19 days - xianxia au (part 1)
summary: xianxia/immortal heroes au. jian yi and zheng xi of the yue sect have been investigating a series of massacres. two strangers that claim to be investigating the same show up on scene. they agree to cooperate, but all four have secrets they wish to keep to themselves.
this has been a long time coming ... its way too long to post in full, so its going to be in a few parts - bear with me!
The scene they stumble upon is gruesome. Bodies piled and slashed apart in careless macabre. Yue Jian Guang (birth name: Yue Yi) winces, covers his nose with the hem of his sleeve.
Yue Zheng Zhan (birth name: Yue Xi) is standing adjacent. His usually impassive face looks grave.
“Jian Yi,” he says, nickname flowing easy off his tongue, “this is no ordinary murder.”
Jian Yi nods, flipping bodies gingerly over to study the rictus on their faces, the veins of black and blue bruises, “look at the markings; signs of a strong, dark cultivation wounds on the body. I wonder if it's the Tiangou.”
Zheng Xi is about to reply, but there is a scuffle of sound he cannot locate. He tenses, pulls at Jian Yi’s arm, “there’s someone here.”
“Interesting train of thought,” a voice from above, “but completely wrong.”
Twin gold eyes swivel upward, and there is a man lying across the roof, casually overseeing the bloody tableau. Eyes glow faintly red in the dark, a curved smile on his lips.
Zheng Xi’s brows furrow and unsheathes his sword wordlessly, the sound of metal drawing from the sheath a sharp ripple in the air, silencing the chirp of cicadas. The hot summer air swells with cultivation energy, heated with anticipated violence.
Jian Yi takes the bait, asks, “and why do you say that?”
The stranger smirks, before rising and flipping off the roof to meet them neatly below. His cultivation energy emanates from him, rich and dark - dangerous. On closer inspection, his hair is tied up neatly with a rich, sky-blue ribbon.
“Because,” he continues, “I’ve been following the trail of murders for a while, from out of town. If it were the Tiangou’s doing, it would be a monthly occurrence; rather, these incidents have been cropping up sporadically, each spree ranging two weeks to five or so.”
“My,” Jian Yi says, though the appall is clearly for show, “you sure know an awful lot about these murders.”
The dark haired cultivator dips his head in acknowledgement, “and rightly so. I’ve been sent to find the culprit behind these killings. My travelling partner and I have been following in their path, ever since the Orchid Month.”
Jian Yi raises a hand to stay Zheng Xi, who sheathes his sword reluctantly.
“Jian Guang from the Yue Sect,” he introduces himself with a formal bow, before turning to Zheng Xi, “this is my zongguan, Yue Zheng Zhan.”
He greets both formally, “I am Qing Gu.”
Then, rounding the corner, a man with light hair dressed in simple green fabric, a pipa hovering at his waist.
Without preamble, he stumbles past the bodies, headed straight for the stranger, before socking him in the arm without any attire, he snaps, “what did I tell you about running off ahead?”
He Tian winces entirely for show, before inclining his head towards the new arrival, smiles, “only ever for good reasons, Mo Zai.” He gestures to Jian Yi and Zheng Xi, “this is the travel partner I spoke of.”
“Mo Guan Yang,” he offers briefly, bowing to Childe Yue.
Mo questions, “are you two investigating the murders as well?”
Jian Yi assents, “since these are the outer boundaries of Yue land, we’ve been sent to investigate.”
Mo nods, “we’ve been contracted to investigate. As far as we know, the murders started out in Tu Shan and headed West.”
“We have reason to assume it is the same perpetrator,” He Tian follows, before kneeling to examine the bodies, “the cultivation technique used is extremely dark and not easy to replicate. The bruising is identical each time.”
Zhan Xi nods, pleased by how forthcoming the two are, “have you got any other leads yet?”
Mo nods, “a few.”
Jian Yi takes the initiative, says, “come, let us discuss this in a more pleasant setting. I will send my men to clear out the pavilion and dispose of bodies.”
Jian Yi leads the way, familiar with his own city, and ends up in an inn, which is booked out for their privacy and comfort. They sit across dishes of warm cuisine, fragrant with the trademark spices and produce of the Yue’s land.
During the meal, it is divulged that the perpetrator is going after small Sects, slaughtering them indiscriminately with the unique cultivation art.
Yi: “this type of cultivation is not unheard of in Yue borders.”
Mo raises an eyebrow, “so you know of this cultivation style.”
