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Liu Qingge knew he was going to die.
It was not a familiar feeling.
As the War God, or even as a disciple, he had several close calls, of course. A lot of his martial siblings considered him hot-headed and reckless. But he was not, or at least, not excessively. He knew to step away when something was too much for him to handle, or when the situation was desperate. It just didn’t happen often.
It was happening right now.
Through the blood running down his face, he could see his right hand, still clenching hard around Cheng Luan. Too bad it was too far for him to reach. The half-demon had thrown away the limb after ripping his arm off, and it was now several meters away from him.
He felt his qi finally giving up, his destroyed shoulder dripping blood again at an alarming rate. He was almost grateful when the demon turned back toward him. Better to die fighting than to bleed out in the dirt.
He tried to get up and the demon smiled.
“So combative. I’m almost impressed. But it’s useless. You are going to die now.”
The last thing he saw was a black sword and a flash of green.
Unexpectedly, Liu Qingge woke up.
It was not a positive outcome.
Through the haze in his mind, he could tell that his qi was restricted, the blockage coming from his neck. Probably some kind of Immortal Binding Cable. He has been taken as a prisoner. For information or for ransom, it really didn’t matter. He would have to escape or to die as soon as possible. Endangering the sect by risking torture was not how he wanted to spend his last moments.
Too focused on trying to identify his surroundings without showing his awaking state, he took an embarrassing amount of time to notice his right arm had been reattached. His shoulder was still screaming in pain, but it was a manageable level he was used to experiencing. He moved his hand slowly, testing each finger with careful dumbfoundedness.
It made no sense.
Putting aside the fact that his captors had no reason to heal him, restoring a limb was not something easily accomplished. Mu Qingfang himself could only do it under some very specific conditions. Where was he, and who had taken him?
After deciding through his still dull senses that nobody seemed to be around, Lui Qingge opened his eyes and got up. Every single one of his muscles was screaming. Half-heartedly, he tried to remove the binding collar while studying his surroundings. Of course, the cable didn’t give, and his qi remained limited to a trickle barely enough for him to slowly heal his injuries.
He was inside a generic room, wooden walls, a bed, a table, a chair, no window, but a door. To his endless surprise, it opened when he tried the handle.
He almost closed it right back.
Outside was some sort of a jungle.
It couldn’t be that easy.
But he has always been a straight-minded person. The fact that the demon who bested him was strong didn’t mean he was smart, and Liu Qingge wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
He walked straight up, but reached an invisible barrier after twenty steps.
Of course.
Fighting against his still aching limbs, he starts following it, testing in case he could find a weak spot.
It turned out to be a perfect circle around the little one-room house he had woken up in. The barrier was weak, and had he not had the Binding Collar, he could have broken it with a simple thought. As it was, he would need more power than he got. Maybe some kind of self detonation technique.
He had noticed other things.
First, and most obvious, the sky was not a sky at all. Despite the blue tint and the lazy clouds, Liu Qingge spent enough time in the wild to be certain he was underground.
Second, the plants didn’t match. Liu Qingge was not an herbalist, but he knew, from helping the sect healer, that Forgetful Lilies and Tall Soul Pin Trees grew under very different conditions. He could also see a patch of snow shining from the back of the house. Everything around him made him think of an artificial garden.
He had been in the demon realm during the attack, but he wasn’t sure he was there anymore.
He walked back to the house, only to stumble upon an unknown demon.
“Here you are!!!” the demon exclaimed with a too high voice, the leaves sprouting from his body rustling like cat fur. He was a little shorter than the war lord, a lot less muscular, and approached with a body language totally open.
Liu Qingge had him under him, hands ready to strike at a vital point, in half a second.
In less than that, the half-demon from the original attack appeared and had Liu Qingge on his knees, right arm dislocated and vision going white with pain. It had been worth the try.
“Luo Binghe!” the first demon exclaimed “Don’t do that, I just reattached it, I don’t want to have to do it again.”
“Then be careful”. Luo Binghe sighed with an amused smile. “Shizun would kill me if you got hurt by your new pet.”
The smaller demon hit him with a fan, clearly annoyed. None of them were acknowledging Liu Qingge.
“Jiu-ge should worry about himself. I’m not incompetent.”
