liushen-stan

[liushen-stan]

When he first started doing Liu Qingge's hair he didn't expect the other man to be so sensitive. Shen Yuan had carefully pulled out the dripping hair pins, the now stained ribbon, and a guan the man usually refused to wear. He thought at first the shivering was due to the sticky sap that still coated most of Liu Qingge's robes, of which he really needed to get out of.

But it continued after Liu Qingge's bath. His shoulders would tense, flinching slightly as Shen Yuan began to drag the comb through his hair. But as it continued, the shivers would return, his shoulders would drop and he began to sway slightly. Shen Yuan knew he shouldn't mess with his shidi like this, but he couldn't help himself sometimes.

It was fascinating to watch Liu Qingge begin to melt as Shen Yuan worked the hair oil in. As he carefully braided his shidi's hair and pulled him towards his awfully Spartan bed, Shen Yuan wondered when he would be able to do this again.

The answer was: less than a week. The Mud Slinging Toad followed through with its name, leaving Shen Yuan, Liu Qingge, and a less than pleased Mu Qingfang covered.

Mu Qingfang left them quickly, citing a lecture he needed to prepare for while Shen Yuan herded his uncooperative shidi towards the Beast Peak. Shen Yuan was delighted to discover that it took less time to make Liu Qingge melt this time around. The man blinking like a content cat while Shen Yuan worked clumps of mud out of his long hair.

His shidi's sudden infliction of loose limbs lasted until Shen Yuan was clean as well. The other Peak Lord gathering his senses enough to stumble over to the bed and promptly pass out. Which Shen Yuan wouldn't have minded, however, Liu Qingge had laid across most of the bed. Leaving Shen Yuan with the choice of either waking his shidi, not going to happen, or adjusting the man enough for Shen Yuan to fit as well.

Shen Yuan certainly wasn't going to be sleeping else where. He liked his bed far too much for that.

That decision caused an unfortunate amount of activity that morning. With his very pretty shidi, clad in his inner robes and flushed down his neck, storming out of Shen Yuan's modest house with Shen Yuan's outerrobe in hand. If he were more awake Shen Yuan was certain he would have called out for his shidi and taken his outerrobe back. However, he was tired, and his bed was so warm, and it smelled sweet like the soap he'd given his shidi to use last night.

He'd simply get his robe back later, Shen Yuan assured himself, he'd have to return Liu Qingge's anyway.

It was nearly two weeks until Shen Yuan got to put his hands on Liu Qingge's hair again. This time they weren't covered in suspicious substances, and Shen Yuan had taken the chance to return Liu Qingge's outerrobe. Despite his shidi attempting to run out the door again, as he had most of the last two weeks, Shen Yuan had managed to coax the man into a cup of tea.

Shen Yuan had found himself staring at a strand of his shidi's hair for most of their talk, it had escaped the braid that lead most of Liu Qingge's hair back to his ponytail. In fact, his shidi's hair seemed softer today, and Shen Yuan could feel his hand twitching slightly. It was a little amusing to watch the tint of red blossom down Liu Qingge's neck when Shen Yuan asked if he could tidy his hair.

However, it was so much more, in multiple ways to have Liu Qingge loose limbed and blinking slowly while resting his head on Shen Yuan's lap. He wasn't entirely sure how they ended up this way, but he certainly wasn't opposed to it. He followed the curve of Liu Qingge's cheek as it pressed against his leg, tracing a line with his eyes down his relaxed shidi's back.

It was a lovely line, and for a moment Shen Yuan longed for the skill to paint or draw the human form. How pretty a painting it would be, his stiff and tense shidi, pliant and soft, permanently recorded for Shen Yuan to study.

He had long finished combing his shidi's hair, simply stroking down his back and shoulders, the man burrowing closer to Shen Yuan the longer it lasted. It left his pretty shidi so relaxed that only Shen Yuan jumped when the door to his home snapped open.

Fighting the heat in his own cheeks now, Shen Yuan tried to smile at his shixiong in a manner that told him I have an explanation for this. Shen Yuan wasn't sure he succeeded when Shen Qingqiu smiled back at him.

"Well," The smile, paired with sharp brown eyes made a shiver of something Shen Yuan assumed to be fear run down his spine. "This is certainly a sight."

[liushen-stan]

didn't think i'll also get this done today, but some cover art for my fic Shang Qinghua's Reincarnation Survival Guide.

[liushen-stan]

Ill post this au( inspired by tweet above) i started on my twt on Tumblr too

First part

more comic panels below

Second part

Third part

Fourth part

Shenanigans side extra

this is currently an ongoing series, if this does well here, I will continue posting these in bulk (～￣▽￣)～

for more frequent uploads, you can follow my twitter at ArcherD116, feel free to ask me ab this au and give your suggestions!

[liushen-stan]

Another @/SVSSSAction prompt fill for @lavender-and-rue who requested art of @sinn-bee's fic "Star-Crossed Wires"

I adore this fic, so if you haven't read it, do yourself a favor here!

