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"It's a medical matter," Mu Qingfang said, folding long fingers around his teacup. He was a tall man even sitting down, and his dark gaze was calm over the wire rims of his spectacles. The fine robes of a peak lord hugged his shoulders, and his hair gleamed in an elegant but practical braid beneath his silver guan. A handsome man, though not to Meiyin's taste.
"You will have to explain," Meiyin said, taking a sip of her own tea. A floral blend, meant to promote rest and digestive health, nothing more sinister.
Mu Qingfang removed his glasses and polished the lenses with a cloth he pulled from his sleeve. "Energy is always high in the spring, but this year, we have an abundance of—" He paused, thinking, and replaced his spectacles on his face.
"There's an invasive plant all over the mountain range," the woman next to him interrupted. "The Vine of Opening Petals has gotten everywhere, and the pollen is having the expected result."
Qi Qingqi was as impressive as her martial sibling in her own peak lord's robes, purple silk embroidered all over with vines and flowers (unopened petals, Meiyin presumed,) the stern line of her mouth do nothing to disguise the plushness of her lips and the severity of her hairstyle only accentuating the sensual line of her neck.
"So naturally, you decided to consult an expert on the opening of petals," Meiyin said, leaning forward and smiling.
Mu Qingfang gave a little cough. "As it were. May I speak bluntly?"
"I prefer it if you did," Meiyin said.
"Not every disciple in the sect is yet able to regulate their jing," Mu Qingfang said with a sigh. Qi Qingqi snorted beside him.
"Pity for those youths," Meiyin said. "Perhaps you can advise them to deal with it the old-fashioned way?"
"You can't walk down a path without tripping over some kid wanking," Qi Qingqi interjected. “Or fucking. Heavens, they’re all so bad at it.”
"Shimei, please," Mu Qingfang groaned. "We have company."
Meiyin decided to take pity on him. "You want my troupe to come in and help your disciples?"
"We have an excess of jing—the imbalance could harm them over time. Your girls feed on jing." He shrugged. "It seems an obvious solution."
Her "girls" were of many genders, some of them changing depending on who they were feeding off of, but she decided not to correct him. Humans—so binary.
"Don't let them feed on anything but the excess jing," Qi Qingqi said.
"They wouldn't, not here," Meiyin said with hurt that was only partially feigned. Qi Qingqi’s expression softened only infinitesimally, but it was as good as an apology on that face.
"Then we are in agreement?" Mu Qingfang said hopefully.
"We are." Meiyin stood, and the two peak lords quickly followed suit. "I'll make the arrangements. My troupe will be here tomorrow."
"Thank you," Mu Qingfang's voice had the ring of sincerity, and also exhaustion. Meiyin wondered idly if he'd been handling all the jing dispersal himself.
*
that night
“Did this succubus help disperse the righteous cultivator’s excess jing?” Meiyin asked, nuzzling into Qingqi’s sweaty shoulder.
Qingqi rolled over and pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips before flopping next to her on the bed. “You always do,” she said fondly, threading her fingers through Meiyin’s to rub over the ring she’d given her years ago, a gesture so habitual, Meyin doubted she even knew she was doing it.
“You didn’t really think—” Meying started, but Qingqi was already shaking her head.
“No,” she said firmly. “I just get used to speaking so to the other peak lords. But I didn’t mean it about you or your troupe.”
“So you’re not worried about the demons in your disciples’ beds?” Meiyin was fishing now, but Qingqi didn’t seem to mind.
Qingqi pulled their entwined fingers to her mouth to press a courtly kiss to Meyin’s hand. “How can I, when the smartest thing I ever did was taking one to mine?”