Hiya! This one's fillery sorry! Also, after asking abou SQH (thnx for all the replies btw, gave much to think about! ;D ), he is not even appearing in this one. Soz peeps.
Have some introspection instead!


Something was wrong.

Liu Qingge woke up laying on his side, with his muscles aching, internal organs throbbing and blood bubbling up his throat.
He coughed and spat it out, gulping in breaths between heaves as his stomach and lungs expelled the spoiled blood.

The air tasted foul.

Cool, slow moving air of the Ling Xi Caves heavy with pungent qi, like rotten fruit and loam, thick with blood tang. Earth qi.
His insides felt scrambled. Liu Qingge snarled at himself in confused frustration before he remembered.

Qi Deviation.

One of the few he'd ever experienced. Severe. Life-threatening so.

He'd been cultivating, practicing his martial art kata to increase his qi flow, when he had gotten...frustrated, on the teetering edge of a breakthrough. He tried to force it. He failed. And now he was in the Caves with blood and fresh scars on both the walls and his skin.

His loose hair slipped over his face. He reached up a hand to shove it back, but paused.

It was almost completely masked by the tang of blood, but he had worked to recognize that scent anywhere after the first traitorous attempt on his life.

From his fingers came the faintest fragrant of orchid incense smoke.

Shen Qingqiu had been here.

Why did his fingertips smell of Shen Qingqiu's ridiculous feminine incense? He tentatively sniffed at the edge of his meditation robe.

Had he touched him for whatever reason while he was unconscious? Or maybe Deviating? Either Shen Qingqiu came in to hug and hold hands while Lou Qingge was unconscious or Lou Qingge touched him and retained no memory of it. Both impossibilities! Why?!

Or, Shen Qingqiu had done something, likely incredibly spiteful and possibly humiliating for Liu Qingge. But just what did he do?!

Pulling himself into seated lotus position, Liu Qingge forcefully calmed his mind and sank into meditation to check his spirit veins.

If that snake had done something to him, had crippled his cultivation in sick vengeance for Liu Qingge having actually worked for his power, for dedicating himself to training from his early youth and not expecting everything in life handed to him-!

He had done something.

That was yin fire circulating in Liu Qingge's meridians.

But it- it was- it wasn't doing anything. Or rather, anything bad.

So, Liu Qingge had a Qi Deviation.

Shen Qingqiu had approached him during a Qi Deviation, he was out of his mind with rage and bloodlust judging by the cave walls and self-inflicted wounds, probably because it was the only time he could potentially win against Liu Qingge with his dirty tricks.

He had then subdued him when he was at his strongest peak of qi and physical strength, without injuring him, and... had decided to... sooth... it.

Because that is what the petty, honourless spiritual cultivator's qi was doing. A thin coating along Liu Qingge's spirit veins, swirling into his meridians and mingling with his metal natured qi, warming, reshaping, guiding into the proper pathways and directions. Enough to prevent another Deviation, yet not enough to push the regulatory cycle interaction into a destructive Overacting cycle and destroying Liu Qingge from within.

And it was specifically fire qi as well, no trace of Shen Qingqiu's water, which would have initiated a Weakening cycle and crippled his Cultivation, potentially permanently. Or just killed him.

Liu Qingge took a breath to quell the shiver that raced down his spine.

It was extremely difficult for a dual-natured cultivator to use just one of their elements. To do it so completely, for such precision application? The sheer control, the discipline, the focus necessary?

Anyone would say it was impossible.

Then again, Shen Qingqiu had always been exceptional

But this, it made no sense.
Shen Qingqiu had... helped him?

That meant that...

...He...He owed Shen Qingqiu his life.

He vomited blood.

.

.

Mu Qingfang settled down at his low table with a strong cup of tea and allowed the breadth of his shoulders to relax.

He sighed.

He, Xia Qingfeng and their disciples had returned in a timely manner, even with his minor detour, so he had anticipated no major stressors awaiting him at Cang Qiong except perhaps an unfortunate injury or particularly tricky mission related affliction.

Not so.

Instead, Mu Qingfang returns to be told by his Sect Leader that not only is Shen Qingqiu in closed cultivation, barely weeks after a Qi Deviation very nearly killed him, but Liu Qingge is also in seclusion and anticipating a breakthrough! A highly dangerous and delicate endeavour for one of their power!
Not only that, but Li Qingrong was returning to the Mountain Peaks and who knew how severe whatever injury or malady he was suffering from was, to bring him back so suddenly.

