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Yanqing liked to think he was important, if he wasn’t already.
His master was the one and only, General Jing Yuan. Explaining that man’s talents in simple words would be nothing but utter disrespect. Without him, Yanqing could be compared to a single ice cube. To be washed down the sink, discarded from his purpose.
Every day he thanked the Aeons for being his protege, for being to train, grow, and develop under his guidance. He may be reckless at times but not a day goes by where he isn’t forever grateful for Jing Yuan.
There were moments where he considered it was the other way around.
“I promise, I can help! I can’t just sit here, I have to make myself useful somehow.”
Yanqing could feel the disappointment of that sigh even through the hologram of Jing Yuan, even when distorted through the discoloration he could feel those golden eyes piercing through his very soul.
Even through it all, he had to be strong. He stood firm, hands to his side and head down as Jing Yuan spoke his next words.
“I know you want to be of assistance, Yanqing. However, there’s a time and place for everyone and everything. Once you’re given the opportunity, I’m sure you’ll take it. This is just something that… I…”
He felt the breath of exasperation.
The breath telling him that he was to stay in his room.
The breath telling him that there was nothing he could do.
“It’s grown up stuff, Yanqing.”
That one was new.
Yanqing looked up, he wanted to beg the general. Not to leave, not to leave him in there with no purpose or no mission. Yet all he could do was stare, brows furrowed and eyes so full of emptiness.
He understood why. He knew that everything was getting tense, he knew that if he went out there that he would get hurt. Badly hurt. He knew that Jing Yuan was just trying to protect him for whatever monstrosity was awaiting him.
Even then, it still hurt.
“I’m sorry. I’ll see you very soon. Okay?”
He nodded again. He reaches out, fingers trembling among the specks of Jing Yuan’s hologram fading into nothing. What now? What was there left to do aside from sit around, waiting for it mull over?
Yanqing lets himself fall back onto the mattress of his bed and tosses his sword onto the floor, on most days he would be so glad to be able to lay down for even just a second. Now, his once comfortable and plush mattress made it feel like he was resting on a pile of boulders. Like, he didn’t even deserve to relax.
Should’ve put up more of a fight, he thought to himself. He knew he was ambitious, every one else around him knew that as well. Faced in the eyes of his master? Would he have still put up a fight then? Thinking about it now, no matter what he said it would have all resulted in disappointment.
The feeling that was eating from inside out. That would quickly turn into panic as he realizes he didn’t hear his sword hit the ground.
Yanqing swiftly moves to look over the side of his bed where he had supposedly discarded his blade, yet nothing was there as if it disappeared into thin air. He shifted to the other side and was still met with emptiness.
He looked to his front, to his balcony that oversaw basically the entirety of the Xianzhou. That’s where his sword went!
In the hands of one of the most wanted criminals in the Luofu.
The man dared not to look at Yanqing, resorting to running his bandaged fingers across his sword. His lips were pursed into a straight line, red eyes curtained by his bangs. Yanqing wanted to yank his blade out of his hands!
However as numb as he was to rejection, he wasn’t quite numb to stab wounds.
Eventually, the criminal speaks. “Expensive. Jing Yuan spoils you. Up until now at least.” He hated that Yanqing knew exactly what he was talking about, he hated even more that the scumbag was listening in on his private conversation with the general.
“Why are you here? I could easily have you arrested. Again.” He scoffs, a smile makes itself apparent on Blade’s face. He crosses his arms with the youth’s sword still in hand, leaning against the railing of the balcony. Averting his gaze from the young boy, the lights of the Starskiff Haven illuminating his features.
“Paying a visit. It appears that I’ve got the wrong room.”
Yanqing raises an eyebrow at that, he was paying a visit to his master. Although, the statement could mean a variety of things. Ranging from an actual meet-up to attempted murder. Alarmed, he reaches for his sword yet again but then realizes that it’s still in his tight grasp. He groans, shoulders slumping forward in defeat.
