Chapter 12: 12 Stalks; attracting loving energy to relationships, completion of desires.


Two chapters in one day?! What sorcery is this?!

More like I forgot to post chap 11 here after I did it on ao3. Sorry folks ('^'; )


"Shidi."

Viridescent eyes stared at them intently over the edge of the painted wetland scene of the fan, his regard sweeping over them as cold and harsh as the winter monsoon wind, never leaving them even as the fan languidly flicked over one shoulder in acknowledgement of the brightly tinkling baoding ball bouncing off into the adjoining kitchen with words of tea- the mention of which, strangely, caused Mu Qingfang's leafy sun-warmed qi to... wilt a small increment.

"To what occasion does this Master owe the visit of the White Lotus of Jing Shen and the Healer of Fragrant Tinctures to his humble abode at this time of the evening? Surely these esteemed Lords have duties of higher import than socialising, in a house without invite of its Host no less, to devote their time."

Li Qingrong flattened his lips at the reminder of epithet that seemed to follow him no matter what remote corner of the lands he visited. He was glad of the veil obscuring his reaction when Mu Qingfang's small flinch in the qi field and shoulders drew the imperious stare of those icy green eyes, honing in on Mu Qingfang at the sign of weakness and dismissing Li Qingrong- for now.

To the healer's credit, honey hazel met the sharp bamboo leaves boring into them from across the room steadily, "This shidi was concerned for Shen-shixiong's health after two Qi Deviations in short succession. There matters drawn to this healer's attention in recent days that I would very much like to discuss with you, if shixiong is recovered enough to."

Narrow jade shards slid across to Li Qingrong in a pointedly, a disparaging curl to his lips.

"This one believes Li-shidi has reasons of his own to visit Shen-shixiong and earth-nature qi is better suited to support shixiong's spirit veins in their weakened state after a Deviation than my own, should the current protections require supplementing."

Mu Qingfang was unfazed by the frost in their host's deportment, like the oak is unmoved by Winter's biting winds. Li Qingrong admired the undaunted tranquillity in the profile of his placid smile and raised chin for a moment before a sharp clack drew his attention back to the second highest Sect authority, who swept forward and gracefully sank down at the low table, extravagant robes settling about him like the layered petals of a Dusk-Blooming Marsh Peony, Shen Qingqiu at their heart like a fae.

The silvery baoding ball with fluttering hair ribbons returned, chiming sweetly with announcement of tea and accompaniments. Accompaniments which had been conspicuously absent from the tea they'd been drinking all evening. Li Qingrong kept his eyes on his cup, delicate sunlight gold of the tea –chrysanthemum, he caught in the youthful babble– and the lazy drift of shimmering steam.

They were pretty cups. Dark lapis blue lacquer intricately painted with swirling lines and pin-prick dots of pigment in a muted mix of bronze and cerulean blue. Prohibitively expensive by mortal value of course, only found there in the noble echelons of high society, but this was the Peak of Artistry so why would they not display their expertise?

He would still rather his travelling wooden ones, with their simple dragon carvings worn soft from age and use.

Ah. He'd missed something.

He'd evidently missed something because while he had been focusing on his tea cup and waiting for the Shen Qingqiu's disciples to leave, some sort of interaction had passed that caused Mu Qingfang to stiffen and his qi to start and a small coil to bloom slightly in what was presumably a... realisation? Of sorts?

Scanning the room from beneath his eye lashes revealed the Mu Qingfang's subtly widened eyes and faded smile, Shen Qingqiu's cold and sharp stoicism mid-sip, slanting a look to the side... where the disciples were congregated. Baoding was hugging the empty tray and awaiting instruction from Shen Qingqiu, the stretch of her grin obscuring her eyes in crescents once more, the haphazard mass of rambling passion flower vines was coiled in on himself very closely and keeping his eyes low, avoiding notice, but the gangly pine sapling was the one. Eyebrows drawn together, lips pressed to a seam and attempting to duck his head to hide the flush of embarrassment spreading across his nose and burning bright embers on his ears.

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Shen Qingqiu savoured the warmth and mild sweetness of the tea.

It was skilfully brewed, as expected of any Qing Jing disciple save the little beast cub who persisted his endeavour to learn nothing on the scholars Peak (for all Ming Fan claimed sabotage, the beastie could have performed far better if he had grown a spine and a brain and looked to work around adversity. Shen Jiu had managed it consistently in his own childhood, but no, instead Bing-er tried to brute-force things like a Bai Zhan meathead).

