Chapter Text
In a ditch of an unnamed town, a child covered by a torn blanket stirred. The angry red flush from before faded to a healthy one. Ragged breathing steadied and Yue Qi woke up sluggish.
Images flashed through his mind, giving him a tremendous headache. He figured out what they were. It was a lifetime of memories. Memories of him being Yue Qingyuan; a Sect Leader who met a gruesome end at the hands of an undefeatable enemy. After spending some time sorting through them he began freaking out when he noticed something.
Rather a lack of someone
Where was Xiao Jiu?!
He looked around for those familiar eyes. Eyes that were so bright and beautiful even marred with hate. (Xiao Jiu was always glaring, poisonous like a viper.) He could not find him, no matter how desperately he looked. Not in the group of nearby street children, not in the back alleys, and not even in those dreaded cages.
How was he supposed to save Xiao Jiu if he wasn’t around?
Time passed by quickly. A second chance and Yue Qi was already failing. It didn’t matter, the same things happened as they did in his memories. The Qiu family purchasing and entire cage worth of slaves. All the same, until he met the young miss again.
Qiu Haitang’s glare was nothing compared to Xiao Jiu’s, but it did confirm to him that he was not the only one with memories. She didn’t look impressed seeing him, even huffed and ignored Yue Qi all while attaching herself to her brother. He swallowed down his unease, remembering how much Xiao Jiu hated their master. He definitely was cowardly enough to keep his head down until he could escape.
A couple years past and like before, since the young miss deemed him unimportant, he was able to escape. Thankfully, this time no Xiao Jiu left at the mercy of Qiu Jianluo.
He headed to Cang Qiong with bated breath.
Xiao Jiu was definitely there because Qi-ge was always one step too late. It didn’t matter.
Yue Qi would see Xiao Jiu’s signature cold face in his memories finally becoming a reality. He was at their home waiting for Qi-ge.
In the Qiu Manor, years ago the young miss celebrated her birthday bedridden with a fever. Qiu Haitang opened her eyes the next morning with anger and insanity at her heels. She hurriedly sat up, making sense of those wretched memories.
Shen Jiu. She thought viciously. That vile man was going to be brought home today. Her dear honorable brother bought him because of his close age to her. Brother was too kind even to the slaves. She would never let her precious family get their undeserved ending.
Arriving at the entrance, uncaring of either her state of dress or her maids she kept her eyes alert for her brother.
“Tang’er.” The sweet voice of her brother broke her crazed haze. The man was right in front of her, one hand holding the reins of his favorite mare. He peered at her in confusion, but said nothing else as a cloak draped itself over her shaking shoulders.
No, she has to outsmart Shen Jiu. Calming down she smiled up at her brother, willing her tears away from years of practice in A’Luo’s harem. “Gege, are these the new servants? Can Tang’er have one?” If Shen Jiu dies suspiciously under the care of her loyal maids no one will even care about his death. Yes, that was a good plan. Keep the snake close then chop off it’s head before it could bite her or her family.
Her question was met with questioning eyes from her brother, but he allowed it as he folded under her soft crystal clear eyes. “Go ahead, maybe one can serve you directly.”
Looking over the new servants she noted how some looked young and thin. With a keen eye she looked at each person, looking for those cruel eyes. There was one that looked a bit familiar, but no there was no Shen Jiu.
She smiled at this outcome. No Shen Jiu, then her honorable father and brother may be able to grow old. Maybe when A’Luo takes over, they’ll let her marry him. Giggling in happiness she randomly picked a female servant and continued on.
Her blissful life was filled with no threats of death looming over her dear family. Sure her heart ached for her A’Jiu. He was witty and adorable at their age. Too bad Shen Jiu became vile scum; her thoughts turned to how the man even hurt her dear husband.
One day her brother summoned her alongside a newly released servant, Jun Shi, if she recalls. “Brother, what do you mean by marriage?”
Qiu Haitang was confused, didn’t her brother betrothed her to A’Jiu because they loved each other. Why was her brother trying to marry her off? Her anger became pronounced but Qiu Jianluo’s temper terrified her. Why because never once did her dear brother get angry with her?
“Now is not the time to be a child,” Qiu Jianluo scoffed at her tears, but gently rubbed her cheeks. “Come now Tang’er, this is what father and brother want to do for you. Won’t you be obedient hmm.”
Her cheeks were rubbed and her brother drew her into a long hug. “Trust us Tang’er.”
