Chapter Text
“Yue Qingyuan. To what does this old master owe the pleasure of seeing Qiong Ding’s treasured Head Disciple at this time of night?” Feng Dayin says coolly, her sharp gaze focused on the young teen standing at her door while hardly acknowledging the two even younger boys hiding behind him.
The question is unnecessary, really, more similar to a thinly veiled threat for the sudden visit at her quiet little bamboo house than anything else. Feng Dayin has heard all about the twins that Yue Qingyuan had suddenly started parading around the peaks the past couple of days, everyone has- how could she not when it was for such a ridiculous reason? To take in new disciples on the word of Qiong Ding’s Head Disciple alone, long before the yearly selection process had even started?!
How absurd! Not even the richest nobles of the most prestigious families were able to shove in their spoiled little snot-nosed children before then, no matter how much money was offered!
For the young man to finally show up on Qing Jing with his two pets in tow, it was obvious that their odd request hadn't been going well on the other peaks.
“Apologizes to Feng-Shibo for appearing unannounced.” Yue Qingyuan hums as he cups his hands before bowing, which seems to signal the boys behind him to bow as well. They maintain the position even after he straightens up to look at Feng Dayin with his signature smile that was probably half the reason he’d become head disciple anyways.
It hardly reaches his eyes though, the young teen not experienced enough to completely hide the anxiety shining there as he speaks. “This humble one was wondering if Feng-Shibo would be willing to take in my dear friends Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu. They are eager to learn, and I believe that they have potential to reach unprecedented heights if simply given the opportunity to.”
Unimpressed, Feng Dayin’s eyes squint as they flick over the boys, leaving them all in tense silence as she contemplates the strange situation. What catches her gaze first are their cupped fists held in front of them as they continue to bow, both pairs of small hands covered in white, silk gloves. How odd.
“Shizi is lucky that I don’t turn you all away immediately- you understand this, correct?” Feng Dayin eventually huffs, eliciting an awkward chuckle from Yue Qingyuan who sheepishly bobs his head as the immortal motions at the boys standing behind him. “Both of you, straighten up and let this master examine you.”
When the boys do as they’re told, Feng Dayin instantly notices the two pairs of strikingly jade phoenix eyes that seem to be studying her just as much as she is studying them. Sure, they are twins, and even go as far as to wear a matching set of clothes along with identical hair styles- yet even with all of the similarities between them it's those colorful eyes that instantly set the two apart with a distinctive air about them. The one that Yue Qingyuan had pointed out as Shen Yuan has a soft, welcoming gaze that would put anyone at ease, only for Shen Jiu’s sharp glare to instantly cancel it out beside him.
Despite this, their eyes still hold the same amount of determination, refusing to back down as they stare at the Qing Jing Peak Lord who would essentially be determining their futures at this sect.
That alone was interesting enough for the immortal, but what started to make her actually consider this ridiculous proposal was the cultivational talent she could sense in both boys despite them being older than what was considered ideal. Yet was it really worth the trouble to take them in and nurture such strong spiritual roots just to see how they grow?
“...I suppose I will entertain the idea of this, but I will only allow them in after evaluating them.” Feng Dayin eventually hums before her sharp eyes flick back to the Qiong Ding Head Disciple. “No one has been allowed in without being tested first, not even you, Shizi.”
Yue Qingyuan blinks in surprise, making it obvious that he hadn’t actually expected the infamously strict Qing Jing Peak Lord to agree. A relieved grin splits across his face that’s much more genuine than the diplomatic one his lips seem to naturally rest in by now. “Yes, that’s completely understandable, please do whatever you need to do. I am just grateful for your consideration in giving them this opportunity.”
Feng Dayin steps aside to hold open the door to her bamboo house, motioning for the twins to come inside- though the second that Yue Qingyuan attempts to cross the threshold, the immortal’s arm instantly snaps out to stop him in his tracks. “Although Shizi’s peak may be the only one higher than this old master’s, you cannot go wandering into other’s houses like you own the place, correct?”
“But-”
“This evaluation will be theirs and theirs alone. If they cannot even handle the first step without someone to hold their hand, they will not last on this peak anyways, much less anywhere in Cang Qiong Sect or the world outside of it.”
