Chapter Text
Luo Binghe didn’t stop running until he finally reached the empty little shack where he lived. It no longer felt like home, though. Not since his mother had died because Luo Binghe had failed her. He risked peering out the window, and let out a sigh of relief when he didn’t spot anyone nearby. They must have gotten bored of chasing him around.
He had just settled down with his stolen bounty to try and make a meal out of the limited ingredients he’d been able to snatch out of the trash behind that restaurant, when the door to his little home slammed open, and a tall man dressed in beautiful robes stomped inside. He looked around with a wrinkled nose, and Luo Binghe felt a moment of shame about how this place must look to someone who was clearly from a higher class than Luo Binghe could ever hope to reach. Then the shame was at war with anger, at how some stranger could stand there and judge Luo Binghe without knowing anything of the hardships he had faced.
He narrowed his eyes at this stranger who had barged in like he owned the place, and opened his mouth to demand some answers. The stranger spoke first, though, after giving Luo Binghe a scrutinizing once over. “You’ll do.” Then he turned around with the kind of grace that could only belong to an immortal, and stepped back outside.
Luo Binghe found himself staring after the stranger in confusion. His confusion only grew when the man looked back at him, clearly annoyed that Luo Binghe hadn’t immediately followed him. “Well? Are you coming or not?” he asked impatiently.
“Why would I go anywhere with you?” Luo Binghe finally had the chance to ask. “I don’t know who you are.”
The man sighed like it was some big burden to simply explain what he wanted, and he pulled out a lovely fan, flicking it so that it opened with a sharp snap. “I have a job for you.”
Luo Binghe narrowed his eyes, but found himself following the stranger, if for no reason other than curiosity. “You don’t even know me,” he pointed out.
The man only snorted once in response, as he led Luo Binghe through the familiar streets of a town that had never been particularly kind to him. It didn’t take long for them to reach a carriage. Another man peered out at them when the first one pulled one door open. “Well? Did you find one?”
Luo Binghe was pushed forward, and found himself cringing back from the overly intense gaze of the second man. “This one should do.”
“Will you please explain to me what is going on?” Luo Binghe said before he could be shoved into the carriage. Everything about this situation seemed shady, and Luo Binghe was starting to think that it had been a mistake to follow a complete stranger like this.
The one who’d barged into Luo Binghe’s house let out another annoyed sigh, before shoving Luo Binghe right into the carriage, where the other man grabbed hold of Luo Binghe’s shirt and tugged him the rest of the way in. Luo Binghe opened his mouth to scream for help, but a piece of paper was slapped against his chest, and he found himself incapable of letting out any sound at all. His eyes widened in alarm as the first man slammed the door shut and then climbed in front to start driving them away.
The second man, who was dressed in clothes that seemed only marginally nicer than Luo Binghe’s, offered him a sleazy smile that only made Luo Binghe’s stomach twist with concern. “Have you ever heard of Qing Jing Manor?” the man asked, sounding somewhat amused by the entire situation.
Luo Binghe, who was far less entertained by this kidnapping, quickly shook his head, hoping that they could get through this conversation as quickly as possible so that he could then get away.
The man nodded like he’d expected as much. “You probably haven’t heard the rumors, then. Qing Jing used to be a proper estate, running efficiently for generations. A couple of years ago, the whole place was suddenly locked up tight. Practically all of the servants were dismissed, all business contacts were cut off. If it weren’t for the few remaining staff venturing into town for supplies on occasion, everyone would assume that the manor had become nothing but a ghost house.” He laughed at whatever look had to be on Luo Binghe’s face. “And now you’re wondering what any of this has to do with you, right?” Luo Binghe slowly nodded. “Well, the catalyst for all of this fuss is the disappearance of the personal apprentice of the Qing Jing lordling. It’s said that he took the boy off the streets himself, and taught him everything he knew. When the boy vanished, the foolish man’s heart was broken, and he had turned into nothing but a wraith of his former self. From all of the descriptions, I can assure you that you bear a striking resemblance to that missing boy.” Then he finally reached forward to remove the talisman that had been forcing Luo Binghe to remain silent.
“You want me to pretend to be the missing boy,” Luo Binghe quickly put together. “Why? What’s in it for you? Is there a reward being offered for his return?”
“Not in the traditional sense,” the man chuckled. “But there is a treasure locked up somewhere in the estate. That paranoid bastard Shen Qingqiu has it hidden good, though. But I can assure you that it is real. My apprentice, the moody thing driving this carriage, was once a high ranking servant in Qing Jing. He can tell you enough about that dead boy to get you through the front gates, and once you’re inside, you can look for the treasure.”
Luo Binghe narrowed his eyes at the man who had essentially just kidnapped him. “And what do I get out of this?”