Or indeed, how long he had been suffering in his unassuming silence; forever unwilling to be a burden on another.

Perhaps his eyes were damaged and blinded from the sun or snow glare as Mu Qingfang feared they one day would be? Had his moonlight skin developed sickness? Himself enduring illness? Who knows? Not Mu Qingfang! Because Li Qingrong continues to politely decline regular check-up appointments to monitor his health ever since they were disciples! Which would not be a problem if not for his albinism weakened body and Heavens know the man doesn't take well enough care of himself.

Mu Qingfang brought a large hand up to press on his eyes and then massage his temples.

Him and Shen Qingqiu; one prone to sickness of the body, the other of the qi... and heart apparently. Neither of whom trust Mu Qingfang enough to tell him about their pains, so that he may help. Neither of them trust him to look after them, to treat them carefully where they are most vulnerable.
Li Qingrong does not do this deliberately at least; his is behaviour was learned again and again in his childhood, from what Mu Qingfang knows of it, so by now is simply ingrained.

Shen Qingqiu...

Hazel eyes slid to the wrapped package.

He always smells sad.

Shen Qingqiu holds great and constant sadness according to Xia Qingfeng, yet does nothing to provide himself with comfort. Instead, he drives everyone around him away, keeps himself cold and aloof.

It had always seemed like he wanted it that way because he thought himself superior to everyone else, his refusal of treatment by Mu Qingfang like just another refusal to lower himself to the level of his martial kin.

But with mind to this sadness... it feels like defensiveness.

He had seen it before, in grieving disciples suffering volatile burst of mercurial emotion because they felt too much to keep it all in, even when they tried.

In disciples from noble houses unable to express themselves because that meant a loss of decorum and such a notion had long been 'discouraged' through various means.
He had seen it in Huang Ye disciples and beasts, who lashed out against anyone nearby to cover their vulnerability.

Mu Qingfang had just...never linked that behaviour to Shen Qingqiu. He had always been like it, even from when they first met as disciples. Some people really did prefer to be left to themselves and Shen Qingqiu certainly presented himself to be one of them.

His cultivation had always been unsteady... had Shen Qingqiu truly been suffering for so long?

His gaze was heavy on the small package. His heart was felt the same.

He had failed as a Healer. He had sworn himself to his martial siblings, to heal them when injured and guard them while vulnerable. And he had failed. Had been failing for decades!

Yet it took his martial brother almost dying to see.

He threw back the lukewarm tea and got up decisively. He had things to do; medicines to make, training curriculums to revise and a package to deliver to Qing Jing.

He had grown complacent, in these years of peace following Huang Hua's war on the Heavenly Demons.

He would do better.

Because if he had missed this about the Second-in-Command of the Sect, their Head Tactician...

What else had he missed?

He would do better.

.

.

It must be a trick.

It must be a ploy, a way to force Liu Qingge to do Shen Qingqiu's bidding. There must be something Shen Qingqiu wants.

Liu Qingge seethed.

He was no pawn. He would not be manipulated, played with, by the likes of Shen Qingqiu. He would go find him right now and find out what the snake wanted and he would do it.

Because he had honour.

He forced himself up and staggered over to the mouth of his catacomb chamber. Best to rid himself of this debt as soon as possible, before that vicious scholar had anymore time to plan. He summoned Cheng Luan to his hand and jolted.

Shen Qingqiu had touched his sword.

There was the faintest trace of him, the chaotic yin fire and yin water mix lingering like invisible ghost wisps on the hilt and strong along one edge of the blade.

The sword had been set down just out of arm's reach. It was also clean.

Had Shen Qingqiu taken a hit?

...It must not be severe if he took the time to clean his blood off Cheng Luan (why did he do that? He had always been precious and excessive about his burning his spilled blood with spirit fire, like that would erase the fact that he'd been injured. Absolutely excessive, it's not as if his family would not have applied a blood guard seal to protect him from demonic cultivators. Everyone knew he was of a wealthy noble family). Though he had always been reluctant to receive treatment, even from Mu Qingfang. Now, Liu Qingge didn't like the Healer Wings much either, but even he knew it was a good idea to have injuries checked over by a trained professional.

Closing his eyes briefly to flow qi to his nose, he scented the air and was off, following the path of ink, orchid smoke, paper and green bamboo growth.