[liushen-stan]

obviously Liu Qingge is the President of the Anti-Binghe club but by all rights, Mu Qingfang should be Vice President. Binghe literally kidnapped him. Mu Qingfang spent who knows how long stuck in Huan Hua Palace with an angry Demon Lord breathing down his neck demanding he '''''fix''''' the fucking corpse of one of his closest friends, who was only dead in the first place because of Lou Fucking Binghe. If the fandom trope of Shen Qingqiu coming to Mu Qingfang about the wife plot of the week really happened I think it would be five minutes of Mu Qingfang being a consummate professional who gives him all the information he needs and then a thirty minute power-point presentation on why he should try dual cultivating with literally anyone else and also get a divorce and also let him examine Shen-Shixiong again because he's still low-key worried one of the Things Binghe did during corpsezun was some kind of mind control love potion situation. After half an hour (or a quarter sichen) of stone faced dying inside Shen Qingqiu says "Thanking Mu-Shidi for his advice and his concern, however, respectfully; no." And then he goes and gets dicked down by his demon husband.

[liushen-stan]

PT1

PT2

“I think this has gone on long enough.” Wei Qingwei cut in, letting Shang Qinghua fall silent. The A Ding Peak lord looked grateful, taking big breaths to get his footing back.

“Oh, you can’t be embarrassed,” Qi Qingqi said, amused. “You barely had any secrets to begin with. Not like Mu-Shidi over there, with his… experiments.”

Mu Qingfang slid lower in his seat, face red and trying to hide in his collar. Shang Qinghua had blabbed about many things.

“How does he know all that?” A random peak lord, who had been put on blast for three minutes straight, said bitterly.

“A lot of spying.” The imposter said, amused. He was fanning himself, like he had just been watching a show. Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan, next to him, were no longer in this conversation. Instead they were whispering angering to each other. Well, Shen Jiu was whispering angrily. Yue Qingyuan wasn’t really matching his energy.

“And who are you then?” Qi Qingqi asked.

“Ah… the nice Shen Qingqiu that you’ve all gotten to know and love over the past few years?” He said awkwardly, and then laughed even more awkwardly when no one said anything to that. “My name is Shen Yuan. I just accidentally took Jiu-Ge over. I swear I didn’t mean to do it. But I am here now, and you are stuck with me.”

“Bold move bro.” Shang Qinghua muttered. Everyone ignored him.

“You can’t go home?” Liu Qingge asked, looking at him intently.

“I might have… died, to get here.” The imposter, Shen Yuan?, said hesitantly.

“You died?!” Mu Qingfang asked, alarmed. He sat up straight, previous embarrassment forgotten as he looked him over, as if to find hidden injuries. “How did you die?!”

“I was… poisoned?”

“Someone poisoned you?” Liu Qingge asked intently, suddenly looking like he was about to go fight whatever poisoned him.

“….no.” He said slowly. He reached for a fan, only to find that he had none. His fan was with Shen Jiu, as the rightful owner. See this, Liu Qingge slid a fan over to him, like the ever fateful Shidi he was! Now with his face covered, he continued, embarrassed. “I might have poisoned myself?”

“You killed yourself?” Shen Jiu, checking back into the conversation, asked. On anyone else, it might have sounded like alarm. Yue Qingyuan, and a lot of the peak lords, also looked alarmed, most likely thinking about his depressed mood that everyone claimed he had over the last two years. Shen Yusn shook his head quickly.

“No! Nothing like that! I just ate some bad food!”

Silence. Then-

“You died from food poisoning?” Mu Qingfang muttered in disbelief. “That explains a lot actually.”

“Mu-Shidi, what does that mean?!”

[liushen-stan]

Got any fics with that premise you'd recommend? If you don't mind and have the spoons for it, that is 👉🏻👈🏻

So. Uh. Not sure if it was canon or just fanon, but Tianlang-Jun's palace/riches that weren't in the masoleum totally got stripped by every demon who could survive doing it, right?

You think that includes Mobei-Jun? With instigator/co-conspirator Logistics Lord Shang?

"Look at it this way, Dawang, if the Emperor comes back we're just protecting his things for him which gives us a political edge. If he doesn't, free stuff!" - mentally slotting in [for Binghe] in place of TLJ.

"Think about how much of a flex it'll be to be in and out with all the best stuff before anyone else can fight through the doors!" "Qinghua would like this king to ...flex?" - starts rolling up his sleeves so the muscles are more visible.

"Qinghua's lists are too long. At this point it would be easier to take the entire palace." "This lowly servant apolo.... wait. My King, is that something you could actually do? Cause that would solve the time issue and the storage issue." - smashcut to sudden vanishing palace

[liushen-stan]

SVSSS CHOOSE YOUR OWN (group) ADVENTURE POLL THREAD: TRAPPED IN A *checks poll* TEMPERATE FOREST WITH *checks poll results* MU QINGFANG! ARE YOU READY?

No, I am not giving you naked, swimsuit, or just a towel options. Deal.

Polls that inspired this here

Let me know if you prefer these daily or weekly.

[liushen-stan]

> bring brother to mountain to "find" an immortal master > actually finds two (lost) immortal masters > ???

[liushen-stan]

Shen Yuan transmigrated as a Spirit Cat AU (part 2)

First chapter.