“Good food, a solid roof over your head. And if you prove yourself useful enough, I may even consider taking on a second apprentice. How would you like to learn cultivation?”
It was truly a tempting offer. Right now, Luo Binghe could barely scrounge together the means to keep himself alive, but if he could cultivate, it would open up a whole new world of possibilities for him. He would be able to go anywhere, do anything. Perhaps the smarter thing to do would be to just ask for a cut of the treasure profit, but in the long run, cultivation would be more useful. “I’m not too old to start?”
The man shook his head. “Just ask Shen Jiu out there. He was hardly younger than you when I took him in.”
After giving it another moment of careful thought, Luo Binghe finally nodded, and held his hand out. “I accept your deal.”
The man didn’t bother shaking his hand, but he did offer him a smile that made Luo Binghe feel a little uncomfortable. “Then welcome to the team. You can call me Master Wu.”
,,,
They rode for the rest of the day to reach Master Wu and Shen Jiu’s hideout. Seeing the two men standing side by side, Luo Binghe found it hard to believe that they really worked together. Shen Jiu looked like he could almost be an immortal cultivator himself, especially in those fancy robes. Master Wu looked like he would fit in among the beggars that lined the streets.
Shen Jiu looked annoyed when Luo Binghe’s stomach growled loudly. “Sorry,” he apologized, meekly wrapping his hands around his middle like he could contain his hunger through sheer force.
“Time to get started,” Shen Jiu announced in a haughty tone that really did make him sound like a noble. Perhaps he had learned it from Shen Qingqiu. “First we make you into Luo Binghe, and then perhaps you can have dinner.”
Luo Binghe furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean? I’m already Luo Binghe.”
The nod that Shen Jiu gave him then was almost… approving? “Good, it seems you aren’t entirely useless at this.”
Then he launched into a whole lecture on the topic of how to act just like Shen Qingqiu’s missing apprentice. “Keep your back straight and your head up while walking. Bow like this when greeting Master Shen. You will refer to him as ‘Shizun’ at all times, even if the other servants don’t do the same. You are not to be picky, you will eat any food that is served to you, and will be grateful for it. When pouring tea, you are to hold the pot like so, and fill the cup to about here. You will be expected to master at least two instruments, as well as the art of poetry and fan painting. You will cook and clean up after Master Shen and act as though it is a privilege to be allowed to do so.” Etc, etc.
Just when Luo Binghe started to get overwhelmed by all of the information being forced on him, they took a break to eat. Afterwards, Luo Binghe dared to ask, “So what actually happened to Shen Qingqiu’s apprentice?” From everything he was being taught, it was hard to picture the exact age of the missing boy, though he must have been quite young if it had happened years ago and Luo Binghe looked like a suitable replacement.
Shen Jiu scowled, but Master Wu, who had disappeared during the lessons only to return now for food, answered. “Most people have no idea, but I suppose you should know the truth.” He leaned forward, his stale breath blowing right into Luo Binghe’s face as he spoke. “He fell into the Endless Abyss.” His eyes flicked over to Shen Jiu for a moment before focusing back on Luo Binghe. “Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he was pushed.”
Even Luo Binghe in his lack of education had heard of the Endless Abyss. An awful hellscape full of nothing but monsters and demons. “Then he must be dead?”
“Oh, certainly,” Master Wu answered carelessly, the death of a boy something that apparently did not bother him in the slightest. “But Shen Qingqiu always insisted that his apprentice would survive. I read as much in a few letters of his that I’ve intercepted. So you see, the fool will accept this ‘miracle’ as the truth because he wants it to be true.”
“And what happened to the one who pushed the apprentice in?” From everything he’d learned so far, it sounded like Shen Qingqiu was a very exacting and strict man. Surely he had done something awful to punish the person who’d killed his apprentice? Luo Binghe didn’t want to think about what the man would do to Luo Binghe if he saw through this deception.
“I was dismissed from my position,” Shen Jiu said stiffly.
Luo Binghe turned to stare at him with wide eyes. “You-?” The fact that he’d come all this way with a complete stranger who was apparently also a child murderer made Luo Binghe’s stomach turn. If his mother was still alive, she would definitely not approve of his most recent choices. But also he couldn’t help feeling curious about Shen Qingqiu, who had done nothing worse than fire the person who’d murdered his apprentice. Was he not as attached to the boy as Master Wu seemed to think?
“This brat has served me very faithfully since then,” Master Wu said lightly, as if there was anything funny about this. “I’m sure you’ll do the same, right?”
Luo Binghe pressed his lips together in a flat line, and nodded once. He’d already committed himself to this path, and he didn’t think that Master Wu would take it kindly if Luo Binghe backed down now.
Still, the unease that he felt around the pair never went away over the course of the next several days, as Shen Jiu continued to teach him everything there was to know about Shen Qingqiu’s dead apprentice. “You seem to know a lot about him,” Luo Binghe couldn’t help commenting at one point.