To Feng Dayin’s surprise, the Qiong Ding Head Disciple doesn’t immediately back down like one usually would for an immortal master- instead, Yue Qingyuan hesitantly flashes a worried look around her at the twins who are already standing inside, as if more concerned about their opinion rather than the peak lord blocking his way. Normally, such disrespect would enrage Feng Dayin, but she can’t help but find herself even more curious in this case.
Did these two boys really mean that much to the future leader of their sect?
“It’s alright, Qi-ge.” one of them suddenly speaks up, and Feng Dayin glances over her shoulder to catch Shen Yuan offering their older friend a reassuring smile whereas Shen Jiu glares at him from behind his brother, trying to tug him further inside the bamboo house. The boy's voice is louder than she would have expected from such a soft expression, and something about it sounds slightly off despite maintaining a well-spoken charm to it. “We’ll be alright. Please, don’t trouble yourself any further.”
A moment of hesitation before Yue Qingyuan finally nods, albeit reluctantly as he bows again to the Qing Jing Peak Lord. “Thank you again, Shibo. This one owes you immensely for giving them a chance.”
“This old master will certainly be thinking of how you or your Shizun can repay your debt- now, off with you, who knows how long this will take.” Feng Dayin scoffs, waving Yue Qingyuan away with a dismissive flick of her wrist as she shuts the door, not even bothering to check if the Qiong Ding Head Disciple had actually listened to her or was just waiting there like a lost puppy in the rain.
Motioning for the boys to kneel at the low table further inside, Feng Dayin hums as she walks about her home, trying to figure out the best way to go about this. The usual test for entry was just to make them dig holes, but quite frankly, it’s too late for that and she isn’t in the mood to make a trip all the way to the bottom of the mountain just to watch these two scrawny kids play around in the dirt for hours, much less let them ruin her precious peak.
Well… perhaps this was just an opportunity to try something new, and allow them to be the test subjects of her curiosity. She never really agreed with the tradition of making children dig holes for such a life-changing event anyways.
Eventually she settles on pulling out a weiqi board, though before she sets it down she glances at the boys to gauge their behavior, as their test had already started the second she’d met them. When in the presence of someone important, children would usually be trembling in place, and even those who could better mask their stress couldn’t hide it from practically radiating off of them- this of course would only be exacerbated with an immortal master, and even more so where said immortal would be determining their future at the sect.
Yet if she didn’t know any better, Feng Dayin would have thought that these boys were just waiting to have tea with an older relative that they hadn’t seen in a while, patiently kneeling there with their hands on their knees under the table. Shen Yuan has a rather serene look on his face as he glances around his new surroundings out of curiosity, but Feng Dayin is surprised to find Shen Jiu’s sharp eyes to be following her every movement.
His hardened, pinched expression is more like what she would expect, though it seems so natural on his sharp features that she wouldn’t doubt if he always looks like that.
“This is a rather unconventional situation, so forgive this old master for not being better prepared ahead of time.” Feng Dayin hums as she finally sits down and places the weiqi board on the table before them. “So let’s not make this any harder than it has to be, yes? I simply want to be entertained with some good company for the night and get to know the twins who have caused such a stir in the sect recently. One of you will play a game of weiqi with me, and the other will brew us some tea in the kitchen over there- choose between you two who will do what.”
The brothers blink back in apparent surprise from how simple the task seems, though just as quick as it had come the expression disappears when they instantly move without any words exchanged, Shen Yuan getting up to go over to the kitchen while Shen Jiu shuffles over a bit to more properly sit in front of the weiqi board.
Interesting… they didn’t even look at each other before making the decision. Feng Dayin lifts an eyebrow in interest as she helps the boy properly distribute the pieces. They seem extremely close and well coordinated. Perhaps they have already determined that Shen Jiu is the smarter one out of the two of them?
“Shen Jiu may have the black pieces.” Feng Dayin says as she motions for the younger one to start.
Quite frankly, she’s impressed by how quickly Shen Jiu makes his first move, those gloved, lithe fingers instantly moving a qi piece to its spot without any hesitation. Feng Dayin takes a moment to glance up at Shen Yuan’s progress in the kitchen before taking her turn, only to be surprised again as another black piece is immediately put down after hers.