—

The rest of the examination, all dutifully narrated by Mu Qingfang, passed in something of a blur comprised mostly of internal screaming and a great deal of cursing, and he only came back to reality when he was picked up by a pair of warm hands.

Shen Yuan flinched and looked up at the man who could only be Liu Qingge, the War God of Bai Zhan and older brother of Best Wife, Liu Mingyan. Living proof that this was a time before the protagonist joined Qing Jing Peak.

Liu Qingge died by Shen Qingqiu’s hand sometime around then, after all.

“Come on,” he said, easily settling Shen Yuan on the crook of his arm and starting to walk like this was an established routine of many years instead of something that had happened twice so far and once under duress.

Keep reading

[liushen-stan]

Shen Yuan transmigrated as a Spirit Cat AU

Shen Yuan had only just finished processing the fact that he had reincarnated-slash-transmigrated at all after his death, never mind into a cat’s body, when he was forced to confront the equally insane reality that was this new world that he had ended up in.

A place that resembled ancient China, but where people didn’t bat an eye at seeing someone literally flying on a sword. A place where cultivation and immortality were very much real and attainable. A Xianxia world, basically. Like the setting for Proud Immortal Demon’s Way, the novel he had literally died cursing.

Shen Yuan had read enough novels in his life to, upon concluding this was in fact real and not just a very vivid hallucination, make the safe choice to send a very quick but genuinely heartfelt prayer to whatever deities were listening that he hadn’t somehow transmigrated into the world of Proud Immortal Demon’s Way.

God, he really hoped this wasn’t Proud Immortal Demon’s Way.

Keep reading

[liushen-stan]

Liushen week

(Late) Day 5: Sick/ Switch.

Liu Qingge is usually the one who takes care of Shen Qingqiu when he gets sick. Now, it's Shen Qingqiu's turn.

Read it under the cut or in AO3.

-

Cultivators in Proud Immortal Demon Way could never get sick.

Cultivation in this world meant that sickness simply didn't affect those with strong cores, and of course with the Peak Lords of Cang Qion Mountain being so close to immortality, whatever medicinal plants they cultivated were more to investigate and help their disciples and common people than to be used by them.

There were a few exceptions, of course. If one were to be affected by, say, a venom that locked your cultivation randomly for an undetermined amount of time, then during that time the cultivator would be a normal person and of course, suffer the same ailments normal people did.

Unfortunately for Shen Yuan, this was his case.

He hated being sick. Hated it with passion. As someone who had spent the majority of his time in a hospital, he couldn't help but associate sickness with loneliness. Sure, his sister and big brother visited whenever they could, but no matter how grateful he was for their effort, it still meant he was more often alone than not, with his phone and web novels as his only distraction.

So the first time Shen Yuan got a cold as Shen Qingqiu, he was determined to ignore it. He acted normal, taught his disciples, and attended to his responsibilities as a Peak Lord. If he felt dizzy, he sat until it passed, then started to move again.

Until he got caught by Liu Qingge.

The man, to whom he'd begun to get closer only recently, was as formidable in forcing him to take care of himself as he was in battle, as Shen Yuan soon discovered. And when he explained that he really disliked being confined to bedrest, Liu Qingge's only answer was to stay, as often as he could. He even took time from his night hunts, and Shen Yuan... he couldn't be more grateful. Time and time again, whenever the poison in his body made him vulnerable to illness, Liu Qingge would stay and help him get through it.

Shen Yuan wondered if he'd ever be able to return the care. With Liu Qingge's strong core, he doubted it, so he tried to return the care in other ways: notes on the monsters he was about to hunt, serving his preferred tea when he came to clean his meridians... this way, he at least felt like he was returning some of what Liu Qingge so freely gave. But, as mentioned before, there were exceptions to a cultivator's resistance toward illness.

Such as the blood of a specific monster.

Liu Qingge could hear Shen Qingqiu's voice in his head as he unsteadily made his way back to Cang Qion, explaining how the blood had traces of demonic energy that wouldn't truly poison a strong cultivator, but it would make them ill. Not gravely so, it would be as if they had the flu or a very bad cold which with their resources wouldn't be a problem, but the cultivator would be weakened until his body naturally flushed the demonic energy out. And it had to be the cultivator's body the one to fight it, because the energy reacted to foreign qi, worsening the symptoms to a point where the cultivator's life would be at stake.

This, Liu Qingge knew the second he felt the taste of the blood in his mouth. Mu Qingfan's diagnosis only confirmed it, dashing his hope of remembering a different kind of monster.

“You should stay here until you've burned it all out,” Mu Qingfan said. “I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone in your peak when your body will in a weak-”

“He won't be.”

The two Peak Lords turned towards the door in unison, watching Shen Qingqiu as he strode forward with a determined look in his eyes, which he turned towards Liu Qingge.

“Alone, that is." He continued. "I'll stay with him. I'm familiar with the expected symptoms, I'll be able to help.”

“You don't need to-” Liu Qingge trued to protest

“Unless you want to stay here?”

This made the Bai Zhan Peak Lord grimace. Nothing against the healing rooms of the Medical Peak, it was just that Liu Qingge had spent so much time here when he was younger that he wanted nothing less than to recover here for who knows how long. He'd definitely be more comfortable at home.

