Chapter Text
Shen Jiu would do anything to live.
He had seen death's inner workings often as a child. When you died you were simply gone, only leaving behind a rotting, stinking, bloated corpse that would be eaten by pests like any other piece of meat. If you were lucky enough to have things like 'connections' or 'wealth' people might mourn you. If not, then you would lay in a field and everyone would be better off that you were gone.
Shen Jiu knew that when he died no one would miss him. The most he would get was enough dirt to cover his body. Shizun might erect a name plate in the Cang Qiong crypts for him, but he was sure it would quickly be dusty and forgotten. No one would care.
Shen Jiu understood death. There was no fate for him that did not see his end at the hands of someone who would be happy for it. That was not to mistake that Shen Jiu was some fool who would throw away his life; to turn the point of his sword at his own stomach and try to pretend that what he did was for honor. No, Shen Jiu would live and he would live to spite those around him. He had lived to spite the slavers, then Qiu Jianluo, then Wu Yanzi, and now Yue Qingyuan. His fuel was to keep going as long as possible so he may see them suffer.
What a cruel blight on existence his was.
"Disciple Shen."
The sound of a fan snapping closed pulled Shen Jiu from his meditation. Dusk crawled through the old bamboo growth like clawing fingers. In a few graceful movements, he had risen and was bowing to his Shizun. The woman regarded him critically for a long moment, then hummed and nodded to put him at ease. He waited in careful silence for her order.
A mission scroll was pressed into his hand.
"Pack for long travel. You leave at dawn." The Qing Jing Peak Lord turned with a snap of her long sleeves. "Dismissed."
Shen Jiu bowed to her retreating back.
Zhu Qinghao was the Succeeding Disciple of Giu Huan Peak. A quiet and somber young man, he did not try to pull Shen Jiu into useless chatter. He was handsome enough, with straight dark hair he kept pulled back and sharp, black eyes. Giu Huan's uniform was mostly white with a few splashes of light blue, modeled after priest's robes. Which made sense, since the Peak was dedicated to calming the dead. It was not often that anyone did joint missions with Giu Huan and rarer still for them to request outside assistance.
Which was part of why Shen Jiu going on this mission was strange. Giu Huan's Peak Lord had requested for Qing Jing's help specifically. Qing Jing was the most combat oriented out of all the Peaks to practice the Spiritual path, which was exactly what they needed. Giu Huan were Spiritual Cultivators, but they were more skilled at battling ghosts than the living.
While Shizun had not appointed a Succeeding Disciple yet, Shen Jiu was one of the current Head Disciples who was in the running. No doubt this mission was to be a test for him, to see if he could keep up with a future Peak Lord. It just made him all the more wary.
The mission was simple enough on paper. A small Sect nearby had requested additional assistance from Giu Huan with the transportation and purification of a powerful relic. These kinds of escort missions were the kinds that outer disciples would go on all the time- which made it even stranger that Shen Jiu, let alone Zhu Qinghao, had been the ones sent. These kinds of requests were below them.
Even more odd was the Sect. Shen Sheng Yin An Sect was not one that Shen Jiu recognized immediately. The bare bones conversation that Zhu Qinghao had shared, he mentioned that the Sect was made up of a devout group that worshiped a goddess they called Wu Hei. They were small in number but very well respected for their powerful exorcism techniques, as well as close allies to Cang Qiong; the previous generation's Giu Huan Peak Lord had come from one of their number.
It overall seemed like an easy mission with minimum danger. Yet, Shen Jiu felt off about the whole thing.
He and Zhu Qinghao traveled by sword for two days, staying overnight in small towns along the way. The further they traveled the tinier and tinier the towns became, each one being spread further and further apart. The last one they had passed by was little more than a collection of a half dozen mud and thatch huts clustered together in a semi flat field.
When they came to the edge of the pine forest, Zhu Qinghao had signaled for them to land.
"There is an array to prevent flight. We will need to walk the rest of the way." Much like everything else about Zhu Qinghao had been so far, the explanation was to the point and said without fanfare. He simply nodded to Shen Jiu when he was finished and expected to be followed.