He took a slow, leisurely bite of a small osmanthus cake...

And watched with distant amusement as his untrustworthy little disciple burned with the weight of shame for his transgressions. His betrayal of the trust Shen Qingqiu placed in him as male Head Disciple. Trust, to be dutiful and responsible in controlling the behaviour of the juvenile men on the Peak, to ensure a relatively safe environment for disciples to live, learn and cultivate towards a better life.

At least he was proving more responsible than that cowering dog Yue Qingyuan. Ming Fan acknowledged his accountability and was working to better himself to prevent a repeat of his shameful behaviour. Still, that he had deviated from the character standard Shen Qingqiu had afforded him was... disappointing.

In his periphery he saw Mu Qingfang jerk, setting the dark curls of his hair bouncing every-which-way and Li Qingrong's shoulders curve in on themselves to diminish his presence. As if the personified moonbeam of a man could simply disappear.

"Ning Yingying. Come with the work shipment from the Rainbow Bridge to this Master tomorrow morning in training robes and with the suitable equipment. Make arrangements for the day's absence from lessons." he lifted his gaze from Ming Fan and swept over the three of them, "Dismissed."

They scurried out and he was left with the adult nuisances.

Mu Qingfang reached out to the middle of the table and rested his hand there loosely, casually. "May this healer check your meridians?"

He eyed it. "This Master if fine"

"Please, Shen-shixiong"

Shen Qingqiu remained motionless for a long, very deliberate moment then huffed and presented his wrist. Tea-warmed fingers encirled skin over vulnerable veins in a clinical grip, respectfully touching no more or less than required. He ignored the way the heat of his flesh and qi sank into his bones.

The atmosphere was civil enough, with Mu Qingfang murmuring absently about qi flows and herbal harmony.

"Hm. A buffer to dull and soften interactions between spiritual qi and physical body... possibly Elysian Asphodel for a stasis effect, or powdered Purgatory Pearls... water from the Pool of Heavenly Reflection... neutral, versatile solvent, would enrich spiritual qi besides... but the opposing affinities... Shimmering Moon and Shining Sun Carp scales might maintain the balance, but they need a binding agent to interact with other components in solution. Clawed Ivy root? Interrupts the cyclic of energy within the recipe... interesting challenge for Chang-shidi."

"What."

The warm, amber and green tones of his eyes sharpened with the healer's rising focus. "For the medicine pill development. Qian Cao works closely with other Peaks to develop medicines; Bai Zahn and Huang Ye source and supply beast parts, An Ding trades for enhanced spiritual waters and area-specific parts and plants with their regional Clans and Sects, Zui Xian shares harvest of qi-rich crops and regular, limited quantities of enhances wood shavings, seeds and their spiritual syrup elixirs which are very useful in pill-powder binding.

"Qian Cao and Ku Xing consult very regularly on recipe harmony of energy flows between ingredients. This Healer would consult with Chang Qingshi on this new treatment synthesis as well, particularly for the consideration of qi density of the patient as disharmonious pill recipes disrupt bodily qi flows like some of the deadliest toxins."

Shen Qingqiu flicked his fan open to cover the way lips were curling away from his teeth

"This one previously held the assumption that the Healers of Qian Cao were above perpetuating rumours and circulating gossip of private information. Disappointing. This Master will see to his own needs. If that is all, Honoured Lords? Scram. "

Amber flecks burned in narrowed eyes, smile slipping from the Healer Lord's face entirely leaving hard lines and an unexpectedly severe countenance. Oh dear. Hit something sensitive, had he? Oh dear, oh dear, what ever should he do?

Truly, he had thought better of Mu Qingfang than this, but he supposed he really should have expected such a disappointment from a man-

"Shen Qingqiu. I am a doctor, by trade and oath. I understand you have a high degree of issues, and do not wish to jeopardize the privacy of your affairs; I have accommodated your refusal for full depth examination despite layering difficulty and danger to my sworn task of treating your wounds and healing your ills. I had accepted that you do not trust me enough to entrust yourself in my care. I accepted that and did not seek to improve the state of the bond between us; that is my failing of my position and of my Oath. I acknowledge that.

"But I, my Peak, my disciples, would never wilfully share crucial details of delicate treatments or wounds with patient identifying characteristics. We would never endanger the vulnerable lives that entrust themselves to us by sharing this. I would ask for aid on an anonymous case to ensure the best quality and fastest acquisition possible for ingredients, for a second opinion on a recipe in ways that lay in fellow Cang Qiong Peak Lords' specialisations to bestow even a fraction more benefit, efficiency or even luck. I would ask the peers with whom I am spiritually tied to for aid for the benefit of one of our own.

