Thread by @suddenlyapples

#QijiuWeek2019 day 4 - transmigrator
Qing Jing peak’s head disciple is very... eager! Shen Qingqiu is surprised this disciple seems to know his favorite snacks and habits???
#qijiu
yqy will try his best! again! in this new role!!!
he has 2 brain cells this time!! hopefully...

i was trying to figure out how this would work, but i guess this means sj grows up and fends for himself even more ruthlessly without his qi-ge around, so there's no qiu mansion, he wanders and performs with his skills until he's picked up by that no good master.

maybe at the immortal alliance conference, cq peak lord senses this unpolished gem and picks him out to be his disciple at his peak. and the rest is history!
yqy wakes up in the alleyway he used to share with his xiao jiu but cannot find him.

after his initial panic and confusion, yqy runs to check on the qiu manor. it's still standing. could his xiao jiu still be in there!? (he's not, sj doesn't even know of its existence)

after a thorough beating for bothering them, yqy is slowly piecing together what's happened and the timeline. he gathers up the pieces and makes for cang qiong mountain.

surely it's only been a couple of years, maybe he can even see xiao jiu as a disciple again and they could! actually! train! together!?
!!!!!
that is if he gets into the same peak, but that's a small concern. as long his xiao jiu is alive and well. nothing else matters.

finally it's time for the peak lords to pick their new disciples. yqy's trained for this. have you seen the holes he's dug around? the best. maybe not the best for the neighborhood, but! he's gotta train!

this whole time he's been looking forward to seeing his xiao jiu again as fellow disciple (if he's counted the years right).
imagine yqy's surprise to (impolite!) meet the eyes of a peak lord, his lower face covered with a fan.
oh.
he miscounted.
terribly.

yqy hacker voice he's in the peak. he's going to impress his peak lord xiao jiu so hard he's going to get that head disciple position!
...
xiao jiu!
really!!
you need! to be kinder! to your disciples!!!
what are all these punishments for the scholarly peak!?

this time. yqy dusts off his [GUILT] and buries it. deep. in this life, he will try to atone for all of what his past self couldn't do. and he will start with gentle admonishment to his shizun about his treatment of his disciples.
sqq:
sqq: who is this sassy child!? how dare!

maybe over time, the sharp edges of this peak lord slowly soften from this rude-but-polite presumptuous-but-patient disciple's nagging-guidance. maybe over time, the peak lord finally, finally, exhales and considers this worrier of a disciple as something positive in his life.

yqy can finally exhale too. he's been on the look out for the one who took his life last time, but has not seen him. maybe. maybe they're in the clear.
finally.
-
until the bai zhan peak lord, who's been in seclusion during the entire time yqy's joined the peak, finally returns.

even in a different life. the beast is still hounding his xiao--his shizun! has he no shame?! except luo binghe as a peak lord seems different? more at peace?
maybe he's not so bad...
by not being under sj, he turns out okay?
[he files that thought away to unpack later]

yqy, still nervous, smiles as he serves tea for the two peak lords.
what a sight.
it seems like the two peak lords are acquaintan--LBH REMOVE YOUR HAND FROM MY SHIZUN'S SHOULDER. HOW DARE YOU BE FRIENDLY WITH HIM? I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.
the teapot cracks in his hands.

but wait. if you're the peak lord. and he's the peak lord.
then who's fighting?!
[of course, he should've known better, lqg will never change in any timeline. he just never thought it was the head disciple, had always assumed it was the peak lord, he should stop assuming things.]

so how do you warn your shizun that lbh might be trouble when he's caused. absolutely. no trouble??? in fact? there seems to be none at all? but what if he's biding his time? what if he's waiting for the right moment to strike--is luo binghe making eyes at qi qingqi???
wait what?

oh wait, luo binghe is also, flirting? WITH MU QINGFANG? WHAT IS GOING ON. LUO BINGHE?! SHAMELESS!!
well if he keeps away from his shizun, he doesn't care. wait. why does his shizun look angry when lbh does this flirting business. oh.
n o.
this is the worst timeline.

it’s head disciple vs peak lord battle now.
[a new challenger appears!] in the most unimaginable way possible. but yqy is not going to let this new life of his get derailed just because his shizun and lbh seems to have some...
he hisses under his breath.
‘history.’

extra:
lbh: let’s do that mission together.
sqq: tch. if you so insist.
yqy: shizun, i wish to go with you and gain more experience!
sqq: where are your manners?! so rude.
lbh: hmm, it will be a good lesson for him.
yqy, earnest: let me ride your sword, shizun.
sqq&lbh: CHOKES.