Swallowing her tears she nodded, after all Qiu Haitang trusted her family the most. Since both her father and brother wanted this, who was she to argue with? Humming, she began to do preparations when a conversation between her brother and father made her world collapse in a single night.
It was the same night of the fire in the past, she was assured that nothing would happen that day. Shen Jiu wasn’t in her life anymore. She arrived home earlier due to the seamstress forgetting the new embroidery patterns, which she had to pick up tomorrow.
Walking up to her bedroom, she passed the slightly opened door of her brother’s study. She was about to enter when she heard her honorable father talking.
“How dare you betrothed our Tang’er to a filthy slave!”
Qiu Haitang froze unseen, didn’t her brother say that her father also pushed for the engagement. She stayed silent and out of sight, wanting to know what was going on. Peering in slightly she noted there were some glasses of wine on the desk that separated her brother and father.
“Isn’t it obvious father,” Qiu Jianluo spoke in such a cold and arrogant tone that it scared Qiu Haitang. Her brother never spoke like that before, what changed? “That way Tang’er can never leave us.”
The statement froze her to her bones as her dear brother elaborated how they would kill Jun Shi in their marriage caravan. Then described how both of them would complete the wedding ceremony with their beautiful Tang’er. The lustful look on both of their faces caused her to back up away from the door.
Finally, in the safety of her room she slid down the locked door and erupted into tears.
No, there was no way. Her father and brother were honorable and righteous people. It was Shen Jiu that poisoned their family. That man was the vile one. She continued to bawl silently not wanting to be disturbed, or worse face her brother or father.
Thinking about the past things suddenly started to piece together. Shen Jiu was a slave, her personal servant, so why was her brother asking her for him? Shen Jiu was always obedient and went to serve her brother. Sometimes he would come back trying to walk on a slight limp. Her brother always waved away her concerns, saying Shen Jiu was clumsy and that he bumps into things.
That wasn’t true, whenever Shen Jiu was with her he was careful and meticulous. Taking better care of her than even her personal maids sometimes.
Her eyes widened as the image of the night of the fire. Shen Jiu was summoned by her brother, there was something in his eyes that Shen Qingqiu never showed. Not when she accused him of his crimes. Not when she gleefully watched his life unravel bit by bit. Not when the disgraced peak lord was nothing but a human torso.
Fear , there was raw fear in her A’Jiu’s eyes. She was about to console him that night but her brother’s guard insisted. A few hours later the flames blared to life. Her brother, father, and all the men were killed. No women or children were harmed and Qiu Haitang escaped unscathed .
After that horrible night, one of the old maids took her to her mother’s sect. To recuperate and learn, if not cultivation but to live for herself. One of the monks, a friend of her mother, went over to the remains and came back with a grim look on his face. Everything was burned down, but there was evidence that someone experienced a severe qi deviation.
She never acknowledged what the monk said then, consumed in getting revenge against Shen Jiu.
Did A’Jiu know about that plan between her brother and father? He was always so hesitant ever since he was to be her husband. She thought he was shy about being together.
‘An old maid commented that we looked similar,’ the thought passed her mind as she continued to look deeper. That was true, there were physical similarities that she always blurred out. That thought made everything all the more horrifying.
A’Jiu saved her from facing her lustful and disgusting family and she repaid him by tethering him to a second hellhole.
Silent screams and tears wrecked her body for an unknown amount of time. She wanted A’Jiu back. Now it was clear A’Jiu was the only one that cared about her and he wasn’t here anymore.
As dawn broke she changed into simple robes, gathered some trinkets from her late mother and silently left the household. Hitching a ride from a nice traveling farmer she contemplated.
If she had memories of her past, then A’Jiu should have his as well. Resolve hardened her heart, she lived without her family before she could do it again.
This time she would walk her own path on her own, become stronger and maybe then find her A’Jiu. They would talk again like they used to and become the family to each other that they were always meant to be.
This she silently promised as she gazed at the sun of a new day.
Liu Qingge, born Liu Zhiqiang, was born screaming his small lungs out. According to his mother that is.
Young master Liu was found to be a prodigy in learning the art of battle. He was crawling around, getting into small baby arguments with his cousins, and walking near his first birthday. He shocked his mother to a near heart attack when the young master nearly fell into the lake by wandering away without anyone noticing.