As he drew closer to the source, following along the dimly lit labyrinth of rough, narrow passageways carved into grey stone, he began to hear a sound. A deep yet high vibrational humming. High density qi.

Pulling his own qi close as not to interfere, Liu Qingge followed his nose to one entrance and stopped, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. He was not so careless as to interrupt a cultivation peak in progress.
It also gave him the chance to observe Shen Qingqiu.

The scholar was deep in meditation, separated ribbons of qi swirling around his seated form. He unclasped his hands and raised an arm, drawing a single finger in an arc over his head, qi dancing in its path, elegant sweeping curves like sword strikes swirling into a sphere as Shen Qingqiu reclasped his hands in reverse position.

Liu Qingge watched as the ball of qi was encased in a pillar of spiralling ribbons of alternately fire and water, as a shimmering cloak of water qi pooled over his shoulders and fire qi flared in a jagged halo around his silhouette.

There was an area on one upper arm where qi gathered in higher intensity.

Shen Qingqiu was unpleasant in many ways, but watching this display of power and control...if there was one thing Liu Qingge found attractive, it was a Predator. One whose every move was made sleek and silent with coiled potential through sculptured strength, devastating control and deadly grace.

A breath, a slight crease between brows and the structure of qi spun faster, drawing into itself, condensing and swiftly falling down through the top of Shen Qingqiu's head with a hollow, resonating sound like a bell chime, yet with an off note that jarred uncomfortably.

Qi flared through skin, wisps rising like tongues of flame and lapping like waves as they rippled through the air and fed into the Cave stone and spiritual pool.

Shen Qingqiu opened his eyes and for a moment they glowed.

They glowed vermillion as the fire bird and blue as the ocean water dragons, combining around his pupils in violet starbursts.

Powerful. Pretty. Dangerous.

His neck pricked as the hairs there stood on end.

Liu Qingge scowled. His mouth was strangely dry.

"Hey!" he called. Shen Qingqiu tensed but didn't flinch (had never flinched from him, unlike many ...just another reason he consistently sought him out). However, after the first reflexive glance his bright scale green eyes moved to fixed on a point just over Liu Qingge's right shoulder, not on his eyes like they always had been.

It was confusing and made Liu Qingge even more frustrated and uneasy.
Shen Qingqiu apparently wasn't going to acknowledge him, so Liu Qingge stomped closer, trying not to sway.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

Jade eyes flickered to his for a moment and blinked, "This master was meditating. To raise his cultivation. As one typically is found to be doing, in the Ling Xi Caves." An exaggerated pause for pretended contemplation. Thin peach lips curled slightly. "Though a brute like you might not know this, stripped beyond the point of indecency, hair shamelessly loose, dishevelled and bloodied as you are. Did perhaps the Caves pick a fight with this shidi?"

Liu Qingge grit his teeth against a retort. He needed answers and a way to pay his...debt to Shen Qingqiu.

"I was cultivating. I had a Qi Deviation. Your qi is in my meridians. What do you want."

A fan appeared from one ridiculously voluminous sleeve and opened to hide the scholar's face. His voice was slightly distant, "Liu Qingge must use his words, else this master will be unable to answer adequately, as he does not speak brute."

Liu Qingge's grey eyes widened. Shen Qingqiu had...used his name. He never referred to him as 'Liu Qingge' without any snide titles adjoined!

Maybe Shen Qingqiu really was injured. He hadn't truly met his eyes yet either.

Something was definitely wrong.

He sheathed Cheng Luan to cross his arms. His disciples always gave him the truthful answers when he did this at them for some reason. It might work on Shen Qingqiu.

"You saved my life. What do you want me to do to fulfil the debt. What are you planning."

The fan waved gently. It had peach blossoms on it. As if anyone couldn't tell he was an Immortal by looking at him, his fan design had to slap them in the face with it.

Because Liu Qingge was looking at the fan, he failed to notice the willow leaf green eyes above it narrow into slits.

He did, however, notice the change in the ambient energy still bleeding off of Shen Qingqiu from a passive humming to something like the death rattle of a Singing Sands Snake or maybe a growling Creeping Mist Cat.

"This master was planning to leave seclusion having now improved his cultivation, to train his disciples as is his duty. He wants Liu-shidi to leave first and compose himself as something more than a peasant lunatic!"