“Although confidence may be important, it means nothing in the end if it doesn’t ensure victory.” Feng Dayin idly comments as she makes her next move, though she hardly doubts that the boy will win anyways- it isn’t necessarily out of narcissism or anything, there’s nothing to gloat about when it comes to an immortal master that’s been playing the game for decades longer than the child challenging her has even been alive .
No, she hardly cares if the boy wins or loses, as it’s more about evaluating his thought process throughout the game anyways. For example, did Shen Jiu’s quick pace truly indicate that he was clever, or was he simply too over-confident and sure of himself, maybe it was even just nerves… or perhaps something else that Feng Dayin couldn’t see for herself yet?
Shen Jiu doesn’t say anything in response to the advice, simply nodding in thanks - or perhaps just acknowledgement? - as he continues to place his pieces just as he has been, almost like she hadn’t said anything at all. Sometimes it was at an instant pace, other times he pauses for a moment or two before setting his next piece down, but Feng Dayin notices that not once does Shen Jiu seem to hesitate, always so sure of himself and his abilities. And not for nothing, as the immortal can certainly recognize the higher level strategies at play that she wouldn’t have expected from a boy his age.
“So, why did you and your brother decide that you both wanted to become cultivators?” Feng Dayin asks after a couple pieces are put down, as it’s customary to interview (or, with how intense she could be, interrogate ) those who wanted to join the sect.
Unexpectedly, it seems like she’s actually managed to catch Shen Jiu off guard for once, at least based on how the boy instantly stiffens at such a simple question- though now it was the immortal’s turn to be surprised when Shen Jiu suddenly bows mid game and gets up without a word, bustling over to the kitchen before Feng Dayin can even process what's going on. She can’t hear whatever the two are talking about over there, staring at their small backs in dumbfoundment.
Was he asking his brother for help in the middle of a match? Had they suddenly decided to give up? Even if so, what an audacious way to go out!
Beyond anything she could have predicted, the twins seem to suddenly switch places instead, Shen Jiu taking over the tea brewing process while his brother returns to the qi table and kneels in his place with a smile.
“Apologies, immortal master. My brother had the idea of switching out- it would be unfair if you didn’t get to see what both of us were capable of in each task, right?”
Luckily for the twins, the Qing Jing Peak Lord was too bewildered to be bothered by the sheer audacity of such a decision, still reeling from it as she squinted at the new boy before her. Just what were they playing at, she's supposed to be in charge of this test! “Will it truly be so if you don’t even finish what you had started, only completing half of the other’s work?”
A pause passes before Shen Yuan’s smile stretches a bit more as he nods. “If our confidence ensures victory in the end, then does it really matter?”
Although the Qing Jing Peak Lord simply stares back at the boy with a gaze that usually intimidates every other child in this sect, Shen Yuan’s smile doesn’t falter for a second. So before she can stop it, a small laugh of disbelief bubbles out of the old immortal as she shakes her head from the sheer ridiculousness of it all. “...This old master will allow it, just to see where this gamble of yours will go.”
A moment or two is allowed to pass as Shen Yuan glances over the board while the Qing Jing Peak lord tries to re-evaluate the situation now that it’s been turned on its head. Are they actually evenly matched in terms of intelligence, is that what they’re telling me? Either way, they certainly have a lot of gall between the two of them…
Shen Yuan eventually continues the game once he seems to catch onto his brother’s thought process, nodding a bit to himself as he places down another piece. After Feng Dayin takes her turn, she notices that Shen Yuan needs a bit more time to think about where his next move will be, and a couple of times he starts to put it in one spot just to hesitate and place it in another at the last second. No, it doesn’t seem like it… although this boy also seems clever, his moves aren’t as thought out as his brother’s, not to mention that he has the disadvantage of not starting out with his own techniques. Just what were they thinking?
“So, I will ask you what I asked your brother- Why do you both wish to become cultivators?”
Shen Yuan's eyes only flick up to meet the peak lord's midway through her question, hesitating for a moment before his lips tilt into an awkward smile. “Apologies, Immortal Master, this one was distracted. May you repeat your question?”
Blinking, Feng Dayin nods. Does he really have to think that hard about his moves? Is he so easily distracted? “I asked why you and your brother desire to become cultivators.”
Shen Yuan stares at her intently for a moment or two, seemingly processing the question before humming. “We simply wish to learn from the best. We have an insatiable curiosity and a desire to become strong enough to protect ourselves and others- the hard work and dedication necessary to achieve that in this sect doesn’t dissuade us.”