“That's what I thought.” He turned towards Mu Qingfan and, with a sigh, the doctor nodded and rummaged through the medical cabinet, taking out a few bottles.

“One in the morning, the other in the afternoon,” he instructed, pressing the bottles into Shen Qingqiu's hands when both men nodded. The bottles disappeared into wide, green-colores sleeves, and then Shen Qingqiu turned to help Liu Qingge up, thanking Mu Qingfan before they left.

-

“You really don't need to do this” Liu Qingge asked as Shen Qingqiu helped him to his bed, already dressed in more comfortable clothes. “I can take care of myself.”

It should feel weird to have the other man in his home, but with how much time they've spent in the other's house this seems almost like returning the hospitality.

“You've spent much time taking care of me when I was sick,” came the answer, Shen Qingqiu's voice soft and his green eyes even softer in concern.

Those eyes made him recall, for a second, another situation when they looked at him the same way and Liu Qingge fidgeted slightly, absentmindedly rotating one of his wrists.

“Let me take care of you.”

The soft request, coupled with a small, pleading smile, made it impossible for Liu Qingge to say no. It also made his face feel warmer all of a sudden.

"Looks like the fever is starting to kick in," commented Shen Qingqiu, taking in his flushed face. He then stood up and went in the direction of the kitchen, coming back a few seconds later with a cup of water. "Here, it's evening."

Liu Qingge took the offered pill and swallowed it down with the help of the water.

"Try to sleep now," Shen Qingqiu advised. "You will need the energy." His tone was knowing, and Liu Qingge suddenly remembered his confession about being often sick when he was younger.

This led to his usual wondering about his family. Liu Qingge could remember his family's fussing over him when he got sick as a child, so how come Shen Qingqiu's parents left him alone? Was this why he didn't talk about them?

Liu Qingge wanted to know, ask these questions and more. Instead, he laid down in his bed and closed his eyes, focusing on the other cultivator's presence next to him until he fell asleep.

The next days blurred together for Liu Qingge. His mind was foggy, his throat ached, and his body alternated between feeling too hot and too cold. He'd firgotten how being sick felt, and he didn't care for this reminder. It was awful, and he was grateful his core was strong enough to avoid this.

The only thing he was aware of, apart from the state of his body, was Shen Qingqiu's steady presence who never left him alone for more than a few minutes. Those hands helping him sit up and drink water or his medicine, the melodic voice saying things his blurred mind couldn't understand but that conforted him with its very sound, the smell of bamboo surrounding him... it helped him relax and get through the days.

Finally, on what Shen Qingqiu informed him was the fourth day, the sickness abated. His mind felt clear and his body, though still weak and aching, didn't feel like burning or freezing and he at least could get up without falling over now

"The worst should be over now," Shen Qingqiu announced after checking his temperature with a relieved smile. Liu Qingge returned the smile, though he winced slightly at the dark circles that were begginning to appear in his shixion's eyes.

"Then you should go rest," Liu Qingge ordered softly. "I can manage from here."

"If you're sure...?"

"En. And thank you," he added with a soft smile, which Shen Qingqiu returned before standing up.

"I'll send Mu-shidi over later so he can check up on you," he informed as he walked towards the door, Liu Qingge walking with him.

"Mn" His body felt heavy, and he knew that after taking a bath and being checked over by the dictor, he would probably have to return to bed to sleep off the remaining tiredness.

"I'm glad you're better," were Shen Qingqiu's parting words as he mounted his sword and flew away. Liu Qingge stared at the figure getting smaller and smaller in the distance, and once it disappeared, he went back inside for a much needed bath.

In the back of his mind, a small murmur took notice on how nice it had been to be taken care of by the other man, and how he wouldn't mind repeating the experience... though it was so quiet, Liu Qingge had no problems in shutting it down and ignoring it had ever happened.

A flash of a memory of cloth digging into his wrists made him subsconsciously brush a finger against one of them.

[liushen-stan]

Liushen Week

(Late) Day 4: Energy/ Tied Up. Or, a rewrite of Shen Yuan saving Liu Qingge in the Lingxi Caves.

Read it under the cut or in AO3.

-

'Why me?!'

Shen Yuan, now in the body of the infamous scum villain Shen Qingqiu, couldn't believe his luck. First, he was stuck with this shit role, and now that he just wanted a few months to strengthen himself to prepare for the future, he was forced to fight! And not one easy level 1 monster or minion, no, but the boss level Bai Zhan War God himself! Who seemed to have a buff called 'qi deviation'! He knew this happened in the story, but why did it have to happen now?

“Liu Qingge, snap out of it!” He shouted as he dodged the crazed Peak Lord. As every time he'd tried, his answer was a wild swing from Cheng Luan which he hastily avoided, thanking all the gods for Shen Qingqiu's reflexes.

