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To outsiders, Cang Qiong techniques looked more or less the same. To an extent, they were supposed to. Unlike Huan Hua which touted how many techniques it kept under a single ruler, the 12 peak lords did their best to make Cang Qiong seem like a single unit that simply had a few minor specialties.
To those from Cang Qiong, it was blatantly obvious that the technique blazing in the sky above Luo Binghe was specific to Qing Jing Peak. Not only that… but the complexity and magnitude of it… there was only one person on Qing Jing Peak who held this level of mastery over the spiritual arrays.
Shizun…
It was too much. Even if Shen Qingqiu had secluded himself for the full three years that Binghe was away… this was too much. Maybe… maybe if his cultivation hadn’t been crippled by saving Binghe all those years ago. Crippled for no reason, since Binghe was a Heavenly Demon, since Binghe was immune to Without-A-Cure.
The array was nearly blinding as it swept down, the dancing lights after it as much a real barrier as an after image burned into the eyes. Whatever Shizun was fighting wouldn’t be able to escape the array now that it had connected heaven and earth.
Binghe winced at the bell toll of power, the echo of it rattling the earth under him and making his bones ache with aftershocks. It wasn’t even done either… Binghe kneeling as an arm came up to cover his eyes.
Even staring at the ground the second phase was almost blinding, burning away any taint of whatever it was Shizun had locked onto.
The dark and quiet that swept in afterwards seemed… wrong. Not that Binghe blamed every being for being silent and still. It was rare that something was strong enough to warrant the direct and powerful attention of a Cang Qiong Peak Lord. It was a reminder of the fact that Luo Binghe needed to continue improving himself, that he still had a ways to go before he could appear before Shizun again. Before he would be capable of forcing his Shizun to acknowledge him.
Binghe eyes widened as a flare went up, whistling its way above the trees. An unsteady, wavering thing that got only as high as a disciple’s would have. The explosion was Cang Qiong’s symbol. To an outsider it would appear as a claim of the kill, as a way to mark that the mission was complete.
The disciple of Qing Jing Peak was running before he could even think about it. He only stopped for a brief moment, just long enough to send up his own answering flare, letting Shizun know that someone from the peak was coming to get him.
***
The entire field was burned, although Shizun hadn’t gotten all of the cheery red flowers. Little patches of them still danced and giggled under the cover of the trees.
“Someone new!”
“So strong… so handsome…”
“So much better than that unreasonable man…”
Binghe let his feet draw to a stop as the whispers rolled over him.
“What is it you like, hm? We can become anything… anyone…”
“A peerless beauty? An emperor’s consort?”
He couldn’t help the slight smile. Here, in front of these things, he didn’t need to make it soft and welcoming. He didn’t need to bother hiding his fangs. The foolish little flowers chittered and cheered as he let his spiritual energy start to leak out around him.
Land of the Tender.
If it was just about anyone else, they would have been a fool to burn the field. It was effective enough, especially on the bodies the flowers produced, fingers already starting to wiggle up at the edge of Binghe’s vision. When burned however the flowers released poison into the air.
Only Shizun would have thought to include the exact components to counter it in the array, rendering the poison inert to cultivators though it lingered along the ground in wisps. Not that it mattered to Binghe, his hand reaching back.
He would have to remember to wipe down Xin Mo later, when he finished dispatching the giggling little flowers who had no doubt tried to trap and hurt his Shizun. He would hate to have it affect the precious man who had called him here. He’d also need to be careful not to get any of the sap on him, just in case Shizun needed to be held close, in case he… in case he was still affected by the flowers.
“Oh… another one that we can’t affect with these bodies?”
“I know! How about something like this?”
“Sister, sister, good idea!”
“Of course it is, didn’t you see how he came running?”
Binghe smiled at the figure that was emerging from the soil, Xin Mo purring in his hand. “You shouldn’t have done that.” His qi flared around him, the sword glare off of Xin Mo easily scything down an entire section. “You shouldn’t have even tried to give me an imitation, when the real one is so close. When you hurt the real one.”
***
Binghe had been careful. Still, just to be safe he stripped out of the outer robe before he stepped onto Xin Mo. He didn’t want to disturb Shizun’s now collapsed ward after all, and he definitely didn’t want to accidentally get any of the Land of the Tender sap or poison on the walls of the narrow wellshaft.
He’d missed it in his initial sweep. The cover had long since rotted away and even the stones marking the lip of the well had partially collapsed.
It was clearly Shizun’s array work on the rock though.
The shaft quickly opened to a cavern that was still partially filled with water though not quite enough to wash away the scent of Shizun’s blood.