Zheng Xi nods, “this is an ancient practice, practically unheard of and almost considered a myth in some texts. It is an art of blood and flesh cultivation, inundating flesh or body with tainted blood to possess the dead.”
“And you think this could possibly be an attempt at doing so?” Mo asks, hushed.
Jian Yi shrugs, “not necessarily. There are bamboo scrolls that document the influence of the Tiangou and how he can reanimate corpses by tainting corpses with its bite. It’s not necessary that the deaths are on days of solstice.”
Mo’s eyes dart to He Tian, almost as if for confirmation, but then land back on Jian Yi with an exasperated roll, “rather than pinning the murders on an overrated, mythical dog; we should focus on the more likely option, that a human perpetrator is behind all this.”
He Tian shoots him a glance, a curve on lips, and agrees, “he’s right. Especially because we found this at the scene.”
Mo procures a gold brooch, intricately designed with jade crescents, emblazoning the trademark symbol of the Yue Sect. Jian Yi receives it. It’s uniquely familiar. His fingers tremble as they clutch the brooch.
The significant gaze shared between the Yue companions is not lost on He Tian, and his gaze sharpens.
Jian Yi nods heavily, “I concede, this is only something you could find produced in Yueling.”
Under the low table, Zheng Xi’s hand lingers at his wrist. A warning for restraint. Jian Yi’s face scrunches minutely, like he’s tamping the urge to roll his eyes.
“However, it is not a brooch I am familiar with,” Jian Yi pushes it back towards He Tian across the table, “I apologise. I cannot be of much help.”
He Tian waits for a beat, realizes no more information is forthcoming, before tucking the brooch back into his sleeve.
“We’re all in the dark,” He Tian agrees.
Jian Yi’s teeth clench, and Zheng Xi’s hand under the table has tightened around his wrist.
Mo huffs, bows begrudgingly, “please do let us know if you have any more information as to our only lead. Otherwise, we shall take our leave for the night. Childe Yue, Yue zongguan.”
Out of their sight, Jian Yi’s fingers come up to curl around Zheng Xi’s. His amber eyes are wide and liquid. Zheng Xi’s jaw clenches.
“You think...it’s him?” Jian Yi asks, hushed.
Zheng Xi nods tightly, “the brooch...there’s no mistaking it.”
---
The next day, the four reconvene at the doorstep of the inn.
“We’ve got a new lead,” Mo says. Our scout group has spotted an offender lingering at one of the scenes of murder and apprehended him.”
“Convenient,” Zheng Xi comments succinctly.
Jian Yi perks up at the development, “thank god we met you two. Where is he held?”
“Just a few lis beyond the city gate. Word is, he was headed for the capital.”
Jian Yi smiles, “lead the way, Guan Yang.”
The way there is just under half a shichen. During, He Tian finds out exactly why Zheng Zhan is such a reticent man. Jian Yi is more than happy to do most of the talking.
Mo is caught between weary and flattered as Jian Yi inquires about his pipa.
“I wish I could learn an instrument but my fingers aren’t suited to it at all. I’m perfectly fine swinging a sword around all day but the instrument strings always give me bad blisters,” he splays his hands out in front of him as if inviting Mo to inspect.
Jian Yi continues without waiting for Mo’s reply, “maybe I’m just not built out for string instruments. But I think I’d manage another instrument well, like...the bianzhong!”
Mo chokes, “there’s a reason why no one uses the bianzhong as a spiritual instrument! How are you going to carry that around?”
Jian Yi taps his chin, “you don’t think it’d be impressive? Flying into view with a rack of bells behind me?”
“You’d look like a golden peacock,” He Tian adds.
“A cool golden peacock, though,“ Jian Yi wheedles.
Zheng Xi gives Jian Yi a look at that comment, and meets He Tian’s knowing look. Zheng Xi freezes, clearing his throat and averting his eyes.
“We’re close by,” Mo says, and they all quieten.
A man comes up to them. He is dressed sharply, hair trimmed short at the front in a buzzcut.
Mo greets him and explains without prompt, “he’s an associate of our contractor.”
The man nods and shows them into a room. The windows are boarded up, and the room is littered with protective talismans for security.
A lone chair is all that stands in the room and the apprehended man is tied fastly, cowering in the seat. A single look and it's clear - he isn’t the main perpetrator behind all this.