Shen Jiu narrowed his eyes. “That beast was impossible to avoid with how often he clung to Master Shen, making a nuisance of himself.” And he would say nothing more on the matter.
,,,
Once Shen Jiu and Master Wu had declared that Luo Binghe was ready, they set off for Qing Jing Manor. “You’re coming too?” he couldn’t help asking Shen Jiu with some surprise. “Won’t Shen- Shizun- be upset to see you?”
Shen Jiu shook his head. “I won’t be going in with you. Master Wu and I will be staying in town so that you can reach out as soon as you learn where the treasure is hidden.”
The ride to the estate seemed to pass by in an instant, and then Master Wu was prodding for Luo Binghe to step out. Both of them had been dressed up by Shen Jiu today, making them appear like minor nobles, though something in Master Wu’s bearing gave away that it was merely a disguise for him, that he had not been born wearing such finery.
At the imposing front gates that blocked the entrance to the manor, Master Wu tapped against a section of brick that was a different color from the rest. Just a few minutes later, they were able to see a young woman with a round face and pigtails trotted up to the other side of the gate. She looked curiously at the two visitors. “Can this Yingying help you with anything?”
“We must see Master Shen at once,” Master Wu said.
The girl furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head once. “I’m sorry, but Shizun isn’t taking any appointments right now. If it’s something related to the print shop, you should reach out to Shen Qingyuan-”
Master Wu shoved at Luo Binghe until he was practically pressed right up against the gates. “Perhaps your master is willing to make time for his dear former apprentice.”
The girl’s eyes widened as she looked at Luo Binghe. “You-? You’re-?”
Looking back and forth between them again, the girl seemed to come to a decision, and she nodded once. She unlocked the gate to swing one half open, and gestured for Luo Binghe and Master Wu to step inside. “Welcome home,” she said cheerily, as she led them up to the main building.
Inside, a young man with plain features frowned. “Shimei- what do you think you’re doing? You know Shizun doesn’t like having guests,” he hissed.
She just waved one hand to brush aside his concerns. “Relax, Shixiong. Shizun will want to see them, I just know it!”
“Why?” the boy asked suspiciously.
The girl completely ignored him, and just continued to lead Luo Binghe and Master Wu through the halls, until they stopped in front of a closed door. She knocked once, then pushed the door open without waiting for an answer, stepping inside and bowing. “Shizun,” she started.
Luo Binghe, standing awkwardly in the doorway, could see as a man looked up from where he’d been bent over his desk, and Luo Binghe felt like his breath was taken away. He’d never seen such a beautiful man before, with a youthful face that didn’t match any of his idle imaginings, long glossy hair, and warm brown eyes. He moved with such grace as he straightened his back that it made Luo Binghe’s stomach clench with an unfamiliar yearning. “Yingying, I believe this master already said that lunch is not necessary today…” he trailed off as he spotted the pair standing by the door, and then he shot to his feet with an abrupt clumsiness that didn’t seem to match the previous graceful movements. “Binghe,” he breathed out, staring with wide eyes like he’d seen a ghost.
Luo Binghe shuffled forward. He knew that Shen Jiu had said that Shen Qingqiu was close with his late apprentice, but he wasn’t sure exactly how to act just now, especially when he was still trying to recover from the experience of seeing Shen Qingqiu for the first time. “Shizun,” he said quietly, the word still unfamiliar in his mouth.
He could see the watery glint of unshed tears in Shen Qingqiu’s eyes, and then the man surged forward. He stopped right in front of Luo Binghe, reaching up with a shaky hand to press his palm ever so gently against Luo Binghe’s cheek. “Binghe, you’re really here. I knew you’d be back. I knew it,” he whispered.
He wasn’t really sure what was appropriate for this situation, but he knew what his instincts asked of him, so Luo Binghe obeyed and wrapped his arms around Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu startled slightly, but then melted into the embrace, though notably he did not return it.
The girl who’d led them in sniffled, like she’d just witnessed a beautiful moment. “Shizun, is this really my shixiong?”
Shen Qingqiu nodded, a soft smile on his face. He answered without turning towards her, like he was worried that if he took his eyes off of Luo Binghe for even a moment, he would disappear again. Luo Binghe almost felt bad about the whole thing, now that he could see just how affected Shen Qingqiu was. “This is undoubtedly Luo Binghe. Binghe, this is Ning Yingying, your new shimei. And you also have a new shidi as well, Ming Fan.”
Luo Binghe had assumed from Ning Yingying’s lack of recognition that she hadn’t met the dead apprentice before, but it was nice to have some confirmation of that. “Shizun, did you try to replace me?” he asked, a teasing tone to his voice that he hadn’t planned on, but had slipped out of him without any thought.