“You did get mauled by that White Fangs Blue Tiger you caught last month. And cultivators are a dangerous breed. Especially this one.” He shook Liu Qingge a little and the War God snarled. “It’s a Peak Lord.”
The full demon rolled his eyes.
“Anyway. Can you hold him? I need to check his arm again.” Then, very slowly, to Liu Qingge. “Don’t worry, I am not going to hurt you. I’m going to heal you and everything will be alright, so don’t attack me, okay?”
Liu Qingge blinked, wondering if the pain was making him delirious, or if he had been drugged. Why was this demon talking to him with a baby voice? Why was he planning to heal him after his companion just hurt him again? Was it some new torture practice he wasn’t aware of?
Still, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against the bigger demon in this state, and stayed still while the other demon checked him, and when he replaced the dislocated shoulder in its socket.
“I am Shen Yuan.” The demon babbled. “And you don’t have to worry about anything.” He patted Liu Qingge’s hair and the War God had to think very hard about the risk of getting his arm ripped off again to not react and kill him right away. “You are safe here, and we are gonna be good friends!”
I have been abducted by deranged demons , Liu Qingge thought.
“I know you might not be happy to be here, but don’t worry! Everything will be fine, I am a researcher, you see. I just need to put together information about Peak Lords. And cultivators. Humans, in general. Did you know you are my first human? Anyway. If you need anything, let me know. You can talk right?”
He waited expectantly, but Liu Qingge kept his mouth shut. The demon called Luo Binghe snorted.
“He can talk. He talked plenty when I ripped off his arm during the battle.”
Shen Yuan frowned.
“Maybe he is in shock.” he petted Liu Qingge some more.
“Or maybe he is just dumb. He did attack us out of nowhere.”
Liu Qingge snarled again, and Luo Binghe laughed.
“I don’t understand why you wanted a cultivator. He is acting exactly like your Red Basilisk Lion. You should put them in the same cage.”
“It’s not cages.” Shen Yan protested. “It’s biomes. It’s tailor-made for their species, I can’t mix them up like that!”
“I know, I know. It was a joke. But really, Shen Yuan. I know you are happy to have your first cultivator, but be careful. Humans are wicked and he will try to hurt you if you give him the opportunity.” He looked at Liu Qingge with mirth dancing in his eyes and the cultivator tried to bite him. “They are beasts, not friends, even if they look a bit like us.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it.”
After some more bickering, and Shen Yuan unsuccessfully trying to feed Liu Qingge some dates, the two demons left, leaving the peak lord to his own devices.
Everything was so bizarre. Liu Qingge had been in very different kinds of situations. Fighting succubus, exploring both human and demon realms, discovering caves, lakes, new lands and species. But nothing came close to what he was experiencing.
It became obvious quite quickly that Shen Yuan was thinking of him as some kind of exotic pet. He kept bringing him new food, and talking about “enrichment”. The demon was obviously both very knowledgeable, and sheltered. He could talk endlessly about beasts and plants, but seems to have never seen most of them in person, despite some being quite common in both the human and the demon realms. He was unguarded, talkative, and kept forgetting his belongings in Liu Qingge’s little house.
Liu Qingge took note of all of that, thinking of ways to escape.
Most of the time, trying was not worth it, as Luo Binghe was lurking around, watching them. With the Binding Collar around his throat and his arm still tender, the War God knew perfectly well that he didn’t stand a chance.
But sometimes, Shen Yuan was alone, and Liu Qingge was pretty sure he could take him without much difficulty, even without his cultivation.
He didn’t try, though.
Better to wait until he was fully healed.
By now, Liu Qingge understood that he was in a zoo. Shen Yuan had explained to him, with enthusiasm, that his Jiu-ge had helped him collect some of the rarest plants and creatures of both realms in order to study them. The bamboo leaves growing on the demon’s skin would flutter in excitement each time he would talk about a species he particularly loved, and he would flush green in pride while talking about his recent discoveries.
The War God had yet to encounter that “Jiu-ge”. He had gathered that it was the same person Luo Binghe referred to as “Shizun”. If that was that beast’s master, he had no intention to ever meet him. Shen Yuan was obviously the most deranged of the group, but also quite… nice. In a way. Definitely not dangerous, even if he was the main reason for Liu Qingge’s imprisonment.
