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[fic] precious treasure
14 July 2024
This fic is also on AO3, if you find it easier to read there
Fandom: SVSSS
Focus: Mobei-Jun pov, Mobei-Jun &/ Shang Qinghua, Luo Binghe/Shen Qingqiu/Shang Qinghua, hints of Luo Binghe/Mobei-Jun
Setting: Post-canon
Length: 6,015 words
Content notes:
Themes:
I love how differently all four of them think about each other
Summary:
When Luo Binghe and his consort are away from their palace in the demonic realm, it falls to Mobei-Jun (and Shang Qinghua) to act on the emperor’s behalf. Somehow Luo Binghe's return doesn't free them from having to help with the annoying group of demons who are demanding an audience with the emperor.
Foreword:
Written for endofthyme for Danmei Fanworks Exchange 2024.
thank you to my best beloved beta/cheerleader, verity! and thank you to my recipient for the inspiring prompts - I hope you enjoy the result!
Fic:
The uniting of the demonic realms had made some parts of Mobei-Jun's job easier. Shang Qinghua had much to say about the value of supply lines. The trade-off was that Luo Binghe seemed bored of the work of ruling and would simply disappear for weeks at a time, leaving Mobei-Jun as his second.
Shang Qinghua had some things to say about dilettante emperors as well. “Where’s his scheming, his planning, his force of will? Uselessly wasted!”
Mobei-Jun didn't understand Luo Binghe. If ruling wasn't work you wanted to do, why would you take on the position? Luo Binghe was like a child showing off his power for the sake of it. The thought made Mobei-Jun itch once again to properly take Luo Binghe’s measure in a fight. He still hadn't gotten the opportunity; bad manners from a demon emperor.
When Luo Binghe's harried and anxious head steward contacted Mobei-Jun to beg him to receive an unexpected retinue of demons at Junshang's palace, Mobei-Jun was pleased. Dealing with supplicants would probably end with a fight, and Mobei-Jun deserved the opportunity to fight someone, even if Luo Binghe wouldn't be there to oblige personally.
Of course, the pretence of diplomacy had to be tried first. Mobei-Jun knew his own strengths, and his own weaknesses. He called for Shang Qinghua.
At the palace of the emperor of the demonic realms, the receiving hall was holding a crowd of demons clumped together, waiting patiently. Mobei-Jun didn’t recognize what clan they came from. Before entering the room, Mobei-Jun turned to Shang Qinghua for further details, and as always his advisor immediately burst into a speech providing contextual information. With the ease of habit, Mobei-Jun plucked out the relevant facts from this extended speech: from the coast, bird demons of some kind, Shang Qinghua couldn't recall what kind of powers they had or what skills they specialised in, probably here to talk about fishing rights or water management or something. All right.
Mobei-Jun stepped in front of the waiting flock and glared out at them. “Well?” he said.
A leader separated themself from the group and bowed in response. Mobei-Jun impatiently gestured for them to get on with it.
“Mobei-Jun is benevolent in agreeing to hear our requests,” the leader said politely. “This lowly one begs Mobei-Jun’s indulgence as I explain.”
The explanation was tedious, and Mobei-Jun stopped listening after a few words. While the leader and Shang Qinghua carried on an increasingly tense conversation, Mobei-Jun studied the flock of bird demons waiting behind the leader, to determine how much threat they were.
The demons were in a largely human shape, though he understood they had arrived by flying in on wings. They were all equipped with swords and had the hands to wield them, but were only lightly armoured. Mobei-Jun could feel the strength of their qi permeating the space, prickling uncomfortably on his skin like a too-warm breeze. He wished Shang Qinghua had remembered what kinds of power they specialised in.
“The emperor does not serve at my whim! I can’t just summon him and expect him to appear.” Shang Qinghua’s tone was condescending; a bad sign for how the conversation was going.
“Why do you speak to us in place of Mobei-Jun?” the leader retorted. “You have no authority in the Imperial court. It’s Mobei-Jun who is the Imperial representative. He can intervene to get us an audience.”
Shang Qinghua laughed. “You think that talking with him would go better? At this point neither of us would bother summoning Junshang for you even if we could.”
The leader choked out a strange wordless noise, and all the demons behind him put their hands to the weapons. It was time to intervene. Shang Qinghua was his, and Mobei-jun wouldn't allow anything happen to him. Mobei-Jun opened the barest hint of a crack into the void between spaces and let the demons feel its odd threatening force. He was pleased to see the leader raise one shaky hand, and the rest of the demons settle back down again, looking side to side at each other with unease.