“So why Qing Jing specifically?”
“...If this one is to be perfectly honest, no other peak was willing to take us in.”
“Ah, so I just get the scraps? Two boys who aren’t even passionate about what Qing Jing stands for and will just blindly clutch onto wherever they can to keep their heads afloat?”
“...Hah, not necessarily. My brother and I have actually always had an interest in artistic and scholarly pursuits- we had even asked Yue Qingyuan if we could come here first .” Shen Yuan explains, tilting his head as his warm eyes crescent in amusement. “But, in his words, he had insisted that you would be… less than agreeable . According to him, our best shot was to just hope for the best and go with whichever peak would be willing to consider taking us in, which just so happened to be none of them until now.”
The corner of Feng Dayin's lips twitched up a bit at that. “So, I have him to blame then, hm?”
“...You could say that, I suppose. We are just grateful to him, and now you , for giving us this opportunity.” Shen Yuan casually replies, his own smile a bit more playful now.
“Hm. I’m surprised that none of the other peaks had given you two a chance either. Even I can acknowledge that my standards are higher than my martial brothers- I have the lowest number of disciples compared to them, as sometimes I don’t even pick any new ones at the yearly selection process.”
“...Well, to be fair, although seven of the peaks had refused to even meet with us in the first place, the remaining four were kind enough to talk to us. From there two had decided that we weren’t a good fit, and the last two had actually given us offers.”
Feng Dayin’s hand pauses above the board as she squints at the boy. “I thought you said that they were unwilling to take you in. So you do have other options.”
“...Rest assured, immortal master- like I had explained earlier, Qing Jing isn’t just a last ditch effort to us. We respect you and the peak far more than that.” Shen Yuan explains, a gloved hand coming up to rest on his heart out of sincerity. “The thing is, those two peaks only wanted to take one of us in. Me for Qiong Ding, my brother for An Ding.”
“Ah, so you two are a package deal, then?”
“...Yes. As much as we want to learn, as many hardships and work that we’re willing to take on, we will not do so unless it’s together .”
The Qing Jing Peak Lord eyes the boy in silence before nodding as she finally places her piece down.
As the game continues, Feng Dayin finds her view of the brothers to have shifted. They weren’t poor little children with nowhere else to go, begging and clinging onto the feet of anyone willing to look at them just for the chance at food and shelter. While she could understand that, it wasn’t the healthiest mentality for a peak as grueling as her own that would demand more from them than mere survival instinct.
No, they were clearly intelligent, driven, passionate , and dedicated to their own education- that she could respect. Clearly they’d be able to survive here, and she has to admit that they were an interesting puzzle that she couldn’t solve just yet. But would it really be worth it to break precedent and take a chance on bringing them both under her wing?
While interrogating the boy in-between every other turn, she notices another oddity- Shen Yuan seems more focused on her than the actual game now. The boy stares intently at her face with a warm gaze and a smile that’s just enough to not make it unsettling, only glancing away for a moment to put his piece down before looking back up to stare at her. When Shen Jiu was the one before her, on the other hand, the boy had hardly spared her a second glance, more hyper-fixated on the board before him while he figured out his next move.
Is he nervous? Is he trying to psyche me out, make me incorrectly put down a piece by mistake? Perhaps if he had his brother's intimidating gaze, it could be a viable tactic, but as he is…
For once, the scholarly peak lord finds herself stumped.
She only snaps out of her swirling thoughts once Shen Jiu finally comes over with a tray containing everything needed to perform a proper tea ceremony. The boy actually doesn’t do that bad at first as he prepares the cups and washes the leaves, though she’s quick to notice mistakes slipping out here or there even as she continues the game with Shen Yuan. It’s hard to tell if it was because of the impatience she saw from how Shen Jiu plays weiqi, or if he simply didn’t know the proper steps.
Eventually she is handed a cup as he bows to her, nodding in acknowledgement as she takes it from him. To the brothers’ credit, they hardly seem tense when the cup rises up to her lips, and aren’t nervous enough to stare at her while she takes a pensive sip, instead seemingly glancing at each other instead.
Hm. It actually isn’t that bad.
Just not enough for the bare minimum of her high standards.