The anger broke his decorum, as it always did, fan dropping to reveal snarling canines and lips twisting to spit venom, eyes wide and finally meeting his...but there was something in them. A familiar light to them that Liu Qingge had seen sent his was many times, but never from Shen Qingqiu's eyes.

Fear.

There was fear in his eyes when he looked at Liu Qingge head on (and something else. Bitterish. Sad? Guilty? Mad? Vengeful? Something, that Liu Qingge wasn't good enough at emotions to identify). That was definitely a hunted expression in fine jade irises though. Prey staring at a Predator.
Shen Qingqiu was scared of him.

...he didn't like it.

What changed? Did... did he do something during his Deviation? Shen Qingqiu had seen him wild on bloodlust before in the war on the Heavenly Demons, but that...aggression had never been turned on him. Would never be turned on Shen Qingqiu if Liu Qingge was in his right mind.

But it had been...

Did Shen Qingqiu feel like Liu Qingge was a threat to him because of it? Was- was he afraid that Liu Qingge would turn that side of himself, the feral, mad side that earned him the name White Tiger...against Shen Qingqiu?

They fought and sparred regularly sure, with words and then weapons and it was nasty, but it was never...

They had never fought to kill, despite all of Shen Qingqiu's threats.

He was- they were sworn brothers. He was their Warlord, their weapon against the enemy, their sword to be wielded to protect the Sect. He was loyal. He would never turn against one he was Sworn to Protect.

That was- what was a Tiger without a Territory? A War God without a Pantheon?
Nothing more blood-lusting beast.

But Shen Qingqiu had saved his life, even though his trust in him was broken shaken during the fight.

He would prove himself worthy of that trust. He would have to be...gentle. Patient.
Liu Qingge would show Shen Qingqiu that he could be...soft.

So that he could work on repaying the life-debt with honour.

(So that the fear would go away.)

But for now...

He had asked Liu Qingge to leave, in that twisty way of his, so Liu Qingge would respect that. He would show that he could be commanded, asked, and he would obey.
He had intended to bring up the arm injury, but pointing out a vulnerability would make Shen Qingqiu feel even more threatened, so he would not.

Liu Qingge bent his neck.

"...I will leave first."

He turned on his heel and returned to his own cultivation chamber.

With Shen Qingqiu's qi stabilizing his own, his breakthrough should be safe and relatively fast despite the Deviation.

He could not prove himself if he was distracted by teetering on the unstable edge of an advance.

Once in his bloodied cave, he changed his robe, scrubbed the dried blood off his body and grit off his one cheek and sank into a gentle moving meditation sequence he learned as a disciple.

He would have patience and build up to his usual cultivating sequences.

(...His injuries didn't need a medical professional. If Mu Qingfang knew he'd had a Qi Deviation, he wouldn't let him out of the Sect for weeks. They would heal with qi circulation anyway. Mu-shixiong would never know.)

.

.

Shen Qingqiu scoffed at Liu Qingge's retreating back, stiff, upright and proud, with his silky black hair flouncing like a thick fur coat instead of its usual swishing tail.

Why was the brute undressed?! If not for the blood, the Bai Zhan War God of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect had looked like nothing more than a noble young master rudely awoken. The delicate sort that might write wistful poetry and press flowers.

And yet... all Shen Qingqiu could think about when he saw him was how scared he'd looked in death. How his white jade skin had paled to the likeness of pure snow. How his steely grey eyes had been open wide and staring.

...how cold he'd been.

Well. The brute was alive now anyway and as Shen Qingqiu had achieved a minor advance in his cultivation (still the greatest and easiest in...so long. Even if his qi was still unstable and his Foundation weak and flawed... he was used to it by now), he had matters to attend outside the Caves.

Unlike some Lords who spend all their Immortal lives scratching around in the dirt of the wilderness for their next opponent.


A bit longer this time, but not much happening~
So SQQ is out of seclusion! Yes, it took SY like, 2 ½ months longer to level up, but SQQ actually knows what he's doing and he's in a high point having saved LQG, heart demons took the backseat for a mo.

• Weakening cycle: water rusts metal
• Blood guard seal: destroys the innate qi trace of spilled blood if contact with demonic qi is made. Wealthy nobles have it applied to their children so they can't be cursed etc. by demonic cultivators. SQQ doesn't have it because it works best applied young to encompass the body's qi and requires someone else to apply it.

SQQ taking his Peak to task next time~
(Though when that will be idk)