The conversation wrapped up with Shang Qinghua dissatisfied and grouchy. The whole group of demons was led away by one of the servants of the palace to be put up in guest rooms, leaving Mobei-Jun alone with Shang Qinghua again.
“They're the worst, I hate that they're still around to get on my nerves,” Shang Qinghua said. His words were muffled by Mobei-Jun's chest, since Mobei-Jun had gathered him close to step back through space to his own palace again. Shang Qinghua didn't seem to mind. His chatter often seemed more for his own benefit rather than being intended as conversation, which suited Mobei-Jun. It was comfortable background noise in Mobei-Jun's life.
Shang Qinghua’s monologue continued as they ate a casual dinner in Mobei-Jun's quarters. The cooks were getting better at making food suitable for humans, Mobei-Jun noted. These dishes were a little underdeveloped to his tastes, but Shang Qinghua ate with evident relish. So that was fine.
As Shang Qinghua talked, it became clear to Mobei-Jun that the bird demons were determined to stay at the Imperial palace until they could speak to the emperor personally, no matter what Shang Qinghua told them. “Maybe they’ll get bored and leave,” Shang Qinghua said hopefully. “Or I could talk to one of the Imperial palace servants, have them mess with the heating? That guy was emphatic about wanting all their rooms to be warm! Hmm, what else could we do to irritate them enough to go?”
Mobei-Jun, helping Shang Qinghua take down his hair after dinner, ignored this obvious piece of foolishness.
The next day, Luo Binghe returned to his palace with his consort. Mobei-Jun grimaced at the news. He didn't want to know what esoteric creature or disgusting plant Shen Qingqiu had brought back from these latest travels. The emperor's palace already had too many courtyard gardens that were dangerous to visit for the uninitiated, and Mobei-Jun wasn't even allowed to kill any of the captive beasts.
Luo Binghe called Mobei-Jun to pay a visit along with Shang Qinghua later that day, but Shang Qinghua had excused himself from Mobei-Jun's presence hours earlier due to some project that needed his attention. When Mobei-Jun tried to track him down, Shang Qinghua wasn't anywhere to be found.
Mobei-Jun changed out his cloak for the one with a collar of delicate blue-grey feathers and went alone.
At the Imperial palace, Luo Binghe looked petulant as he received Mobei-Jun. Luo Binghe's consort was nowhere in sight, which explained the attitude. The emperor was a child, unable to handle even moments apart from his beloved.
Luo Binghe’s mood faded from petulance to boredom as Mobei-Jun reported on the various interventions he'd had to make in Luo Binghe's absence. The bird demons were only the latest example, and the only one left unresolved.
“That's fine, Shizun will know how to deal with them,” Luo Binghe said dismissively.
Mobei-Jun swallowed back a hiss at the implied insult to Shang Qinghua’s efforts. “As Junshang says.”
At least Shen Qingqiu could generally be trusted to consider what would be best for the strength of the empire, as long as it didn't interfere with his other priorities. Luo Binghe only ever had one priority.
At Luo Binghe's dismissal, Mobei-Jun left the hall to search for Shang Qinghua again. He had a suspicion of where Shang Qinghua might be found.
The sound of angry voices drew him towards a familiar courtyard of the palace. Yes. There was Shang Qinghua lounging beneath a blooming plum tree, engaged in a vigorous and incomprehensible argument with Shen Qingqiu. Mobei-Jun was pleased to see Shang Qinghua able to enjoy his favourite flirtation again, with Shen Qingqiu back from the latest trip.
Mobei-Jun watched them silently for a few moments. Shang Qinghua might have been short and prone to the occasional odd self-effacement, but he was energetic, determined, and observant: good at pushing strategically at other people's weak points. He was the only person Mobei-Jun knew who could make the effortlessly controlled Shen Qingqiu lose his poise and raise his voice. Mobei-Jun could understand why Shang Qinghua enjoyed it so much.
In Mobei-Jun’s experience, Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu’s private argument sessions usually turned into aggressive and extended making out. With both humans occupied, Luo Binghe would be just as much at loose ends as Mobei-Jun. Perhaps Luo Binghe would be willing to spar.