It was clear that he couldn't defeat the Liu Qingge in a fair fight, so he didn't even consider it. Mind going a mile a minute, he decided that desperate times needed desperate measures. And so, using the first opening he saw, he struck Liu Qingge's chest with a burst of spiritual energy, sending the man flying to the other side. Swiftly, Shen Yuan ran towards the prone body, who had thankfully dropped his sword-

He shouldn't have underestimated him. Liu Qingge's eyes opened and, in a move that looked more instinctive than anything, took a sharp rock that happened to lay next to him and stabbed it in his left side. The pain nearly made him lose his grip on Liu Qingge but, with gritted teeth, Shen Yuan endured. Thankfully the bust seemed to have burnt away most of the corrupted spiritual energy, and now the Bai Zhan Peak Lord's depleted body was something he could handle.

“Could you just stay still, I'm trying to help you here!” He exclaimed as he tried in vain to take off Liu Qingge's upper robes to have access to his chest, but the man, though weak, still had enough energy to struggle and try to hit him with flying limbs. Fed up, Shen Yuan ripped a strip from his robes (a cultivator's strength was no joke!) and tied Liu Qingge's arms up to a convenient nearby rock.

That took care of one set of limbs, but what to do to avoid the kicks...? Suddenly, an idea occurred to him, and he blushed slightly, but seeing no other option he steeled himself and-

Sat on Liu Qingge's lap, effectively pinning the man down.

“This is just to save you,” he told the struggling man sternly as he finally peeled away the robes and placed his palms on his (warm broad) chest, “so you can't kill me later, okay?”

'Though this position is a bit...'

The sight of Liu Qingge, who even like this was a peerless beauty, tied up and pinned by Shen Yuan's body was- Shaking his head to dispel the sudden thoughts (where did that come from?), he took a deep breath to center himself and began to gently, as carefully as he could, supply a steady stream of qi into Liu Qingge's meridians, untangling them little by little.

Inwardly, Shen Yuan sighed.

This was going to take a while.

-

The first thing Liu Qingge felt when he opened his eyes was warmth. A gentle, warm stream moved through his meridians, bringing him a slow relief from the second sensation he became aware of: the all-encompassing pain in his body.

Slowly, his mind muddled, he became aware of a third sensation: a warm weight in his legs. Opening his eyes with great effort, it took a few blinks for what he was seeing to focus, and then a few more to process it because-

Shen Qingqiu. Seated on his legs, his hands on his bare chest, those deep green eyes staring at it with a strange intensity.

Liu Qingge recoiled.

“Shen Qingqiu! You- what-” He moved to shove him away, but to his horror he found his hands bound above his head, and his body too weak to do something about it.

“Stop moving,” came the command from the man above him. “This is delicate enough without you disturbing my concentration.”

“What are you-”

“Trying to save your life.”

That made Liu Qingge pause, even if it was due to incredulity. Did Shen Qingqiu think he was going to fall for that?

But then, blurry memories started to appear in his mind. Of him meditating, noticing something was wrong too late to do anything, his mind clouding as his meridians started to scream in pain...

A voice. Flashes of green robes fluttering away from the glare of his sword. A sudden torrent of energy impacting on his chest. A splash of blood.

“I... had a qi deviation,” Liu Qingge murmured, his eyes on the bleeding wound on Shen Qingqiu's side. Which he'd caused.

“En.”

“You're... trying to save me?”

“Obviously.”

“Hm.” He wasn't lying. The qi Shen Qingqiu was supplying him with was gentle, smoothing his meridians mangled by the qi deviation. Not knowing what else to say, and slightly ashamed of having suspected Shen Qingqiu of trying to kill him (though not regretful, his caution was justified as the man had tried to kill him in the past), Liu Qingge tried to stay still and let the man work, through a few minutes later he couldn't help but as to be untied as his arms were starting to feel numb.

“I'm almost finished,” was the answer he got. Liu Qingge huffed but didn't protest anymore.

It was... strange, to be so vulnerable with someone he didn't trust. His body, though still, was tense, prepared to defend himself the second the man above him made any foul move. Though with his body feeling as weak as a kitten, he knew that, realistically, there wasn't much he could do, and that only made him tense even more.

“Whatever you're thinking about, stop. You're making this difficult.” Liu Qingge glared, and Shen Qingqiu seemed to contemplate him for a few seconds before letting out a sigh.

“I'm not going to do anything to you,” he stated. “I would swear, but you don't trust my word, do you?” Qingge's glare was more than enough answer. “Then trust this: if I came out of here and you did not, everyone would suspect me of murder. And I'm not stupid enough to put myself in that position, especially since our martial siblings already dislike me. Can you trust that?”

The answer was yes. Liu Qingge could trust Shen Qingqiu to act in his own self-interest, and as he had said, if he walked out and Liu Qingge was found dead, everyone would know who would have been the culprit, so it was in his best interest to keep Qingge alive.

Now assured, Liu Qingge let himself relax slightly, enduring the tense silence that seemed to go on forever before finally, Shen Qingqiu took his hands from his chest.

“I did everything I could,” he said, eyes cold. “You should go to Mu-shidi-” he stopped and the look in his eyes changed... was that concern? “You're bleeding.”

Without moving from where he sat, Shen Qingqiu leaned forward, and in front of Liu Qingge's astonished gaze, he brushed a gentle hand through his head, though the jolt of pain he felt told him why Shen Qingqiu had done that.