Shen Qingqiu’s smile didn’t exactly grow, but the corners of his eyes crinkled more, and he gently smacked Luo Binghe in the arm with a fan. “You’ve taken a couple of decades off my life and dare ask if I’d replace you?” he chided with no heat. Then he finally seemed to notice that Master Wu was there as well, and he tilted his head. “And who is your new friend, Binghe?”
“Wu Yanzi,” Master Wu introduced himself. “I found the boy by the side of the road, thought he was already dead at first. Once he recovered enough to explain who he was, I knew I had to get him here right away.”
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Really. Well then you have my eternal thanks, Master Wu. I would offer you a reward for your kindness, but the Shen business has not been particularly lucrative these past years.”
“I don’t need a reward; it’s enough to know that I’ve helped reunite you with your apprentice after all this time.”
Without needing to be instructed, Ning Yingying led Master Wu away, her bubbly voice echoing down the hallway as she offered him some tea and snacks and a room for the night.
Left alone now with Shen Qingqiu, Luo Binghe wasn’t quite sure what to say. He opened his mouth, but frowned when Shen Qingqiu turned away to go rummaging through some of the books lined up on the large shelf against the wall. “Shizun?” he asked awkwardly, not knowing how to continue. It had been such a touching moment, and yet Shen Qingqiu seemed to have already fully recovered from the shock of having his dead apprentice returned to him.
Shen Qingqiu barely spared a moment to glance over his shoulder. “Your room is still as you left it,” he said in a clear dismissal.
Luo Binghe bowed politely and said, “Thank you, Shizun,” before leaving the office, full of confusion. Shen Qingqiu had mourned his apprentice enough to leave his room untouched for years, and yet seemed to so quickly lose interest in Luo Binghe. None of it added up, and it made Luo Binghe feel uneasy to not understand what was going on.
It was probably a good thing that Ning Yingying and Ming Fan seemed to be the only people left at Qing Jing, because it meant that there was no one else around to witness the way Luo Binghe wandered up and down the various corridors as he tried to figure out which room might have belonged to that other Luo Binghe.
When he reached a door that had a small unbroken line of dust in front of it, compared to the relative cleanliness of the rest of the manor, Luo Binghe stopped and curiously slid the door open to peer inside. It was a fully furnished bedroom, and if it weren’t for the stale, musty air, one would think that its occupant had just gotten up mere moments ago. There was a tidy stack of papers on the desk, a long dried up brush resting over them in an old ink blot, like its owner had set it down in a hurry. There were several fans on display on the wall, and Luo Binghe recognized that the style matched the one Shen Qingqiu had been wielding. There was a crumpled robe lying in the corner, perhaps one that the real Luo Binghe had planned on cleaning soon.
He was disturbed from his inspection of the room by an impatient knock on the open door, and he glanced over to see Ming Fan standing there. “Shizun said to help you air out the room and get clean sheets.” He thrust a stack of linens towards Luo Binghe. “I’m sure you can manage to do that much on your own.”
“Thank you,” Luo Binghe said with a painted on smile. Ming Fan rolled his eyes and walked away.
Honestly, it was better that Luo Binghe be given the chance to investigate everything for himself without Ming Fan messing up the scene, so he decided to be grateful for the other boy’s bad attitude.
As he carefully pulled the old blankets off the bed, he heard the crinkle of paper, and saw a small scrap that had fluttered down. It must have been tucked under the pillow, and Luo Binghe curiously picked it up and read the brief note, written in an elegant hand. ‘Binghe- Don’t work too hard, it’s bad for your soul. Mandatory break day tomorrow. Don’t even think about making breakfast!’ It wasn’t signed, but Luo Binghe could easily guess that it had been written by Shen Qingqiu. It was such a small thing, and yet that other Luo Binghe had felt the need to hold onto it like it was a precious treasure. In honor of that long-gone boy’s memory, Luo Binghe found himself carefully folding the note up and placing it on the desk instead of throwing it away. He would find a better place to store it later.
By the time Luo Binghe had finished cleaning and airing out the room enough that he would be able to breath easily, he figured that everyone else had to be asleep, which would give him time to look around. The whole point of coming here, after all, had been to find the hidden treasure. Shen Jiu had told him that it would be a small silver box with delicate leaves etched across the surface. Apparently he had only ever seen it once, when Shen Qingqiu had told him that it contained his greatest treasure, worth more than any amount of money.
So the question was: where would Shen Qingqiu store something so valuable? He seemed to be someone who valued books and literacy, so perhaps in the library? Luo Binghe quietly made his way around the dark estate until he was able to find the library. Stepping inside, he could immediately see that the place was in utter disarray. A closer look revealed that there didn’t seem to be any kind of organization of the books, not by author or genre or title, or even the colors of the bindings. How did anyone ever find what they were looking for in here?
