Quite Obviously

by Skeren

Summary:

Shen Qingqiu had no idea why everyone was convinced that was a boy when it obviously was not.

Notes:

Inspired by a RP I've got going with a friend~

Chapter 1

Shen Qingqiu was, put simply, baffled. And perhaps a little offended as well.

Did his fellow Peak Lords think him a fool? Oblivious? Unable to tell a boy child from a girl child? They must, because he was hearing a lot of he, him, and his aimed at the child that had the highest qi potential of those in the holes, but he was utterly, completely certain that that child had to be a girl.

There was nothing else it could be, not with the way the child’s qi didn’t put his back up. Every man’s, and boy’s, qi tended to ping off of his attention, a sharp edge. Even Yue Qingyuan. Maybe especially, in the beginning, when the man had forgotten how to use his words for a time. He’d had to snap at him to speak, eventually, when he’d just loom for some ridiculous reason.

It had taken time, and patience, but he supposed he had needed to have some for the man to notice he couldn’t see whatever faces he was making or body language he was using. He could define qi, easy though, trace the patterns of the world, but sight? Colors? Expressions? Bah, no. Emotions he could tell with rough approximation, but that was all.

Thank goodness that their fool of a Sect Leader had only taken a few months to realize the problem, otherwise they would have had difficulties. Which is to say that right now, he was irritated that the man was apparently agreeing with the bizarre notion that Liu Qingge apparently had that the promising child was a boy. Irritated, and not wanting Qi Qingqi to swoop in and take the child out from under his attention as she always did with girls, he waved Ning Yingying to go fetch them.

He also raised his voice a touch, making it heavy with extremely judgmental derision for everyone else’s stupidity. “Your shimei of choice is a good one, Ying-er, you can go ahead and get her.”

He was glad the girl knew the judgment wasn’t aimed at her if the way she perked up was any indication, even more excited now as she hurried off to collect the child. She must not have realized either, so the girl’s facade must be decent. Hearing the confusion and protests about the child’s gender break out around him from the other Peak Lords, however, was ridiculous. Flicking his fingers sharply at their protesting, he got to his feet. He was done here. If they were all too stupid to be able to tell a boy from a girl when they had working eyes, he really had no idea what to do with them.

So what if the child was yang heavy? A girl was a girl! Ning Yingying was much the same, truthfully, and no one ever tried to say she was a boy! Ridiculous.

As he swept away, he heard the two children fall in step behind him and he tilted his head slightly to listen. “Girl, your name?”

There was a beat of surprised silence, and Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help the touch of amusement that quirked up the corner of his lips. What, had she thought that dressing boyishly for the road would fool him? When she answered, it was still a bit hesitant, clearly uncertain. Very likely Ning Yingying had prodded her. “Luo Binghe, ah, Shizun?”

“Yes, Shizun. Binghe. Ying-er, you wanted a child younger than you, so now we have one. You have to be responsible for her as there are no other girls who are still disciples. Make sure she’s given something to eat, a uniform, and a bath, then bring her to my house for her tea ceremony.”

“Yes, Shizun! Come on, A-Luo, we’ll get you all sorted out.”

The familiar address made his head twinge uncomfortably for a moment, and he threw out his hand. “Do not. The girl needn’t be further conflated with masculinity as that disastrous display of observation skills at the choosing showed. Bing-er, would you agree?”

There was another one of those pauses, and the child clearly was studying him, probably to ensure he was actually trustworthy. Ah, street children, all the same that way. He’d have to encourage that. “Yes, Shizun, this Binghe would agree. Thanking Ning-shijie for her help.”

“Good, carry on then.”

This time, when Ning Yingying went to drag the other child off, there was a quick back and forth negotiation between the two, which resulted in a much more clearly said “Bing-mei” before they were out of range. That would work much better than A-Luo, for certain.

Satisfied all was well in hand, he made for his house to get things out for the tea ceremony.

All told, today had been quite good, even if he was obviously the only one who had a working brain out there today.

A boy. Ha! Honestly.

Chapter 2

Shen Qingqiu was fully aware that some people were not in agreement with him that Luo Binghe was a girl. True, the clothes helped sort out a portion of those who would claim such a thing, but it seemed that Qi Qingqi was pitching a fit that there was no way that the girl was a girl and if she had been then she would have noticed immediately.

It was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard, if he was being entirely honest. He’d never been mistaken about the gender of a child in his life, and most certainly not after he’d lost his sight. The girl herself had made no move to tell him otherwise, and if anyone would know best about the matter, it would be the child herself!

Still, it seemed that someone had been pouring poison into the ears of his disciples, and that led to the here and now, with his eyes narrowed as he gave Ming Fan a severe frown. At the very least, the boy knew when to be penitent and he ducked his head when his attention passed over him. Hmph.

He would just have to spell things out so that nothing like this happened again. If it did, he’d take more drastic measures. “We do not pick on our shimei on this peak, Ming Fan. I do not care what you have heard. I do not care what authority insisted that they were correct. Do not be shameful like this again or the consequences will be far more severe.” He lowered his voice, steel there, sharp enough to cut. “Do you understand?”

The boy immediately flung himself down into a full kowtow. As he should. He’d taught him better. “Yes, Shifu. Begging Shifu’s forgiveness. This disciple was wrong.”

Merciless, he flicked his hand toward the girl standing off to the side, who was almost tangibly confused. Reasonable, men were terrible creatures and she’d been living on the streets. “Apologize to your shimei.”

There was a rustle, and he was sure the boy was looking at the other child now, though he didn’t get up. “This shixiong was wrong. It won’t happen again. Hoping shimei forgives.”

He cocked his head toward the girl, able to practically feel when she looked at him in guidance, but he gave her nothing. If she chose not to forgive, that was her right. Instead, he merely waited, seeing what she would do. Finally, after it dragged out long enough that Ming Fan was doubtlessly panicking, the girl spoke. “Shixiong was misguided. This shimei forgives.”

“Very well. Ming Fan, you have been forgiven, be thankful. Fifty laps, and then you will write me a researched paper on the social difficulties you could have caused to her had you continued making a pest of yourself. Dismissed.”

Ming Fan was quick to scramble to his feet, giving another bow. “Thanking Shifu, thanking shimei.”

When he’d fled, and Shen Qingqiu was certain that it was just him and the girl, he turned his attention fully on her, giving her a stern look of her own. “Do not think I didn’t notice you failing to defend yourself. While you were doubtless taught by someone that good little girls are obedient and hold their tongue, doing such is folly and I will not permit you to continue such bad habits. You are to be a cultivator now, and your gaze should be aimed higher than possibly being someone’s future wife or concubine, do you understand?”

This time, her pause was more of a hesitation, and he inwardly sighed. “This disciple is sorry, but this one doesn’t understand what Shizun means.”

“It means that being watchful and knowing when to speak is good, but letting others speak over you simply because of their own egos is both foolish and dangerous. You are not a stupid girl. Do not simply take whatever punishment others might offer you without a word. Defend yourself.” He turned and started to walk, gesturing for her to follow. Once he was certain she was keeping pace with him, he resumed the impromptu lesson. “You spent time on the streets on the way to the sect, correct?”

“Yes, Shizun. This disciple spent years before meeting her mother that way as well.”

Shen Qingqiu considered that, then nodded once, flicking his fan open. “I see. And did you avoid fights then as well? You were one of those very good at fleeing rather than fighting?”