“I will be fine,” he grunted.

“Head wounds can be dangerous, even to cultivators. Here, let me check there aren't anymore.”

And this was the moment Liu Qingge started to think this was all a hallucination caused by his qi deviation. Because Shen Qingqiu's eyes, while still intense, softened somehow as he carded through his hair, and Liu Qingge... didn't know how he felt.

It was... strange. With the assurance that Shen Qingqiu wasn't going to hurt him, his guard had lowered, and now Liu Qingge didn't know how to react to the sudden awareness of his body. The soft cloth around his wrists, the warm weight pinning him, the focused gaze, and the gentle hands carding through his hair, making his shiver slightly every time they brushed against his scalp... all these sensations mixed together and it was... it was...

Their gazes met, and Shen Qingqiu must've realized what position they were in, because he suddenly jumped away and off Liu Qingge with- was that a blush?!

“It seems there aren't any more wounds,” Shen Qingqiu said after clearing his throat a few times, and yes that was definitely a blush staining his cheeks a soft shade of red. He then untied Liu Qingge, rubbing his wrists absentmindedly for a few seconds before snatching his hands away as if burnt.

“Well, as this master said earlier, I recommend Liu-shidi to go to Mu Qingfan for treatment,” and the words that followed, about wanting to forget the past and for their relationship to improve from now on made Liu Qingge even more sure this was a hallucination. And then, after telling him he would only be a few caves away in case he needed assistance, the man finally left, leaving a bewildered Liu Qingge staring for a few minutes at the entrance of the cave, trying to reconcile reality with everything that had just happened.

[liushen-stan]

Liushen Week

(Late) Day 3: Pain/ Celebration. Or, Shen Qingqiu is dead, but then Liu Qingge remembers a note with coordinates left to him by Shang Qinghua.

This will have a part 2, maybe a part 3, that will be posted after I finish with Liushen Week.

Read it after the cut or in AO3.

---

He was dead.

Shen Qingqiu was dead.

He died. Just in front of him.

He died. To appease that demon.

And now that demon had his body, having snatched it from his arms after he caught him, doing who knows what to it, and Liu Qingge wouldn't allow it. Shouldn't allow it, that demon had no right to have Qingqiu's body, he was going to kill him for daring to even touch it-

And every day, he fought to recover it. Every day he battled the demon, again and again, but it seemed that discovering his heritage had made the demon strong. Too strong for Liu Qingge, War God of Bai Zhan Peak, to beat him.

But every night... every night, he stood vigil.

He hadn't understood, at first. When Shang Qinghua had pressed that slip of paper into his hand and hissed to keep up appearances, he'd nearly punched him. Then he read the note, which consisted of a set of coordinates, and he wished he had.

He didn't pay it any heed, at first, too busy fighting for shi shixion's body. But then one day, tending to his wounds, the note fluttered from his sleeve, droplets of blood scattered in it, and after remembering how Shang Qinghua had looked at him before he disappeared, a flash of a memory came to his mind.

'If something ever happens to me, and Shnag Qinghua approaches you, trust him.'

He didn't quite recall when Shen Qingqiu told him that. He could recall his claim to be there to avoid anything happening to him (ha, and how did that go?), and Shen Qingqiu's vague smile at his words...

Suddenly, his heart was pounding. Straightening up, he scanned the note, thankful the blood didn't make it illegible, and tried to recall what he knew about the map of the region. The zone the coordinates were pointing to was in a small mountain range, to the north of Can Qiong. It was around six hours by sword, if he was remembering it right.

He could go. Right now, even, he wasn't injured enough to be unable to make the journey. He could just hop on his sword and reach the place, search for the exact place the note indicated-

'Don't let anything show Liu-shidi!'

He looked outside the window. It was late, too late to come and return unnoticed. Also, both he and the demon knew this level of injury wouldn't prevent him from battling the next day.

Liu Qingge stood up and walked outside. The night was cool, the clear sky filled with stars. His gaze turned north, and his right hand clasped his sword. But then, he turned in the direction of the demon realm, where Luo Binghe resided. His left hand formed a fist, hard enough for his nails to make small, bleeding wounds in his palm. He looked back north.

He wished nothing more than to depart, but he knew his absence would be noticed. And if what the hopeful whisper in his heart said was true, being followed was the last thing he wanted. He took a deep breath and felt his mind clear for the first time since the death of his shixion.

Liu Qingge was a warrior. He could strategize. He was patient. He was also desperate enough to be reckless.

That night, he went to bed with a new flame in his clear eyes.

--

The next battle was the hardest he'd ever experienced and lasted for a week. At the end of it, both he and the demon were worse for wear, but Liu Qingge knew that if he resisted for longer, Luo Binghe would emerge victorious. So with a snarl, he dragged his battered body to the waiting Mu Qingfang, who already had everything he needed to treat him.

"I still say you could have thought of something less reckless," grumbled the doctor as he stitched the pigheaded Martial Peak Lord without showing any mercy for the pain.

"Remember not to tell anyone-"

"Yes, yes, I know. As far as the sect knows, you're in a healing coma for your injuries and aren't expected to wake up for at least a week. But," he added with a glare, "you are not to move for the rest of the day, are we clear? If you attempt to travel with your body in this state, you will bleed out before you reach whatever destination you have."