To call what they walked on a 'path' was generous. It was little more than a winding and twisted animal trail that had been packed down into the dirt. The trees were thick and canopy dense, allowing little to no light to travel between the branches. If it had not been for Zhu Qinghao's white robes practically glowing in the darkness, Shen Jiu might have lost the other.
They had been traveling for nearly two shichen by foot when a deep and overwhelming feeling of wrongness jolted down Shen Jiu's spine to settle in his stomach. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as he realized, with startling clarity, just how long it had been silent. No animals in the brush, or distant snaps of twigs, or even the gentle rustle of a breeze through the leaves. He flicked his eyes up to Zhu Qinghao, noticing the man's shoulders just as tense.
Neither of them mentioned it.
Shortly after the trail started to widen, the trees thinned out and become sparse. Hidden in the dense copse was a cracked stone wall, only an arched moon gate for entrance. Beyond it, seeming to rise from the trees, was a great wooden temple.
A retinue of men in matching white uniform was waiting on them. It was impossible to tell their ages as they all wore weimo over their heads. The only obvious sign of rank was one man standing ahead of the others, a gnarled and wrinkled hand resting atop a cane. He looked almost like a funerary director in style and cut of his robes.
Shen Jiu made sure to follow Zhu Qinghao's lead since he was the mission leader. When they were close enough,the two of them gave respectful bows. This was mirrored by the four men standing just behind the older man; he only gave them a polite dip of the head.
"Welcome, Cang Qiong Benefactors, to our humble Sect. This master speaks for us all when he says that we are most grateful for your assistance. This master is Sect Leader Shen Jiao." When the old man spoke, his voice was rough, rocky, and flat; it was impossible, between his tone and the weimo, to say how he truly felt about being forced to seek outside help. "Gongzis must be tired after their long journey. Please, join this old man for a meal and a rest."
While his tone was polite it brokered no argument. The old man turned, his cane thumping in the dirt, as he led them towards the entrance of the temple. The four with him all turned in time, following. Shen Jiu glanced over at Zhu Qinghao, finding the man's face carefully blank. He caught Shen Jiu's eye and gave a small nod of assent. With no other choice for now, Shen Jiu followed.
The temple looked ancient. It was massive and sprawling even from the small bit that they could see. As soon as they crossed the threshold, it was as if the world was holding its breath. The silence was unnatural, even their footsteps seemed to be absorbed. It was dark, far darker than outside, with only a few dim candles to provide any direction. The darkness made the hallways seem strange and formless, as if the walls stretched onwards forever. It was next to impossible to make out any decoration that might have been hiding in the gloom.
That pit of unease opened back up in Shen Jiu's stomach.
Occasionally, flashes of other people would pass them by. Just quick glances, the sect members all dressed the same- white robes, thick weimo.
After they had walked for what felt like days, a doorway loomed ahead of them. Two of the men broke from the pack to pull it open, both bowing low as everyone passed by to enter. It was, all things considered, a fairly standard dining hall. A long feast table was set up with various forage from the surrounding area. It was not on par with the grand events that Shen Jiu had seen since his time on Cang Qiong, or even comparable to what the Qiu had served, but they had clearly put effort into this with what they could provide. It was odd, to be treated as such honored guests by another Sect. They usually took it much more personally that they had to ask for outside help.
Regardless, Zhu Qinghao and Shen Jiu took their seats. A few new people joined them and Shen Jiao, most notably what he assumed to be a few Elders. One person stuck out, sitting close to the Sect Leader: a young woman, only a veil on her face instead of the full weimo. She seemed to be closer to Shen Jiu's age, judging by the lack of wrinkles around her dark eyes. She didn't say much, seeming content with overtly staring at him. Shen Jiu ignored her.
They ate in an uncomfortable silence. There was only the soft clicking of chopsticks against bowls and grains of rice vanishing under veils. Shen Jiu barely tasted what little that crossed his lips.
Too soon, Zhu Qinghao politely placed his bowl down. Shen Jiu followed, and it was clear that this farce of a meal was finally ending. The Sect Leader sat up straight, shoulders back, and a heavy tension filled the air.