“Mm. This disciple was small, and then this one was hurrying to be here for the trials.”

“And in-between you were only somewhat safe, if you developed such habits. The streets certainly didn’t do so. Do you know how to fight at all? Not by cultivator means.”

There was a hesitation, and then the girl ducked her head. Ah, she was probably embarrassed. “This one tends to scratch. Or bite. She’s aware that’s not very elegant.”

“Hmph. Elegance only matters when it’s not a matter of survival.” He put his hand out, demanding, eyes narrowed. “Your hand.” When the girl slowly put one of her hands in his, he carefully rubbed his thumb along her nails, checking how sturdy they were, if any were broken. If anything, the child had delicate little claws. He would have to get someone to show her how to paint them to protect their resiliency. “That will do. If you need to scratch and bite your way free of a situation, do so. Come find me immediately and I will resolve the matter. Have you questions?”

He then released her hand and put his own behind his back, shoulders more at ease now. He saw no reason to rush the girl as she thought about what he said, knowing that this had to be a radical shift in how she’d been taught proper little girls were supposed to be. “Shizun really wants this one to choose violence?”

He refrained from sighing at the question she picked, though he supposed it was good that she thought to ask it at all. “Do try not to get caught by anyone of note, but yes, choosing violence is fine if words do not suffice. Words can be weapons just as effectively, and I would rather you crush a boy’s ego rather than pander to it given the choice.”

The girl fell quiet again, apparently thinking seriously about his words. It was more than he could say most of his disciples bothered to do. Ning Yingying was particularly bad at it, words going in one ear and right out the other without pausing between. It was, dare he say it, comfortable.

It lasted right up until he had escorted the girl to the door of the dorm she shared with her shijie. “I will inform my Chu-shimei that you and Ying-er will be taking lessons with her in the mornings. Ying-er knows who she is, as she teaches the painting and beginning calligraphy classes here on the peak. She is also very good at navigating around the social problems that come of cultivator men outnumbering women to such a stark degree as they do. She will speak to you of that, as well as things such as personal care and grooming, understood?”

“Yes, Shizun. Thanking Shizun.” When the girl didn’t go into her dorm to get changed out of her muddy clothes, he arched a brow at her, waiting to see what could possibly be holding her up. “Shizun really thinks this disciple is worth the extra attention?”

Shen Qingqiu snorted, once, and then turned to walk away. “You are the first disciple I have personally chosen. Now go get cleaned.”

There was a sharp inhale behind him, and unfortunately with how he tracked his surroundings, it wasn’t any different than looking right at the girl. He could tell she was shocked. Silly child. Still, he said nothing and merely continued down the path, satisfied when she finally moved off to do as told when paid no further attention.

He’d have to keep an eye on things, but hopefully, the girl would better look after herself from now on.

Chapter 3

It really was ridiculous the lengths this child went to to defend her territory. He could understand, certainly, but he’d still needed to take the girl aside and make it very clear that no, she wasn’t to be making her shixiong cry only because they were doing chores he’d actively assigned to them. He simply wouldn’t assign others to his laundry in the future if it was to be the cause of so much fuss.

As it was, the girl had already taken to invading his house at all hours to use his kitchen and fuss over his space, so he supposed this was just going to be one more point on that particular scale. There was some relief in knowing that the girl at least went back to her dorm in the evenings rather than attempting to camp in his study. He didn’t know what he would have done if he’d had to take care of such behavior.

He was sure that the rumors wouldn’t have been merciful. They never were.

Regardless, all of this had somehow culminated in the girl taking over his meals, among other things, over the last few months, and it was interesting to note that she’d developed what could only be called a system. His tea cup was always placed very neatly in the same spot relative to his position no matter where he was sitting, and when she distributed food, she’d taken to making up his plate for him without a word.

She’d also settled into making finger foods more than things that needed fine manipulation, but that was a different matter. Still, all of this meant that it was distinctly jarring to eat without her there. Dishes weren’t moved away from his reach when emptied, leaving him with the embarrassing moment where he tried to reach for something that wasn’t there, and his tea was at risk of being knocked over whenever someone else poured for him.

It was appalling. Irritating. He’d only had the girl for a few months, after all.

All the same, the realization wasn’t wholly unpleasant, and if the child was eating with him for a meal, as he would not be stared at while he was eating, regardless of who, then that meant the child was on hand to read things for him when people were inconvenient.

She might have been more halting about it, showing her inexperience with the characters, but she still managed, and when demanded, could adequately explain a character that left her tripping over it in confusion that he could tell her what it was. Better still, when he had her copy it down with qi suffused ink onto paper that he could properly sense, as then he need only to note it and give her an answer. It simplified his correspondence greatly, all told, as he often had Ming Fan running errands rather than reading his improperly scribed letters for him.

Ning Yingying would have been a possible choice for the matter, but unlike Luo Binghe, the girl simply had no capacity to sit still. It meant that instead of reading at a normal pace, the child would treat it like it was some sort of race. Not restful at all. He’d take halting over rushed any day.

All the same, it meant that Luo Binghe spent a great portion of her days when not taken with classes seated in his study while she did her work just in case he had need of her. It was, simply put, ridiculous. Who sought out his company like this, really? Not even Ning Yingying at her clingiest would invite herself into his house. She always had waited to be let in, at the very least. This one though, well. Never let it be said she wasn’t bold.

Focusing across the room where the child was meticulously trying to navigate fingering on what sounded like a qin, Shen Qingqiu contemplated how urgent the paperwork he was fussing over actually was. It was nothing that would greatly inconvenience his Shang-shidi to not be turned in quickly, so he supposed it was fine to let it rest for now.

Satisfied, he got to his feet with a shake of his robes to adjust them, startling the girl, and made his way over to kneel in front of her on the other side of the instrument so he could reach for her hands. If she kept up like that she was going to cut open her fingers, and then where would they be?

She had proper nails for this and he was going to ensure she used them. And then have words with whatever fool decided to send her off without actually showing her how to do this properly. Presuming it wasn’t the girl herself who had decided to run ahead of her class, of course.

A check in would solve the matter in both respects, and he was sure the senior disciple leading the class would be delighted.

Chapter 4

In the last two, coming on three, years that he’d had his little menace on his peak, Shen Qingqiu had little doubt that he’d run a gamut of emotions, and had said quite a lot of things. Bing-er, after all, was a very willful girl, if one who still would sometimes act like she didn’t know perfectly well how to braid her own hair.

It was probably his own fault for humoring her, a little indulgence because she had soft curls, so he would do her braids, then shove her out the door with a scolding for being out and about before being presentable. Yes, yes, he wasn’t awake when she broke into his house most mornings to use his kitchen, but that didn’t excuse looking sloppy. He’d tuned her into his alarm system by this point so her presence wasn’t constantly waking him whenever she deemed it was time to be awake and to handle chores around his house, after all. It had been self defense after a string of predawn wakings when she wanted to experiment with breakfast. Keeping her out certainly hadn’t worked.

He was sure, somehow, that those little indulgences, those moments where he humored her, had somehow intersected with him saying something at some point, to result in this.

This being one of the students that had been stolen off his peak several years prior and one of the first disciples he’d gotten, as picked by the senior disciples of his peak from his own generation. That hadn’t made having her stolen off his peak any less of a slap in the face, of course, especially given it had been spurred by a fresh wave of rumors at the time, but he’d honestly never expected to interact with the girl ever again if not on Qian Cao once his petition to have her returned to him had been denied.