"Shen Qingqiu, to treat the warping of your spiritual veins and the fracturing of your meridians I will need help. I will need help from our sworn kin and will need help from you. Without treatment, you are going to die. I have lost too much family to be content to let you kill yourself out of hubris.

"You have to reduce the stress you are putting yourself under. Install a Hallmaster council like the rest of the Peaks to delegate paperwork to and establish some meditative destressing activities. I do not know what family you have Shen-shixiong, but I will insist you rekindle contact, you need a support network, to this end kindling closer bonds with our martial siblings would be preferable, which would be easier if I was explicitly given leave to share deeper information than general, anonymous, patient profile, but I will not argue that today. I would also highly recommend regular qi transfusions from a rotation of different natured individuals to prevent full Spirit Vein Misalignment and boost the effects of specific aspects of different medicines, so please at least consider it.

"Finally," Mu Qingfang suddenly gained a presence of looming intensity, lending him height and mass beyond his short compact build, sparks of emerald qi burning fiercely bright in his eyes, "make no mistake Shen Qingqiu, if not for the state of your health and my integrity as a Healer, I would be honour bound to Duel for the slight against the honour of my practice and my Peak. Despite all your skill, cunning and strength, I would not lose that fight. Be warned, Shen Qingqiu." He subsided back into a more unassuming presence, forcefully smothering the very real fires of anger and visibly dismissing it from his notice.

So the demure and passive medic had hidden talons after all hm? Willing to draw them to bear in defence of the Sect and his moral standard, hm? Good. Very good.

Were Shen Qingqiu not so soon off the back of such damaging Deviations, he might have tried his Xiu Ya against Mu Qingfang's Xiang Yu to see just what sort of warrior he was. It would be interesting to say the least, as he could not recall having ever observed him in combat or been able to focus on analysis without his own opponent interfering.

Ah well. Another time.

(...a slightly ridiculous hope, with the state of things, that he would survive long enough to propose a spar and have recovered enough to be a worthwhile opponent. Hah.)

Unwillingly, Shen Qingqiu felt his lips slant up and folded his fan.

" Impressive , shidi" he said. "This shixiong wasn't aware he had a shidi of your name with such indomitable spirit. Ha. Very well shidi, this Shen Qingqiu will submit to Mu Qingfang's superior judgement on the synthesis of the treatment... and will hold him at his word for maximum confidentiality functionally possible. However ." he paused, leaned forward and let some of his own predator show on the surface. "Be warned Mu Qingfang; I don't wait for witnesses. "

He sat back, still smiling with just a few too many teeth. "Well then, if Mu Qingfang's business for the evening is concluded, he may perhaps return to his own Peak and fulfil his prestigious duties there."

"...Yes, of course. Well-" Mu Qingfang coughed to clear his throat, "Well, this shidi would advise that Shen-shixiong accept a short qi transfusion form Li-shidi before you part ways and... this shidi will bring a sample set tomorrow morning for preliminary analysis." He threw back his tea in one fortifying gulp (oh this had agitated him hadn't it? Usually, he didn't down tea like shots to a seasoned drunkard until halfway through a Full Peak Meeting, when the little spats between the Lords of this harmonious Sect really started to get under way), he dithered for a moment and then he bowed politely and left. Leaving Shen Qingqiu alone with the hitherto silent and unobtrusive Li Qingrong.

Li Qingrong was still staring at a fixed spot just to the side of the teapot, veil in place, visibly willing himself to transmute into mist and disperse to escape the situation.

His eyes flickered up to acknowledge Mu Qingfang and his head bobbed jerkily in farewell, but no motion was made to introduce the cause for his request to meet for tea.

His letter of request had been unenlightening and Shen Qingqiu was curious. Curious, and impatient enough with it to forego having them sit in weighted silence until his companion plucked up the courage to lift it- like he would have with Yue Qingyuan, for example. He casually nudged the plate of osmanthus cakes across the table. "Li-shidi should try the accompaniment. If we are to take tea and talk, then it would be best for shidi to... relax. " As if this man had ever relaxed in the presence of Shen Qingqiu throughout their acquaintanceship.