Careful, he kept doing physical exercises and meditation to not lose his abilities despite the confinement he was in, but after several weeks, loneliness and boredroom were starting to wear him out. He was starting to zone out and to pace around, losing appetite and not even snarling at the half-demon when provoked.
Shen Yuan seemed to notice, and his propositions of “enrichment” became more and more frequent. The house was getting cramped with all the balls, ropes, plants and even musical instruments that he kept trying to get Liu Qingge to interact with.
One day Luo Binghe was not supervising, the demon carefully asked.
“I just got a new beast. I am not sure what it is yet. Wanna see it? Luo Binghe told me your species is great at hunting, maybe you know it?”
Liu Qingge blinked. Did that mean…?
“You will have to behave. I was told to never let you out, but you are bored, no? Humans need entertainment.” he nodded sagely. “So, you want to see?”
Not believing his luck, Liu Qingge nodded.
As soon as the barrier came down, he jumped on the demon.
When he woke up, he distantly wished he hadn’t.
Both his shoulders were burning like acid was poured on them, and he couldn’t say if his arms were still attached or not. The pain was so intense he couldn’t even feel the rest of his body, which was probably a blessing.
Despite the pain, he opened his eyes.
“Oh, you are awake.”
In front of him was a demon, half covered in black bamboo leaves. He bore a strong resemblance with Shen Yuan, but while the other demon’s traits were subtle, he was fully displaying his inhumanity. His eyes were glowing an unhealthy green, his nails were as sharp as eagle’s talons, and his dark leaves were swaying with the movement of his fan, producing a nightmarish melody. He stood tall, looking detached and uninterested in the cultivator at his feet.
Jiu-ge , Liu Qingge gathered.
The demon suddenly stomped down, and Liu Qingge screamed.
It looked like his hand was still attached, after all. It was good. He tried to not curl up on himself with the additional pain.
“Humans are so ungrateful. My brother saved your life to include you in his little bestiary project, and you tried to attack him. Twice. Do you know why you are still alive?”
Liu Qingge couldn’t have talked even if he wanted to.
“Because Shen Yuan is an idiot.” Luo Binghe piped up.
Liu Qingge hadn’t even noticed his presence. Every cell of his body was trying to handle the sorry state he was in, and he could barely focus on the conversation.
“Because Shen Yuan is an idiot.” the bamboo demon confirmed. “But this is your last warning. Attempt anything again, and I will carve your bones out of your body one by one while making you watch.”
When Liu Qingge regained consciousness, Shen Yuan was next to him.
“Oh, you are awake!”
The demon got up from where he had been sitting next to Liu Qingge’s bed. The leaves on his skin were fluttering madly.
“I’m so sorry, I should have handled that better. I knew you were not domesticated yet but…”
“I am not a beast.” Liu Qingge roared. He had kept silent since the beginning of his captivity, both a habit and a precaution to not let out any information to the demons. But he had enough.
The bamboo demon blinked at him.
“Oh. Oh you talk. Oh… Hum… Sorry, I didn’t mean that as an insult…”
“I am not a beast, and I don’t enjoy being treated as one. I will never be your pet, I will never be nice to you, I will never follow you. Release me, or I will kill you. Or die trying.”
Shen Yuan looked devastated, his leaves all wilted. He put a glass of water down next to Liu Qingge and stepped back to the door of the little house. His eyes were shining with moisture.
“I’m sorry. I really am.”
He left.
Liu Qingge had heard about prisoners starting to feel attached to their captor, and refused to feel any guilt.
Next time Liu Qingge woke up, it was to Luo Binghe poking his arm, sending waves of pain in his whole upper body.
“You really want to die, hum?” Silence. “Come on, we know you talk. You made Shen Yuan cry. Bad move, by the way, almost worse than attacking him.”
More silence. Liu Qingge didn’t see the point in saying anything.
That didn’t stop the half demon.
“You don’t realize how lucky you are, do you. Shen Yuan is the nicest demon around. Shizun was not lying, he did save you. When I was going to end your pathetic life, after your not less pathetic attack, he was the one who stopped me and begged his brother to keep you alive. Like it or not, you own him a life debt. And you might not believe it, but he has no bad intentions. He just wants to learn. So if you want to die that badly, stop attacking him, and just ask me. I will be delighted to get rid of you.”