Binghe landed lightly in the shallow water, casting around the cavern that seemed to have several holes in it and which was gleaming faintly with spiritual energy. A glance down proved the source, the water seeping through his pants rife with it and some sort of soft grasslike moss glowing at the edges. Enough that he could see somewhat, could believe that Shen Qingqiu with his more developed cultivation could pick his way through the gloom.
“Shizun?” The call echoed back slightly, but the shifting of pebbles was clear.
Binghe turned, and felt any number of emotions burn through him.
There, leaning against one of the pillars of stone was Shizun. Shizun, who was soaking wet, his outer robes stripped away and the two layers of inner robes slicked to his body. Not quite enough to be transparent but enough to hint.
If there weren't spots of blood on the ghostly white cloth Binghe might have lost his mind to lust. As it was, he was more tempted to go find a shovel and dig up every single trace of the flowers that had hurt this man, that had put the feverish gleam in his eye.
Binghe had to tell himself to keep his ground. That it wasn’t Shen Qingqiu’s fault that he couldn’t seem to focus on Binghe right this moment. He wasn’t choosing to frown at Binghe in confusion.
Binghe took a careful step forward. “Shizun…” Shizun needed him. Shizun was hurt, and weak, and suffering but it would be okay, if he would just let Binghe take care of him.
Recognition flooded through Shen Qingqiu’s eyes, his face. Then… rage. “How dare you.”
Binghe had been bracing himself. He’d been bracing himself for this reunion since he could think through the pain of falling. He’d known he would go back to Shen Qingqiu. He had expected to be rejected with the same cold distance or to be harshly sent away.
He still wasn’t ready for the way his heart seemed to shatter a little bit. “Shizun please…” Even like this… even when Binghe could cure him, he was that furious?
“How dare you steal his face!” Shen Qingqiu’s hand snapped out and Binghe dodged on instinct.
Xiu Ya whistled through the space he had been moments before, close enough he could feel the wind of the passing blade though he couldn’t actually see more than a streak of light. Binghe barely got his feet under him, drawing Xin Mo in a rush to counter the blade striking again. Shen Qingqiu was there a moment later, lashing out with his palm before turning in a truly beautiful move to take hold of the sword and strike again. The only reason Binghe managed to meet it was because of how the Shen Qingqiu’s qi sputtered, sparking and bordering on useless. Even without his qi, Shen Qingqiu could bring enough physical power to bear that Binghe could feel it ringing in his arms.
“You useless, lying, deceiving flower!” They locked blades, Binghe trying to pull on the water under him except… Shizun was already channeling it. “You think I’d fall for that? You think I’d ever believe Binghe would call for me like that again!”
Oh… Shen Qingqiu didn’t realize it was him. He thought… he thought…
If Binghe wasn’t so focused on keeping the love of his life from killing him, he was sure he’d find some way to express the pure joy that surged through him. Shen Qingqiu at the very least wanted Binghe. He found him attractive enough to believe that the Land of Tender would take on his appearance to lure Shen Qingqiu in.
Now how did he stop the fight so he could make Shizun believe it really was him? Currently, Shizun was in a rage, supported by his own recovering cultivation and the waters around them, and no doubt well into the manic portion of the Land of Tender’s poison. It was also becoming increasingly clear to Binghe that… Shiuzn had never been trying to kill him before.
Shen Qingqiu had never used close to his actual strength on Binghe. Not even when he shoved him into hell. Oh, Binghe might win now in sheer brute strength but that had ever been a weak point for Shen Qingqiu. A weak point that was countered by just how precise his Shizun was, even like this. Every strike of the blade was exactly where Shen Qingqiu wanted it, using the length of Xin Mo against Binghe. The way he moved was the same, not as clean as it usually was but he seemed to know that, was moving so that he dodged by the breath of fingers rather than hairs to account for his current state.
If Shen Qingqiu had truly wanted to cast him away, he would have only needed a single sword glare to do it, a single wave of his hand or his fan that even now sent Binghe crashing into stone hard enough to crack it. If he had wanted to stab Binghe in the heart, he would have. He had been holding back, had kept the wound from being lethal with the exact same precision.
Binghe flipped himself over the latest stone Shen Qingqiu had sent him flying into, already braced for the blast of wind. He needed to stop this fight.
How? He really didn’t want to play dirty, especially since it might hurt Shizun but if he let things continue… Already he could feel the strain on his healing abilities every time he moved, the bruises actually being given faster than he could heal them. It was only a matter of time before it was more than bruises and if he was injured in a way that slowed him down or weakened his guard at all…
Binghe dodged to the side of Xiu Ya, snapping out his hand to grab hold of the sword.
