Chapter Text
"Liu-shidi."
Liu Qingge froze. Of course Shizun asked Yue Qingyuan to escort him out of closed cultivation. Of course he did.
Liu Qingge shook off his hesitation and braced himself. He slowly left his stone meditation chamber and approached Yue Qingyuan, who was standing in the open, stone-paved courtyard in front of the largest waterfall. Might as well get it over with.
"I already know he's okay," Liu Qingge began.
"And you won't do it again."
"I didn't mean to do it the first time," Liu Qingge said, frustrated.
Yue Qingyuan nodded, unsurprised. "Did the meditation help?"
"Maybe. I'll talk to Shizun."
"Ah."
"I think he's going to have me teaching the youngest disciples."
"That would teach anyone patience." Yue Qingyuan indicated that he should follow with a tilt of his head, and they began the ascent from the water-carved valley at the foot of Ku Xing.
They parted on the Rainbow Bridge, with mutual promises to catch up later. Liu Qingge needed to report to his teacher.
On the rest of his walk back to Bai Zhan, Liu Qingge reflected. If Shen Qingqiu had been seriously hurt--he would have lost Yue Qingyuan's friendship. Permanently. Perhaps not as admirable a concern as worry over harming another Cang Qiong disciple. But more personal. He felt a new conviction behind his cultivation, as if something had clicked into place.
*
When Liu Qingge returned, Feng Anhu was busy refereeing a private dispute between two senior hallmasters. Liu Qingge was dismissed from the private practice area where they were dueling, and he diverted to the seniors' training building to wait. There, he found Nie Zhuang, sparring with one of the outer sect disciples who would soon leave the sect to test for an imperial officer's commission. Liu Qingge watched the end of the sparring session, frowning. He waited while they exchanged courtesies. Nie Zhuang turned to greet him as the outer sect disciple left.
"Welcome back! Have you seen Shizun yet?" Nie Zhuang asked.
"He's busy. Should you be sparring so early, with that arm?"
Nie Zhuang shrugged that shoulder; the arm was still in a wood and leather bracer, albeit a lighter one. "Oh, that didn't even leave a scar. No, I wrenched the elbow. Shizun says I'm favoring that arm too much."
"Explains why you keep getting hurt. That's why you're wearing the brace?"
"Yeah, it was just last week. Up for exchanging pointers?" He bounced on his toes.
"You're literally wearing a brace," Liu Qingge said flatly. "You know how slow joints are to heal."
Nie Zhuang rolled his eyes. "I'm fine." Liu Qingge folded his arms. "No, really, I'm fine, biaodi," he said more seriously. "I'm just trying not to use the arm."
Liu Qingge refused to be hustled into a spar, and Nie Zhuang refused to relent; the impasse was broken by a summons from Feng Anhu.
Liu Qingge straightened and squared his shoulders. Nie Zhuang gave him a friendly smack on the shoulder. "It probably won't be that bad."
"I'll distract him, tell him you were sparring on your bad arm."
"Treachery! I am betrayed! And he would never fall for that; he can track multiple targets at once."