“Can you please give me my sword back? If you want a fight, we should at least fight fair!”
“How do I know that you’re not going to immediately turn me in once I give this back?”
A deep sigh leaves Yanqing’s throat. He takes a dangerous step towards the dark-haired man, Blade lets out a chuckle of amusement as the boy whines. “Alright, I’ll make an exception this one time! What do I have to do for you to get my sword back?”
The boy swings his hands for his weapon back but Blade in an act of pure genius simply raises the sword high in the air, watching as Yanqing tries his best with his short and stubby body to get it back.
Blade pushes him back, causing the younger to stumble onto the hard floors of his balcony. He groans in pain, whilst a brilliant idea formed in Blade’s head.
“If you want the sword, you have to earn it.”
“What? It’s my sword that I got with my money!”
“It’s on the pricey side, are you sure you’re worthy to wield such a prize? Besides, I’m quite confident that your master was the one who paid for it. Am I wrong?”
Yanqing’s face grows red from embarrassment, he looks down at the ground in shame. “No… How do I even earn back my sword?”
“You wish to be as great as Jing Yuan, yes?” Yanqing nods, slowly. Suspiciously. “I’ll teach you how to conquer him in battle.” The request is quite odd, this criminal who has obviously had history with his master wants to teach him his greatest weaknesses in combat?
Yet, it was too tempting to refuse at all.
It’s not like he wanted to defeat the general, the reason why he trains so hard is so that he can hopefully fight alongside him someday. To be as great and as magnificent as him someday, however he had to take what was given to him.
Yanqing crosses his arms over his chest, “Fine, but no tricks. Otherwise, I’ll have you turned in immediately!” Blade smirks, lowering Yanqing’s sword from the air.
“Let's not delay then.”
—
Yanqing hisses as his face rubs against the mats of his training room, a not-so delightful burn tingling against his cheeks. His sweat beads glisten against the moonlight, it’s barely been ten minutes since him and Blade have entered the training room yet it felt like he was fighting for his life rather than it being just a simple spar.
“Are you sure you’re not doing this in an attempt to kill me?” The boy huffs, standing up and getting back into position. He yelps, ducking down immediately as he sees Blade’s sword flying at him. The weapon sticks into the wall behind. Yanqing is impressed but also extremely terrified.
“Why are you training me as if this were life and death?!”
“You can never be too prepared.”
“Why you-”
Yanqing lunges at the other man, sword raised high in the air and winding up his strike. He then realizes his mistake when Blade stands still, peering through the eye not covered by his bangs. Once Yanqing gets close enough, he grabs his legs and flings him onto the ground.
He whimpers, arms trembling as he attempts to push himself up. He watches as Blade walks over to his sword stuck in the wall, pulling it out with no struggle. It seemed pretty wedged in judging from the massive hole in his training room and the debris that was left on the blade.
Just as Yanqing gathers the strength to sit up, he feels something sharp poke at his neck. His breath hitches as Blade’s brand presses against his throat.
“Do you yield?” He utters, voice low.
Yanqing groans, falling back against the mats. Chest heaving from how rough he was manhandled during that whole ordeal, that guy surely looked more lanky than Jing Yuan yet judging from he got Yanqing tossing and turning, it was hard to tell exactly how strong is he.
“I feel like if I move any further, my muscles will lock up and I’ll be stuck in this position forever.” Blade scoffs at the comment, sitting down beside Yanqing’s head. The boy turns only a little bit so that he can look at his face, he raises an eyebrow. “How did you get so good? I’m sure what we just did isn’t even half of my master’s real power…”
“You’re practically a child. This will come to you naturally when you’re older. That can apply to a lot of things.” Yanqing rolls his eyes. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me. That also doesn’t answer my question.”
Blade sighs, taking his sword in his hands and running his fingers against it. Daring to let the bandages get cut. “Perhaps everyone’s telling you that because they’re right. Your duties are important, vital even but there’s no point if you train to exhaustion and get burnt out.”
