Chapter Text
The Mobei-twins were in bed.
They would, of course, not have too much of an issue healing, but as of now, they would still have to invest some time in their recovery.
As soon as they were settled, just when Shang Qinghua closed the door to the bedroom, he shuddered; he could feel the demon behind him - could feel his anger. The Peak Lord’s entire office had the potential to turn into a glacier cave from how cold it was.
“My- my king, I can explain…!”
Mobei-jun glared at him, but seemed like he would let him talk.
“You might be wondering, where were they? Well, the answer is simple; your cousins have grown increasingly bored with An Ding Peak and my work here, and I remember my king telling me I ought to keep them happy, so to fulfil my duties, I sought to find them entertainment and enrichment, if you will-”
“Qinghua–”
“Please, my king, this part is important! As a Peak Lord, I couldn’t just cast aside everything to provide them with adventure all day! I would also never dare to make them work for me, either! No, no! I actually asked them what they would like to do, and I organised the best educational program for them! This also includes training! And what do I mean when I say the best?-”
Mobei-jun walked closer, his face sour.
The Peak Lord walked backwards. “The very best of the Mountain! With someone who is very tolerant and capable! He takes disciples from all peaks– his group is actually said to have only the best and special ones, and they receive private tutelage! Yichen and Yuxi being demons also wasn’t an issue since the master in question has raised demons before!”
“Qinghua!” the northern territory holder almost growled as he grabbed his collar.
Out of reflex, the human shielded his head a bit. “They were actually incredibly happy there! They told me all about it just yesterday! I’m sure once they’re less– uh– sore, they will tell you the same, my king!”
“I didn’t bring them to you so you could put them in a program!” the demon said sharply.
“I- I know!” the Peak Lord let out. “But, my king, I wasn’t giving your cousins what they needed! And it seemed they were a lot happier with my colleague!”
“They’re not a task for you to complete!”
“Of course, they’re not!”
“You were to keep them safe from harm!”
“They- they were safe from more serious harm!” the human nervously argued. “They just did some sparring!”
Wrong answer.
Mobei-jun’s eyes revealed a lot more than he decided to say; he felt betrayed. He had told Shang Qinghua why the twins couldn’t be at the palace of the northern territory, and he had obviously entrusted family with him. The Peak Lord, however, had given the set of cousins to a colleague as if this had anything to do with their upbringing and education.
But there was more…
“You don’t want them here?” the demon asked darkly.
“What?! Of course, I do!” Shang Qinghua immediately reassured. “The two of them are wonderful! I love being around them! They’re bright, and clever, and capable, and–”
“Then you will keep them here,” Mobei-jun declared. “On your Peak - not wherever you sent them to!”
“Y-yes, my king!”
The demon let go of him, but he was naturally still vexed by the situation.
He struggled to understand how someone with Shang Qinghua’s competencies could be so oblivious sometimes; after all, it had been him who had swooned about that one friend and his children. Mobei-jun had listened to a whole thirty minutes of it! Shang Qinghua had almost melted while telling him all about how those kids could warm anyone’s heart, and how sweet it had to be to have them around, but that he couldn’t have the same with his disciples, as they were always out and working.
How had he not realised what Mobei-jun had done for him by bringing his cousins?
While it had not solely been for the Peak Lord’s sake, as the children really did have to get away from court, it should have been obvious!
The demon lifted his chin, looking down at the human. Perhaps he’d really have to spell it out for him. “Think of them as your children.”
Shang Qinghua blinked. “My–”
“Keep them close, and teach them yourself,” Mobei-jun added, turning away.
“Yes, my king!” the Peak Lord let out, watching, surprised he didn’t end up with a black eye.
“And the next time I come here,” the demon said as he started disappearing into the shadows. “They’d better be right next to you.”
With that, he was gone.
Yet, the man’s words kept echoing in Shang Qinghua’s mind; Think of them as your children.
Surely, the words that had followed - the ones about keeping them close and teaching them - were what the demon had meant, but… the thought of them being his children… they definitely were of the Mobei-clan! So if he was to think of them as his own, then…
Shang Qinghua shook his head. He didn’t dare to think of his king as the father!
***
“Gege!”
Shen Yuan had left the sparring field, positive that those disciples wouldn’t try more with the Bai Zhan Peak War God actively hunting them down.