He pulled several random volumes off the shelves, but nothing seemed to stand out to him, not until he got to one that seemed to be in the same handwriting as the note from his room. Luo Binghe flipped through the pages slower than he had with the others. It seemed to be a bestiary written entirely by Shen Qingqiu himself. There were also many notes scrawled in the margins, some that almost covered the actual text. He couldn’t help smiling to himself at some of the little notes, things like ‘How did he come up with the name ‘tri-horn’ when the thing has seven horns??’ and ‘papapa plant number 5852. why???’
Luo Binghe was startled into looking up when an entire section of the wall suddenly moved, swinging forward. He gripped the book tightly in his hand, prepared to defend himself against whatever kind of intruder had just broken in through the walls themselves. He froze when he realized that the person emerging from the opening was no intruder.
Shen Qingqiu blinked several times when he spotted Luo Binghe standing there, still clutching tightly to that book. “Trouble sleeping?”
Luo Binghe quickly nodded. “Yes, Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu sighed. “I know it can’t be easy to be back here like everything’s normal, after everything you’ve gone through.” He turned to skim the nearest shelf, and then pulled a book off, holding it out to Luo Binghe. “You might like this one,” he offered. “It’s that collection of poems I was telling you about- before.” His voice awkwardly stuttered for a moment, proving that despite his god-like appearance, he was still only human. “You should try to get some rest now.”
Not wanting to push his luck, Luo Binghe agreed that it was time to go to bed. For some reason, his obedience only seemed to earn him another strange look from Shen Qingqiu, but the man didn’t say anything so Luo Binghe left to return to his own room. Once he was sure he was alone, Luo Binghe pulled out one of the communication talismans Master Wu had given him, and sent a quick message about the secret room in the library. He would need to look into it some more to figure out how it opened, but right now it seemed like the most likely place to be hiding a treasure.
Luo Binghe flopped down onto the bed, then held up the book Shen Qingqiu had picked out for him. He may as well glance through it, in case Shen Qingqiu decides to quiz him on the contents at some point. He was surprised to find that the poems really were to Luo Binghe’s liking, and he fell asleep reading the words that had been carefully chosen just for him.
,,,
Luo Binghe made sure he woke up extra early so that he could head to the kitchen to make breakfast for Shen Qingqiu. Even though the man claimed that Luo Binghe should rest while he ‘recovered’ from his ‘ordeal’, Shen Jiu had insisted that the other Luo Binghe was incredibly stubborn and had always wanted to cook for his teacher, no matter what. Apparently he’d even done so once after breaking his arm on a night hunt. Luo Binghe couldn’t imagine being so dedicated to anyone other than his poor mother. Still, for the sake of what he was going to get out of this, it would be worth it.
The ingredients he found to work with were much nicer than any of the stuff he’d been able to scrounge up in the past, and he couldn’t help feeling a hint of resentment towards that other Luo Binghe who’d been able to grow up with such luxury instead of fighting for survival on the streets.
He ended up going a little over the top, almost like he was competing with that long dead apprentice. He cooked more dishes than a single man could possibly eat, but brought it all out for Shen Qingqiu to try. As the man stumbled into the kitchen, looking somewhat bleary-eyed and rumpled, Luo Binghe found that he had to look away before he said anything unwise. “Breakfast, Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu sighed. “I shouldn’t be surprised,” he said softly, before sinking down to kneel at the table. When Luo Binghe turned to leave, Shen Qingqiu reached out lightning quick and snagged the hem of Luo Binghe’s robes, tugging him down to his knees as well. “Has my disciple decided he no longer wishes to dine with this master?”
Feeling underprepared for this situation despite how much Shen Jiu had taught him, Luo Binghe could only stare wide-eyed before finally shaking his head. “No, Shizun. This disciple only meant to grab a few more things from the counter first.”
The way that Shen Qingqiu’s eyes crinkled in the corners really made Luo Binghe want to squirm in place, but he forced himself to stay perfectly still. “Don’t be silly, this is already more than enough.” Then, before Luo Binghe could do anything, Shen Qingqiu reached out with his chopsticks to grab a little bit from each dish to put on the plate in front of him, which he then slid over to Luo Binghe. “You need to eat well to continue growing big and strong,” he said.
It took him a moment to move, and then Luo Binghe quickly served Shen Qingqiu before the man could do it himself. “Shizun also needs to eat well.”
Shen Qingqiu let out a soft laugh, and reached out to gently pat the top of Luo Binghe’s hair. “You haven’t changed at all.”
Even the way that Shen Qingqiu ate- not with dainty little bites like expected, but with big hearty mouthfuls that clearly gave him enjoyment to consume- made Luo Binghe feel so odd in a way he didn’t quite understand. It was only when Shen Qingqiu raised one eyebrow at him that Luo Binghe realized he was staring too much, and quickly turned his attention to his own meal.