Just as the last time, it hurt as the sword cut through him, his blood running down the blade. Binghe had rather thought that would be all he would get, his other hand already casting the containment array.
When Shen Qingqiu faltered, staring wide eyed at the deep red, it was over. The array brought the man to his knees, Xiu Ya splashing into the water.
Binghe moved before the peak lord could recover. He wasn’t 100% sure this would work as a cure, but it was recorded doing as such for a lot of other poisons so at the very least it was worth a try. Plus… there were other advantages to having his blood in Shen Qingqiu.
The man didn’t even fight it when Binghe tackled him, shoving his bleeding hand against the slightly parted lips.
Heal him. Heal him!
The mites responded at the very least, Shen Qingqiu thrashing under him. Binghe grit his teeth, adjusting his hold so that nothing sensitive on either of them would be in danger.
He knew the moment the poison started to clear. The feverish gleam retreated, Shen Qingqiu staring at Binghe with increasingly horrified eyes.
Carefully, Binghe removed his long since healed hand. Cupping the man’s face, he bent so their foreheads touched. “Shizun… Shizun is back.”
Shen Qingqiu gave a curious sound that Binghe chose to interpret as a half sob. Which of course it would be. He was shivering as well, the mites reporting back massive amounts of damage. Immediately Binghe was sitting up, shucking layers of cloth until they matched.
“Binghe!-”
He hauled Shen Qingqiu up, pressing them chest to chest. “Sh, Shizun.” A hand wove into the soaking hair, pressing Shen Qingqiu’s head into his shoulder. Spreading his hands across Shizun’s back, he poured his qi into the other. “It’s okay, Shizun. It’s okay. This disciple is here. He knows that it wasn’t Shizun’s fault.”
Normally his energy ran cooler but like this… with his love pressed against him he could feel his blood starting to heat up. Now he could focus on that… could let himself feel the man pressed against him and the hands lightly clasp around shoulders.
“This disciple is real. He’s not one of those flowers. He’s not deceiving Shizun.” Not anymore. Not… ah… he should stay true to his words. Drawing in a bit of a breath, he let the human disguise start to melt away. That would increase his body temperature too, make it nicer for Shen Qingqiu to lean against him.
“How?” It was soft, trembling, but right against his neck. “How is Binghe…”
“This one escaped, Shizun. He grew strong enough, in control enough that he could come back, he could prove himself to Shizun, and when he saw Shizun’s array… saw the distress signal after…”
Shen Qingqiu was still trembling, limp in his hold which was worrying. Drawing back, Binghe set his hands on the man’s cheeks. Not that Shizun was looking at him, his eyes darting everywhere else.
That was… Binghe forced himself to be fine with that. His proud Shizun hated to appear ruffled. “Shizun, please look at this one.”
It wasn’t what he meant to say. After a moment of closing his eyes though, Shen Qingqiu swallowed, and then met his gaze.
Binghe had been terrified to meet those eyes again and see the blankness from when he was shoved away. He realized now that there was another option that was equally as bad and it was this. He wanted so much to wipe away all of the negative things he saw in Shen Qingqiu’s gaze. To be rid of it so he could have the slight smile, the warmth back.
He bit his lip, hauling Shen Qingqiu back into a much tighter embrace.
Shen Qingqiu gave a sound of surprise that Binghe was very sure he wouldn’t ever admit to. That was fine, it was fine. He was holding Shizun and… after a moment of being stiff, Shen Qingqiu lightly touched his sides, wrapped his arms around Binghe’s back.
It was… different… having Shizun like this. Oh, Binghe had imagined plenty of times how it would be, taking care of his precious love. Shizun had always been being pampered though, being lazy and capable but choosing instead to trust Luo Binghe with everything.
Binghe hated this. He hated how small Shen Qingqiu felt in his arms, how fragile. He tilted his head slightly, wishing he could wrap all of himself around Shen Qingqiu. He wished those stupid flowers would dare to show themselves again. “The flowers are gone, Shizun. This disciple is real.” For a brief moment, Shen Qingqiu stiffened, then nodded slightly against Binghe’s throat. It was an acknowledgement that made his heart soar. With just that... it would be fine. He was there, Shen Qingqiu was ackowledging him, letting Binghe hold him, holding Binghe in return. Anything else could be figured out after, when he could make sure Shen Qingqiu was safe, full, and pampered as he should be by the real one and only.