[the skinner mission]
are you serious? how did they get captured so easily? he really did his beat to make sure nyy was safe. some things don’t change he supposes.
but!
but!!
BUT!!!
xiao jiu! were you really distracted when lbh flirted with the concubine? that can’t be!!!

yqy tries the cords binding him. won’t budge. of course. it’s fine. sqq is also here. in all. of his. bare chested glory.
ah.
light brown.
yqy swallows. this is bad. he’s seen glimpses of his shizun’s bare skin.
[xiao jiu you really do wear too much]
so this situation. is.
HMM!

yqy deliriously thinks the pair was also light brown in the past oh he really needs to stop staring and think past this since sqq seems to be waking up. be calm, yqy. you were a sect leader before. this is nothing.
sqq: where—
yqy: LIGHT BROWN!
sqq:
yqy:
the skinner: um.

the skinner mission ends with bai zhan peak lord’s help when he crashes into the shed that kept them and sends a wood beam to crush the beast.
however, to yqy’s horror, another beast was born that day.
it’s been so long since his last puberty how is he going to handle this?!?

kidnapping @/deviantkyme's headcanon too. from then on, YQY has to wake up early to wash his robes and sheets before his shizun could see this unsightly mess 😌
[forgive me xiao jiu! your qi-ge! has made another grievous mistake!!!]

okay. i think i'm done. for real. maybe.

[in the future, the abyss breaks open at the immortal alliance conference.]
[bai zhan peak lord 'disappears'.]
[shen qingqiu goes into a qi deviation and has to be saved by his very promising head disciple. how shameful.]

yqy can't believe it, but, his shizun seems different from then on. this can't be.
[for luo binghe... xiao jiu. do you—]
he never asks. he doesn't want to know. he's too scared to know the answer. he's lost sqq to that demon tyrant in his past life.
is he going to lose him again?

meanwhile in the abyss, bai zhan peak lord dusts himself off and easily slaughters his way through these small fries, zheng yang singing with each demon slain. luo binghe isn't sure where he should be headed, probably not towards that demon sword calling out to him.

yqy debates if he should tell him to not worry, that lbh is coming back (he’s seen it in his last life and in his nightmares for years) and to, please, xiao jiu, stop looking like that.
he selfishly hopes that’s how sqq looks when he received news of his death in their last life.

(actually, sqq looked even more wretched and broken in the last life. lbh's 'death' here is not the same heartbreak he felt over his qi-ge's death. but yqy doesn't know that. no one does.)
yqy puts aside his selfish needs to be the 'one' for sqq. he just needs to help his shizun.

yqy throws himself into making sure his shizun is taken care of to the best of his abilities. along the way, he also takes the stranded bai zhan head disciple and.
uh, the rest of the peak under his wing.
yqy didn’t mean to adopt two peaks... but. that’s how life be sometimes.

he ignores this desperate need he has to comfort xiao-his shizun more than what a head disciple should [that's not what he needs right now] and focuses on being as helpful as possible at the peak [ignore that forlorn look and don't hug him].
qing jing head disciple...
calm down!

shen qingqiu is livid. everyone is calling him out for being a bad peak lord and let his head disciple do everything for him. it isn't like he's forcing him! that disciple just does everything on his own!!!
it ticks sqq off.
even more so when his disciple suffers a qi deviation!

kidnapping @/deviantkyme's hc once again. in yqy's qi deviation, strongest one sqq's ever seen aside from lbh's, the boy keeps calling for him.
no, not 'shizun'.
but 'xiao jiu'
shen qingqiu keeps a vigil by his disciple's bedside until mu qingfang ushers him to rest.

yqy struggles in the endless nightmares of dismembered limbs and piercing arrows. but suddenly, there's a warmth in his chest, and his nightmares turned to—a view of the bamboo hut he's so often visit in this new life now. in his disbelief, he stands still, fearful of- something.

the moment he takes a step forward, he wakes up. his last memory is of... no, not arrows. he can't recall. oh, he hopes sqq did not see his mess. he looks at his hands, puzzled. it definitely feels like, someone held his hand.
he doesn't dare hope.

after the initial nervousness, the other disciples finally approach him again, tentatively. he -did- go into quite the rampage after all.
shameful.
two lifetimes, and he still suffers from a qi deviation. but at least this time it doesn't make him late to save someone.

ALKSJDAS mute this thread. imsosorry.

he wants to check on sqq! who was taking care of his shizun when he was out of it like the useless qi-ge he is?! but mu qingfang has mf&nyy keep a close eye on him, so he's pretty much bedridden for a couple of more days. useless, useless. two lifetimes and he's still useless.

meanwhile in the abyss, luo binghe gains a sword, a swank palace, and an ice demon lord with a side of an ding peak lord?! what is he doing here?!

after his forced seclusion for recovery, yqy is finally free! to! go back! to his duties! about time, mu qingfang! he never misses his sect leaders privileges until now. in all his time recover, sqq never comes to visit.
yqy isn’t sure how to feel about that.
[his chest hurts.]

nyy tells him that shizun’s gone into seclusion. mf nods and theorizes their shizun is reflecting on yqy’s deviation.
yqy tenses in his brush strokes [a painting of a bamboo grove, it’s a familiar scenery].
nyy smacks mf, who quickly apologizes.
they don’t bring it up again.