He left.
After that, Shen Yuan stopped visiting him. Before, he was coming to see him every day, bringing food and chatters. Now, the War God could see him going to other parts of the forest, to feed his animals and take care of the various plants, but he didn’t stop by the little house anymore.
It was now Luo Binghe who brang him food, and Liu Qingge had to admit it was a real downgrade in his quality of life, as the half-demon took the habit of scattering the food in front of his porch like the cultivator was some kind of chicken.
Screaming at him each morning was now his only kind of entertainment. He would die before admitting it, but he was missing Shen Yuan’s incessant comments. Against the War God’s absolute refusal to answer any of his questions about cultivators, the young demon had started updating him about the life of the animals in his zoo. Liu Qingge caught himself wondering how they were all doing. How Shen Yuan was doing.
Once again, he found himself terribly bored. Why were they keeping him? Clearly, they were not planning on torturing him for information, and now that Shen Yuan seemed to have given up on using him as research or entertainment, he would just like them to put him out of his misery.
And one day, Shen Yuan stopped coming altogether. Luo Binghe too.
After three artificial days, Liu Qingge was starting to worry for real. He had no food anymore, and could barely practice inedia because of the binding collar. Around him, the creatures kept in the zoo also started to get mad with the lack of care and resources. He could hear them scream and attack the magic barriers. What was happening? Did the demons keeping them get killed? Would he die of hunger like a common human?
At the end of day four, Luo Binghe finally appeared. He looked tired, and Shen Jiu was with him. While the half-demon went to feed the animals, the dark bamboo demon went to stand in front of Liu Qingge, leaves sharp as spikes.
“I should kill you.”
They looked at each other with mirror hatred in their eyes.
“You are not worth the troubles you bring us. You tried to kill my brother twice, and now, your sect almost succeeded. As soon as A-Yuan gets tired of you, you will be eliminated.”
They stayed like that until Luo Binghe came back.
“Shizun. It’s done. All Shen Yuan’s beasts have been fed. Only one was hurt and I took care of it.”
“Good.” Luo Binghe beamed at the praise and Shen Jiu turned back toward Liu Qingge. “We will be taking care of Shen Yuan’s animals during his recovery. Since you don’t consider yourself as such, we won’t insult you by providing food.”
They left.
Liu Qingge might starve, but he learned an important piece of information from the encounter.
His sect was looking for him.
Time would tell if it was a good thing or not.
On the seventh day, Shen Yuan barged in, carrying bags and looking panicked.
“Peak lord cultivator?! Are you still alive?”
Barely, thought Liu Qingge, who was laying on his bed trying to preserve his energy. he had been practicing inedia as much as the binding collar was allowing him, which was not much. It was so frustrating. His cultivation level usually allowed him to spend months without eating, and here he was, incapacitated by a week of privation. He was so out of it that he didn’t even sense the demon approaching.
He didn’t turn.
And then choked when Shen Yuan planted a spoonful of liquid in his mouth without warning.
“I’m so sorry my brother was such an asshole!” he said, with feeling, while feeding the cultivator another mouthful against his will. “I swear I told them to feed every beast and they purposefully misinterpreted. I wasn’t trying to, like, punish you or anything!!! I don’t want you to die! What a mess. How are you feeling? Do you think you will recover? I don’t know how long humans can go without eating. Is it different from Peak Lords? I think Binghe said something about that…”
As usual, Liu Qingge stayed silent while Shen Yuan kept babbling until the soup bowl was empty. Liu Qingge would rather kill himself than admit that he missed the constant chatter. Still. In a way, he couldn’t deny he was grateful.
From what the other demons had let on, Shen Yuan had been hurt by his sect. And he could still see the aftermath of that, the bamboo demon lacking most of his leaves, patches of brown, bark-like skin marring his face. He also looked paler and skinnier, and his speech was slightly slurred. Despite that, he had obviously ran to Liu Qingge as soon as he heard about the situation. Maybe it was a manipulation tactic, but at this point, the War God could not find why he would bother to do that. There has been no indication he had been kidnapped for political purposes.
“Thanks.” he finally decided to say, eyes closed.
Shen Yuan beamed.