"...thanking Shen-shixiong," came the murmured reply. Li Qingrong took a small cake and took a smaller bite, closing his eyes and carefully controlling a slow, deep breath. He took off his veil and flicked his eyes up to meet Shen Qingqiu's for a long moment. With the veil pushed back over his head, the soft glow of evening sunset washed his hair with the faintest rose gold blush and gave his eyes an unearthly glow. Li Qingrong had always had an appealing colour pallet as a painting subject.

"Shen-shixiong... this one was in deep meditation, almost twenty days past and... noticed that there was a change in Shen-shixiong's spiritual resonance. Something... a new element crossed over into our plane and- this one requested audience to... ensure shixiong's health and wellbeing. Against what this one thought might be a spiritual attack at the time. In meditation since, this shidi found that the- soul shade has been indistinguishably integrated into Shen-shixiong's own soul and spiritual bonds, so seamless and naturally that... it could only have been a familiar entity"

Delicate lilac eyes met his own directly and held the gaze, "This one wanted to ensure that Shen-shixiong knows beyond doubt that the Peak Lords of Cang Qiong will always come to the aid of one of our own. This one... cannot truly speak for all the other Lords, but if this Li Qingrong can ever be of use to Shen- shixiong, then this one will fulfil those duties to the beat of his capacity, no matter what, no matter when." he took a breath, "no matter what transpired in another Shen Qingqiu's lifetime."

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Shen Qingqiu had stilled; everything about him, from the rhythm of his breaths to the movement of his fan, held in perfect stillness, face frozen of reaction and eyes gaining intensity as if lit with Last Breath Candle flame. Even the clashing cacophony of his qi silenced for a moment. Li Qingrong tried to diminish his spiritual awareness, to deafen his senses and wilfully dull himself to endure a long interaction with such a loud presence in close proximity, but still a long, low erhu note sounded to his perception, ending in a predatory growling reverberation.

He had made a mistake, showing that he knew something about the soul shade. Was it a secret? Why? He would have told them, wouldn't he? They were the Peak Lords of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect! One of the four Great Sects of the Cultivation world, praised for their strength and their unity- in their strength through unity.

His shixiong's head slowly lilted to the side, "What do you know, Li-shidi?"

...I know that something horrific occurred. I know that something went wrong and the unity of the Fourth Qing generation of Cang Qiong was torn asunder. I know you were shattered , soul deep. And if it was by failed Ascension that our bonds were cleaved, then we of another tine, another life, failed you Shen Qingqiu. Failed, else we would not have attempted to Ascend, or limited the damage to prevent the tragedy of the vestige of ashy shade I sensed.

He opened his mouth, but the words weren't forthcoming and Shen-shixiong reviled baseless conjecture, so he bit his tongue and held silent.

Shen Qingqiu stared, unblinking. "Or perhaps..." he began slowly, with a tone that almost managed idle speculation, "perhaps a more practical question might be what do you want to know?"

That answer at least was quick to his lips, spilling out almost before his notice, "The truth shixiong, so that together we can avoid a recurrence in this life."

Erhu sang to life again, the first notes soft but slightly off, shaken out of tune by the lingering effect of Shen Qingqiu's Deviation, but sweet enough with a delicate tremulous emotion... before darker, more forbidding notes set it, swirling and overlapping until they reverberated harshly like joyless laughter. Bitter toned and derisive. Intensely discomfiting, as most of Shen Qingqiu's qi song was to Li Qingrong's senses. He winced as a sharp pain lanced through his skull.

This was why Li Qingrong never maintained close proximity to him if a way to put distance between them existed; the harsh unhappiness of his qi song battered at his senses, gave him headaches and heartache and agitated his qi flow towards instability of his own.

Heartache, because Li Qingrong knew first hand that Shen Qingqiu's song could be so beautiful...

Once, and only once, Li Qingrong had come across him with playing music. His Shifu had brought him to Qing Jing to discuss the effects large ice damn burst and resulting flood in the far North-East. Aside from drastic land formation change, the cold water deposited into the ocean could potentially slow oceanic heat and nutrient currents, with potential effects such as decreased fish stocks, severe coastal storms and a forecast of harsh winters for the next few years.

Vitally important information, but it had been a scant month before the Imperial Exams and Qing Jing was hive of anxiety around that time. He had stumbled away from the chaotic mess of sensory input and deep into the bamboo forest on the western face of the peak, until he came across the infamous scholarly Head Disciple, who appeared in the Sect in Yue Qingyuan's shadow from the Immortal Alliance Conference invaded by Wu Yanzi. The demonic cultivator all Cang Qiong roaming units had been warned to flee from if encountered.