Once Shen Qingqiu set his chopsticks aside, Luo Binghe jumped to his feet to start gathering up the dirty dishes. Shen Qingqiu actually rolled his eyes, which was such a strange thing to see from such a beautiful immortal face. “My disciple is truly incapable of resting for once, hm?”
“Apologies, Shizun, but this one can’t bear to see you sit with a mess when I am capable of cleaning it up.”
He gathered all of the dishes into a precarious stack in his arms to bring back to the kitchen, but paused when Shen Qingqiu suddenly called his name. “Binghe?” Luo Binghe tilted his head and glanced back over his shoulder to show he was listening. “Do you know what happened to Zheng Yang?”
That was the name of the dead Luo Binghe’s sword. Shen Jiu had told him that it was shattered into pieces after the apprentice had been pushed into the Abyss, but of course the real Luo Binghe would have no way of knowing that. “I don’t know, Shizun. This disciple is ashamed to have lost track of something as important as a spiritual weapon gifted directly by Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes. “How did you escape the Abyss without a sword?”
Luo Binghe’s shoulders slumped down. For all of their preparations, Shen Jiu had not told him to anticipate these kinds of questions. “Shizun, this disciple would feel uncomfortable talking about the past,” he finally said, coming up with an excuse that would work on this man. “It hurts too much to recall what happened back then.”
As he’d hoped, Shen Qingqiu’s expression softened and he backed down. “I did not mean to bring up bad memories,” he murmured. “Why don’t you put those dishes in the kitchen, and then I can show you a surprise I have for you.”
Luo Binghe seriously doubted that he would just be gifted Shen Qingqiu’s greatest treasure, but on the off chance that that was the case, he eagerly nodded and hurried to wash everything and set the bowls aside to dry. Once he was done, he found Shen Qingqiu waiting for him in the large courtyard in the middle of the manor. Shen Qingqiu gave Luo Binghe a warm smile that made something in Luo Binghe’s chest ache, and then he followed the man to the back of the courtyard.
Had the treasure been buried out here where no one would think to look for it? “Shizun-” he started, wanting to sate his curiosity.
Shen Qingqiu just gave him an amused look before stopping next to a small koi pond. He knelt down in front of a mound of dirt with a blank stone resting on one end. “I do not wish to bring up more bad memories, but you cannot continue your lessons without a sword. If you prefer, we can commission a new one for you. But if you would like, then you can continue to use Zheng Yang.”
Luo Binghe furrowed his eyebrows, not having to fake his confusion, considering what Shen Jiu had already told him about the sword’s fate. “But Shizun-”
“Your sword was broken that day,” Shen Qingqiu said, looking down rather than meeting Luo Binghe’s gaze. “But I was able to collect the fragments and restore them.” He reached forward and began digging into the dirt with his bare hands, apparently unconcerned with how he would ruin his beautiful robes. Luo Binghe quickly knelt with the intention of taking over the task, but Shen Qingqiu only hummed softly and continued to do it himself.
Once he’d moved enough dirt aside, Shen Qingqiu was able to pull free a sword. It had a strange pattern across the blade, and when he leaned closer, Luo Binghe realized that the steel was covered in scars from where the pieces had been put back together. He didn’t know enough about cultivation to know if the sword would even be suitable anymore, when it surely had to be much more likely to break again in the future. “Shizun…”
Shen Qingqiu bowed his head and held the sword out like it was a sacred item. “I never thought I would get the chance to see Binghe wield this sword again.”
Even though Luo Binghe knew it was somewhat taboo to use someone else’s spiritual sword without their permission, he found it impossible to reject such a meaningful gift from Shen Qingqiu. He accepted the sword with trembling hands, and found that it did not feel inherently wrong to him, as he would have expected. Perhaps it was just because he was not yet trained enough to detect such things. Regardless, Luo Binghe decided that he would learn how to use Zheng Yang well enough to earn Shen Qingqiu’s smile. “This unworthy disciple will work hard everyday,” he vowed.
For some reason, that made Shen Qingqiu chuckle a little, and then he reached out to gently pat the top of Luo Binghe’s head. “As earnest as ever,” he said softly, like he was speaking more to himself than to Luo Binghe. “Very well. If Binghe is truly so opposed to taking a break, then he may resume his lessons today.”
Luo Binghe grinned silently congratulating himself on getting so close to Shen Qingqiu already. It meant that he was one step closer to finding Shen Qingqiu’s greatest treasure.
,,,
It wasn’t until he gathered back in the courtyard just a little while later that Luo Binghe realized a flaw with the plan. Ming Fan and Ning Yingying were both there as well, and Ning Yingying immediately bounded over to him. “Shixiong! You’re really feeling better already?”