Admittedly, he hardly would have handed Ning Yingying, then a consolation prize, back in trade, but the fact his petition hadn’t even been considered had been one of the few times that Yue Qingyuan had been firm about anything since he’d been on the mountain, and it certainly hadn’t been in his favor. Suffice to say, things had been a bit chilly between them for a year or two before settling back to what they had as normality these days.

Not as close as they’d been as children, but not as unfortunate as it had been before his fool of a gege realized he couldn’t see him to know what his body language was doing. It hadn’t changed a lot, though he was now one of three people on this mountain that did anything to make it clear they knew, but it had changed enough that the man finally used his words.

They had, of course, been stupid words, and he’d smacked him about the head and shoulders, but it had eased things between them enough he could get on with his life at least. It hardly made up for his shortcomings as a leader now but that was neither here nor there.

No, here and now was a once girl, now young woman, who his most ridiculous disciple had apparently decided needed to be fetched. For what reason, he had no idea, but here she was.

There was no point wondering why when he could just address the child herself. Fourteen now or no, a child was a child. “Is there some reason you felt the need to fetch a healer from Qian Cao?”

“Shizun mentioned the other day that he was worried this one would be taken if she was careless in using her skills. This disciple knows it was meant to be a chide to be careful who this one does exceptional things around, but this one also heard something that she might be able to fix. So, this disciple has fixed it! Shijie is perfectly willing to come back to Qing Jing.”

There was a soft laugh from the young woman, who up until now had been quiet, and she dipped her chin in agreement. “I really would. I’m glad for what Qian Cao had to teach me, Mu-shishu is very good with what he does, but I never got to finish my education here. If Shizun would accept this disciple back to this peak, I would be honored to be here.”

There was one thing in all that that stood out more than the rest, and he narrowed his eyes at her, just a bit, knowing how it would look even if it did nothing for how he perceived her. “You don’t call Mu-shidi Shizun then?”

“No. Truthfully, I think he was very guilty about the whole thing, and while he expressed interest in helping me learn, he never actually intended for me to be taken from your peak. He has no protests for me being returned to you now as long as I still come by every so often and make sure to keep up on my medical studies. I’m past my twentieth year, after all, and if I want to return home, no one truly has any right to stop me.”

There was a long span of quiet, and then Shen Qingqiu looked away, down and to the side in thought so he wasn’t angling his focus at either of the girls. He didn’t know how he felt about any of this. “Fine. Do as you like.”

The woman bowed, radiating what he could only guess was some kind of pleasure, at the acceptance. “I will then. Thank you, Shizun, for listening.”

He just waved her off with one hand, and once she was gone, there was only his little menace left behind. No doubt the girl was feeling very smug at the moment. Ridiculous. “Must you stir up trouble on the other Peaks?”

Taking this as some sort of invitation, the girl made her way over and dropped into a kneel across the table from him, taking snacks out of a bag at her hip to start laying them out. Ridiculous child. “Shizun was sad, so this disciple thought it best if Shizun was not sad.”

“I was not sad. I was irritated that my capabilities are not trusted with the exceptional, it is not the same.” When the girl paused her fussing over what smelled like cookies, he reached out and plucked one up to nibble. They were there after all.

“Of course, Shizun. This disciple will ensure that such insults are cleared.” This had Shen Qingqiu eyeing the girl with no little suspicion, wishing he had a better sense of expressions, but alas, qi only said so much at a distance. “Would Shizun like tea as well?”

Was there any point in rebuking someone who wouldn’t even take it as the scolding it was intended to be? No, he suspected there wasn’t, unless he wanted to send her off to run laps, which he knew the girl found invigorating. She found everything invigorating. It was annoying. “Fine. Then go attend to what you’re supposed to be doing at this hour.”

“Yes, Shizun!” She chirped, the insufferable child, and then she was back on her feet and off to go make tea.

He, meanwhile, had a headache and a reluctant smile. He’d have to make sure that Chun Xi actually ended up in appropriate housing for an adult disciple, though he suspected the girl had probably already managed that as well. If she hadn’t, well. She was still a child.

And, he supposed, he’d check in with Mu Qingfang as well to ensure relations between them hadn’t soured further.

Less exciting, but needs must.

Chapter 5

Notes:

I hear you, my dear commenters, I really do.

Now, for those not in the know, a nascent soul is a child made of qi in a lot of cultivation stories that can be made into a whole person outside of a cultivator later on. I admittedly don't know all the accurate details but this concept captivated me. Obviously, SVSSS has a very wobbly idea of how cultivation works or what order it should go in, Shen Yuan has a whole rant about it.

So, for SVSSS I took these kiddies and tweaked it. Rather than being a little energy being or a tiny replica of the person they're created from, they're instead the opposite gender and naturally predisposed to becoming their own people. They also come after the immortal core is finished at some point, though it's nebulous when, so not everyone has one or ever gets one.

Which is how we got this mess. Happy reading.

The conversation with Mu Qingfang was strange, and ultimately left Shen Qingqiu with the overwhelming impression that he’d be absolutely delighted if he would yell at their Zhangmen-Shixiong about the topic of the disciple shuffle that happened years ago, as his own attempts had ultimately managed nothing. He did not, however, say exactly why he would be delighted for such a thing, nor why he had ever gone along with the situation in the first place without at the very least clarifying that it hadn’t been his idea.

He was apologetic enough to give him a list of what he had taught his wayward disciple while she was gone, at the very least, though Shen Qingqiu was not particularly mollified at the apology for the troubles the situation had caused him in the past, just as he had not been at the time. No one had dared poach from him again, admittedly, though that hadn’t stopped them from trying.

It did, however, give him a direction. The only thing that Mu Qingfang ever considered confidential was a health related matter, after all. If he refused to speak of a thing, then almost always it had to do with something of that sort, and he had spent a very long time not speaking of this thing.

Which meant that Yue Qingyuan was hiding a health matter from him. Again. He thought they were past this as disciples! Once they’d had it out about the sword then surely surely he wouldn’t be so stupid as to hide something so significant again.

But no, this was Yue Qingyuan, Qi-ge, who didn’t think before he made stupid mistakes and apparently still hadn’t ever gotten around to learning from them. Given that every single one fell back on his shoulders one way or another eventually, it was perfectly reasonable that he went straight from Qian Cao to Qiong Ding on this particular day to get answers.

The man had grovelled, had apologized over the disciple situation at the time, but he’d still never understood it. Clearly, two years of not speaking to him had not been enough of a punishment if he’d still not gotten the true answer about the situation even when the man had deigned to give him any answers at all!

Which is a lot of words to say that by the time he reached the man’s office, he was in more than a little bit of a snit. He didn’t ask him any questions when he arrived, no, he just strode over and grabbed his wrist as he hadn’t bothered doing in several years now. Why should he? He could monitor someone’s qi well enough through his perception. These days the only people he touched were his disciples when he was correcting something they were doing wrong or sharing a new technique.

Which was probably how this had even flown right under his nose for so long. He was not amused that even visibly angry as he surely was, his stupid Shixiong still seemed delighted to see him. Why was he so stupid? “Shen-shidi, what are you-?”