“Jing Yuan slacks off all the time but he’s a skilled fighter. Do you know why?”
Yanqing felt like he should have been offended from that for the general, instead he shook his head. “Because, he has balance. He doesn’t push himself too hard, you however? The only virtue that you really need to learn from ‘your master’ right now is work-life balance.”
If not for the aching in his muscles, Yanqing would say that he agreed.
The two sit in silence for a moment, he was unsure if they were even going to continue. Was that brawl even enough for him to earn his sword back? He’d possibly find out in a few minutes, meaning that he could keep it and he’d never see Blade again unless he’d be trying to capture him or he could not keep it and he’d never see Blade again unless he’d be trying to capture him (perhaps even getting his weapon back at the same time).
Blade is the first one to stand, he extends a hand out to Yanqing. He reluctantly takes it, groaning a little bit more as the tension in his body has barely faded. “I should go now, keep the sword.”
The boy understands what he means as foot steps ring in his ears, before he could turn back to Blade to thank him for the training, he’s already gone with the nearest window opened.
There are three raps on the door.
“Yanqing? Are you there? I’m coming in.”
The door opens, for once Yanqing is able to see Jing Yuan as a real person rather than a hologram. The general wears a worried look on his face as he sees Yanqing panting, with a little bruise on his forehead. “What happened?”
Before he could pry any further, he stumbles backwards as the boy wraps his arms around him. Trapping him in a warm embrace, it was a little sudden. Let it be said that they did share hugs every now and then but it was normally Jing Yuan who initiated them. So who was he to deny it?
His hands ruffle through his already messy hair, Yanqing feels Jing Yuan’s chest rumble as he lets out a soft chuckle. “I take it you had a very hearty training session while I was gone? Where is your sparring partner?”
“He got pretty beaten up so he decided to leave.”
“I see. It seems like you put up quite the fight as well, how about we get you something to eat?”
—
Jing Yuan breathes a sigh of relief, pulling the blanket over Yanqing’s body as the youngling drifts off to a peaceful slumber. Speaking of slumber, should be something that Jing Yuan himself should be getting himself.
He makes his way towards his quarters, catching the beautiful sight of the sky of the Xianzhou darkening outside. With a bit of a push, the big doors to his bedroom open and a present appears to be waiting for him on his bed.
“Blade, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Why must you keep me waiting every time, Jing Yuan?”
He feels his heart beat just a little bit faster at the sight of him, Jing Yuan perches himself down close to Blade on the bed. Taking off some layers and pieces of his armor as well. “Yanqing passed out on the dinner table from the exertion. I had to bring him back to his room. By the way, I hope you didn’t rough house my boy too much, did you?”
Blade crosses his arms and shakes his head. “That’s a child, if I actually put in effort then he’d be hospitalized.” In response to that statement, he receives a flick on the forehead. To which Blade hisses at.
“Don’t speak about him like that.” says Jing Yuan, voice a little more stern that it usually is. Blade rubs the now stinging spot on his forehead, pouting at his lover. “Don’t flick me on the forehead like that. I did more than what I signed up for, you know.”
Jing Yuan chuckled, resting his head on his palm as he put his weight on the plush pillows behind him. Blade did the same.
“Really now? How so?”
“I expected to train him then get out the moment you returned, he ended up moping half-way through so I gave him advice for motivation.”
“Motivation, right…” Jing Yuan teased, Blade raises an eyebrow. He does not like what he’s insinuating. “You know, you could have easily just picked on him and shamed him for dawdling. What did you say? Exactly.”
“I told him that he needed to learn how to keep a steady work-life balance if he wanted to be as great as you someday. He mentioned that a lot.”
“So what you’re telling me is, that you shared your wisdom with him and listened to his problems at the same time? I never asked you to do such a thing. Like I said, you could have easily degraded the child for being lazy and then leave…”
“It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Alright then, do I mean nothing to you?” Jing Yuan’s lips curl into a small frown.
In response to that statement, Jing Yuan gets a pillow to the face.