Liu Qingge nodded. Mu Qingfang sighed, and the rest of the treatment was carried out in silence. When the doctor was finished, he packed his things and moved to the door, but before he left the room, he stopped and glanced back.

"You will tell me what's going on, right?"

"If I can. As soon as I get back."

With a nod, the doctor finally left the room. Once alone, Liu Qingge let himself relax in the medical bed. Involving the doctor had been something he'd been hesitant on doing, but Mu Qingfang was one of the closest Peak Lords to Shen Qingqiu, and one of the most affected by his death. Liu Qingge couldn't do this alone, and he knew the doctor would make a good ally, not to mention that his help was indispensable if he wanted to disappear unnoticed.

Closing his eyes, he let the exhaustion in his body cloud his mind, knowing he would need every second of rest he could get if he wanted the doctor to let him leave the next day.

He fell asleep.

--

Even if it was known as a small, unremarkable mountain range, it was big enough for Liu Qingge to need two entire days to find the exact place, a small, profound cave in the side of the westmost mountain. How did he know he found it?

Well, only Shen Qinqiu would think to put a trap that consisted of shooting spikes after stepping in some kind of plate that served as the trigger. He vaguely recalled the man telling him a story about an explorer who dodged these kinds of traps, once. Thankfully, this was nothing for even an injured War God to deal with.

Other traps were smarter, like puzzles or little mind games (when did Shen Qingqiu get the time to create all of this- wait, was this where he kept disappearing to every time he decided to go on another solo trip? He then recalled the 'secret project' he once caught the man working on, and couldn't help but shake his head in a mix of annoyance and fondness. How long had the man been planning this?)

(Why didn't he trust Liu Qingge with it?)

It took nearly half a day to reach a cavern in what looked like the heart of the mountain, and when he finally got there, Liu Qingge lost his breath for a few seconds.

It wasn't because of the scenery, though it was beautiful: a pond, coming from some underground current, filled half of the cavern, and the other half was filled with small plants that subsisted from the light that came in from a hole in the ceiling. It even wasn't because of the strong, natural qi that inundated the place.

No, what made Liu Qingge stumble slightly and start to run was the spiritual energy that mixed with the natural one. An energy he was more than familiar with, having cleared Shen Qingqiu's meridians for months.

He was here. Somewhere. He looked around, then stopped.

There, just in the middle of the ray of light that came from the hole, was a patch of clearly cultivated earth. And in the middle of the patch, was a box. Trembling, Liu Qingge approached the box, fell to his knees in front of it, and opened it.

At first, he was disappointed to find what looked like a page carefully torn from a book and nothing else. No matter how many times Liu Qingge turned the box around, he found no note, nothing else apart from the page. With a sigh, he moved his attention to the page. The first side showed a picture of some pretty flowers, and the other side-

He froze. Read it. Then read it again. Heart pounding, he looked at the patch of earth.

He laughed, feeling tears start to fall from his eyes. He laughed and laughed for a while before he finally rested his head on the patch of earth, a smile on his face and tears flowing from his closed eyes.

"Shen Qingqiu you bastard."

The page fell from his hand, showing an explanation of a plant with a picture, titled 'Sun and Moon Dew Flower Seed'

[liushen-stan]

(Late) Liushen Week

Day2: Feed/ Family. Or, Shen Yuan is nervous to meet his lover's family, who invited them fo a meal.

Read it under the cut or in AO3

---

Shen Yuan wasn't nervous.

No really, he wasn't! Why would he be? He had the most wonderful boyfriend, the support of his boyfriend's sister, the sibling's reassurance that their family will love him... there was no reason to be nervous! The churning in his gut and the vague feeling he was going to throw up must be something bad he ate that morning.

Let's ignore the fact that he only had a cup of tea for breakfast and nothing else.

"It will be fine," Qingge reassured him for what felt like the millionth time.

Shen Yuan took a deep breath. The walk towards the Liu state felt as if it was taking years, when in truth they would be there in a few minutes.

"I know it's just..." Qingge's hand on his arm stopped him from saying more. There was really no need for Shen Yuan to explain, as he had blurted out all his doubts last night, after they had both collapsed in a pleasured tangle of limbs. While they were cuddling in the afterglow, Shen Yuan couldn't help but express his insecurities about meeting his lover's family the next day.

“I'm a man, not to mention I have a terrible reputation,” he had murmured, his hands digging slightly into Qingge's chest as he looked down at his lover. “I know your family is important to you...”

“My family will love you,” Liu Qingge had reassured him, using a hand to bring Shen Yuan's head down slightly so he could press a chaste, sweet kiss on his lips. “Mingyan already does. And my family won't care you are a man or pay attention to your reputation, they will want to know you in person before they make any judgment.” Then Liu Qingge used what Shen Yuan had secretly dubbed his 'ultimate attack to win their discussions' and gave him his warm, dimpled smile as he added, “And I'm really not worried.”