“Do not.” He shook the arm in his grip and dug in his nails, narrowing his eyes in a glare aimed at where his face was. “You’re an idiot, and I more the fool for letting you get away with it again.”

There was a beat of silence that was less an argument and more a clear evaluation of what he might even be in trouble for. That he couldn’t fathom what had clearly been seen made him whip out his fan in a threatening manner with his free hand. “Wait, wait! If Shen-shidi would be so kind as to inform this foolish Shixiong of his most recent mistakes?”

“Do you take this Shidi for an idiot?” He knew his manner was currently icy, but it seemed to have no effect on the man in his grip, so he swatted him with his fan. “Did you think I would somehow never manage to notice? Your qi is exactly the same!”

“Oh no.” The man sounded, if anything, dismayed.

Oh? Oh really? Was that going to be his reaction to this? He thumped him again, then prodded his cheek with the bones of the fan. If he did it hard enough to bruise a bit, it was no less than he deserved. “You will inform this shidi as to your thought process for this farce and explain exactly why my disciple believes herself to be an orphan rather than your daughter.”

“Shidi, please, it was the best-”

“No. Excuses. Ning Yingying is a sweet child who clearly inherited her stupidity from you. She’s started to learn to grow past it, therefore I’m certain you’re capable as well.”

There was a beat of silence then, before the man wilted in his grip, leaning into the fan hard enough that Shen Qingqiu, reluctantly, moved it away a bit so he didn’t actually damage the man much. Or break the fan. “It was for her safety.”

“How,” he demanded rather than asked, having no patience for the dramatics at this time.

“After she manifested, my sword started draining her life every time I held her. She was so much more vulnerable then. I couldn’t risk it tying her into the problems I already have when I managed to sever the connection cleanly the moment she was fully formed.”

“That explains why you might house her elsewhere. It does. Not. Explain. The. Rest.” He jabbed at him several times to emphasize his point.

“I mostly did that to make you angry with me so that you wouldn’t notice our connection.” He raised a hand in what could be either defense or plea when he immediately swatted him again for the stupidity coming out of his mouth. “Truly! I never thought it was a permanent solution, but I was worried if you knew immediately, that you’d want me to see her and I couldn’t.”

“Don’t lie. You found this shidi to be unobservant in this matter and wished to evade being a parent.”

“Never! If anything, I thought this visit would come years ago.”

A moment of awkward silence followed that declaration as the two stared at each other, and then Shen Qingqiu, who had at some point braced a knee next to him to better loom, straightened up, releasing his wrist. “I see.”

“Wait! Shidi, I wasn’t-”

He made a sharp motion with his fan, frowning as he considered this new information. “Shixiong. Be silent. This shidi is thinking.”

Yue Qingyuan, at the very least, had the grace to know he was in enough trouble that he shouldn’t say anything. Shen Qingqiu took the time to turn over the new information. Clearly, Ning Yingying was Yue Qingyuan’s nascent child, which means she was born out of the man’s bizarre cultivation situation. It was something Shen Qingqiu himself still had yet to do, and at the time it must have occurred for her to be as old as she was, he hadn’t yet managed to stabilize his core. That came a few years after he acquired the girl. Begrudgingly, he could admit that more reminders of how far behind he was would have likely done more harm than the stupidity of the disciple shuffle had.

That didn’t, however, mean that all was forgiven. “You will bring Ning Yingying apology gifts for every name day you have missed. You will also stop asking after her progress with me and instead ask her directly, by letter if you must, if she will so deign to speak to you. She likely will, but my tutelage, at the very least, has taught her it’s entirely reasonable to not carry the stupidity of men on her shoulders. You will also never attempt to remove her or any other disciple from my care ever again. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Shen-shidi, I understand.”

“You will also stop letting Qi Qingqi hoard all the girls at the choosings! There is enough for her to share, for heaven’s sake!” He flicked his fan at him sharply.

“I will reconsider her precedence on the matter.”

Not wholly what he asked, but it wasn’t a no either. It would do, for now. “See that you do. I will be leaving now. I expect to hear that you’ve visited for Ning Yingying to explain the situation before tomorrow evening, or I will be bringing her here. This is not an invitation for you to have a sudden urgent mission outside the sect.”

“Of course, shidi.” If anything, the man wilted further, clearly having thought he could further neglect his paternal duties. Little wonder Mu-shidi wanted him to yell at the man. This was ridiculous. Very Qi-ge stupid for a sect leader, but ridiculous all the same.

“See that you do. You will be banned from visits to myself until I see that you have made sufficient amends to my disciple.” He ignored the sound of protest that caused, already turning to stride away. “Work hard and don’t whine, this is your mess, so clean it up.”

He was satisfied when the man fell silent rather than trying to call out to him, and he pulled the door firmly shut behind him. His rage over the mess was soothed, at least, knowing how and why it happened, but that didn’t mean he was going to just forgive and forget.

He really wasn’t suited to such things.

Chapter 6

Notes:

To clarify, a week was, in fact, ten days at certain points of history in certain areas and I opted to use it for this universe.

Shen Qingqiu had no idea what was wrong with the girl. No, he had some idea. He simply had no idea why.

Often when Bing-er got, for lack of a better word, sticky he could easily trace the cause and effect. Another disciple upset her, ergo she would stay close until it was resolved. Another disciple got their grimy fingers on one of his things somehow, therefore she had to fuss and fret until whatever was apparently damaged in some way was resolved. Or, and this one was particularly dramatic as he’s almost certain the girl cried, someone else managed to feed him a meal.

He’s almost certain that if anyone should have deserved to cry in that situation, it should have been him. It had been a very, very terrible meal and he’d only eaten two bites before his stomach had turned. Yet still, it had been the girl who had carried on like she’d been horribly terribly betrayed.

Ming Fan hadn’t so much as come near the Bamboo House afterwards for days. Instead, Binghe had taken all paperwork to be run out by him.

He could only imagine the boy must have been terribly dismayed to have so badly upset his crush.

Regardless, none of that accounted for this. He was almost certain the girl hadn’t even gone back to the dorms at all in the last week! Ten days! That was far too long to camp out in his spare room, child! People will talk!

He already had too many rumors about him, he truly didn’t need another.

So, rather than directly address the cause of his bewilderment, he instead addressed the cause of his most recent headaches while said bewilderment was off doing whatever she liked to do in the kitchen. Given the most troublesome of his female disciples was flitting around his office like a hummingbird, this wasn’t a terribly shocking choice.

It was, however, an annoyance. “Ying-er, please sit.”

“Oh! Please forgive this disciple, Shizun, she just noticed you put up some new art!” The girl threw herself into the seat across from him, landing on the cushion almost audibly. “Wasn’t that the painting that Bing-mei was working on?”

“Yes. She’s advanced greatly with qi paintings the last few months.” He reached out, tapping a finger on the table. “But that’s not why I asked you to see me. This Master has noticed a shift in sleeping arrangements recently and he must inquire as to why.”

“Oh! The dorm thing? It’s the new twins, Shizun. They’re cute, super duper cute, and this disciple adores her new shimei but they snore so badly. No matter what this Shijie does, or how she rolls them around it rattles the whole building! This disciple has no trouble sleeping through it but when she noticed Bing-mei struggling with them there she shooed her off to Shizun.”