"This master will stall no longer. He is sure that Zhu-gongzi is curious as to why he was requested for this task."
"This one has been, yes. Shen Sheng Yin An has never needed outside assistance in maintaining their artifacts before." Zhu Qinghao answered, his voice flat but polite.
"Mn. Daughter?" Shen Jiao spoke. He nodded to the girl who had been by his side. She lowered her head in a quick deference before she started to explain.
"Recently, one of our shrine maidens fainted while performing a standard purification ritual. The failure unbalanced the energies in the room where we keep it sealed, causing an outpouring of festering resentment. We have no ability to seal this resentment, so the artifact is growing more unbalanced. We now need to move it to a holy site some li away to properly tend it." The young woman's voice was smooth and soft. She lowered her eyes further, seeming bothered. "Worse yet, we found that the shrine maiden had been poisoned. We suspect that this was intentional, with the goal of us moving the artifact to start with."
"So, someone is likely trying to steal it." Shen Jiu cut in smoothly when she finished. The woman glanced up at him, then shyly looked away before nodding.
"We believe you to be correct, Gongzi." The Sect Leader continued, solemn. "This artifact is much too dangerous to allow into outsider's hands. It is safest here."
"What does this artifact do, to attract thieves?" Shen Jiu asked. He would not be content to protect something if he didn't even know what it was.
"It is a very dangerous thing that drains qi. Shen Sheng Yin An does not use it. We only keep it sealed and contained, so it may cause no harm." The daughter spoke up again. She seemed genuinely saddened when she continued. "The last time it became so unbalanced was over seven hundred years ago, where many were lost. Including my own aunt."
Shen Jiu tucked that nugget of information away, giving a quick glance to the Sect Leader. If that was true, this man was almost as old as Shizun and the rest of the Peak Lords were. He had to have been quite powerful, despite his appearance. It did make him wonder how old his daughter was, too. Was she just that soft hearted, or had she felt the loss on a personal level? Curious.
"While one meal is surely not long enough to stave off the exhaustion of travel, this old man implores Zhu-gongzi to deal with the resentment energy as soon as possible. That way, we may prepare for the task of moving it to the ritual site." The Sect Leader said, voice low- and not sounding like he was really asking.
"Of course. Shen-shidi, would you join me?" Zhu Qinghao nodded and then stood, glancing over at Shen Jiu. Shen Jiu gave a quick look at the masked cultivators around the room, then silently nodded and stood as well. The sooner this was over with, the sooner they could return to the Sect.
"Thanking Gongzi for understanding." The Sect Leader demurred as he, too, stood. Too soon, they were being led deeper into the yawning darkness of the temple.
They passed through one doorway who had guards stationed in front of it. From there, it seemed as if they were moving down. The air stagnated in a way that only happened when underground. It was one long, curling hallway, too. The only change in scenery was the occasional closed doorway they would pass by. Nothing down here stirred.
When they finally turned a corner, Shen Jiu felt all the breath suck from his lungs.
At the very end of their journey was a single pair of double doors. Imposing and ancient, they appeared as if a hard breath would cause them to collapse. Plastered all over them was dozens upon dozens of sealing talismans. They were slapped on as if in a rush, many of them overlapping. The ones at the seams of the doorways were starting to char and blacken, traveling inwards like a creeping mold. Even with all the wards, the resentment spilling from inside was so palpable that it was visible. A haze of thick miasma seemed to spill from the cracks like smog, leeching over the floor like grasping fingers.
A group of six women were all kneeling in front of the doorway, heads bowed and hands clasped in prayer. They chanted in hushed whispers, a droning hum. A barrier was raised before them, surrounding the doorway and keeping the miasma and resentment further contained.
At his side, Zhu Qinghao took a shaking breath.
"This much resentment is.... how...." He muttered to himself, only Shen Jiu's sharp and cultivation refined ears catching it. The Giu Huan Disciple seemed to catch himself, clearing his throat. Turning, he looked much more sure of himself than Shen Jiu felt. "Shidi, this one will need your assistance."