Mo, used to conducting interrogation, wastes no time in summoning the pipa to his chest. He plucks a sinister piece on his pipa to wilter his spirit. He Tian draws a cultivation symbol and sends it forward. The perpetrators chair is kicked back on two legs until he’s dangling precariously, ready to tip over at any moment.
Jian Yi and Zheng Xi look uneasy, but remain silent observers.
“Why did you go back to the scene?” He Tian asks.
“I was ordered to find something, a brooch!” the man cries out.
“And who hired you to do so?”
The man is trembling with fear, but his lips tighten.
He Tian snarls, “I don’t think you understand the situation. You’re at our mercy right now. What we can do to you is far worse than what he’s promised.”
The man looks up to stare at He Tian, angry despair in his eyes, “my family will be slaughtered... please, have mercy.”
Jian Yi steps out of the shadows and the man balks at his attire. The flickering light of the wicker behind Jian Yi illuminates the golden guan on his head, bright like the moon.
“Childe Yue…” he gasps, bowing.
Jian Yi closes his eyes, a little like regret, but they harden, “we need a name.”
“...I don’t know his name,” the man says after a long silence.
He Tian steps forward, but Zheng Xi raises a hand to bar him access.
“He gave me an alias: She.”
All flinch as the melody from the pipa falters in disharmony. Occupants of the room turn to regard Mo, and He Tian is alarmed to find him white as a sheet.
“She Li,” Mo whispers.
“Where did you meet him? How did he contact you for the job?” He Tian demands.
“Something’s wrong with him,” Zheng Xi warns, observing a few paces back.
The man trembles, limbs jerking, before gagging. From his parted mouth, a corporeal, albino cobra with ruby eyes darts out into the open, lunging at He Tian and sinking its teeth into his forearm.
Zheng Xi, who had been anticipating conflict, unsheathes his sword the fastest and cuts the snake clean into half. It writhes and howls, but evaporates like smoke.
Mo is the first to move. Fingers peel back He Tian’s sleeve to show the two puncture wounds. He Tian isn’t bleeding, but a dark energy emanates from the gash.
“A-he…”
Fingers find the strings again, and begin to play a piece for Healing.
Zheng Xi turns to Mo, do you know if your...contractor can send someone to tend to Qing Gu?”
Mo nods, “I will ask.”
He Tian shakes his head in dissent, “I don’t require it. I will heal.”
Mo snaps, “stop being so stubborn for once and see the healer!”
He Tian shakes his head again, gingerly rising to his feet, “no need. I refuse.”
Mo glowers.
“Xi-xi,” Jian Yi beckons, “come look at his eyes.”
Zheng Xi crouches and observes where Jian Yi has pulled the man’s eyelids apart. The cornea is a milky white while the sclera is reddish with bruised blood.
“The snake had been using him as a host for a while. He’s been sustaining internal injury,” Zheng Xi surmises.
“She Li must know we’re investigating him,” Mo says tiredly, one arm around He Tian as support. “Spirit animals usually have scrying abilities.”
They stumble back to the inn wearily, and settle down to eat.
The mood isn’t half as lighthearted as it was yesterday night. Mo is more preoccupied with feeding He Tian than eating himself. Zheng Xi picks at his food.
“Guan Yang… who is She Li?” Zheng Xi asks.
He Tian answers when Mo takes too long to respond, “he’s a particularly violent rogue cultivator. We’ve had conflicts with him in the past.”
“Are you certain he is the perpetrator?” Jian Yi asks.
Mo inhales sharply, “I wasn’t. Not until I saw that snake. It’s his… I remember it.”
He Tian sways slightly, and Mo puts an arm around to steady him. He regards the two Yue Sect members, “please excuse us - I should tend to A-he’s wounds.”
“Thank you,” Mo says.
He Tian shrugs, “I am injured, in case you’ve forgotten.”
Mo smiles, “as if I could forget.”
Mo is halfway through a piece on the pipa, the harmonic interludes of the healing energy swelling in the room, when He Tian calls his name.
He stops playing, sits down beside He Tian on the bed, “how are you feeling?”
“Your playing has healed me,” He Tian says, but Mo knows he isn’t telling him something - he isn’t looking him in the eyes.
“What is it?”
“Feed me the medication?”
Mo has half a heart to complain, but He Tian looks convincingly weak. Mo doesn’t want him burning himself. He lifts the steeping pouch of medicinal herbs from the steaming water, and ladles the liquid medicine into a serving bowl.
“You’re really feeding me?” He Tian asks.
“If you keep talking I’ll stop,” Mo threatens.