Shen Yuan had flushed and buried his face into the crook of Qingge's neck, grumbling about how unfair it was to use that smile against him. Still, the knot in his chest had loosened slightly at his words. Ah, he really was lucky to have someone like Qingge in his life...

“And if they don't, I'll fight them.”

“Qingge!” Shen Yuan admonished with a laugh, batting his chest gently. The knowledge that his lover would do it if it came to that made the knot finally disappear, and Shen Yuan couldn't help but kiss him again, finally relaxed enough to feel sleepy.

"I really will do it."

"I know."

"But I won't need to. Because they will love you."

With those words, Shen Yuan finally managed to drift to sleep.

He had woken up with that tangled knot of nerves again though, and as he stared at the entrance, Shen Yuan had to take another deep breath. He really needed this to go well.

“My offer from last night still stands.”

“Liu YunShan, do not fight your family if they don't like me!” he laughed, calming down as he did last night at those words.

“Mn...”

“That's not a no!”

---

Qingge was right. He really shouldn't have worried.

“What happened next? I need to know what happened next,” Shen Yuan said, trying in vain to smother his laughter. A laughing Madam Liu, her eyes as clear as his lovers', continued with her tale.

“Well, even as a five-year-old tyke, A-Shan was very fast. So the end result was a squealing child shouting about not wanting a bath successfully avoiding the five people, his father and brother included, chasing after him around the garden. It took half an hour to finally catch him, and only because A-Shan thought it clever to try and climb a tree to escape.”

“And all of that naked?”

“As the day he was born,” Madam Liu confirmed.

Shen Yuan tried, he really did. For the sake of his lover, who looked like he was going to either burst into flames or run away, he really tried his best to not join the family's laughter, but it was inevitable that a few giggles escaped him.

“You were right, this was a mistake,” Qingge murmured mulishly, glaring at his tea as if it was the culprit of what was going on.

“I-I'm sorry Qingge, b-but,” Shen Yuan attempted, finally losing the battle. “Y-you were very cute as a child, A-Shan-”

Hearing his cutesy childhood name come from his lover only made him glare at the cup harder. Shen Yuan knew he should stop teasing his lover before he really decided to leave, but it was just too fun to see him being flustered., and also... well, Shen Yuan might have a thing for making his dear Qingge blush. Just a tiny one. You couldn't blame him, Qingge was just so cute when he went red in the face!

And with the help of his lovely family, especially his mother and older brother, it seemed he would have plenty of time to enjoy it.

They really were lovely people, who hadn't made him feel like an intruder or unwelcome. In fact, it took only a few minutes before Shen Yuan felt right at home, with Madam Liu's welcoming smile and the teasing of Liu Dai, Qingge's older brother. They had treated him like one of the family since the moment he entered their house.

"Mingyan only had good things to say about you in her letters," Madam Liu had told him. "About how good you were to each other, about how A-Shan was happy... she gave me all the details. And thanks the gods she at least manages to  remember she has a family who would love to hear about how their children are doing, because if it were left to A-Shan, we wouldn't know anything about you!"

The reprimand and stern glare MadamLiu had shot Qingge had made his lover flush and look away, and Shen Yuan was about to place a hand on his arm when he found himself grabbed by the older woman with surprising strength (though seeing that it was Qingge's mother, maybe he shouldn't have been surprised).

"Come, come, he deserved that," she'd tutted, making him walk with her. "Such an unfilial son! Thankfully he has a very loving mother who will tell his lover everything about how cute he was as a child. You know, A-Shan once-"

"Mother!"

"Hush A-Shan, I need to get to know my future son-in-law, and for that, I need a topic of conversation to break the ice, don't I? Maybe if had known more about him previously I wouldn't need this, but since I don't, I'll have to make do. Anyway, as I was saying..."

It was the best family dinner Shen Yuan had ever experienced, with all the teasing and laughter. In his past life, 'family dinners' were at the hospital, and only when all his family had time to stay. And when he'd finally gotten good enough to live independently, family dinners became something that only happened once in a while. This warmth... it was new.

At one moment, his hand found Qingge's and squeezed, getting a squeeze back.

Shen Yuan's smile, and the hand holding his lover's, didn't leave for the whole meal.

(note: Liu YunShan 雲: yun, cloud - 山:shan, mountain)

[liushen-stan]

For Liushen week day one: unplanned | contact! I’ll be doing my best to update the fic each day this week, but I may not be able to do art for each day because I’ll be traveling!

but all is to be dared

Long, slender hands and hidden smiles, hair set aglow by sunlight and eyes dancing with life. The curve of a cheekbone in three-quarter profile, a glimpse of lips quirking upwards before being hidden away by a fan…

He had not planned for this – not for romance, and certainly not for Shen Qingqiu. But the feelings are there, obvious now that he has given them thought, and he is not one to back away from any sort of challenge. He will accept them for what they are, regardless of the past.

Liu Qingge is decisive by nature. Shen Qingqiu is no longer the man he once was. Perhaps, they can find a new future for themselves.

Written for Liushen Week 2023, and fueled by Sappho’s ability to perfectly capture tender longing.

[liushen-stan]

shixiong gets a whiff of a flower he probably should’ve checked beforehand. 

 Day 1: Unplanned/Contact