There was discontent emanating from the disciple, who scowled with his eyes shut at the instrument in his lap, fingers flexing restlessly before flicking once and settling on the strings.

...With the first strum his entire presence changed.

No longer a thunder head over a churning ocean, crackling with storm energy- but the murky, liquid reflection of gathered clouds barely lit by moonlight in the mirror face of a lake. Low, melancholy bass chords, gentle reverberation, clouds rolled in a silent breeze. Hi qi echoed in compliment of his fingers, quietly thrumming in chorus and twinkling with the sound of delicate chimes. A pause, a beaded dew drop suspended on the thin tip of a leaf...

Impact. A strong deep tone, flowing notes, commotion, emanating ripple surging into existence. A sweet and hopeful uplift, moonlight glimmering on the shifting surface.

Stillness, clouds part and the full moon revealed, bathing the lake in silver, the song quietened in awe, the vast expanse of stars revealed to invisible eyes for a mere breath, then obscured by swirling clouds silvered in the glow of the moon they covet.

Sinking down into the dark lake waters, like distorted into strange, ethereal shapes. Shining on a water flower bud, rising to wards the surface, a sense of time passing, unwavering determination in pulsing ascension, rippling the surface with delicate emergence, petals unfurling as the music quietened and in the last gossamer notes, the last perfect petal fell into place.

A pure white water lily, glowing in the night shine, staring upwards to the moon.

Like the blooming water flower, the turbulent assault on his senses gentled suddenly. The bitterest discordant notes fading as if exhausted, the strongest, harshest sounds not so much calming as forcefully stilled.

Li Qingrong opened his eyes, unaware that they had closed.

Shen Qingqiu's expression was cool and blank like the alpine lake, though his eyes held turbulent clouds. His head tilted to the side, a gentle sweep of hair following the motion, "Qingrong-shidi needn't worry himself, this shixiong is taking precautions to advert the events of the other timeline and minimise the impact of the Sect."

Li Qingrong curled his hands around the high-class teacup and nodded, but paused as an uneasy thought whispered through his consciousness; and advert negative impact on Shen-shixiong too, yes? He reached up and touched the edge of his veil, resisting the urge to pull it down over his face with surprising difficulty. Of course Shen Qingqiu was working towards saving himself that fate. Li Qingrong didn't have all the information to enable him to assume otherwise. His shixiong had a mind like cut diamond, sharp and glittering behind jade veils. He was the Sect tactician and ruthlessly effective in his post. Li Qingrong would trust his judgement.

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A knock on the door pulled him out of the daze of figures and words with many layered meanings. He straightened reflexively, shoulders subtly back, chin subtly titled up, a gentle half smile curving his lips. Just like Shizun taught him; confidence without arrogance, warmth without weakness. Strength. A Leader.

His Head Disciple slid the study door open and announced Mu Qingfang, then dismissed herself back to finish the evening's work.

Alone with his Healer, Yue Qingyuan allowed the broad line of his shoulders to soften and his smile to slip into the genuine, if tired, lopsided quirk that 'makes you look like a dockside rogue. A disappointment, Disciple Yue'.

He reached into one of the many compartments of his desk and pulled out another cup for the plain black set he had sat off to one side, untouched and steaming. He had gotten distracted by a missive on his desk from one of the Qing Jing Hallmasters between the points of brewing and pouring. Stupid. Always ensure to see a task to completion.

At least, with its cast iron, the set had retained heat enough to serve.

"Greeting Mu-shidi"

"Greeting Yue-shixiong. May I?"

Yue Qingyuan placed his wrist in Mu Qingfang's grasp, keeping his fingers in a loose curl. His shidi carefully circulated qi through his meridians, a vaguely tart taste spreading in his mouth like plump, sour hawthorn berries wrapped up in the perpetual sugar syrup of Yue Qingyuan's qi. It was a delicate balance to achieve, maintaining an inter-regulating cycle between their natures and conducting a thorough evaluation without tipping the balance into overacting or counteracting, but Mu Qingfang's control never wavered. His shidi was truly skilled in his craft.

Shidi blinked back to physical awareness and hummed, manipulating his lax hand to turn and applying firm pressure to the Shenmen point below the crease of his wrist, opposite his thumb. A familiar point of access to his heart meridian, soothing qi flow agitated from stress or worry and nourishing his blood with qi to strengthen his body.