Luo Binghe might not be willing to have a proper all-out duel, and risk the destruction of property for no good purpose. But a practice fight with reasonable limits in place would still be worthwhile. Mobei-Jun always appreciated a chance to spar with an unfamiliar and powerful opponent. It made him have to think. Have to work for every advantage.
And he wanted to see how Luo Binghe behaved himself in a fight.
But despite having left Luo Binghe's presence so recently, finding him again proved a trial. Mobei-Jun refused to run about like Avalanche Moths fluttering aimlessly over a sheet of ice.
Mobei-Jun glowered at the beautifully embroidered tapestries decorating the hall he was walking through, and flexed his claws. He was just wishing that something would happen when a noise to his right drew his attention. He turned towards the sound and settled into a low, stable stance without a thought.
Around the corner, a group of those self-important bird demons were just visible to Mobei-Jun through a doorway. They had compacted around an irritated Luo Binghe, who loomed over them. Now, as Mobei-Jun watched, the leader made a strange wo-wo-wo noise – obviously intended as part of a threat display. Of course, Luo Binghe didn't look at all intimidated. The number of assailants was irrelevant; Luo Binghe could handle them.
The tension in the hall held steady for a few moments as Luo Binghe glared across the ranks of unmoving bird demons.
But the tableau couldn’t last.
The movement was so fast that it was hard to tell who acted first. The lead bird demon seemed to rear up as their wings sprouted and their shape changed, and at the same time Luo Binghe struck out casually with one hand, knocking the bird demon to the ground.
They were a funny looking, scruffy white bird with a great yellow beak. Their body lay limply on the floor for a moment, but then their bill clacked once, loudly and deliberately, then in a quickly repeated series. The noise echoed around the remaining demons, who pressed in close again. One by one they all changed to their bird forms and joined in making the clacking noise, until the hall was filled with an awful cacophony.
The noise had a strange quality, and under its influence Luo Binghe’s movements were slowed, like he was pushing through an endless drift of powdery snow. Luo Binghe snarled and laboriously reached for his sword, still sheathed in his other hand. Mobei-Jun wondered if he should step in to help – or if Luo Binghe, touchy as he often was, would take assistance as an insult.
But before Mobei-Jun could decide, and before Luo Binghe even managed to pull his sword out fully, Shang Qinghua came crashing around the corner. Shen Qingqiu was close behind him.
The two humans were still arguing with each other as they ran in. Mobei-Jun took a breath, relieved.
“Those are obviously Dalmatian Pelicans, and they definitely didn't appear in PIDW,” Shen Qingqiu said in a withering voice to Shang Qinghua as he hurried straight to his husband's side. Shang Qinghua scoffed aloud and didn't break his stride as he pulled out his sword and aimed an attack at the nearest birds. From a distance.
The... pelicans, Mobei-Jun supposed, increased the rate of their bill clacking. Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu both slowed visibly as Mobei-Jun watched, until their movements were as ineffective as Luo Binghe's.
The qi impeding their movements didn't have any effect on speech, though.
“I told you we shouldn't rush straight in,” Shang Qinghua shouted. “You idiot! We could have taken a secret passage to sneak up!”
“My husband was being attacked! It seemed a bit urgent to act!” Shen Qingqiu’s voice was cold and strained.
Another reminder of how poor Luo Binghe’s taste in humans was. Shang Qinghua was good at planning! Unfathomable that Shen Qingqiu hadn't been interested in taking advantage of that. But Mobei-Jun had learned long ago that Shen Qingqiu liked a very different side of Shang Qinghua. Shen Qingqiu liked men who could be provoked into childishly petty emotional behaviour. Mobei-Jun couldn't relate.
Probably the three of them would be able figure out how to best these pelicans on their own if need be. But Mobei-Jun felt sure that at this point, since Shen Qingqiu was in harm's way, stepping in to help would be something Luo Binghe would appreciate rather than resent.
Mobei-Jun tuned out the ongoing shouting and concentrated. He could sense the way their synchronous clacking was manipulating qi, complex and powerful. Their efforts wouldn’t be straightforward to circumvent. No need to play their game, though. It was easy for Mobei-Jun to look inside himself to feel where a blizzard was storming in the North, and easy to open a wide portal between the blizzard and a point just behind the flock of pelicans.
The blast of icy wind laden with shards of snow took the pelicans by surprise. Their coordinated qi manipulation fell apart as they flapped their wings in panic. The hall became full of an enormous swirl of snow and feathers.