The Qing Jing Peak Lord’s hand suddenly flies out towards Shen Jiu without warning, her expression passive as she splashes the boy with his own tea.
“This is wrong.” she says bluntly while setting the cup back onto the tray. “Make it again, correctly this time. Prove to me that switching out with your brother wasn't the wrong move.”
To be fair, this isn’t the first time Feng Dayin has done this. Perhaps it isn’t exactly… ethical , to be throwing tea at children, but at least it wasn’t boiling hot or anything. Besides, it always served as a good judgment of character in the face of harsh criticism, which was crucial for survival on this peak. Some children instantly burst into tears while wailing apologies as they tripped over themselves back into the kitchen, while others were bold enough to cuss at her before storming out- a few even tried to throw the tea back at her!
Instead, the boy doesn’t even let out a gasp. No, he doesn’t even flinch other than closing his eyes shut to protect them, only for them to snap back open and gaze at the Qing Jing Peak Lord in acknowledgement as he nods before calmly turning back towards the kitchen, ignoring the tea dripping off of himself as he goes to prepare another pot.
Feng Dayin is impressed, quite honestly. The boy hadn’t even said a word about it- she’d almost mistake it for timidness or fear if it wasn’t for the way those sharp eyes gleamed with silent defiance back at her. She doesn't recall any child she's tested like this ever reacting this way before- or rather, hardly reacting at all.
Even Shen Yuan hadn’t blinked as he puts down another piece, neither arguing in his brother’s place nor even questioning why she had done something so insulting and unnecessary. Instead, he calmly continues their game as though nothing had even happened. Feng Dayin doesn’t comment on it either, asking a few more questions of Shen Yuan as the other responds in his odd, slightly delayed manner, though she finds that she doesn’t mind that much the more she gets used to it. Unlike his brother’s play style, at least Shen Yuan seems to be putting a lot of thought into his words, or perhaps just needs a bit of time to process them- and each response is so carefully well crafted anyways that the boy was genuinely charming to talk to.
Despite the brothers managing to catch her attention for just a fleeting moment, it's hard to acknowledge such trivial matters when the match is starting to reach its end game. And disappointingly, it’s going just as Feng Dayin had expected.
Shen Yuan’s moves, while more advanced than the average weiqi player his age, aren't really anything remarkable when compared to the rest of the students on Qing Jing peak. He’s quickly working himself into a corner, and he knows it, the boy’s features pinching in a bit of distress for once despite the smile still twitching on his face, taking a bit longer each time to place his next piece or respond to Feng Dayin’s questions.
Meanwhile, the Qing Jing Peak Lord glances up every now and then at the other child quietly working away in the kitchen. Admittedly, she doesn’t have much hope in that brother either despite the way the boy seems to confidently carry himself. She hadn’t given any indication as to what was wrong the first time, so like many others before him, the boy was probably worrying over figuring out what he could possibly change if the first time was already his best attempt.
A shame, really, if perhaps she was wrong about these brothers. At the very least they could say that they had managed to spark her interest for a moment or two, but she wouldn’t be heartbroken if they ultimately just weren't fit for her peak, or even just Cang Qiong Sect as a whole.
Though, maybe that just means that it’s time to turn things on its head again.
Shen Jiu soon returns with his new pot of tea. From the way he pauses at the side of the table, Feng Dayin figures he’s just waiting for permission, though as she glances up at him she follows his gaze down at his brother instead.
This time, the peak lord catches the way Shen Yuan’s gloves hands seem to fiddle in front of him with short, strange motions, which would usually be written off as nothing more than a tick if it weren’t for the fact that this was the first time the boy was doing it.
Shen Yuan blinks up at her once he realizes he’s being watched, offering an apologetic laugh with a shrug of his shoulders as his hands lower, though one still remains on the table, tracing and tapping at the wood. Maybe he’s so nervous that he’s trying to find a way out of the hole he had accidentally dug himself into with this game? Or he’s having a mental breakdown, it’s not as if it’s the first time that’s happened either...
“Well?” Feng Dayin asks pointedly when the boy next to her doesn’t immediately start pouring his tea.
Nodding his head, Shen Jiu’s gaze hardens as he performs the tea ceremony once again- correctly this time, much to her surprise.