Meanwhile, Jing Qing’s Peak Lord sat in the bamboo house, raising a brow as he heard his twin’s displeased tone; it was a rarity. Normally, his little brother had a ridiculous amount of patience and tried to avoid too much negativity.
His eyes widened when Shen Yuan came into view; his expression confirmed how angry he was.
Shen Jiu got up, walking up to him. “What happened?”
“Your disciples happened!” the younger twin let out, starting to pace around, agitated. “They ganged up on mine! They beat them to a pulp! They won’t be leaving their beds for days!”
The Peak Lord was quiet for a second. He had dared to hope that Shen Yuan would for once be angry for his own sake, and not others’. Alas. What bothered him even more, though, was that his disciples dared to make a direct move against his brother.
Ming Fan and Ning Yingying came running; they had been doing chores around the Peak Lord’s part of the Bamboo House and had, thus, heard.
“They did what?!” the girl shrieked.
Ming Fan seemed surprised. “They beat them up that badly?”
If Luo Binghe were still here, you would have been a participant, too! Shen Yuan thought to himself, but decided not to spit this nonsense when the boy hadn’t done anything wrong today. “That badly! And it would have been worse if help hadn’t arrived in time!”
Ning Yingying was shook. She had, of course, known that resentment and envy were growing inside the other disciples, but she hadn’t thought they’d dare to go this far. “Shizun–”
“This master will not let them get away with it,” the Peak Lord declared, knowing what she wanted to say. “Qing Jing Peak is no place for some ridiculous turf war.”
***
“Shizun! Shizun! Bai Zhan Peak is bullying us!”
One of the last standing disciples had run towards their master the second he was in sight.
Shen Jiu regarded the scene; his disciples were sprawled all over the sparring field - some lying around, others sitting and cowering, others pleading for mercy as the War God chased them down.
Shen Yuan saw his disciples had made it to the sidelines; Lai Liwei and Yi Jiayi were once again helping each other, Xiang Xiaodan and Mo Muyang carried Bai Chanjuan together, and Huang Yao leaned onto Shi Mingyu on their way to the dorm.
The Shen-twins, for once, wore the same expression and looked exactly the same.
The Peak Lord then regarded the disciple who had run up to them. “You dare play a victim?!”
“But– Shizun, we–”
The older pushed forward, ignoring everyone but giving the younger twin a silent instruction. “Make him leave.”
With ‘him’, he obviously meant Liu Qingge.
Speak of the devil; the War God marched towards them, having gotten most of Qing Jing Peak’s disciples, and effectively scared the rest of them. “Shen Jiu!”
Before another fight could ensue, Shen Yuan walked up to him instead, putting his hands on his chest to stop him - and naturally achieved his goal; the War God came to a halt. At first, he still glared at the local Peak Lord, then he looked down at the co-master who had softened his expression to talk to him. Growing aware of the pose, the master of Bai Zhan Peak even blinked a bit - not more though! He was too mad to get properly flustered.
“Thank you, Shidi,” Shen Yuan said in a genuine tone that was also meant to calm the other.
“What are you thanking him for?! Disciplining my disciples?!” Shen Jiu said from behind, unable to hold back. “He ought to go and get those of Bai Zhan Peak in order first!”
The younger twin gave the older a look. “He was holding a sparring session with mine! He attacked yours because they dared to beat mine up - one of Bai Zhan Peak being among them.”
“Tche!”
Liu Qingge was about to throw something in the master of Qing Jing Peak’s way, but was once again stopped by the co-master. “I’m grateful,” Shen Yuan insisted despite his brother’s objections. “I think you showed them enough. We’ll be doing the rest.”
The War God took a deep breath, then turned to leave so as not to end up attacking Shen Jiu.
“And thank you for today!”
Bai Zhan’s Peak Lord lifted a hand and got off the Peak.
Only then did the disciples around them dare to get up and move, immediately surrounding their master and saviour, a cascade of gratitude spilling out of them.
“Shizun!”
“Thank you, Shizun!”
“You saved us!”
Shen Jiu’s face soured, and so did Shen Yuan's.
“You deserved every bit of that beating!” the Peak Lord hissed at them, and the disciples, although puzzled, quickly moved to bow, heads hanging low. “Be glad it wasn’t me who found out about it first!”
“Shizun, we–”
“Silence!”
Qing Jing’s disciples already feared their master a bit without him being angry, but with him so clearly displeased, no one dared speak anymore.