Luo Binghe nodded. “I’ve gotten too weak in my time away; I’m looking forward to building my strength back up.”
Ming Fan scoffed from where he was standing. “Some disciple you are,” he muttered. “How could you stay away for so long when Shizun was-?”
But Luo Binghe didn’t get the chance to hear what Shizun was doing in his supposed absence, because the man in question emerged from the manor at that moment, and gracefully strode over to the three waiting apprentices. “Just to make sure everyone is on the same page, we are starting with some basic warm ups today,” he declared. “Yingying and Binghe, you two pair up. I will work with Fan-er.”
Since he had no actual basis for cultivation, Luo Binghe had to pay close attention to everything Ning Yingying did, trying to copy all of her moves. But he also kept trying to glance over at where Shen Qingqiu was guiding Ming Fan through some exercises, because he got the feeling that Ning Yingying wasn’t doing all of them quite right.
After a little while, Luo Binghe looked over at Shen Qingqiu yet again, and was startled to find the man already looking at him. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Shen Qingqiu blinked in surprise before his jade skin flushed just the faintest shade of pink and he jerked his head away to focus back on Ming Fan.
Luo Binghe was so busy trying to figure out what to make of that that he didn’t notice Ning Yingying coming right at him, and he found himself being swept off his feet by the force of her move. She clearly hadn’t expected to actually knock him over, because she staggered forward and then tumbled down as well, landing right on top of Luo Binghe.
“Good work, Yingying,” Shen Qingqiu praised, his tone light and teasing. “But next time you should work on keeping your footing. Just getting your opponent on the ground won’t accomplish much if you end up right there with them.”
Ning Yingying let out an embarrassed laugh as she got back to her feet, though it took a moment to properly untangle herself from Luo Binghe. “Yes, Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu declared that the physical portion of their lesson was over for the day, and that they would resume the theoretical part after lunch. The other two left to take care of their various chores around the manor, and Shen Qingqiu approached Luo Binghe. “It seems that you and Yingying are already getting along well.” There was something in his voice that Luo Binghe couldn’t quite name, and it made him wary to not know what Shen Qingqiu was thinking.
“She seems like a suitable apprentice for you,” he finally said, when he couldn’t think of anything else.
One corner of Shen Qingqiu’s mouth tipped down into an almost disappointed look, but it only lasted for half a moment before the man’s face returned to the neutral look that seemed to be his default. “Yes. She can be a bit silly at times, but her heart is always in the right place.”
They both just stood there for another moment before Luo Binghe hesitantly prompted, “Shizun? Was there something else?”
Shen Qingqiu blinked, then nodded. “Yes. I wanted to take a quick reading of your golden core. I could not help but notice that your development in that area seems to have gone down somewhat since you were last here. Of course it’s no fault of your own if that is the case,” he hurried to add. “But as your teacher, I would be failing in my duty to you if I did not take that into account when planning your lessons.”
Luo Binghe was pretty sure that if this was something that would immediately give his identity away, Shen Jiu or Wu Yanzi would have warned him to avoid such a thing. Since they definitely hadn’t mentioned it, Luo Binghe obediently held his hand up and allowed Shen Qingqiu to press his fingers against the delicate skin of his wrist. Shen Qingqiu’s eyes narrowed, and he pressed down a little more firmly.
After a long minute of silence, Luo Binghe couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Shizun? Is something wrong?”
Shen Qingqiu finally looked up to meet his eyes, and gave Luo Binghe a scrutinizing look like he was trying to see right through Luo Binghe’s flesh and into his soul. “You’re not…” he slowly started.
Luo Binghe felt his heart start to beat faster from nerves. “Not what, Shizun?” If he had been caught, he was prepared to yank his hand away from Shen Qingqiu, and then turn and run as far from Qing Jing as he could get.
But after a few more drawn out seconds, Shen Qingqiu finally let go of Luo Binghe’s hand on his own. “You’re not as stunted as I had feared,” he said, though there was the faintest bit of a tremble to his voice that could only be heard if one was paying close attention. “Ah, but I’ve held you up long enough. You should go join your shidi and shimei for lunch.”
“I’ll make something for Shizun first,” Luo Binghe said, knowing that that was what would be expected of him.
To his surprise, Shen Qingqiu shook his head, even though he really had been as big a fan of Luo Binghe’s cooking as he had been of the original’s. “That’s alright. This master has other business to attend to, so there’s no time for lunch.”
Luo Binghe nodded along, but he felt his own anxiety building up. Clearly Shen Qingqiu had detected something unexpected when he’d assessed Luo Binghe’s golden core (or lack thereof). So Luo Binghe only pretended to head in the same direction that Ming Fan and Ning Yingying had gone. But as soon as Shen Qingqiu had turned to go the other way, Luo Binghe sharply turned back around to carefully follow the man.