Perhaps suddenly switching places with his brother had thrown him off, since he clearly knows how to do it properly. Feng Dayin thinks to herself as she takes a sip, elegant eyebrows slightly twitching up in surprise as she finds the tea much smoother and richer now.
“Passable. You may sit back down with your brother and wait until we finish this game.” The Qing Jing Peak Lord says with a dismissive flick of her hand, the boy nodding as Shen Yuan shifts to the side so they could both kneel next to each other just like how they had been when they had first entered.
The Qing Jing Peak Lord doesn’t even have to mention that no collaboration is allowed, since the brothers had decided to play it this way anyways. Shen Jiu seems to know his place, downcast eyes quietly observing the board through long lashes. He doesn’t even acknowledge the strong smell of tea wafting off of him as he patiently waits in damp robes for the game to end, one hand on his knee under the table while the other idly fiddles with an extra stone above it.
As for the other brother, the way the tension immediately bleeds out of Shen Yuan as his twin settles beside him is obvious- and Feng Dayin can’t help but notice the drastic shift in behavior once the game continues on.
Shen Yuan actually focuses on the board instead of staring at the immortal across from them, only glancing up whenever Feng Dayin asks another question and managing to answer much faster this time around. Although he becomes a bit slower in putting down each piece, it’s obvious that it’s not from nerves, as each move becomes much more calculated and confident, completely unlike how he had been playing up until now.
The transformation was remarkable- was it really just his brother’s presence that had caused it?
Feng Dayin’s brows furrow as she runs the events of tonight through her head, not even bothering to ask Shen Yuan anymore questions while they play, much more focused on trying to draw up an answer but unable to think of anything conclusive.
Just what was she missing?
“I believe that is game, immortal master.” Shen Yuan’s voice draws her out of her contemplation. Blinking, the Peak Lord stares at her opponent before her eyes fall down to the board in disbelief at the pattern of black and white they had been creating.
When was the last time that the famed tactician of Qing Jing Peak had been defeated at her own game?
Perhaps it is her own fault considering how distracted she had allowed herself to become. But that’s just the thing- she never allows herself to falter, always five steps ahead of her opponent, planning for every possible move they may make. Over her lifetime she has challenged countless scholars, fellow tacticians, practically every immortal under the sun, none of them able to keep up with her carefully crafted strategies to the point that hardly anyone wanted to play with her unless they were willing to learn through their own defeat.
Yet somehow, these two boys had managed to throw her off her game.
“We thank the Qing Jing Peak Lord for the game.” Shen Yuan adds once the woman in question doesn’t say anything, both boys bowing low as they wait for her response.
Eventually, they get one, but it’s not anything that they would’ve expected.
The infamous ice queen of Qing Jing Peak suddenly bursts out into laughter, and not her usual haughty one that hardly carried any humor in its breath other than a strong sense of amused superiority. No, the boys peek up just to see her clutching at her stomach as her elegant, graceful body trembles from a full on belly laugh, tears pricking in her crescented eyes with how her usually cold expression pinches from her cackling.
How unbecoming of an immortal! “ Haaah , oh- Alright, alright! I admit defeat, you two have caught my attention!” she wheezes out once she finally catches her breath, coughing behind her hand as she attempts to regain her composure.
Even after straightening up, she can’t hold back her lips from stretching into a smile nor hide the amusement dancing in her eyes. “It seems as though your gamble has paid off in the end. You have both convinced me that you belong on Qing Jing peak.”
After watching her break her composure, the boys struggle to maintain their own, Shen Yuan’s expression breaking into a huge grin while Shen Jiu’s sharp eyes widen, though they’re quick to hide it as they bow one more time, tension visibly draining out of their small bodies. “We thank Shizun for taking us in!”
“No need. You both are simply a strange puzzle that I can’t help but want to figure out, with talent that I’d be a fool to let go to waste on the other peaks.” she scoffs, motioning for them to straighten back up. “Now, head off to the dorms down the path and find another disciple, they will help you find your sleeping quarters and our peak’s uniforms. I will send my head disciple for you two tomorrow to show you around and give you your class schedules, though I expect the two of you to join in before lunch time- do not make me regret this decision on your first day, do you both understand?”
“Yes Shizun!”
“Good. Now off with you two, this old master wishes to sleep.”