Well, he supposed he couldn’t fault her for escaping while the option existed, and he was thankful she hadn’t taken up his old residence in the woodshed. It wouldn’t be safe for a girl. “And the reason you didn’t tell me this instead?”

“Oh! Well.” He had no idea what the girl’s face was probably doing, but she was fidgeting in place which was telling enough. “This disciple isn’t sure that she should be around for Shibo’s visits. She always gets so bristly. Not that he comes into the dorms! But with Bing-mei sleeping here, she has a lot less reason to seek out this Shijie directly, which means she’s less likely to take exception!”

Shen Qingqiu felt his eyebrows raise. He hadn’t realized the man had been so disruptive. He’d need to send him a sharp letter. “I see. And how have things been going with your Shibo?”

There was a moment of quiet again, and this time, it seemed to be because she was struggling for words. “He’s weird. He keeps bringing me baby toys! I’m not three! I’ve said thank you, of course, but what is this disciple to do with a collection of pinwheels? Is this disciple being taught some sort of lesson?”

Pinwheels? The man couldn’t even have the sense to at least bring a teenage girl some ribbons? No, of course not, this was the same man who gave him fine clothes without a lick of qi infused embroidery unlike everything else he owned. One would think he would have some observation skills. How would he ever wear such things? He couldn’t see them! He had a system!

He broke out of his aghast thought spiral when his lack of immediate answer made the child anxious. He’d just have to add the new grievance to the note as well. “Ying-er needn’t fret. It is Zhangmen-shixiong who is receiving the lesson.”

“But why this disciple? Shizun, your Ying-er is confused!”

“He still hasn’t told you- No, of course he hasn’t.” He raised his hands to forestall her questions, then took out his fan to press against his lips in thought. “This Shizun has obviously been unclear and must make sure that he explains with very small words exactly what his Shixiong is supposed to be doing to him. Thank you for telling me this, you can go back to your studies now.”

Ning Yingying stayed silent for a moment, then nodded and sprang to her feet. “Yes, Shizun! This one was helping the twins with their reading today.”

He waved her off at once. “Go, go, I doubt they’re the only ones who need an eye kept on them.”

She laughed and practically skipped for the door. “Of course, Shizun. Thanking Shizun!”

It was only after she left that Binghe emerged, peeking around the doorway as if to check the other girl was truly gone before she came over to lay out snacks in the designated places on his desk for it. “You should be more stealthy if you’re going to eavesdrop.”

“Ah, yes, this disciple will take more care in the future. Shizun is teaching Yue-shibo a lesson? This disciple didn’t know.”

Reaching for one of the phoenix buns he could smell, he drifted his fingers sideways until he hit the plate and then plucked up one of the treats. “Yes, one long overdue. Your Shijie is in no danger of being poached, if that was the concern, nor is she being courted. I will not explain further. Instead, you will inform this Shizun why you truly haven’t gone back to the dorms. This Shizun knows perfectly well that Ying-er is no quieter than the other two.”

Settling herself in her normal position by his desk and picking up one of the buns so she couldn’t be accused of watching him eat, it was quite obvious that she was taking her time on purpose. Which meant she was reluctant to answer. He, obligingly, settled in to wait her out. The lack of him doing or saying anything else eventually got her over her hesitation. “This disciple needed more privacy than the new Shimei permitted. They are very cute, and this Shijie is delighted to help them, but if Shizun is finally starting to take in proper numbers of disciples for his esteemed peak, then he’s going to need more focused attention to ensure that everything in his house is in order. This disciple thought it prudent to plan for that now rather than wait until she’s waking other disciples before the dawn hour to arrive here in decent time for breakfast.”

He could admit that the idea of putting his wards properly fully in place would be a relief, as there was only a hole in them to not experience that exact thing. He wouldn’t untune the girl from them, however, as she’d doubtless leave the building at some horrific hour instead. “Does Bing-er not understand that she is putting this Shizun in a precarious position?”

“Shizun?”

“You are fourteen now, and soon enough you’ll be fifteen. Among non-cultivators, that’s old enough to be a wife. This Shizun won’t be accused of being improper by permitting you your convenience.”

She girl sucked in a breath of shock and straightened up. “What? Why would Shizun fear such a thing?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time this has been accused of things he hasn’t done.”

“But Shizun handles maiden flowers! This disciple was there for the lesson where he showed this one and Shijie!”

He’d forgotten about that. Thank you, child, for making this conversation more wildly uncomfortable than it already was. “This Shizun is aware. This is not a widely known fact about this master and he sees no reason to hold it up as proof of his innocence should he start hearing unpleasant things. He is concerned for Bing-er’s reputation. Binghe, you must take care now that you’re old enough that doubtless you’re going to start blossoming into a woman. People are cruel, and men are not to be trusted.”

“Shizun-”

“I said that men are not to be trusted.”

When next she spoke, she was far more meek. “Yes, Shizun, this disciple understands. Is this why Shizun is teaching Shibo a lesson?”

He sighed, lifting a hand to rub his temple. “In part. Your Shibo is a fool, and lied to this Master. He is to make amends for his wrongs before he may be in this one’s presence again. It has been going both slowly and poorly it seems. Would Bing-er take a letter to the man when this Shizun is finished writing it?”

He wasn’t at all surprised when she perked up at the idea of a task. Strange child. “Yes, Shizun! This disciple would be honored!”

Well, at least the girl was happy, even if he hadn’t actually figured out how to oust her from his house. He really should have known this day would come after the first time she stole his laundry.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention to his note, which turned into a very thorough scolding on paper. The man had, after all, still failed to inform his child of their relation! Idiot.

Chapter 7

Notes:

There is a sideways mention about consent and how it affects innocence in this chapter.

He probably should have anticipated all the fuss once the fool he once called his brother finally got around to doing as told. Of course, he hadn’t anticipated he’d blurt it out the moment he read the letter he’d sent along with Bing-er, and certainly not in front of the girl. It hadn’t even been the right girl!

Thankfully, he’d at least gone off to do that immediately after. Less thankfully, now he had two disciples worked up. Ning Yingying, cute little flighty Ying-er, was shockingly actually mad. He’d thought she might be upset, maybe even sad, but angry? He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the girl more than annoyed, if he was being truthful.

So, he’d had an angry disciple pacing his front room while the other girl was alarmingly quiet, seemingly shell shocked by the whole situation. Why, he had no idea. Did Ying-er look nothing like her father? It was unlikely.

He was jarred out of his thoughts as the girl finally pivoted and came to stand in front of his desk, punching her hand down into her open palm. She’d taken to doing gestures of emphasis when she was still rather young. It was good of her to give physical indications of her mood for her Shizun that way. Even if it wasn’t decorous.

“Shizun! Your Ying-er finally understands everything!”

If there was a more alarming sentence in the world than a teenage girl thinking she understood anything about him, he certainly didn’t know what it was. “What.”

“Shizun, Shifu.” She knelt across from him and put both hands flat on the table as she leaned forward. “This disciple understands that if she could be told directly she would have been. She won’t forgive him! Because he was cruel to Shizun!”

Blinking rapidly and growing alarmed at the way the other girl in the room straightened in place, he lifted a hand to halt her outpouring of revelation before one or the other decided to do something more dramatic. “Explain your thoughts.”

“Shibo disgraced Shifu and then afterward lied about it! This disciple won’t forgive him! She’s a good daughter!”