“Did you expect acting like some common brute from Bai Zhan Peak would get you any other treatment?!” the Peak Lord continued. “Did I neglect you so much that my cultured disciples reverted into some unrefined beasts?!”
There was not a sound aside from one or two swallowing in a dry throat.
“I cannot imagine any circumstances warranting such actions,” he continued. “So I will ask; who can explain what possessed you to attack the disciples of your Shizun’s brother?!”
It was quiet.
After a moment, Shen Jiu started again, getting increasingly impatient - and irritated. “Clearly, you all participated, so I assume you all had a reason, no?!”
Of course, all were too ashamed and scared to speak up.
“Fine. If you won’t say, I will make my own conclusions,” the Peak Lord decided. “I assume you all are envious of those disciples. I take it you’d prefer my brother as your shizun!”
“No!” multiple people, almost all, interjected.
“No? Then what?!” Shen Jiu hissed. “Have I not given you enough material to learn?! Has your master failed to teach you anything?! Have I taught you so little that you do not even cherish the harmony of Qing Jing Peak?! Or have I been so lenient that the lot of you think they can do whatever they please here?! Have I spoiled you so?!”
“No!”
“What is it then?! Have I been too strict - so much so that you’d vent your resentments on those who do not suffer the same?!”
“Shizun! Of course not!”
“Oh? Then perhaps you thought yourself superior?! Is it because you are the Peak Lord’s disciples and not his brother’s that you act this way?! Do you look down on your Shizun’s family?!”
"No!"
“Then someone explain!”
The disciples exchanged scared and sorry glances, hoping someone else would do it for them. No matter what explanation they'd give, they had clearly been in the wrong, and there was nothing they could say that would excuse their actions.
They had messed up, as simple as that.
Some even dared to look at Shen Yuan, their eyes pleading for help.
But this time, the younger, gentler twin did not interfere. Normally, he would already have tried to calm his brother, would have advocated for them, would have tried to see things from their perspective - but no. This time, Shen Yuan wasn’t going to save them either.
“Speak!” Shen Jiu almost shouted.
Someone then pushed the gang leader into the circle; the boy’s head hung low, and he averted his gaze.
“This– this disciple deeply apologises!” he started, having lost all his confidence from earlier. “It was his fault! He rallied the others and pitched them against Shen-shishu’s disciples!”
“Why?”
“Because… because he was indeed jealous!” the boy admitted, quickly kneeling and bowing. “But not because of any of those reasons mentioned earlier!”
“Then why?!”
“Shizun,” he continued. “Rumours are spreading around Cang Qiong Mountain! Many think they are receiving special treatment and education from Shen-shishu! Today, when they got individual sparring lessons with the War God of Bai Zhan Peak, this disciple thought those rumours to be true!”
Shen Jiu was quiet for a moment, glaring. Then, he repeated just a part of the explanation. “Special treatment and education…?!”
“Yes, Shizun,” the boy confirmed. “The rumours, they… they have spread over all the other peaks! It’s not just yours, Shizun! People have started to think that… that…”
“That what?”
“...that the disciples are the candidates for the next generation of Peak Lords!”
At that, both adults on the scene were dumbstruck.
What…?!
Back when Ming Fan and Ning Yingying had come to warn Shen Yuan, they hadn’t mentioned that. Back then, it had just been something about private mentoring!
Shen Jiu’s nostrils were flared. “And you believed such nonsense?! You attacked my brother’s disciples based on a ridiculous rumour?!”
“It– it didn’t seem baseless!”
“Even if it wasn't, what logic is it to then attack your future Peak Lords?!” the older twin asked, genuinely perturbed by the lack of thinking. “And in what world did you think this wouldn’t have consequences?!”
“This– these disciples didn’t think at all…” the gang leader mumbled.
“Clearly!” Shen Jiu agreed. “How humiliating to your shizun! What a pure and utter disgrace! To think the reputation and future of Qing Jing Peak rests on the shoulders of fools!”
The disciples basically shrank into themselves.
“Today, you will do nothing but your chores and rest! And tomorrow…” the Peak Lord started, turning and proceeding to walk off with his brother, leaving them behind. “Tomorrow, a collective punishment period will start!”
“But Shizun, I personally didn’t–” one started, scared at the thought.
“Me neither, I–” another.
“This includes every aggressor and every bystander alike!” Shen Jiu clarified. “And you have no one but yourself to blame!”