The brothers quickly get back up onto their feet before bowing at her again, making her shake her head in amusement as she starts to clean up the weiqi pieces while they eagerly skitter out of the front door and into the night as her new disciples.
—
Of course, the boys try to keep up their composure as long as possible since Qing Jing has always been known as the most sophisticated peak, but the second that their new Shizun’s bamboo house was out of sight their lithe legs can’t help but run faster and faster down the hill. All tension and anxiety melt out of them and turns into musical laughter which sings in the air, even if one brother’s is much hoarser than the other’s.
“I can’t believe we did it!” Shen Yuan cheers breathlessly as they fly down the hill that the bamboo hut sat on, the cool night air breezing against his burning face feeling like absolute heaven.
Scoffing, Shen Jiu rolls his eyes as his hand clamps down on his brother’s shoulder, grabbing the other’s attention before his hands motion in familiar gestures. “ Yeah, barely! That was too close, you almost lost! Remind me to help you work on your weiqi skills later.”
“Come on, not everyone is a weiqi freak like you! At least I know how to do an actual tea ceremony!”
“You know just as well as I do that tea ceremonies are stupid. It literally doesn’t need that many steps, it’s fucking tea!”
Their laughter quickly dies out once they notice a familiar figure seemingly waiting for them at the bottom of the hill, slowing down to a halt as Yue Qingyuan eagerly runs up to them. “So, I take it that you guys got in?”
Shen Jiu’s expression hardens as he simply offers a dismissive nod in response, grabbing at his brother’s sleeve in an attempt to tug him past the older teen without even making eye contact. Sighing, Shen Yuan motions for him to follow them anyways. “Repeat what you said?”
“I asked, did you guys get in?” Yue Qingyuan says much more slowly now, careful to exaggerate his words while also signing the question to the only brother bothering to even acknowledge him. His signing is a bit rusty from not really getting to use it for a few years, but it’s enough to get the point across.
A grin stretches across Shen Yuan’s face as he eagerly nods. “Yeah, we did!”
Before Yue Qingyuan can even attempt to congratulate them, he stiffens as Shen Jiu hands quickly flick through the air in annoyance- and when he can only offer an uncomfortable smile, having not caught most of it, Shen Yuan awkwardly laughs before his brother can get more upset. “He basically asked if you actually doubted that we would.”
In any other instance, it might’ve been taken as a playful tease, but the genuine scowl pinching Shen Jiu’s features definitely says otherwise.
“No, no! Not at all, I knew that if anyone could pull this off, it’d be you two!” Yue Qingyuan’s hands become sloppy as he practically flails in an attempt at reassurance, but Shen Jiu only responds with a hardly convinced huff as he correctly translates the other’s ramblings to his brother. “Seriously, you guys are the first disciples I’ve heard of that got accepted outside of the yearly entrance exam- and by the Qing Jing Peak Lord no less! That’s seriously impressive, she’s known for being really picky about her disciples.”
Shen Jiu grumbles at that as he brushes some damp hair behind his ear, grimacing at how slightly sticky it was. “Yeah, I can fucking tell. I still smell like tea.”
“Tea?” Yue Qingyuan asks incredulously, only to blanch once he notices the faint stains on the upper half of his friend’s robes. “Oh no, not again… what happened back there, if I may ask?”
“I’ll tell you if you show us where the dorms are~” Shen Yuan playfully offers despite his brother’s disapproving squint.
Yue Qingyuan instantly nods, not wanting to give up the chance to talk more with the two of them. Although they’ve spent all these years apart, him having genuinely thought that the brothers he had practically raised were dead the entire time, he can also understand why one of them seemed to abhor his presence alone.
He knew it was his own fault for being too late, for being too weak. So if this was his punishment, so be it.
He was willing to spend the rest of his life making up for everything if that’s what it takes.
Thankfully enough, at least Shen Yuan seems to tolerate him, even going so far as to give him more chances to be around them. So no matter how upset Shen Jiu was at the older teen who used to be like a brother to them, he could never deny his actual brother what he wanted.
While the trio walks along the path, the Qiong Ding Head Disciple’s eyes keep growing wider and wider at Shen Yuan’s explanation- getting tested in weiqi and tea brewing just to switch around on the dime, Shen Yuan having to quietly sign and write out his brother’s mistakes on the table before the other performed his second tea ceremony, then Shen Jiu drawing on his brother’s knee under the table to tell him where to place each weiqi piece and barely guiding him to victory as a result.