Yes, he was very alarmed now, and he threw his hand sideways to catch Binghe’s shoulder to keep her seated when she made to get up. He doubted she would have been headed to the kitchen. Ridiculous children. “Your Shibo did not disgrace this Master.”

“But-”

“No. We have never been intimate in such a way. Put the very thought I am your other parent out of your head. I am your Shizun, your uncle if one regards a time before the sect. I am not any genetic parent of yours.”

Finally Binghe calmed, the girl slumping in place all at once in what seemed to be relief. “The Maiden flowers.”

“Just so.” Loathe as he was to clarify, he did not want them to leave with any other assumptions. They were old enough to know. “Such things are not impacted by unwilling intimacy, so keep such a thing in mind for any future investigations. That simply is not a concern for this conversation.” He drew in a slow breath. “Yingying, do you understand?”

“Shizun is Shizun, not a-niang.” Why did the girl sound so disappointed? Why was he being cast as the mother in this scenario at all?!

Wrong-footed, he just frowned at her intensely for a moment as he resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose against the rising headache. “Correct. Your father had you wholly by himself as part of his cultivation path. While such children can be made with others, that is far rarer than manifesting the child independently.”

Ning Yingying nodded quietly, soaking this in, or not, it was hard to tell with her sometimes. Especially given the question that followed. “So who is Shizun’s baby?”

The aggressive attention focused on him by both girls was terribly concerning. Why would they even want to know such a thing? Pressing his lips into an unhappy line at the reminder of his slow cultivation, he snapped open his fan to slowly stir the air for himself. “There is no such child.”

Binghe, however, apparently was unwilling to just let it sit. “Shizun, how is making babies like Ning-shijie different from normal babies?”

“They are made from the cultivation, as an extension of self.”

“But dual cultivation-?”

He flicked his fan to cut the girl off as he had not prepared for this conversation today. He’d have to find another thing to punish his foolish Shixiong with for bringing this down on him. “There are two things people call dual cultivation. Sex, which instigates the natural energies in the body for a rudimentary sort, and sharing qi between two people to mutually build power. This latter method can be chaste.”

“So when Shizun-”

Making a rough noise of negation to cut the girl off again before she could finish her question, he cut a glare toward first Binghe for asking, then toward Ying-er for eagerly leaning forward. He then used his fan to shove her fully back to her own side of the table. “It is considered to be poor form to show you children through cultivation forms in the manner I do, yes, but it is by far the safest approach, and is no way remotely sexual. I will not have students who experience qi deviations, are we understood?”

As he looked sharply from one girl to the other, he got two bowed heads in turn. Good.

“Good. Is there anything else I need to address or are you both quite satisfied?”

He was blind, not an idiot, he could tell perfectly well the girls were exchanging some kind of conversational look. It was Ying-er who answered him, getting to her feet and bowing to him. “No, Shizun. This disciple is still upset with Shibo, but she is at least relieved to know he did not do unpardonable things to Shizun.” He could feel his eyebrow twitching up but said nothing. “This Yingying will return if she has further questions. She needs to meditate now.”

He waved the girl off, watching her go in silence before turning his gaze to the one still in the house with him. “Well? What is it then?”

“Shizun said that babies like her could be made with others, but if it’s not through dual cultivation, then how does it work?”

Ah. He should have expected this. Grimacing, he shook his head slightly. “There are creatures out there, and yes, even people, who can rip part of someone’s cultivation from them and shape it to their own ends. Some of these methods can be pleasurable, while others would be excruciating. It is widely regarded that child flowers fall outside of this as the children made in such ways do not share the same qi as their parent.”

There was a long beat of quiet as he felt himself studied, and Shen Qingqiu looked away from the girl, setting his fan down in its spot on his desk before he reached to make sure Ying-er hadn’t disrupted his things. He couldn’t say the question that finally came was a surprise. “Shizun doesn’t have a child here. Is Shizun sure he has none at all?”

Sighing, deeply, he flicked his hand at the girl, wishing with all his power he could decisively reassure her of whatever it was she was looking for with this line of questioning. He did not know. His life had never been so simple. “Just go handle your chores, Binghe.”

He could feel her gaze on him, heavy and thoughtful, for several long moments before she finally got to her feet to go do as told. “Of course, Shizun. Thanking him for his insight.”

He didn’t turn his head to track her as she left the room, but given recent events, he could only be relieved that she wouldn’t be able to leave the sect to go check. Other peaks were one thing, former demonic encounters were another thing entirely.

Notes:

I'm adding this after posting but this is how this chapter ended up arriving after last chapter:

SQQ: Tell your daughter she's your daughter and do not speak to me until you make amends to her.
YQY: I will bond with NYY by giving her pinwheels
NYY: WHY is the sect leader giving me baby toys?
SQQ: He hasn't TOLD YOU? -writes letter-
LBH: -delivers letter-
YQY: -Immediately tells Binghe NYY is his daughter-
LBH: -alarmed-
YQY: -finally tells NYY, poorly-
NYY: SHIZUN DID OUR SECT LEADER DESPOIL YOU?
SQQ: No?????

Chapter 8

Shen Qingqiu contemplated if he should just let the matter rest, after the children left. The teenagers really, almost old enough to start running missions. Technically, Ying-er was, but even if she was older than the other girl, she hadn’t started to properly shape up before they got the new disciples, so she was a bit behind.

No, he supposed he couldn’t let it rest.

Irritated, he thought very pointedly that he had something to speak to Shang-shidi about, even as he turned his attention back to his papers. As always, the man proved his suspicions about his strangeness accurate and appeared in less than half a shichen, somewhat out of breath as he stood in his doorway.

He still hadn’t been able to figure out if the man actually knew when he was summoning him or not, or if he just showed up, but it meant he never had to send notes to have him arrive at least. Content to let the man suffer a little from being ridiculous enough to have apparently rushed over when he didn’t need to, he moved one of his finished missives to another part of the desk.

Even though he hadn’t been spoken to, the man came over and dropped into a seated position where Ning Yingying had earlier been making her fuss. “Shen-shixiong, so, uh, heard the news?”

Ah, was that approach he was going to take? No matter, it would be amusing enough. “Which?”

“The whole. Um. Thing. With Ning Yingying and Zhangmen-shixiong. I had no idea they were related!”

The genuinely surprised tone in the man’s voice stilled his brush, and he reached over to carefully set it down. “No? I suppose you haven’t spent as much time with either of them as others have.”

“I mean, that too?” Snacks came out of the man’s sleeve, and the moment the candy hit the table, Shen Qingqiu’s fingers reeled it fully to his side of it. This was, of course, normal. Even if the man slumped over in what was probably some sort of pout when he did it. He just proved his point when another snack emerged, and a deep breath told him it was those seeds the man was so fond of. Hideous texture.

He picked up one of the candies to pop into his mouth even as he mulled over that the current situation seemed to be one of those details that have passed his Shidi’s omniscience by. “Regardless, I am informed. I would have thought you would be as well. No matter, the revelation of it gave me a concern. You recall the mission I was severely delayed on not long after we all became peak lords?”

“The one where you were gone for nearly two months?” There was a pause, a bit of a cringe, and he was sure the man’s face was being very amusing at the moment. “Uh, yeah. I think we all remember that. Where did you even go? Your report never said.”