day 7 since his return to his duties [but what is the point when sqq’s not here? he pulls himself from his own misery every morning and care for the two abandoned peaks. it’s starting to feel too familiar now and he feels... ignore it. ignore it.] and everything is normal.

day 8 qi qingqi visits. every single disciple scampers to the court, trying to get a glimpse of lmy. that is until liu qingge demolishes a training dummy and everyone scatters. except for nyy.

yqy smiles and reminds himself to teach lqg about budgeting and costs.

day 9 for some reason he thought today would be special. but it isn’t. mu qingfang’s disciple checks his meridians and declares him well enough to go on missions. yqy nods his thanks. it feels hollow. he reminds himself this is nothing compared to receiving dismembered limbs.

sqq returns on an ordinary day [16th] and summons him to the hut.
yqy hasn’t even had a chance to feel elated sqq is back, his [GUILT] has been slowly strangling him. he isn’t sure for what, but surely he’s done something.
just like in his dream, he’s terrified to take a step.

extra:
yue qingyuan: shizun...
shen qingqiu: you.
yue qingyuan:
yue qingyuan: YqY
shen qingqiu: ??!!!!!!!?!!!!!!

this group of disciples are most definitely not trying to eavesdrop when they see yqy finally squaring his shoulders and march into the hut.
lqg keeps hissing “shameless” at them but he isn’t leaving either. mf looks pale, nervous for yqy. nyy and lmy are taking notes?

is it because he’s not a sect leader and sqq has formed his core flawlessly in this life that yqy feels absolutely dwarfed by his presence?
is this what his xiao jiu would have been like if he made it back in time to the qiu manor?
his [GUILT] is rising.
and so is his awe.

yqy is nervous. when was the last time he’s been nervous?! embarrassed over his [don’t] attraction to sqq, yes, but not nervous. he’s tried to distance himself, to give sqq and eventually [this different] lbh space.
now he can’t even remember how he used to act around him.

yqy’s had time to think when sqq was gone. he’s already half given up even before that, if his xiao-damnit-shizun looks like THAT when thinking of lbh. then, who is he to stand in the way? as long as sqq is loved and happy, it doesn’t matter who-shit he’s been saying something?!

“b-begging your pardon, shizun. but.”
he gulps.
“could you please repeat that?”
the two in the bamboo hut ignore the audible gasps from outside. well. sqq may have missed it with how quick his face flushed red in anger.
aww, he didn’t known he misses that look!

sqq sputters, closes his fan and swiftly swats his bowed head. oh! he misses this! xiao jiu! your qi-ge misses you! ahem.
“sorry, shizun.”
“sorry! sorry! is that all you can say?”
sqq misses the absolute fear that flashes by his disciple’s face as he scowls at his fan.

sqq has never bothered to ask where his disciples come from. there’s no point. you enter his peak and you begin anew. so. for this disciple of his to call him “xiao jiu”. how curious. he wants to know, but something tells him to follow his own words. you enter and begin anew.

takes a break from 79 by drawing..... 79...

@threadreaderapp unroll

yue qi doing his best!

this disciple before shen qingqiu has done so much for him without asking for anything in return.

[impossible, that’s not how it works. everyone expects something in return.]

he folds his fan and taps it in his hand.

everyone say thank you to @deviantkyme for this next sequence of q&a between

shen qingqiu exhales, long and slow. he has always been a rule breaker, why stop now just because he feels a bit.

nervous.

so it’s better to cut straight to the chase.

“who is ‘xiao jiu’?”

yqy can’t help the sharp inhale he takes at the question.

one fear.

meanwhile outside...

yqy hasn’t lifted his head from staring at the floor [spotless, perfect, good]. he wants to ask how sqq knows that name. after the first few slip ups, he’s made sure! he couldn’t have slipped and accidentally called him xiao jiu could he?

oh.

qi deviations should be banned.

words rattle in his brain, trying to escape through his mouth and blurt them all out. he grits his teeth and swallows them back down.

calm down, ex-sect leader. this is nothing.

he suddenly recalls asking shen qingqiu if he killed his shidi in the caves and feels [GUILT].

shen qingqiu nearly flinches when yue qi lifts his head and stares at him with that clear gaze of his.

“xiao jiu is...” the young man starts, expression soft.

“someone who is very dear to my heart,” he continues with a smile.

he should not have closed his fan! he feels! warm!

"i thought i lost him...”

yue qi! give your shizun some face and look away! why are you looking at your shizun like that!? are you crying!?

“but i found him again and i couldn't bear it if i lose him again.”

is it just him or is yue qi coming closer?

“so I have to...” yue qi exhales as he stands before him. any closer and they would be... his disciple snaps his mouth shut and chews on his bottom lip.
huh?
since when does shen qingqiu have to look up instead to see his disciple’s face? how did he grow so quick?

“so i have to...” yue qi stammers, conflicted with something.

shen qingqiu waits. his chest feels tight, as if these words are choking and soothing him at once. whoever this xiao jiu is [of course it’s not him, he’s never met yue qi until a few years ago]. sure is lucky.