"Yue-shixiong has suffered mild strain in his spirit system from detrimental qi circulation patterns, I advise you to perform some moving meditation sequences this evening before the sun sets and again once arisen, ideally in direct sunlight to reinforce anchors between the spirits and physical forms of yourself and Xuan Su."

Yue Qingyuan nodded in acceptance and led his shidi into the office side-room suited for casual, friendly guests, snagging the tea tray and a box of dumplings he'd received from Kai Qingmei, insulated with a warming talisman and layered with compartments of spring onion, soy and chili sauce.

Once they were settled, Yue Qingyuan broached the subject looming in the silence. "How is Shen-shidi?"

Mu Qingfang sighed soundlessly but replied, "Stable, with full awareness." The best outcome possible, with Xiao Jiu.

It shouldn't have been. Shen Jiu spirit veins had been prodigal as a small, scrappy slave child viciously corralling the others of their group; he had instinctually manipulated his qi both internally and externally with more skill and control than most Cang Qiong disciples achieved after years of study. He had been brimming with power and potential, before Yue Qi failed him, abandoned him, left him to be broken. For bright and strong his spirit veins to become strangled and cracked. A husk of what should have been.

Mu Qingfang caught his eyes seriously, "This Healer would ask that Zhangmen-shixiong avoid direct interaction with Shen-shixiong until he is more settled from the recent upheavals. Approximately until the mid-Autumn Peak Lord Meeting, in a month's time."

Yue Qingyuan's eyebrows drew together in thought. That would be difficult. In no way did he want to be the cause of such visceral damage as Qi Deviation in Shen Qingqiu, so the restriction in interaction by itself was completely sustainable even though it would hurt Yue Qi a bit to deliberately leave him (again).

But Shen Qingqiu was the Sect Tactician and a well spring of information, scholarly and socially, besides. He was invaluable in the decision making Yue Qingyuan as a Sect Leader, to guide their Sect to prosperity. He could likely receive much the same factual information from the resources of the other Peak Lords- unrest along trade routes and untrustworthy merchant tycoons from Shang-shidi, political rumours and reputations in high society circles from Qi-shimei to name a few- and he did already. But Shen Qingqiu was the one to see the silk threads of manipulations and play them to his own gain, the one to spot an opportunity, understand every aspect of a situation and identify steps to take for the best possible outcome for the Sect.

...He could write to him?

No. For some things yes, but to try to replace a spoken conversation with written word, sending disciples back and forth between Peaks with short notes asking for clarification on this or that point, reasoning for whatever action, details to enable whatever advice to be enacted...

The disciples would be run ragged, work flow slowed too much to be feasible and Shen Qingqiu would never tolerate the irritation anyway.

He could function without it of course; he managed not to run Cang Qiong into a sewage pit when Shen Qingqiu was in seclusion. But for Mu Qingfang to specifically ask for limited contact between them, Shen Qingqiu's health but be in a more precarious position than his Healer was willing to share. That meant that an alternate means of communication must be found.

He would invite Min Qingbao to tea and speak with her about it. The Artificer Peak always welcomed a new challenge of innovation.

In the mean time he would just have to make do with writing. Maybe Xia Qingfeng could be convinced to loan him a messenger hawk for in-Sect courier service.

Putting the tentative plans forming in his mind awa for the moment, he returned his attention to his patiently waiting shidi and gave his word.

Watching the tension ease from him, Yue Qingyuan opened up the dumpling case and turned the thread of conversation to more casual topics, like Mu Qingfang's trip outside the Sect, and settled to enjoy an evening meal with his friend.


Notes:

•Inter-regulating: Wood parts (or stabilizes) Earth (roots of trees can prevent soil erosion)
•Counteracting: Earth rots Wood
•Overacting: Wood depletes Earth (depletion of nutrients in soil, over-farming, overcultivation)

•SJs song: Upwards to the moon (Instrumental) on guqin. Absolutely beautiful, the more I listen the better it gets

•White Lotus title- Buddhism symbolism of purity (and SY-typical traumatized-sweetheart meaning) Additional fun fact: it is also a fairly obscure kung fu style.

•Shenmen point (HT7): A special point for stress, anxiety, insomnia and memory loss

•MQF sword: Xiang Yu 'soaring feather'

Longer than my usual I know, but these people have no sense of what is a reasonable length of inner-monologue and there's still a load of foundation to lay down before I can start picking up the pace plot-wise/time-wise/ general-wise (;-; )
Hope you enjoyed, more disciple focus coming up next time~