The pelicans were only startled briefly, but with cool efficiency Luo Binghe took advantage of the chaos to drive home an attack. Heeding Shen Qingqiu's calls to not kill the creatures, Luo Binghe blasted a carefully calibrated sword glare across the whole flock which knocked the lot of them unconscious.
Tidily done. As Mobei-Jun expected. He cut off the connection to the blizzard.
As a few final snowflakes drifted to the floor to join the prone bodies of the pelicans, Shen Qingqiu stepped in front of the scared-horny look Shang Qinghua was giving Luo Binghe in order to gingerly make his way through the melting drifts of icy snow to examine the nearest pelican body. “Fascinating,” he murmured. “Even in their bird form they don't entirely conform to the standard traits of a pelican. Shang Qinghua!”
Shang Qinghua, after his gaze was broken, had begun edging away from the site of combat towards Mobei-Jun. Mobei-Jun narrowed his eyes at Shen Qingqiu for interrupting Shang Qinghua's reasonable retreat from a known enemy. Even an incapacitated foe could turn dangerous again.
“What,” said Shang Qinghua irritably in response to his fellow human. “Don't blame me for this!”
Shen Qingqiu straightened up and opened his mouth as if to say something, but his eyes darted around the room and his lips closed on whatever his words were going to be.
Shang Qinghua returned to Mobei-Jun's side where he belonged. It always felt good to know that in a fraught situation, Shang Qinghua trusted Mobei-Jun as a place of safety. Shang Qinghu, as always, saw truly. Mobei-Jun would protect him from anything.
Mobei-Jun pulled Shang Qinghua close and removed the two of them from the hall.
The incapacitated pelicans needed to be dealt with more fully, and there would need to be conversations after the clean-up. But the fight had taken place in Luo Binghe's Imperial palace and Luo Binghe’s people were responsible for handling the aftermath. If Shang Qinghua were left in the thick of things, he'd inevitably start organising everything himself. Mobei-Jun was a loyal subordinate to his emperor but that didn't mean he would let Luo Binghe take advantage of someone under Mobei-Jun's personal protection.
The moment Mobei-Jun and Shang Qinghua were alone, ensconced in their usual suite, Shang Qinghua began complaining loudly about the whole experience. Mobei-Jun relaxed into the familiar sound. Shang Qinghua didn't sound like he needed any input into the conversation.
But the monologue involved more direct reference to Luo Binghe than Mobei-Jun was used to hearing from Shang Qinghua. He gathered his straying thoughts and concentrated more properly on what Shang Qinghua was saying.
“We wouldn't even be having this problem if Luo Binghe would act like a proper emperor! Why should it be my fault that I don't know everything about everything? Shen-bro is the nerd! And Bing-ge is a powerful and capable demonic emperor.... or should have been. Probably these whatever-pelicans should have been too cowed by the emperor's might to even approach! It's not my fault when the story goes off course! Why did Bing-ge even bother to become emperor anyway, if this is how he's going to be?”
Mobei-Jun ignored the appalling use of Bing-ge. “Does Shang Qinghua wish for Junshang to be deposed?”
Shang Qinghua stopped his pacing about the room and stared at Mobei-Jun.
“My king! No!” He sounded horrified. “He's got to be allowed to be at least a little cool, even after what Shen-bro turned him into! He was cool in the end today, wasn't he?”
Shang Qinghua’s voice turned a little wistful at the end of his last words. Not a good sign, Mobei-Jun thought grimly. Shang Qinghua's relationship with Shen Qingqiu was all very well, since at least Shen Qingqiu seemed to appreciate Shang Qinghua in his own odd way. But if Shang Qinghua was interested in Luo Binghe as well....
“Yes,” Mobei-Jun said. Luo Binghe had impressive power and impressive control over it, when he wished to.
“Right! Of course you saw it too, you see everything, my king. He's very –” Shang Qinghua broke off what he was saying, a look on his face like he'd stepped with confidence onto a river but found the ice thinner than expected. Ah. It was like that. Mobei-Jun resigned himself.
Shang Qinghua redirected his monologue towards his usual amusingly exaggerated complaints about Shen Qingqiu and didn't mention Luo Binghe again. Before long, a servant of the palace was bowing and requesting the presence of both Mobei-Jun and Shang Qinghua in the emperor's receiving hall.