By the time he was seven, he was swinging a wooden sword around with a comfortable hand while etching his own little place in the household’s training grounds. He was bashing training dummies left and right. Father Liu ended up banning his son for a week because all of them needed replacing.
Mother Liu was worried. Her brash son was passing his childhood with strict training that no child should undergo. In response she encouraged him to pick up other habits and take a break once and awhile. She was about to brace herself for an argument, but surprisingly her little boy agreed . He took time learning and playing weiqi with his uncle, playing with his cousins, and even staying near her when she was in the library content to simply sit still.
By the time young master Liu was ten, his meimei Liu Mingyan was born. The girl’s lungs matched his own and even then he loved her all the same. Her hugs were very constricting though.
That evening Liu Zhiqiang stared at the guqin that one of his female cousins was playing. A showcase for his birthday since his mother insisted. The song tugged something familiar deep in his mind. That night he broke into a fevered state and it was at that time he was able to piece together the weird images in his head as memories.
Apparently in his past life he was a revered War God of Bai Zhan Peak of the Cang Qiong Sect. Strong and unbeatable he would always look around for some challenge. After being named Liu Qingge by his shizun, everything was starting to dull. There was nothing exciting, every little thing was boring.
The only form of entertainment for him was Shen Qingqiu, then Shen Jiu when they were head disciples.
Everytime they collided with one another it was followed with anger, judgment, and high pride. Insults would fly back and forth as if they were day to day conversations. The elegant Shen Jiu always seemed to come undone at the seams everytime. It was lively and embolding and he never felt more alive.
Then their final clash came in the spirit caves when they were both peak lords for almost a few decades. He admittedly pushed too far towards his breakthrough that his qi unbalanced and he fell into a qi deviation. Mindless and clouded judgment he tore at the walls as if they were going to become demons themselves. This went on when of all people, Shen Qingqiu showed up bristling like a cat and stopped short in surprise.
Even with their faults and their antagonistic relationship, Shen Qingqiu snapped himself out of his shock and tried to help.
Keyword tried.
Shen Qingqiu was notorious for having qi deviations from every other breakthrough, sometimes randomly when he pushed too far. Coupled with a low cultivation level and as a spiritual cultivator, he fell into a qi deviation himself.
There were now two peak lords crashing mindlessly in the spirit caves and for a while, Liu Qingge was the sane one. He was able to slam a hand onto Shen Qingqiu’s chest with pure yang energy balancing his disturbed yin. Due to the close proximity he was unable to dodge Xiu Ya, already in motion.
Liu Qingge died, but his spirit was obstinate in staying at least for a little while. To his everlasting shock he saw Shen Qingqiu finally break his ice cold mask. Tears fell onto his dead body as the man tried so hard to revive him. The grief he saw before that cold, and angry, mask went up was forever ingrained into his mind.
His death seemed to mark a snowball chain of events that would be the beginning of the end of Shen Qingqiu .
When his shixiong appeared with his dead body out of the caves he refused to answer any questioning. Liu Qingge saw deep in his eyes that he was reeling in loss and grief over him. The following peak lord meeting caused the same thing. (Survivor’s guilt his mind supplied as he floated closer to the other)
Unsaid accusations and Shen Qingqiu refusing to answer any questions, a large chasm opened up between the man and their martial siblings. It was there before but never this large and never this unbreachable as Shen Qingqiu reverted back to his stone cold walls. More unbreachable than ever. Shen Qingqiu stared at them all, blank and near lifeless. Liu Qingge could see that the bridge of the so-called family break and shatter.
Even Zhangmen-shixiong was starting to doubt his favorite shidi.
What was wrong with all of them? Liu Qingge was spewing insults and remarks at his martial siblings who seemed to decide at that point that their family did not include Shen Qingqiu.
Liu Qingge was so livid. He turned away and followed his shixiong back to Qing Jing. He was terrified of their reactions to be honest. If Shen Qingqiu was the one that died. Would they grieve him or throw him away like they’ve done right now. Liu Qingge never wanted to find out the answer.
Qing Jing peak was the most peaceful of all the peaks and this was a rare opportunity to see how Shen Qingqiu taught since the man was determined to keep his disciples away from prying eyes.
As suspected he was more gentle on his female disciples. Teaching them with gentle proddings and corrections while also being indulgent, especially on the youngest female Ning Yingying. Liu Qingge recalled all the rumors of Shen Qingqiu being a pervert that preyed on his female students.