Shen Jiu knew little of Giu Huan's teachings, but he still nodded. Thankfully, after a quick explanation, it seemed that he would mostly just a be a conduit for spiritual energy; Zhu Qinghao would be doing the actual complicated part. Before long, Shen Jiu was standing behind Zhu Qinghao as they both waited at the edge of the barrier. Shen Jiu held a long, wooden rod before him, a man fashioned of talismans hanging from a white silk noose on the end. Zhu Qinghao held a thick rope of purple beads in his hands.
"Now." Zhu Qinghao ordered. Shen Jiu did as he had been told- he channeled his spiritual energy into the pole. The 'feet' of the man started to catch fire just after. When they did, the barrier was dropped and Zhu Qinghao stepped forward. Shen Jiu followed behind, careful not to touch him, as the other man started to say a prayer that reminded Shen Jiu of funeral rites.
The resentment coiled towards Zhu Qinghao, only to funnel around him and be sucked into the paper doll.
This continued until they were in front of the door itself. After a pause, Zhu Qinghao placed one hand on each door and quickly spread them apart. The overlapping seals all ripped in a great noise. Only darkness was beyond the doorway.
There was one great, breathless heartbeat.
Then resentment poured from inside. Shen Jiu could see his own breath with how the temperature plummeted.
Zhu Qinghao did not falter, which meant that Shen Jiu could not either. The man continued his chanting, louder now, and raised the beads over his head as he did so. The resentment flowed into the doll with the force of an ocean's tide, making the doll start to move on its own; the feet kicked and hands lifted as if alive. Still, they pressed forwards until they were both fully engulfed in the darkness.
Only the burning flame of the doll provided any light. Even then, it seemed smothered, as if the darkness itself was pressing in on the two of them. The doll's paper skin started to turn a bruised purple as it continued to struggle against its bonds, bringing the paper hands to the silk noose as if to untie itself. Zhu Qinghao's chanting rose in pitch as the doll flailed, the thing shaking once, twice, thrice- and then it hunched forward as if it had truly been hanged.
As soon as it did, the rest of the doll burst into flames. The noose caught fire and the whole doll fell to the floor, burning away until not even ash remained behind.
The resentment that had collected here was gone, though not its source.
Zhu Qinghao and Shen Jiu shared a look as they caught their breath. The room was completely dark, only the bare light from the corridor leaking inside. Still, they were both cultivators. Even if it was still hard to make out, they could see what was around them faintly.
The walls, ceiling, and part of the floor had all been covered in more talismans, though these seemed older and Shen Jiu could not place their use. The room was also completely empty- save for the very center. A raised platform made of stone, as if it had been carved from the very ground itself. The artifact was sitting on top.
Shen Jiu had seen a few such things by this point, though this one still confused him. He had expected some weapon, a staff, or perhaps some mundane object given a new life.
Instead, the thing sitting on the stone platform was a coffin.
It was made of black iron, with a rounded top. Thick, red ropes had been wrapped all around it in a complicated pattern. Over top of those, many black iron chains had been tied to keep it shut. There were more talismans, mostly around the split of the lid, placed in a careful arrangement.
For just a moment, Shen Jiu got the idea that the whole thing was breathing.
They didn't have time to linger on it for long, as the six women from before all rushed inside. They circled the coffin and started to perform some complicated dance. Shen Jiu found his attention shifting to Zhu Qinghao, who seemed to be flagging. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the Giu Huan Disciple wavered and fell forwards.
"Zhu-shixiong-!" Shen Jiu knelt at his side in some alarm, quickly checking the man over. While he did not know the other well, he did not want the man to die; it would leave him alone in this unsettling place and possibly have him fail his test from Shizun. Shen Jiu was not studied in medicinal cultivation like one from Qian Cao, but even he could tell than Zhu Qinghao was absolutely drained of qi. The ritual to banish the resentment must have taken more out of him than expected. Gritting his teeth, Shen Jiu ignored the uncomfortable prickling of having a man so close so he could lift up his martial sibling and carry him from the room.