He Tian merely hums. Mo takes a spoonful of medicine to his lips and waits for He Tian to take it. He drinks.
“Will you finally tell me what this medicine is for?” Mo asks.
“I’ve told you countless times.”
“When will you tell me the truth,” Mo amends.
He Tian is silent. He lowers his gaze, “I don’t think you want to know. I think you would hate me.”
Mo stares, “I already hate you.”
He Tian laughs, pained, “hate me even more, then.”
Mo shakes his head, “you’re hard to get along with, a skirt chaser, and two-faced. But I know you in spite of all that; I know what you’re scared of. I won’t abandon you. Even if you tell me something I don’t want to hear.”
He Tian’s face is blank, like he’s trying to decide what mask to put on next.
“Alright.” He says simply, “can I have more medicine?”
Mo slams the spoon down onto the table, cursing, “damn you. Feed yourself.”
“Just leave it alone,” He Tian snaps.
Mo laughs, bitter, “you never tell me anything.”
There’s a frantic knocking at their door.
Both sit up. Eyes wide. Mo answers the door.
“Childe Yue was abducted,” Zheng Xi says, frantic.
The chamber is found in disarray. Adjacent to the doorway, the window frame hangs limply, wooden bars snapped clean.
Mo walks over to the window frame and draws a spirit stone from his pouch. Upon activation, the stone glows verdant hot in his palm. Eyes shut in concentration, he senses traces of cultivation eastward. The capital.
He surfaces from investigation to find Zheng Xi with his dao sword at He Tian’s neck.
“Let him go.”
Zheng Xi’s eyes are dark, “it’s too much of a coincidence that Childe was kidnapped shortly after we met. What are the motives of the Tu Shan Sect and Ge Tian Sect heirs?”
“Not so gullible after all,” He Tian laughs.
“Tian He, stop antagonizing him!” Mo snaps, before addressing Zheng Xi, “we’re conducting an official investigation of the massacres. Yue Sect Leader specifically requested us to conduct our matters with discretion. If we meant you two any harm, we wouldn’t be so shortsighted as to stage an abduction while we’re here on record. We’re just as shocked about this as you are.”
Zheng Xi’s eyes narrow, “how can I confirm your word as truth?”
“I swear it,” Mo says, “on the name of my Sect.”
There’s a beat of tense silence, before Zheng Xi releases He Tian from the grip.
There’s a moment of deliberation, before Zheng Xi reveals, “I managed to place a tracing spell on Childe Yue. If you’re sincere, please help. The sun is setting and it will be harder to track their movements at night.”
Mo nods easily, sparing a worried glance at He Tian. He must still be weak from the bite.
He Tian must pick up on Mo’s worry, as he hastens to say, “please lead the way, Zheng Zhan.”
They follow the energy signal to a cemetery, a ways off from the nearest village. Whoever abducted the Childe did not want to be found. They stop in front of an underground crypt where the energy is strongest. Zheng Xi peers down into the entrance before gesturing them in.
“Sending us to the tiger’s mouth,” He Tian comments, but concedes, stepping forward fearlessly.
There are hushed voices from deeper within the crypt, but they must have tripped a silent alarm, for the voices quiet upon venturing further.
He Tian strains to hear them, but all is silent. Then, the sharp slice through the air alerts him, and he blocks with his sword, barely in time. He stares at his attacker.
“Ge?!”
“A-he? What are you doing here?” He Cheng asks angrily, lowering his sword.
Taking the momentary distraction, Zheng Xi pulls He Tian back by the hair, sword yet again at his neck. He Tian is getting a little tired of it.
“Where is Childe Yue?” Zheng Xi asks. The sword comes precariously close to He Tian’s skin.
He Cheng swallows, “this is a misunderstanding.”
“Where is he.”
The tone brooks no refute.
“He’s in the antechamber,” He Cheng replies, defeated.
Zheng Xi nods towards the room, “take him out here.”
“Zheng Xi!” Jian Yi gasps when he’s led out, the blindfold ripped from his eyes.
“Untie him.”
“Untie him yourself,” He Cheng says, then shoves Jian Yi at the two of them.
Tied up, Jian Yi flails, off balance. Zheng Xi sacrifices his grip on He Tian to catch Jian Yi, giving He Tian some time to duck out of his grip. However, as soon as Zheng Xi cuts Jian Yi’s rope, Jian Yi calls his sword forth and it emanates with righteous power. The crypt shudders and dust rains down on them.