He didn’t see that.
Shen Qingqiu doted on them, but more akin to a father figure that was guiding them and preparing them for the harshness of life when they grow and leave the peak.
If that rumor was just that, then what else was wrong?
His male disciples on the other hand retained a harsher and colder hand. He was relentless in pushing all of them to their limits. Liu Qingge observed that he did his teaching this way simply because most of them refused to push themselves out of a spoiled mindset. A number of them were from high standing families that were very spoiled. It was no wonder Shen Qingqiu needed to be brash to even get them to study.
Shen Qingqiu was especially hard on his newest student Luo Binghe.
The man looked confused. It was faint in his eyes but it was there since Liu Qingge watched him closely. (Liu Qingge was also confused on why Luo Binghe was so far behind, the disciple should at the very least remember all his basic forms.)
Shen Qingqiu ended the lesson and returned to his home after he dismissed his disciples. Liu Qingge stayed behind, curious to how Qing Jing disciples behaved compared to Bai Zhan. All the female disciples, Ning Yingying especially, were doting on Luo Binghe and encouraging his exhausted figure that he would do better next lesson.
When they left however the male disciples automatically pushed the boy to do a large list of chores and other meaningless tasks. One male, if he recalled was named as Shen Qingqiu’s head disciple, was very keen on putting Luo Binghe down. The males were pushing and bullying the boy. If this was before he saw the raw emotion on Shen Qingqiu’s face, he would’ve automatically assumed that the man knew and encouraged it.
Now though, when Shen Qingqiu arrived later that evening to talk with his head disciple, all the others were behaving in front, but glaring at Luo Binghe to submission behind his back. Shen Qingqiu was unaware that his youngest disciple was being bullied.
The boy’s manual was complete garbage as well, from what Liu Qingge continued to see. He watched the boy practice deep in the night and read parts of it where he left it open. It was missing crucial pieces of information and if this continued Luo Binghe’s spirit veins were going to be damaged.
Liu Qingge was certainly more confused.
Shen Qingqiu always took pride in his knowledge. He was meticulous when pursuing research areas that interested and piqued his curiosity. There was no way that an incomplete manual would even be on the peak. The man would’ve coughed up blood if he knew that. Unfortunately, Luo Binghe seemed to believe that Shen Qingqiu did know what was happening and refused to even speak up and ask about his manual.
Then the immortal conference happened and in the middle of chaos Luo Binghe was revealed to be a demon. Rather half, with demon blood descending from a heavenly demon it seemed. (If Liu Qingge was alive he would have run the brat straight through with Cheng Luan and hurled off his head for good measure.)
Unfortunately, Shen Qingqiu was protective of all his students, half demon included it seemed. He stabbed the brat with Xiu Ya barely grazing the heart and tossed him into the Endless Abyss. He should’ve actually stabbed the other and be done with it. Liu Qingge thought as he watched the halfling fall. The Endless Abyss was well known as a long tunnel that granted entrance to the western territories of the demon realm alongside being a rite of passage for demons.
It seemed miscommunication followed Shen Qingqiu as his damned unfilial disciple popped back up five years later calling for the man’s head in revenge.
Shen Qingqiu was apprehended and charges upon charges were piled onto him. Almost all of them Liu Qingge could have concluded as nonsense , though he wasn’t particularly sure about the murder charges of the Qiu family. Looking at the deep pain hidden in Shen Qingqiu’s eyes said there was a story there that the man refused to voice as the entire cultivation world called for his head.
None of Cang Qiong stood up to try and save him, much to Liu Qingge’s anger and disappointment. The Qing Jing disciples were placed in isolation due to their apparent “skewed image” of their shizun. His own murder charge being placed on Shen Qingqiu by his own sister drew hysterical laughter from him as he looked at the misplaced scorn on his dear meimei’s face. He couldn’t outright blame her, but he thought at least Qi Qingqi taught her better.
Nevermind , Qi Qingqi hated Shen Qingqiu before and now it was outright hostility.
Shen Qingqiu finally died, after years of subjected torture and humiliation that caused Liu Qingge to turn around and give his shixiong some semblance of humility.
Xuan Su was broken, and it’s shards were carelessly scattered in the water prison as the brat of a demon lord goaded the man. When he left, Liu Qingge once again witnessed defeat and tears gathering in Shen Qingqiu’s lone eye. It was finally over when Shen Qingqiu swallowed the shards one by one and passed away, cold and alone.
