Chapter Text
The demon is up to something.
The demon has been up to something ever since he'd crawled out of the Endless Abyss, and especially so since Shen Qingqiu died. The moves Luo Binghe has made have been blatant to the point of being insulting, cutting down obstacles and rivals left and right. He'd conquered the Northern Desert and he rules Huan Hua Palace, the wealthiest sect around, in everything but the name. And why?
Revenge, greed, demonic desire for dominance?
Liu Qingge doesn't care why. He doesn't really even care how. What is it to him if the Northern Demon Realm falls to a half-demon upstart, what do Huan Hua Palace's power struggles have to do with him? Nothing! They can mingle as much they like, they can tear eachother apart for all he cares.
And yet here he is, day after day, to challenge Luo Binghe to a duel. Because in his rotten halls, there is one thing Liu Qingge cares about.
Somewhere in Huan Hua Palace, there's the body of Shen Qingqiu.
Liu Qingge knows it, because the rumours about it are vile. They go at length about how Luo Binghe spends himself to preserve his dead master. How he slept in the same chambers as his dead master. How he didn't so much as let anyone touch his dead master, not even to wash him or clean the chambers.
And Luo Binghe never denied it.
Liu Qingge hadn't ever seen Shen Qingqiu's body, not since the awful day Luo Binghe had whisked him away - but he'd seen Luo Binghe. He'd seen him bereft, grieving, furious, raging, and always, always in denial.
"I will bring him back. If you'd just leave me in peace to work, I will bring him back!"
Insanity. No matter how Liu Qingge wishes it could be otherwise… it's pure insanity. Shen Qingqiu is dead, he's long dead. Far too much time has passed. He must've reincarnated by now. Even if Luo Binghe could drag him back now, it would be cruel to force him into the shape of his previous life. As much as they might wish it… it isn't up to them.
Luo Binghe is deluding himself. When he should've expressed his gratitude for his master's sacrifice, he instead besmirched his honour. It's shameful, and Shen Qingqiu would've been grieved beyond measure, had he known.
So Liu Qingge has made it his mission to get Shen Qingqiu's body back for a proper burial, and to hopefully knock some sense into Shen Qingqiu most favourite, most troublesome, disciple while he's at it. He would've done it already, if only the brat hadn't grown so damned strong in the Abyss.
And now… now Luo Binghe is up to something.
"Where is your master?" Liu Qingge barks at the nearest Huan Hua Palace disciple, upon arriving at the palace's gaudy, gilded gates once more.
"Apologising to Peak Lord Liu, the master is… busy," the disciple says with a mixture of resignation and nervousness.
Too busy to defend his claim on Shen Qingqiu? "We'll see about that," Liu Qingge mutters and draws his sword.
With the Huan Hua Palace's warning bells ringing all around, the War God of Bai Zhan Peak rushes the gates and pierces his way through.
He's halfway in and on his way to the wealthier living quarters when Luo Binghe finally deigns to show himself.
"Liu-shishu," the Half demon growls. "This lord doesn't have the time for you now."
"If you don't have time for me, you don't have time for Shen Qingqiu," Liu Qingge answers and waves his sword, aiming it at Shen Qingqiu's student. "Release his body to us!"
Luo Binghe looks frustrated and harried - much like he has in the previous days as well. The demon has been busy, Liu Qingge knows - everyone knows. There's a strange movement in the Northern Desert, and everyone in Huan Hua Palace is on the edge. Something is clearly wrong, and Luo Binghe is distracted.
It's all the opening Liu Qingge needs to attack him.
But ultimately Luo Binghe's state of mind doesn't make a difference.
"I'm so close now! So close to finding him!" Luo Binghe snarls, pinning him down. "I'm not going to let anyone stop me, least of all you! You, of all people, should understand!"
"What's there to understand!" Liu Qingge answers with angry frustration. "Shen Qingqiu is dead! He should have reincarnated by now -"
"Shizun hasn't been reincarnated! He's transmigrated! He's stuck in another body but he's still out there, he's still himself!"