They’re all left reeling from the blast, and Jian Yi wastes no time pressing forward in offence, sword swinging down at He Cheng who took the force of the blast. His attack is met with He Tian’s sword, obsidian and red accents crossing with the glint of gold. Jian Yi’s eyes widen. Look between the two of them, noting the similarities.
“Don’t,” he rasps, still weak from the bite. Blood trails at his lips from the prior blast and his sword hand is trembling under strain. “Please just go.”
Jian Yi shoots them a lost look, but retreats. Zheng Xi doesn’t look back.
Mo looks at He Tian, then He Cheng. Sighs.
He Cheng coughs weakly from under the rained rubble, and a second man emerges from the cave.
“Sorry I couldn’t help earlier. Couldn’t risk my brother recognising me,” the man says. The shape of his moonlight grin is familiar.
Mo stares up at the face of Childe Yue Jie Qiu, the first in line to the Yue Sect Leadership.
PART 2
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Ok, so, this is something I wrote a long time ago, but I wanted to switch to English, which is not my first language, and I think I wanted to show maybe Tianshan in the dynamic "doctor and soldier", I don't know, I think it's cool. and forgive me for possible mistakes, I even used the translator to help me with this.
EVERYTIME - part 1
The doors of the large hospital building were opened in a rush.
"Where do you think he was taken?"
The two men were hurriedly walking through the lobby.
"Emergency area, maybe"
"Couldn't you be more careful, Zhan?"
"I could if I wasn't paying attention to helping the kid"
"Help a thief you mean?" Laughed, shaking his head. Making the other look in his direction.
"You talk like you didn't do the same thing" He said
"Oh look, it must be there" Deviated from the subject pointing fast in the direction where nurses were. Treatment spaces, separated by curtains.
"Just when a break comes, it is not taken advantage of" Zheng Xi sighed as they approached.
"And whose idea was it to play the hero? I told you to stay out of it."
But they both knew that wasn't exactly an option. Apparently, soldiers don't have time off.
Zheng Xi did not respond. Didn't have to. Instead he followed a few steps ahead, passing by the people who worked there and looking for the boy among the white curtains.
He Tian followed behind with his hands in his pockets.
The day had been quiet until the moment they came across a robbery at a store near where they were. One moment they were on their day off, the next, stopping a coupon thief on a motorcycle, with plastic polka dot guns from the playhouse they were in.
Not even to get a thank you from the store owner. More concerned about the vehicle who fell along with the boy.
And to top it off he had stolen Zheng Xi's cell phone while He Tian wrote down on his arm "thief, do the most painful treatment possible." Unbelievable.
"Excuse me, can you tell me if a patient who was in a motorcycle accident came here?" Zheng Xi asked one of the young nurses there.
He Tian looked sideways, seeing if he could find any clues of the boy. Nothing.
"Oh, i'm so sorry. Are you the guardians?" She asked, then became more tense "The patient, he's gone..."
"What do you mean it's gone?" Zheng Xi frowned.
Great. He'd run away.
He Tian sighed, taking his cell phone out of his pocket. Dialing his friend's number and hoping that if the thief was still nearby, they could hear. What, please, was foolish, he wasn't going to be there. But it didn't hurt to try.
He waited for a failed call.
And he was surprised by a ringing. And it came from behind.
But it wasn't the kid.
It was a man, a few feet behind them. also doctor of the place - one could tell by his clothes.
He had a hand in the pocket of the well-known white coat, over his blue uniform. A stethoscope on the neck. And red hair.
With the other hand he held the cell phone. He had not yet lifted his face, and kept walking, getting closer to where they were. And then stopped. Checked the screen and seconds later answered.
"Hello?" He Tian heard his voice sound by the line, just as the same way he heard there in person, with the difference of also seeing when he said.
He noticed when he frowned slightly by the silence. Oh, yes.
“Hi?”
Finally answered. Yep, it was definitely Zheng Xi's cell phone.
With this the man finally raised his head, apparently having also heard He Tian in front of him by the short distance, and his face before partially seen, was on display.
He met his eyes there.
Amber. His eyes were amber, you could tell.
They had a shadow of confusion. As if for a moment, you'd wonder if you've made a mistake.
He looked at the screen one more time, then went back to He Tian.
And then took a few more steps.
“Big Boss?” He asked. Now the voice had more format, clarity. His eyes ran through He Tian as if scanning him, from top to bottom.
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