With a brisk stride, Mobei-Jun set off, Shang Qinghua scurrying in his lee. The servant followed behind at a more sedate pace; she was more suited to sturdy defence than to quick movement. Moderating his speed always felt unnatural, but Mobei-Jun slowed to match the servant. Luo Binghe wouldn't have sent this sort of person as a messenger servant unless he thought protection might be necessary.
Mobei-Jun and Shang Qinghua walked into the hall to see the leader of the pelican demons settled low on the floor in front of Luo Binghe, who was resplendent and bored on his imperial throne. The pelican was in their human form with immortal binding ropes around their body, looking belligerent.
Shen Qingqiu, beside his husband, was leaning forward eagerly to ask questions.
“What other powers do you have? Does your species always cultivate your qi to use as a collective or can you use your qi alone?”
The pelican made an odd shrugging gesture that seemed intended to fluff the feathers they didn’t currently have, and refused to answer.
“Does it matter?” Shang Qinghua called out.
Shen Qingqiu startled and looked up. “Ah, you – well, you're here. Good.” Despite the small stumble in his words, Shen Qingqiu looked as much the untouchable immortal as ever. Mobei-Jun looked forward to whatever Shang Qinghua would do to pull him the rest of the way back down.
“Bro,” said Shang Qinghua with condescension. “Have you even asked what they came here for in the first place?”
Slight spots of colour stained Shen Qingqiu's high cheekbones. “I was planning to get there soon,” he said austerely.
Shang Qinghua cackled with laughter. “Unless you got distracted by your other questions!”
A low, almost inaudible growl from Luo Binghe. Mobei-Jun didn’t approve of the judgement, and let himself growl just a little in return. Shang Qinghua was a catch; Luo Binghe couldn't object to Shang Qinghua on personal grounds. And if Luo Binghe was offended with the way Shang Qinghua used insults to flirt with his husband, he should have taken the issue up with Shen Qingqiu years ago. Just because Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe didn’t enjoy that kind of flirting with each other didn’t mean it had to be out of bounds in any additional relationships. Luo Binghe needed to learn to take things less to heart.
The two humans ignored the growling – maybe it was too low in pitch for them to hear? – and continued to argue with each other with increasing volume and increasingly incomprehensible statements. Luo Binghe, with visible effort, restrained himself from further reaction, and Mobei-Jun looked on with satisfaction.
It was the captured pelican who lost patience first, and made an awful noise from deep within their throat. They were trapped in their human form by the binding ropes, so they couldn't clack their bill to cause any effects.
“Why are you ignoring me?!” the pelican said, sounding outraged. “You're here because of me, aren't you? Shouldn't it be important to listen to what I have to say?”
Luo Binghe’s glare was vicious. The pelican subsided, outrage even more obvious.
“What did those birds come here for, though?” Shen Qingqiu asked Shang Qinghua.
“You think they were willing to tell me? Emperor or bust! I'm nowhere near good enough for them. Even Mobei-Jun wasn't!”
Shen Qingqiu, with a lofty look, murmured, “How conceited of them! To think they can bother Luo Binghe personally.”
Shang Qinghua only shrugged. Then he raised his voice: “Hey, bird guy! What are you here for?”
The “bird guy” clacked their teeth together. It looked funny and made almost no noise, and did absolutely nothing. Mobei-Jun once again admired Shang Qinghua's relentless willingness to anger everyone around him.
“Answer the question,” Luo Binghe finally said, pointedly.
It took the pelican a moment to unclench their teeth enough to respond. “Junshang,” they said, with barely restrained fury. “This lowly subject shouldn't have to provide reminders of the precious treasure you stole!” Their voice became louder with every word. Their eyes shone. If they could, Mobei-Jun thought, they would happily take Luo Binghe to pieces in exchange for whatever he had stolen.
In Mobei-Jun's estimation, the stolen treasure was likely something Luo Binghe had considered a trifle to amuse his husband, who enjoyed demonic oddities. Probably neither of them even knew where the treasure was now.
Shang Qinghua, having had his questioning validated by Luo Binghe, continued. “Okay, and what is it? What does it look like, what does it do? Something to do with sex, right?”
“No!” The pelican was horrified. They must have one of those tedious cultures where sex was taboo to discuss. Mobei-Jun got enough of that from humans. At least Shang Qinghua was capable of being reasonable about such matters, unlike Shen Qingqiu.
As could have been predicted, Shen Qingqiu was hiding his face behind a fan, which he'd pulled out as soon as Shang Qinghua mentioned sex.