"Oh no! What happened!?" The Sect Leader's daughter rushed forward. She seemed hesitant to touch Zhu Qinghao but still lingered at his side, her brows knit and eyes soft.
Shen Jiu quickly caught her, and her father, up on the situation. The Sect Leader was grave as he led Shen Jiu, still carrying Zhu Qinghao, away from the horrid coffin and upwards into the temple. Zhu Qinghao was spirited away by a group of healers, leaving Shen Jiu alone with the Sect Leader and his daughter. The man rubbed his chin under his veil. Shen Jiu just grit his teeth and tried to ignore the unease that was building in his gut.
"Gongzi.... this master still expects your assistance in moving the relic." The old man finally said, which confirmed what Shen Jiu had feared. With Zhu Qinghao unconscious, Shen Jiu had just been promoted to Mission Lead. There were too many unknowns here- and something about all of this was suspicious, though he couldn't put his finger on what.
"Shouldn't we wait on Zhu-shixiong to wake?" Shen Jiu hedged anyway, unwilling to lay back and take what was happening without at least some resistance.
"The artifact will just have built up more resentment by then." The daughter said, daring to look pained. "The longer we wait, the more dangerous it becomes."
"Hm." Shen Jiu hummed, not agreeing or disagreeing. The old man tapped his cane on the ground and heaved out a great sigh.
"This master will arrange for arrange for Gongzi a room. Please, rest well. Travel will start at dawn."
Succinctly dismissed, Shen Jiu found himself led to a guest room on the outer edge of the temple. It was small, clean, private- and Shen Jiu knew that he wouldn't be sleeping there. He'd not slept since before he left Cang Qiong, even, and the drowsiness was starting to catch up with him. Yet, this place made him feel as if eyes were peering from every crack. Sitting on the bed, Shen Jiu folded himself into a lotus position and resolved to try and meditate.
A timid knock at the door pulled him from his own mind and sluggish spiritual veins shichen later. Glancing at the closed window, he found that the sun had fully set, leaving him in midnight's darkness. All was quiet and still, making him wonder if he had perhaps imagined it. Then, again- soft knocking on the frame of the doorway. Shen Jiu thought of ignoring it, nothing good could come from this, but curiosity had him sliding from his spot and crossing the room. Just a sliver, he cracked the doorway to peer out.
"Gongzi!" It was the sect leader's daughter. Under the moonlight, her cheeks turned pink as she peered up at him. Nerves seemed to be clutching at her, making her check over her shoulder. Shen Jiu followed her gaze, finding only empty hallways and burned down candles. Before Shen Jiu could open his mouth to speak, he found a leather bag being shoved into his hands. "T-this one... this one is worried about your trip tomorrow. Please, if the worst happens... this might help."
Then the girl was gone, turning to flee down the dark corridors like she had never been there to start. Shen Jiu clicked the doorway shut once more without a sound and stepped back. The bag she had handed him wasn't heavy. Curious, he loosened the drawstrings and shook the content out into his palm.
Two things fell out. The first was a plain bronze ring, of simple and crude make. It was meant for a much smaller hand than his own, more suited for a woman's finger. Turning it over, he found no secret inscription or charm. It was just a cheap ring. He placed it back in the bag.
The second was a folded scroll. Small, wrapped quickly. When Shen Jiu opened it, he found the writing slightly messy, with a few smudges of ink as if it had been written in haste.
"Say below, place ring on her finger, then kiss to seal." He read the vague instructions aloud, then trailed his eyes lower. It seemed to be some sort of binding ritual with a verbal component. Shen Jiu frowned at the odd phrasing on the incantation. The characters were ancient and hard to parse but not impossible. "I... take.... Shen Yuan...?" He hummed and skipped over a few of the more complicated characters. "... till death us depart....?"
Something about that phrase, once said aloud, made Shen Jiu feel a thread of cold drip down his spine.
Shaking off the strange feeling, he folded the paper up and placed it back in the bag. Holding it in hand, he shook his head and placed it in his sleeve.
This mission would be fine. It was just a girl with a misguided crush trying to catch his attention. It had happened before.
Everything would be fine.