Luo Binghe . He snarled as he sat next to his deceased shixiong. He never thought he could match Shen Jiu’s hate.
The brat took his power and razed Cang Qiong to the ground, murdering hundreds if not thousands of innocent disciples. The demon proceeded to cut apart his martial siblings as if they were grass. He took his meimei as a wife, taking advantage of her vulnerability after his death.
Liu Qingge absolutely hated Luo Binghe for the humiliation and torture he subjected to his shixiong to. Sure, Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu were never friends when he was alive. The two of them argued like cats and dogs and fought against one another in the same manner.
Shen Qingqiu made Liu Qingge feel more than being a War God.
Shen Jiu always reminded Liu Qingge how to feel like a normal human.
Liu Qingge’s spirit finally passed away with heavy regret in his heart and was reborn with that knowledge.
“A’Qiang.” His mother’s voice broke him out of all his tumultuous past memories. His fever apparently went away in the morning. Liu Zhiqiang slept in worrying his parents.
A strong hand pressed itself onto his forehead. “Are you feeling alright son.”
Waving off his mother and father he headed back to the training grounds. Soon, he would go to Cang Qiong and see Shen Jiu again.
He paused his sword practice as he thought a bit. If he had his memories then it was likely that Shen Jiu would have his as well. This means the crafty Shen Jiu would probably never go to Cang Qiong, only pain awaited him there.
No matter, Liu Zhiqiang shook off that thought. He’ll rise up again as Liu Qingge, stronger and better than the past one. Then he’ll find his shixiong and they would talk and argue again, and hopefully in this lifetime Shen Jiu would permit someone to help and stand by him.
Liu Qingge swore as he swung his sword, this time he’ll help Shen Jiu and be the friend that he always silently called out for.
Blistering cold that burned woke Shen Jiu up, confused and blinking in a stupor in his surroundings. He wasn’t in the cursed water prison anymore, but a familiar ditch.
Turning his head this way and that he noticed a familiar huddled figure. Cheeks and forehead red from whatever fever plagued the other child didn’t detract his identity from Shen Jiu. Yue Qi was huddled under a blanket with a high fever.
That didn’t happen before. Shen Jiu was more confused as different images flew through his head. That’s right, he died after swallowing the shards of Xuan Su when that demon beast left. He undid his bindings and allowed all the pain to etch itself onto him as he died.
Yue Qi was a fool, a fool Shen Jiu wasn’t going to bring down to his level again. Yue Qingyuan deserved to become the beloved cultivator that he was meant to be.
Turning away, after making sure Yue Qi would survive his fever, he sneakily left the ditch. Using knowledge from his past, he was able to leave unseen with a pair of traveling merchants.
Shen Jiu looked up at the moon, it was full and bright, painting the surrounding forest in a beautiful light. Shen Qingqiu seemed to be cursed to alway bring down those around him, Shen Jiu poisoned them.
Qiu Haitang, his other martial siblings, his disciples. Liu Qingge.
Yue Qi.
Luo Binghe.
Taking a deep breath he mesmerized himself with the moon. It was always changing phases, even a little bit each day. Perhaps this time with the knowledge that he had, he could change things without having to interact with them.
Life would have been better without Shen Jiu there. His pragmatic mind thought plans upon plans. He was once Cang Qiong’s tactician, he could do this. This way no one would die needlessly, they would live better away from Shen Jiu.
The mountain was peaceful, a near replica to what Qing Jing peak once was before the beast razed it to ashes. Shen Jiu was settled in a new bamboo house surrounded by the tranquil air, plucking random notes on his guqin.
A few years in seclusion he started to pick up cultivation once more. Since his veins were no longer damaged, he was able to form a golden core and even progress to a higher level. He felt free and for once in some form of peace with himself.
Not all the time.
There were days where his mind trapped him, whispering insidious thoughts and breaking him into a paralytic state. There were days where he couldn’t move, his arms heavy and legs stagnant. There were days where screams of murder echoed in his ear and Luo Binghe’s taunting whispers echoed.
Other days he’d remember the calming winds of Qing Jing as he sat with his shizun listening to him play a new composition. Other days where he and Liu Qingge would argue and while he’d become high strung, but felt invigorated. Other days he’d sit near the Quiet pool and bask in how far he climbed to get to that point.
Bad days and good days Shen Jiu persevered through it, determined in this life to live free.