaws his breakfast and puzzles through what just happened.
Shen Qingqiu makes an unsuccessful swipe at Liu Qingge’s unattended breakfast. “From that stupid look on your face, you still don’t get it.” Whatever Liu Qingge’s face does is answer enough, because he sniffs in disdain. “Yue Qingyuan sent us here so we can fuck if you want to.”
Qingge chokes on fried dough.
“Do you want to fuck?” Shen Qingqiu asks, as if that’s a normal question between martial brothers.
The sounds of the forest are loud in Liu Qingge’s ears. It’s far away from any public areas on Qiong Ding; there’s no risk of encountering other disciples or being overheard.
“Can we just fight?” he asks.
Shen Qingqiu, who never saw a dirty move he didn’t immediately adopt, answers with a wave of razor-sharp leaves, and the battle is on.
They leave their swords sheathed, fighting hand-to-hand – or in Shen Qingqiu’s case, hand-to-hand mixed with his usual cultivation tricks. Liu Qingge relaxes into the simple flex of muscles, the rush of blood, and Shen Qingqiu’s familiar, stubborn cunning.
The third time he pins a panting, squirming Shen Qingqiu, Liu Qingge realizes he’s hard.
Shen Qingqiu knows it too, and the satisfied triumph on his flushed face says enough.
So Liu Qingge, brain firmly set to ‘fight,’ kisses the self-satisfaction out of him. It’s clumsy, and half-biting, but Shen Qingqiu seems to like it well enough from the little noises he lets out while biting Liu Qingge back.
Liu Qingge licks blood from his split lip as he draws back to breathe. Everything feels hot.
“Either follow through,” hisses Shen Qingqiu, rocking up against him, “or let me up so Qi-ge can fuck me instead.”
“No.” Liu Qingge’s grip on Shen Qingqiu turns bruising – the instinct of a hunting dog with prey in his mouth.
Shen Qingqiu bares his teeth. “Then get on with it.”
They have Shen Qingqiu’s lower half uncovered with a little maneuvering, his outer robe shed to cushion the forest floor.
Liu Qingge hooks his arms under Shen Qingqiu’s knees and lifts him up to bare him, mind going blank as he sees the plug fitting snugly in his shixiong’s hole.
“Qi-ge got me ready for you this morning,” Shen Qingqiu says, propping himself up on his elbows. “He wants his virginal Liu Shidi to enjoy himself without worrying.”
Liu Qingge makes a gutted noise and frees one hand so he can fumble his cock free of his robes. The whole time, Shen Qingqiu’s free leg strokes against the small of his back like a self-satisfied cat.
Qingge squeezes himself, and reminds himself sternly he can’t disappoint Yue Shixiong’s kindness or Shen Qingqiu’s need.
The plug slides out of Shen Qingqiu with a gush of oil and come, warm on Qingge’s fingertips like Yue Qingyuan had just slipped out of Shen Qingqiu. Liu Qingge groans like a beast and sinks his fingers into Shen Qingqiu’s sleek, hot hole, watching more of Yue Qingyuan leak out of him.
Shen Jiu makes a high, desperate noise. “Qi-ge gave me his virginity just like this. Go on, Qingge.”
Liu Qingge’s brain goes empty; he bends Shen Qingqiu in half, and thrusts inside.
All his senses white out in pleasure. For one perfect moment, squeezed by Shen Qingqiu’s sloppy hole filled with Yue Qingyuan, Liu Qingge feels perfect bliss.
Then he comes.
Shen Qingqiu is petting his head like a dog when his senses return to him. Qingge expects his partner to be spitting mad, but instead he's unbelievably smug. “Qi-ge did the same thing,” Shen Qingqiu informs him, drawing Liu Qingge back into his body and clenching down around him.
Liu Qingge whines.
Shen Qingqiu's answering smile is a sharp, half-feral thing. “You’re both physical cultivators. Let me show you a few techniques to take advantage of that...”
By the time they’re really, truly finished, the sun is halfway to midday and someone is walking toward them through the forest.
Liu Qingge tenses when sees Yue Qingyuan, but his shixiong only smiles and bends down to kiss Liu Qingge’s forehead, before kissing Shen Qingqiu’s cheek. “I’ve got clean robes for you both. Did you have a good time?”
Shen Qingqiu stretches luxuriously. “Liu Shidi has always been skilled with a sword. He was very willing to work on improving his technique.”
“That’s good,” Yue Qingyuan says. “Were you also pleased, Liu Shidi?”
Qingge swallows past his dry mouth. “I treasure Shen Shixiong. Thank you, Yue Shixiong.”
Yue Qingyuan smiles. “Anything for my beloved shidis.”