He could only imagine what kind of chaos must have ensued without the rest of them having the normal places to aim their fussing. Rather than answering immediately, he turned the matter over in his head, this way and that for a long moment, and finally sighed. “I was caught by a desire demon. To me, it seemed a span of two days, and I believe that she might have resided in a folded personal dimension rather than normal space. I confess I was rather taken aback by the way all of you reacted upon my return.”

It had been ridiculous. He’d been nearly certain that his fool of a Shixiong had been about to cry on him that day. Shang-shidi had cried, but had at least done so from across the room where he didn’t have to deal with it. He wasn’t even going to consider the strangeness of Liu-shidi’s reaction.

All in all, it had him fleeing the Peak Lord gathering before giving more than the most general of overviews about the results of the trip and he’d never revisited it. “Given the nature of them, I can only assume it was the clouding effect of how they use their qi that prevented thinking they might have stolen anything from my cultivation.”

“Didn’t you have a breakthrough more or less immediately after you got back?”

“Quite. As desire demons do. It never occurred to me to consider what the woman took in payment. It’s unlike me and it took until today to truly consider the implications.”

There was a pause as they both nibbled on their snacks, and he let the silence spin out as the other man thought about it. It wasn’t as simple as if it had been a succubus. All they did was eat yang. No, desire demons were more insidious creatures, often solitary, and in the habit of granting wishes to the extent their age and power allowed. Few ever did so for free.

At the time he’d truly believed that the breakthrough had been his own doing, but now he had to wonder.

Finally, his Shidi seemed to shake himself, starting to pack up the seeds. “Yeah, okay, I can see why you’re bothered by this. Just put down where you were for me and I’ll uh, get someone to look into it maybe?”

Nodding once, and knowing that ‘someone’ would probably be the man himself, he made a little map, labeling everything. Qi infused ink was truly a blessing and people who didn’t use it where heinously rude. He pushed over the paper and then after a moment set one of the candies neatly on top as well.

“Awww. Okay, okay, I got you.” Both the paper and the candy were plucked up off the table, so he considered the matter resolved. If there was anything to be found, it would be found. If there was not, it would not.

“Good. Was there anything else Shang-shidi required?”

“No- wait! Yes.” There was a quick shuffle of things, and then a bag was set on the table. “Since you moved a disciple in, some stuff for that. Good for you! Make sure to work the kid hard.”

Baffled and more than a little irritated, he squinted at the other man as he got to his feet, but he knew it wasn’t having near the impact he might wish even when he put more irritation into it given the bag stayed firmly where it was.

“Hey, no. Don’t give me the mean face, Shixiong, promise it’s all to your standard! And there’s a couple things in there to go with the last stuff you got too.”

Huffing once, he reached out and plucked up the bag, deciding to allow himself to be placated. He’d go through everything, of course. Honestly, he didn’t need anything to encourage his uninvited houseguest, even if he hadn’t bothered to kick her back out to the dorms. “I see. Shidi is dismissed.”

“Right, right. See you later, Shen-shixiong.”

He waved him off, sitting still with the bag in his hands until he left before sticking his fingers into it to see what exactly he’d put in there for him specifically. He doubted the ribbons were for the girl, so he ran them across his fingers as he examined the seals embroidered up along the length of them. Were these in the shape of flowers? Ridiculous.

He tucked them into his sleeve with the candies before getting to his feet to go deal with the rest. He was sure the girl would appreciate her Shishu looking after her needs, if nothing else. He’d just dump the lot on the bed once he determined there were no other surprises in there for him and leave it at that.

Presuming he didn’t just put it all away himself while the girl was out, at least.

He hadn’t decided yet.

Chapter 9

It had been weeks since that last conversation with his Shidi, and while Shen Qingqiu hadn’t forgotten about it, he’d settled into the idea that the results of any investigation would be no problem for him. As the time frame dragged out into something just past two months and autumn fell over everything with a proper vengeance, he put it out of his mind for other matters entirely.

This was a mistake.

He was outside near the garden, something the girls seemed to spend more attention on than anyone else, when he felt the tugging niggle that said that one of the other Peak Lords had entered his private territory. It had been growing over the last few years, making it easier and easier to note where people were on his peak at any given moment, what they were doing, and a few other things. It felt like it was important, but he simply observed the slow changes and decided they weren’t detrimental. If anything, the fact they persisted even when he left his peak was interesting.

Today, that niggle grew as his Shidi approached, attention sharpening his awareness as he realized that his Shidi was apparently bringing a child to him. Rather than risking whatever fuss this would kick up among the disciples, he met him halfway, observing how the girl was perched on one of Shang Qinghua’s arms, little hands latched on. Probably clinging to his robes. She couldn’t have been more than eight or nine, not while being so tiny.

“Why have you decided to bring a toddler to my peak, Shidi?” He pitched his voice to be deliberately droll, head cocking to the side as they came to a stop with just bamboo all around them.

“I’m not a toddler! I am years older than a toddler!” It was the girl who answered though, making a noise that was all offense. He felt his own lips twitch, just the tiniest bit, and made no effort to stop them. He could feel the girl’s sheer aggravation and it made him want to pinch her cheeks. Fascinating.

“Yep, nope, not getting between the two of you. Congrats, Shen-Shixiong, it’s a girl.” The child was in his arms a moment later, a bundle of yin and nowhere near enough attire. What on earth was the child wearing? It better be more than jewelry!

He shifted his grip on the squirming child so she was covered by his sleeves. “The desire demon.”

“A-niang was just lonely.” The girl’s tone turned to something petulant, and she gave up trying to get loose when she realized how good his grip was, slumping against his chest in aggravation. “I got bored so here I am. Well? Names? I know his name.” She pointed a finger at his Shidi imperiously. “And he’s going to teach me some things, but I’m not going to his Peak.”

“Of course not. That would be ridiculous.” Shen Qingqiu ignored the noise of offense from that direction entirely and huffed a faint noise that could have been a laugh. “You will stay here, on Qing Jing. I’m hardly going to be a hypocrite about this. Shen Qingqiu, though I suppose Fuqin is appropriate enough for you, baba if you wish.”

What he wasn’t expecting was for the girl to make a noise of bewildered offense, though given his life, he wasn’t even sure why it surprised him. “What, no. That doesn’t make any sense!”

He opted to ignore that as it wasn’t a question and blinked slowly, angling his head toward her face even as he prodded at her qi, making sure everything was more or less in order. Healthy, and she’d be nine now, given how long it had been, so she was very small for that. He juggled her in his arms a little, making her yelp, and poked around in her hair with his freed hand to make sure she didn’t have any horns. Some desire demons did and that wouldn’t do anything for her ability to hide here. Ears next, and then he scooped up one of her hands, flicking at her nails. Like his little beast. No matter, Bing-er got away with it readily enough, his daughter could as well. “Does my daughter have a name or need I choose one for you still?”

“Her name’s Shen Ju. That’s what she told me when I picked her up anyway. She’d apparently opted to run away from home already by the time I got there. If I hadn’t been there she probably would have been taken back home again quick enough.”

“Ju. Which character, do you know?”

There was a silence as no answer was forthcoming from his Shidi, and the girl turned petulant of all things. Finally, she was the one who broke the expectant silence, obviously reluctant. “Chrysanthemum.”

There was a beat of pause at that, and he cast a glare at his Shidi when he started to snicker. That was quite enough of that. He turned to start for his house. “If Shidi will make himself useful by getting her appropriate attire rather than being tasteless.”