The next day happened in the same way. Shen Yuan appeared, with soup and no Luo Binghe in sight once again.
“You look way better already! I was terribly worried. Binghe and Jiu-ge are not allowed down here anymore. I was not even hurt that badly.”
Sitting on the bed and drinking the soup, Liu Qingge couldn’t help but raise a brow.
Shen Yuan flushed.
“It was my own fault really. I'm not supposed to go to the human realm. I have a condition, and the air over there is toxic to me. But I wanted to see… You are miserable here, I can see that. I wondered if I could find something to make you feel better. But then your sect noticed me and attacked. I'm lucky Binghe had been secretly following me.”
“You should just let me go.”
“You talk!!!!” Shen Yuan brightened, and then sobered right back. “I can’t. Jiu-ge thinks you are dangerous and that you would lead the sect right back here to try to kill us. Binghe is confident you couldn’t win, but… My brother is protective.”
It made sense. Liu Qingge would be the first to refuse to release an enemy. Especially one they had wronged so badly.
He would have to find a way out by himself.
As was becoming his habit, Shen Yuan stopped by Liu Qingge’s enclosure first to feed him. Surprisingly, he had also brought books.
“I know you are not a beast,” the demon said, “so you might enjoy reading? Apparently, humans can do that too.”
Liu Qingge tried to not be offended. He took the books, the food, and the tea set that the demon had brought. As usual, he didn’t utter a word. Shen Yuan made small talk for a while, before giving him a sad look and leaving him be.
Liu Qingge was now struggling between ignoring the books -he had never been a reader- and reading them to prove the demon that he was, indeed, not a beast. They weren’t even interesting things, mostly weird demon romance stories that he would never dare to read on a normal day, and some bestiaries.
Suddenly, he heard a noise outside the little house, and had the deep feeling that something was wrong. He got up and immediately saw Shen Yuan, immobile on the ground in an enclosure not far from his prison.
A Gila Monster Bear was sniffing at him.
For a full minute, Liu Qingge watched him, wondering if it was a good time for him to try to break out. Luo Binghe was not around and, from what Shen Yuan had said, it seemed like he wouldn’t be allowed back in the little zoo anytime soon. He was confident that he could, with detonating part of his core, disable the magic barrier containing him. He would be partially incapacitated after, which is why he didn’t do it before, but with Shen Yuan still hurt and unconscious, he would have the perfect leverage against his captors.
The Gila Monster Bear took a bite out of Shen Yuan’s leaves and the demon keened in pain, still out cold.
“Shen Yuan!” Liu Qingge swore softly, without meaning to.
He rushed to the magical barrier and self-detonated. As expected, the barrier faltered enough to allow him out, crawling on the ground to the bamboo demon. The barrier of the Gila Monster Bear was still open from Shen Yuan entering inside, and he managed to reach him quickly despite the pain burning around his half-shattered core. Scared by the explosion and the approaching cultivator, the beast retreated.
In the grass, the demon was bleeding sap rapidly. He had already been pale and quieter than usual today. Liu Qingge knew that he was still hurt from the attack he had been victim of, but he didn’t think it was to this extent. By reflex, he tried to stop the bleeding, before coming back to his senses. He was supposed to run, or at least to use the demon as hostage to ensure a safe escape.
He couldn’t.
Lui Qingge had always prided himself in being straightforward. But he was also noble. And right now, despite everything, he couldn’t deny that this demon had saved him. Multiple times. He knew perfectly well that without Shen Yuan, both Shen Jiu and Luo Binghe would have disposed of him in a heartbeat. A life debt was not something he could disregard.
He sighted and screamed at the top of his lungs.
“LUO BINGHE. SHEN JIU. SHEN YUAN HAD BEEN HURT.”
He had to repeat the process a few times, several of the animals around joining in the cacophony, before both demons actually showed up. Immediately, Shen Jiu focused on Shen Yuan, holding him in his arms and passing him dark energy. Luo Binghe seized Liu Qingge.
“What happened.”
“He collapsed. The beast took a bite before I reached him.”
She Jiu looked at him.
“Looks like he managed to tame you, after all.”
He left with his brother and Luo Binghe took him back to his prison.