When he only ended up following Shen Qingqiu to the library, Luo Binghe couldn’t help feeling a little confused. Had he been wrong to think that Shen Qingqiu suspected something? Just to be sure, he quietly snuck in. Shen Qingqiu was either very unobservant, or just confident that no one would dare follow him around in his own house, because he never glanced back.
Luo Binghe watched as the secret door was opened using a special talisman that Shen Qingqiu pulled out of his sleeve. Doubting that the secret room would be large enough to follow Shen Qingqiu inside unnoticed, Luo Binghe instead climbed up onto one of the shelves closest to the secret door, grabbed a random book from within reach, and waited. After a little while, Shen Qingqiu emerged and went to close the door behind him. As he did, Luo Binghe opened the book and jammed half of it between the wall and the secret door, so it closed enough to look fully shut, but not enough for whatever enchantments were on it to actually be engaged.
Once Shen Qingqiu was gone, Luo Binghe dropped back down to the floor and pulled the door open, slipping inside. He knew that it could be opened from within, considering how he’d been startled by Shen Qingqiu’s appearance the night before, but he didn’t know if it would require one of those talismans, so Luo Binghe had to leave the door cracked open to be on the safe side.
Luo Binghe quickly looked around, and immediately determined that the secret treasure box was not stored in here. Instead, the room was filled with more book shelves that were all packed full of books. Perhaps they were secret cultivation manuals that could be worth some money? He cautiously pulled a random volume off the shelf and flipped through it.
As he skimmed the pages, Luo Binghe couldn’t help pausing for a moment to wonder how he could do that. His mother had been illiterate and never able to teach Luo Binghe that particular skill, and yet he found that he was able to read the pages with ease.
Then again, maybe he was reading it completely wrong, because the book seemed to be nothing more than some trashy romance that was more porn than character building. Luo Binghe put the book back, and grabbed another one, only to find a similar kind of story within. That’s when it occurred to him that Shen Qingqiu must be extra paranoid. Whatever secrets he was keeping, he had not only hidden them in this secret little room, but had also coded them in a way that would get most people to back off without even trying to figure out the real meanings. It was clear that Shen Jiu had not been lying when he spoke of how clever Shen Qingqiu was.
With all of the books he checked written in that same kind of code, Luo Binghe had no way of figuring out what book Shen Qingqiu had just slipped in here to read or write in. He made sure that every book was put away in exactly the same spots they’d been found in, and then he left. He wasn’t sure what any of the codes meant, but he could at least report to Shen Jiu and Wu Yanzi that he had a solid lead to try and work through.
He didn’t bother to catch up with ‘his’ martial siblings, and instead went to make himself a quick meal before finding where he was supposed to go for the afternoon portion of their classes. Luckily, Ning Yingying spotted him wandering, and hurried over to grab his arm. “Luo-shixiong, the classroom is this way!”
She led him through the manor and to a room that had enough desks for at least ten more students. There was no one else in the room, though. “Where are Shizun and Ming-shidi?” Luo Binghe asked.
Ning Yingying shrugged. “Sometimes Shizun gets a little…” she trailed off, a pensive look on her face. “Sometimes he can get a little lost,” she said. “Ming-shixiong already went to go find him. In the meanwhile, we can get started reading the next chapter of our training book.”
Feeling uneasy, in case this had anything to do with Shen Qingqiu’s sudden suspicions of him, Luo Binghe casually shook off Ning Yingying’s arm that had been wrapped around his. “Maybe I should go check on Shizun.”
Ning Yingying frowned. “Hm. I don’t know if he would appreciate that. But even before having met you, I knew you were Shizun’s favorite because of how often he talked about you. So maybe it would be best for you to check in on him.”
She led him back outside, and they went to the courtyard where Shen Qingqiu had unearthed Zheng Yang. Apparently Ning Yingying knew her shizun well, because that was indeed where the man was, kneeling at the mound of disturbed dirt that had been left behind from the digging.
Ming Fan was already there, in the middle of talking. “-came back, remember? And now he’s waiting to learn from you again?” When Shen Qingqiu didn’t say anything, Ming Fan tried changing his approach. “Your robes are getting so filthy from kneeling there, Shizun. Think of how much work it’s going to be to clean it all off.”
That seemed to finally get through to Shen Qingqiu, who heaved out a long sigh, and then gracefully stood up. As he rose, he ended up making eye contact with Luo Binghe, and paused for a long moment to just stare at him before shaking his head once. “Yes, it’s time for class now, isn’t it?” He moved past all three disciples to head to the classroom, leaving them to trail after him like a group of little ducklings following their mama.
Luo Binghe did his best to pay attention to their lesson, but he couldn’t help getting distracted as he constantly wondered what he had done to make Shen Qingqiu suspicious of him so quickly, and how he was going to fix it.