“I’m not-!”

He could tell the girl was putting on airs, but after a moment of clear, split second hesitation where the girl tensed, she leaned up and over his shoulder to give what he was fairly sure was a mocking wave. “Byebye, tasteless-Shishu.”

“Hey!”

“Goodbye, Shidi.” Satisfied that this was going excellently, he lifted a hand to make sure the sparse cloth on her back was covered, and when he felt her toes digging into his hip for leverage, he despaired at having to be the one to introduce her to shoes.

There was huffing, and grumbling, but the man left, and he could tell when he left her sight because his new daughter slumped in his arms. “Where are we going?”

“My house. My side room has been appropriated by one of my disciples, but I have a room in the courtyard that can be reallocated for you once I move my instruments to the study. I would simply evict Bing-er, but she will very likely simply take over another part of the house and I would rather your Shijie not try to sleep in the kitchen or something equally ridiculous.”

“My Shijie, Bing-er,” she said it rather slowly, as though the words were somehow baffling for her, and he felt an upswing of amusement.

“Yes, your Shijie. You have a few, actually. Luo Binghe, Ning Yingying, Chun Xi, and a pair of twins much closer to your age, Bai Ye and Bai Xi. We will not judge them on the lack of creativity by their parents to diversify in their naming. Judge them for other things.”

“And those are all Shijie? For me?” Again with the stunned tone, obviously flummoxed. He couldn’t fathom why though. Though, given her question, perhaps she was viewing this as a personal challenge? It wouldn’t be unheard of.

“As I said. The eldest is Chun Xi, the youngest is Bai Xi, so I’ll leave you to sort out how you might distinguish the two, but Bing-er goes by Bing-mei or Bing-jie to the other disciples. She’s very vigilant about this. Do as you please with the rest, though I suppose, after a fashion, Ying-er would be your immediate cousin. Sort it out between you.” He made his way up onto his porch and paused, checking that Binghe was elsewhere before sweeping inside.

“My... cousin?”

“Quite. Did my Shidi not feed you? You seemed quite sharp before we started speaking properly.”

The words seemed to startle her, and her head, which had been on a swivel as he made his way to his little courtyard, then to the room just off of it, finally turned back toward him. “I’m not trying to misunderstand anything you’re saying, it’s just not what I was expecting. You haven’t mentioned any boys. Are there any?”

“You’re too young to care about boys and if any of the ones on this peak bother you, you have my full encouragement to kick them in the groin with your full strength.”

He could feel her practically radiating shock at him for a moment before she laughed, which he decided was good enough. Satisfied, he finally put her down in the small room, then set about moving his instruments to his sleeve for relocation.

There was something incredibly soothing to it when the girl started to bring ones from the other side of the room to him unprompted, even if she did pause to pluck at every single one on the way. She liked him enough for that, and her own sense of humor, while obviously mocking, wasn’t as sharp as his.

She’d been loved.

It was, he could admit to himself, a relief. Not enough of one that her mother would ever get her back from him, of course, but a relief all the same.

Chapter 10

Settling in his daughter was no real trouble, when all was said and done. Shang Qinghua, fool as he could be, hadn’t made the mistake of letting her be seen anywhere else in the sect before coming to him, so she as of yet had nothing to her name and thus almost nothing to settle her with.

Which was probably why they were in his room when Binghe returned, trying to find something in the pile of things given to him by his idiot Shixiong that she liked. It would be good for them to be used as something other than sleepwear and if the child liked them all the better. She needed to be covered more regardless. Yes, they’d all drag the ground ridiculously with how tiny she was, but it was better than her running around more than half naked.

Still, doing it all without sight was becoming aggravating, and his nuisance was good at being useful when something was aggravating him. This time was no exception, it seemed, as her voice answered his thoughts. “Shizun! This disciple is home!”

He had no idea why his daughter gasped, and honestly, he didn’t much care. He could only presume she liked the garment in his hands, which was long on him let alone her, and dumped it over her head. It would do well enough, he supposed.

“Binghe, come. Xiao Ju, put that over yourself until we find something better.”

There was a rustle of cloth in what he hoped was her complying, and then there Binghe was, standing in the doorway and looking around the room on a swivel. Ah yes. That was the ‘Shizun made a mess’ silence, he was fairly certain. The child never said anything, but the horror of the first time he’d done something in the kitchen after the girl came to live with him had been rather marked. He suspected this was much the same.

Her tone, however, gave nothing away. “Shizun? Who is this?”

He didn’t even get to answer before his child, apparently made of boldness when she wasn’t addled in confusion, was scrambling off where he put her on the bed. He had to move quickly to keep her from falling on her face when she got tangled in the robe. “This is Shen Ju, my daughter. Your Shang-Shishu brought her home to me this morning. She’ll be living in the courtyard room from now on.”

There was a beat of pause where the two children stared at each other and, of course, Binghe couldn’t just let the matter rest at that. “So this disciple was right?”

“Binghe.”

“This disciple was right! Is Shizun alright? Would he like a sweet tea today?”

“Binghe!” Being more insistent did absolutely nothing, it seemed.

“It’s only that if-”

And that was quite enough of that. He didn’t let the girl finish before pointing at the door behind her, raising his voice. “Out!”

“But-”

“My daughter is nine!”

“Oh.”

It was enough, at least, for her to really look at the child again, and silence permeated the room for a moment. With any luck, that would be it.

That was not it.

Shen Ju, the new tiny bane of his existence, liked to ask awkward questions. “Is it because it’s a sex thing? A-niang used to have sex with people sometimes in the grotto, so I know about that.”

Binghe startled enough for a full body twitch, which would have been funny if this hadn’t been so terribly exasperating. “Yes! Yes, it-”

“It is not a sex thing! I did not have sex with her mother. I am not despoiled, for heaven’s sake. Binghe, go make tea. Food as well. Out.” Never mind that he’d called her in here in hopes of going through the mess on the floor and bed.

“Shizun, are you-?”

“Out! More questioning and you’re to go help your Shishu instead of me today!”

That threat, at least, had the girl finally fleeing the room as though he’d just announced the vengeance of the heavens upon her. He would look to said heavens for help with these children if he didn’t know that they deliberately sent him troubles at every turn for their own amusement.

“That wasn’t very nice.”

“You will find, Xiao Ju, that I am not nice man. Remember it.”

“But you could be!”

“Absolutely not.”

He could feel her winding up to a possible tantrum and he was having none of that. Plucking her off her feet and ignoring her yelp, he bundled her up in the far too large robe like she was an infant and sat her right back on her spot on the bed.

“We will resume going through my extant wardrobe until Bing-er is finished.”

“But baba-”

Ignoring her struggling to free herself from his rather effecting swaddling, he lifted something that only hit him at the hips when worn. “Now, your opinion on this one?” When she just gave him an indignant screech, he nodded seriously. “Yes, that was my opinion as well. You can keep this one.”

The sounds of her struggle intensified, and he was glad that he’d balled up her little hands while he’d been swaddling her. Otherwise, she might have ripped something! He knew he was smiling just a little, he could feel the minute twitch at his lips, and he suspected that was no small part of the girl’s ire as she tried to get free of how he’d bundled her.

It just made holding up the next thing like he didn’t notice any of it all the funnier, really.

Notes:

Nothing like getting a horrible sinus cold for a month to really kill your momentum right?