Shen Yuan didn’t reappear for a week but, this time, Liu Qingge was actually taken care of. Not only was Luo Binghe bringing him food, he even did so in bowls and with chopsticks. He even gave him tonics for his shattered core.
“Shen Jiu is pleased with your behavior.” he explained, seeing the cultivator’s suspicious glare. “Shen Yuan was not lying, he doesn’t want to hurt you, he wants you to be happy here so he can make his little observation books. If you behave well, you will be treated well, it’s pretty simple. You are the only one playing mind games here.”
It was the first time in his life that Liu Qingge had been accused of thinking too much.
He accepted the food. With the binding collar still on, he needed all he could get to heal his damaged core.
Shen Yuan and his chatters came back in full force.
The demon was a mix between grateful and overjoyed, and was not shy about it. He thanked Lui Qingge profusely for his assistance, and was spending several hours with him each day.
“Humans are much more similar to us than I thought.” Shen Yuan concluded, after Lui Qingge finally gave up and answered some of his questions. “You are just a little more… simple I guess? I can’t believe some of you don’t have power at all . And you kinda all look the same. No horn, no tail, nothing.”
Liu Qingge tried to not be offended. Not that it mattered, anyway. Shen Yuan kept going.
“But you seem much more attached to… talking.” That what rich, coming from him. “Most animals and demons just act, but from what I read, your species love talking, and diplomacy. Not you, though.” Liu Qingge nodded. “Are you part-demon maybe?”
That was certainly something he had been accused of before. He shrugged.
“I’m sorry you are here all alone. I asked, but Jiu-ge refused to let me get another human. I know you are bored.”
He looked terribly sad about it.
“It’s okay.” Liu Qingge said. He was bored, sure, but he would be a terrible person to wish for another to be trapped with him. “I never was the social type.”
“What do you like to do?”
“Hunt, mostly.”
The conversation kept going after that.
Several days later, Shen Yuan appeared with a decided air.
“Let’s see the Eight Tailed Alligator Bull. But this time, you really have to promise not to attack me, okay.”
“Hum.” Liu Qingge said. It’s been so long, he had kind of given up at this point.
They went to see the Eight Tailed Alligator Bull. Liu Qingge didn’t try to attack, and even shared a story from when he fought one when he was a disciple. Shen Yuan looked overjoyed and the little outing probably lifted his spirit more than it did Liu Qingge’s.
Now, each day, Shen Yuan would take him to another beast.
Until one day, he led him a little farther than usual. After months as a prisoner, Liu Qingge still noticed the change in the air rather quickly.
“We are outside.” he couldn’t prevent himself from saying. The air had shimmered. He frowned. It was more than outside. “We are in the human realm.”
Shen Yuan smiled softly. The atmosphere of the human realm was toxic to him.
He reached out to Liu Qingge.
“Please don’t kill me.”
He took off the Binding Collar.
They looked at each other for a few seconds.
Liu Qingge ran.
He ran until he reached Cang Qiong Mountain.
“Liu-shidi?”
He collapsed.
Adapting to being free again was hard.
“Can you move your arm like that… perfect, now take that…”
Especially because he was not that free.
Seeing the War God again after months of disparition had sent the sect into a riot. They wanted to know what had happened, how he had been captured, how he escaped… They had found his sword and a lot of his blood in the demon realm, and even if some were hoping he was still alive, most had pronounced him dead, and all were suspicious of his miraculous return.
They were all the more suspicious that he was refusing to explain exactly what happened beside the “I was kidnapped by demons, and left.”
Because of that, he had to submit himself to exorcism, possession trials, and several experiences to see if he was himself and free of any kind of influence.
The suspicions had mostly been lifted, but he was now subjected to Mu Qingfang’s questioning. He had made the mistake of mentioning the ripped arm incident, and the doctor was enthralled.
Day by day, life was going back to normal, and he was even cleared to go back to out of peak missions.
Until one day he came back to the sect fluttering from activity and the sect leader gone.
“We found a demon.” The Lord of the Sword Peak explained. “It looked like the one who kidnapped you, from your description, bamboo and all. We put it in the prison for now. The sect leader went to follow its trail and find its lair.”
Shen Yuan, Liu Qingge thought.
And then: Shen Yuan cannot survive in the human realm.
He stormed their prison.