He’s always known that these twins worked so well together that they practically had their own language at this point- but in the time that they’d been separated from him, they’d certainly advanced far further than he ever could’ve imagined, considering that even the Qing Jing Peak Lord of all people couldn’t pick up on their tricks.
“You two switched in the middle of the evaluation? Without even asking or anything?!” Yue Qingyuan exclaims as he gawks at the two of them like they’d suddenly burst into flames. “That’s bold even for you guys…”
“We didn’t have a choice. It’s not like I could actually respond.” Shen Jiu frowns.
Snorting, Shen Yuan elbows his twin in the side, who simply shoves him right back with a roll of his eyes. “Yeah, so then I had to save the day- we’re just lucky that I can read lips, but honestly I had to use context clues half the time to figure out what she was saying. She was so intimidating though, it definitely didn’t help my nerves!”
“I heard your responses while I was making the tea though. They were still really good for being made up on the spot.”
“Awe, you flatter me~”
An awkward cough makes the twins glance back at the older teen who was leading them around, Yue Qingyuan grimacing from their conversation. “...I know it is not my place, but are you guys sure that you want to keep hiding this? You both barely made it through the evaluation, I don’t want you guys to have to keep struggling while you’re here.”
The faint smile that Shen Jiu had gained from his brother’s teasing instantly warps into a scowl as he dismissively nods his head. “All we’ve ever known is struggle, this will be nothing new. And we already told you too many times before, Yue Qingyuan, yes ! How many other deaf or mute people do you know at this sect? Or even just disabled in general?”
“Um-”
“Exactly. We would’ve been weeded out the second we let it be known, just like all the times we tried to get odd jobs as kids simply to survive. So with this fresh start we aren’t going to let ourselves get looked down on or seen as weak like back in the streets- not anymore.”
“But you guys aren’t-!”
“We know. It’s the rest of the world that doesn’t, that’s the fucking problem. So you better not tell anyone else Yue Qingyuan. Keeping your mouth shut is the least you owe us.”
The Qiong Ding Head Disciple tries not to look hurt by the scathing reply, making himself nod nonetheless. “...I understand. If you guys are that sure, then I’ll trust that you can both do it and will support you however I can.”
“Unnecessary.” Shen Jiu huffs in disbelief with a roll of his eyes.
“Thanks for getting us in the door, at least. Don’t worry, we can handle it from here!” Shen Yuan quickly adds, attempting to lessen the blow.
Yue Qingyuan doesn’t know if he would’ve been able to say anything more anyways, though for better or for worse, they all quickly lower their hands as a Qing Jing disciple suddenly emerges from the dorms. She bears the soft green robes of the peak, smiling brightly at the future sect leader with a wave. “Yue-Shixiong! Good to see you again, what brings you around at this time? Can I help you with anything?”
“Me, no- your new Shidis here need a room and some of your peak’s uniforms though.” Yue Qingyuan beams right back as he motions at the twins behind him like some proud parent, and it takes everything in Shen Jiu to not gag from it as he and his brother bow to the Qing Jing disciple.
The girl blinks before realization kicks in, her jaw tightening to keep itself from dropping as she finally acknowledges the two newcomers. “O-Oh! Yeah, sure! It’s nice to meet you two, I’m Ning Qin, the head disciple around here. Let’s get you two settled in for the night, okay?”
Shen Yuan nods as he offers her a grateful smile. He’s happy that, unlike the evaluation at Feng Dayin’s bamboo house, this time he has his brother beside him to quickly translate what she said, Shen Jiu’s thumb rubbing shorthand messages into his arm to assist what he can read from her lips. “Yes, that would be deeply appreciated. It’s nice to meet you too!”
Admittedly, Yue Qingyuan is reluctant to hand them off to her- even if this isn’t his peak, he would rather rip his arm off than let them out of his sight again, as if afraid they’d suddenly disappear into thin air, or get hurt when he wasn’t looking.
But just like everything else, he can only put his full faith into them.
And so he watches as they disappear into the dorm with their new head disciple, wistfully staring at the empty doorway for a moment or two before heading back to his own peak.
Gods above, please let this finally be their home and an end to their wandering.