It sounds like nonsense. Annoyingly so, it also sounds like the type of nonsense that has the irritating way of being true. "What are you talking about?!"
Luo Binghe leans closer. "I know all about it. Shizun wasn't the original Shen Qingqiu - he took over his body when Shen Qingqiu died. With that body's death he moved on again, to another body, in another world. And he doesn't even know that his last body is right here, that he can come back at any moment! If only I can find him -!
"Shen Qingqiu isn't -?" Liu Qingge blinks at the crazed look on the half-demon's face. "You're crazy. You're lying!"
"I'm not! You remember it, everyone noticed it! Shizun changed - he became good!" Luo Binghe's hands clutch to Liu Qingge, convulsive, demanding understanding. "He became kind. We disciples of Qing Jing Peak thought he had a Qi-deviation - and I know the other Peak Lords tested him for possession."
They head, again and again. Yue Qingyuan had been obsessive about it, using every means to make sure Shen Qingqiu was who he was. They'd all failed. "How do you know he was possessed?"
"It doesn't matter how, what matters is finding where he went next!"
Liu Qingge struggles to free himself and fails. "Why?! You claim your Shizun is a spirit, a wraith possession another - why do you want him back?!" He means to sound forbidding, but his voice comes out barely incredulous. He knows why. The whole damned world knows why.
And there's still a traitorous part of him, going, what if…
"Because he's my Shizun," Luo Binghe says softly, and then suddenly drags Liu Qingge up by the collar of his robes. "Come here, Shishu - you can finally be of use to Shizun and help me."
Liu Qingge struggles, but is dragged away regardless - through the corridor and into a room he suspects might be part of Luo Binghe's personal rooms. They're grandiose and finely furnished, and there's a decorated doorway with curtains the he suspects might lead to a bedchamber -
But before he can try and take a look, Luo Binghe has pushed him forward, and in front of a great black mirror that dominates the room.
"The Looking Glass," Luo Binghe says with that crazed intensity he only gets about Shen Qingqiu. He's gripping Liu Qingge's shoulders from behind, his fingers like steel, his nails like knives. "It shows you what you most want to see, as long as you know what it is. I don't know what Shizun looks like now, I don't know where he is, so I only get vague images. But maybe with you here -"
"I'm not going to do anything for you!" Liu Qingge snarls.
Luo Binghe's nails dig into his shoulders. "Don't you want to see Shizun?" he breathes and leans in, his red eyes on the mirror. "Don't you want to see Shen Qingqiu - see your shixiong? To hear him call you Liu-shidi , one more time?"
As much as Liu Qingge tries to fight it, tries to not think… that does it. His mind immediately conjures up a mental image and a voice to go with it, of Shen Qingqiu smiling that teasing smile at him while playfully cajoling favours from him. No one, not even his sister, put so much fondness into addressing him.
"Shidii~"
As Liu Qingge stares at the mirror in trepidation, as Luo Binghe glares at it like he's trying to force the mirror into compliance… the black surface begins to change.
First they see green. Then some whites and blues. Then the picture is painted as though stroke by stroke to reveal a view of a forest canopy against the sky - and a man, tall and broad-shouldered with hair like spun silver, flying over tree branches with the grace of a Cultivator… but not with a sword. Instead the man is jumping on the thinnest of tree branches, seemingly light as a feather, barely even disturbing the leaves with his weight.
And in his arms is another man, slender with smooth dark hair and a mark on his upper dantian, clutching into the bigger man with barely restrained alarm as he's carried through the air. It's it him? The indignation looks familiar. The black-haired man is saying - shouting - something at the silver-haired man. Who looks down…
And smiles.
Liu Qingge gapes. He knows that smile.
"Shizun," Luo Binghe sighs, his eyes shining. "I found you, Shizun. I finally found you."