Shen Jiu was looking at him with hate in his eyes and snarled.
“I knew you would be his downfall. He never explained how you managed to escape, but I knew you wouldn’t let it rest. I should have killed you.”
Liu Qingge didn’t bother to argue, torn between the relief of not seeing Shen Yuan, and the guilt of the feeling.
He cut Shen Jiu’s bindings.
“Your brother let me go.” Another life debt. “We need to be quick, the sect plans to raid your place.”
“Why would you help.” The demon didn’t move, clearly suspicious.
“I guess I am domesticated.” Liu QIngge snarled back, and left.
Despite the state he had been in, and what he told the sect, he had a pretty good idea of where the demons’ home was. He was not the War God for nothing.
After a while, Shen Jiu joined him and took the lead.
They arrived just in time, in the sense that Luo Binghe had already badly hurt several cultivators, and Yue Qingyuan had Shen Yuan in a chokehold, but no one was dead yet.
“Qingge?” the demon still managed to say “Jiu-ge!”
“Liu-shidi? What happened? Why is the demon free?”
Liu Qingge never was the type for explanation. He propelled himself forward and ripped Shen Yuan from the flabbergasted leader’s grip.
“Life debt.” he summarized. “Retreat.”
“Shidi, are you possessed? They are demons. They tortured you.” The sect leader had his hand on the pommel of his spirit sword.
“That’s fine.” Liu Qingge said, because explaining the complicated feelings that were swirling in his chest was far beyond his capacity. “I attacked first. They are not harming humans.” He had no confirmation of that, except his knowledge of Shen Yuan’s character.
Meanwhile, Shen Jiu had also decided that talking would not be efficient enough, and threw himself at Yue Qingyuan surrounded by a deadly tornado of bamboo leaves. Luo Binghe followed right after, a demented smile on his lips.
The sect leader unsheathed Xuan Su and everything slowed down, stopped by the massive spiritual pressure it was emitting by simply existing.
Everything except Luo Binghe, whose sword was radiating a black aura even more powerful.
“Binghe, down!” Shen Yuan suddenly ordered, at the same time Liu Qingge said “Sect leader, no”.
Against all expectations, they both obeyed.
And Shen Jiu came crashing down on the leader, tearing him apart with his talons.
Shen Yuan swore and moved forward, grabbing his brother to keep him away.
“Truce. By all fucking gods above and below, I said truce, are you deaf.” He gave his snarling brother to Luo Binghe and turned toward Yue Qingyuan. “Sect leader, I heard a lot about you.” He bowed. “I’m sorry for all the misunderstandings. We mean no harm, we are mere… researchers.” He glanced at Liu Qingge, who nodded once. It was not untrue. “Could we talk? To avoid a bloodsheet.”
Yue Qingyuan blinked.
“There are only three of you.”
“Four.” Liu Qingge added, letting his spiritual pressure out.
The sect leader blinked harder.
“You siding with demons and favoring negotiation to direct combat is not making a good case for trust.”
Liu Qingge shrugged. Convincing people was not part of his skillset, and he would not start to try now.
“As I said: life debts.”
Yue Qingyuan sheathed his sword, slumping a little.
“I will listen.”
Shen Yuan talked. He drew the picture of an outrageous partnership based on cultural and scientific exchanges, that would benefit the sect immensely while presenting no danger. The arrival of Mu Qingfang, among other peak members, led the discussion to an expert path that Liu Qingge had no hope to follow.
Several hours later, he was lying on the floor next to Shen Yuan in pure boredom, while a peace treaty was drafted, fighting the urge to put his head on the demon’s lap like the dog he was refusing to be. When the peak members started getting ready to depart, he didn’t move.
“Shidi…”
“I will stay here.” he cut him.
Yue Qingyuan waited for further explanations Liu Qingge had no plan to provide. While living with the demons who had captured and tortured him wasn’t part of his plans, he still wanted to get to know Shen Yuan. He was probably one of the worst teachers in his sect, but if the demon wanted to understand humans better, he would do his best to teach him. As an equal, and not as a pet or research subject.
Once every member of the sect had retreated, and Luo Binghe and Shen Jiu had left, he finally conceded and put his head on Shen Yuan’s lap.
Not as a pet. As a friend. Maybe as something more.