What if Xiao-Jiu found out why his Qi-Ge never came back for him?
Ning Yingying had noticed how her Shizun had never shown up to teach lessons and went to Cian Cao Peak to ask if Mu-Shushu could make sure her Shizun was okay. Hopefully it wasn't anything to bad but you never know. Either way, when Mu Qingfang got the message from one of his disciples he went to Qing Jing Peak.
When Mu Qingfang got to the bamboo house he knocked on the door, he couldn't hear anything from inside and the surrounding area was quiet.
"Qingqiu-Shixiong, are you there?"
"Forgive this one's intrusion."
The door was unlocked surprisingly enough, it almost never was. The inside of the bamboo house was a mess as he had never seen before; papers and reports layed torn up and stained red apon the ground while the table normally set up for tea and guests was split into mere wood shards. A bookshelf had fallen leaving scrolls unrolled on the floor and books open and folded oddly so the pages creased unevenly.
The scent of blood came quickly after seeing the mess, how it hadn't drafted out of the bamboo house was shocking. Qi seemed to permeate the air like a harsh storm, twisting and turning in the worst of ways. A qi deviation.
Rushing over to the master bedroom where a trail of blood leading in little circular drops had fallen under the door skewed open so little.
Shen Qingqiu laid there against the side of his bed, his normally pristine robes; never stained or crumpled opposite as blood dripped from his closed eyes like tears. His mouth stained red as if painted with a deep red rouge. Skin tearing along his arms above where his qi would flow throughout his body. The uneven lines of his membrians twisted in ways they never should have etched onto his pale skin.
The shock cleared quickly enough at least, to many years seeing patients in horrible states does nothing to help the mind. Kneeling down besides his martial brother's rapidly cooling body quickly as he grabbed his wrist and started to force his qi through Shen Qingqiu's torn and twisted membrians. His body was littered with old wounds covered by his cultivation. This was the first time he truly ever got to see his martial brother's condition as he always had avoided any form of Cian Cao's treatments and required checks.
It truly was no wonder his Shixiong had tried to hide all of this if he wanted people to not pry at his past. These scars were to old and too new at the same time, it seemed as if there wasn't a bone or muscle in Shen Qingqiu's body that hadn't been broken or torn.
He wasn't sure how long it really had been before he could see his Shixiong's core stop flickering as he continued to force his qi into Shen Qingqiu's body. He could tell that it no longer was light outside the window but that was all.
Picking up his martial sibling gently, one arm braced against his back while the other was holding under Shen Qingqiu's legs. He could hear faint muttering coming from his martial brother's barely parted lips. It was faint enough that even with his better hearing thanks to his cultivation he could just barely make out what Shen Qingqiu was saying. Not that hearing it actually helped to make sense of it? "Seven and nine"? Who was "Qi-ge", if Shen Qingqiu was calling out for him surely someone close to him, right?
All to be figured out later. Making sure to be careful not to jostle his shixiong in his arms as he made his way back out of the bamboo house the muttering eventually stopped. By the time he had managed to get back to Cian Cao Peak his head disciple was already waiting for him.
"Shizun. Should I send a few disciples to get a room ready for Shen-Shufu? He seems to be in really bad shape."
Mu Qingfang nodded, "Yes, thank you. And if you can, please go through our records and see if you can find Shen-Shixiong's file." He needed to know what caused his martial brother to have his cultivation so ruined and why his Shizun never noticed or stopped him from cultivating. God, this is practically just as bad as Zhangmen-Shixiong's damn sword... Wait.
By the time Yue Qingyuan had arrived at Cian Cao Peak a few shichin later, Mu Qingfang had already set up his martial brother into one of the medical rooms directly next to his office. His head disicple had found Shen Qingqiu's file surprisingly quickly. Not that it really helped all to much. Summed up his file consisted of almost nothing.
| Courtesy Name: Shen Qingqiu
| Joined Qing Jing Peak after being found by Yue Qi, now Yue Qingyuan during the Immortal Alliance Conference. No other information given about his past.
| No past medical records
| Notes: Why is it so hard to get this brat to stay for an examination????
Mu Qingfang recognized his Shizun's rather sloppy writing of course in the notes and descriptions. This was probably written some time at least a bit before the Qing generation became official Peak Lords rather then just Head Disciples. There wasn't anything though that could really help...
Mu Qingfang heard footsteps approaching the room and the door opening up moments later by one of his disciples. One who left the room rather quickly the moment the Sect Leader stepped inside. Unable to see Shen Qingqiu just yet due to the thin screen blocking his bed from view of the door.
"Zhangmen-Shixiong, I appreciate you coming here. Please take a seat." Leading his other martial brother to the table nearby he could see the other's confused glance to the screen blocking a patient's bed. "Of course shidi, but may I ask what brought on your request to meet to soon? I am sure you are aware of the Peak Lords meeting happening just within the next few days." Yue Qingyuan asked with a confused smile, tilting his head to the left slightly, it reminded him far to much of a confused puppy really?
"Of course, I'm well aware of the Peak Lord meeting, I merely wanted to ask a few questions to help out a... patient." Mu Qingfang replied calmly as a different disciple entered the room quickly, setting down a tray with three cups and a pot of already brewed tea. Leaving after putting the cups down in front of the two Peak Lords and the third cup to the other side of the table.
Yue Qingyuan looked at the third cup with furrowed brows, the confusion evident on his face both for Mu Qingfang questioning him of all people about a patient and why there would be a third cup if they where the only too there? Well, not counting whoever was behind the screen but they haven't made a sound nor any sign they were truly there, was it just a mistake?
"Shixiong, was does the name 'Qi-ge' mean to you, if anything at all?"
His hands froze reaching for the tea cup in front of him. Looking at his shidi in shock. Had Xiao-Jiu said- no, he wouldn't have! Where had Mu Qingfang heard that name? He knew to ask him about it, how did he find out, did he find out, what-?
"Zhangmen-Shixiong! Snap out of it, you are going to go into a qi deviation!"
Oh, right... He didn't even notice. His sword was practically shaking in it's sheath with flickering qi.
"How... How do you know that name?" He asked, his voice hoarse and shaky, it shouldn't have had to been, but... No one other then Xiao-Jiu should have known, no one. How did-
He hadn't even noticed Mu Qingfang sigh as he stood up from his seat and moved over to the patient bed. Sliding the screen over so the person in the bed was fully exposed. He didn't notice until he looked up and saw him.
Xiao-Jiu... He was dressed in simple medical robes that opened just enough around his chest to show old scars. Old scars that should have been covered by his cultivation. There were to many... New scaring paved through red and white above his twisted membrians on his arms and hidden past to where the robes covered. Whip scars down his legs and old dog bite markings he knew so intimately well from the streets. A branding, one just below his collarbone. He knew all too well sicne he had one as well before his cultivation had hidden the scars. A slave branding, it showed you had filthy blood, that no one should ever go near you. That you were merely scum of the world worth less then dirt.
"Shen-Shixiong had a qi deviation and nearly died inside of the bamboo house on Qing Jing Peak. During his time unconscious he had tried calling out two things. 'Seven and Nine' and 'Qi-ge'. His cultivation due to his qi deviation has been damaged worse then before."
That caught Yue Qingyuan's attention, Mu Qingfang could tell as his martial brother's eyes tore away from Shen Qingqiu's sleeping form. Confusion, regret, guilt, pain, regret, his face was a mix of emotions. As if he both blamed himself for everything in the world and the world had just blamed him back.