The pelican continued: “It's.... it's not about that at all! It's for a sacred ritual that isn't appropriate for outsiders to know about! How disgusting to talk about it so casually!”
“Hope you don't mind it being used sexually, because if it wasn't before, it probably has been now,” Shang Qinghua said, with a bit of a leer.
“Shang Qinghua!” Shen Qingqiu's pronunciation of the name was almost a squeak. Tedious! But probably exactly what Shang Qinghua had been aiming for. And Luo Binghe looked like he didn't know whether to be insulted or not, an enjoyable side benefit for Mobei-Jun.
“Am I wrong though?” Shang Qinghua said to Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu made no response.
Shang Qinghua turned back to the pelican, whose face was so red with anger it could have melted an ocean of ice. “What does your thing look like?” he asked pleasantly. “So we know how to recognize it among all the other treasures.”
It took some more back and forth but eventually Shang Qinghua was able to extract a useful description from the pelican. Shang Qinghua looked at Luo Binghe, whose expression was one of regretful enlightenment. Shen Qingqiu's fan was permanently installed in front of his face. “Ah, I see,” Shang Qinghua said thoughtfully, fully invested in his role as facilitator at this point. “Not an option to give it back, hmm?”
The pelican let out a despairing wail. The noise went on for far longer than they should have had breath for, and under cover of the wails, Shen Qingqiu leaned over to whisper something into Shang Qinghua's ear.
The wails subsided into whimpers at just the right time to allow Shang Qinghua's response of a delighted “Bro!” to be easily audible.
“You can drop the emotional parade,” Shang Qinghua informed the pelican. “You'll get your doohickey back. Relax a little!”
Mobei-Jun was unsurprised to see that the pelican did not look interested in relaxing. But they were still imprisoned and couldn't do anything about that.
There was a little more back and forth, but a pronouncement was finally made: the flock of pelican demons would be permitted to regain and send home their treasure, but none of the ones involved in the fight would be going home with it, because attacking the emperor and his consort was unforgivable. They would be imprisoned for life. The leader seemed to feel the trade-off was worth it, despite being one of the ones sentenced to imprisonment themself; Mobei-Jun approved.
When the prisoner was escorted back out of the hall, leaving Mobei-Jun alone again with the emperor and the two humans, Shang Qinghua wilted, his belligerent energy gone. The confrontation with the pelican leader was the boldest Mobei-Jun had ever seen Shang Qinghua speaking in front of Luo Binghe; Shang Qingha had been buoyed by momentum, but now the uncharacteristic timidity he often got around Luo Binghe was back.
Luo Binghe himself seemed full of restless energy, which he was directing into trying to fondle his embarrassed consort – entirely ignoring Shang Qinghua, despite how useful Shang Qinghua had been in working out the situation.
Mobei-Jun put his hand on top of Shang Qinghua’s head, firm and cool. “Thanks, my king,” Shang Qinghua said with a sigh, and leaned in closer.
They stood there like that for some time, Shang Qinghua occasionally mumbling some half-hearted commentary on trade routes in the region the pelicans came from. Mobei-Jun listened to the sound of Shang Qinghua’s quick and regular heartbeat, a constant through so many years of his life. He ignored the ongoing squabble between Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu, who couldn't seem to agree on what behaviour was appropriate for the context.
“My king,” Shang Qinghua said eventually, drawing Mobei-Jun’s attention back to the content of his words. “I know you want to fight Luo Binghe. You should get to! Why not now?”
Mobei-Jun considered. It was a rare opportunity: Luo Binghe was present and not currently busy with anything that could be considered important. Why not?
Shang Qinghua, with a sideways glance at Mobei-Jun, said, “I want to watch.” That settled the matter.
Stepping away from Shang Qinghua, Mobei-Jun approached Luo Binghe, dropping his feathered cloak. “Junshang,” he said. He was balanced lightly on the balls of his feet, already feeling the rising clear and ice-sharp focus of a good fight. Luo Binghe, turning with a jerk and a scowl, caught the mood in a glance at Mobei-Jun’s posture, and instantly his own mood changed. He tipped his chin in a slight nod, and they were on.
The rest of the world fell away from Mobei-jun like a calving glacier, violent and abrupt. He welcomed the change.
Luo Binghe was powerful. Mobei-Jun had seen him fight many times before. Luo Binghe was also familiar with Mobei-Jun's fighting skills, of course. They knew each other's strengths. The two of them circled each other warily at first, watching each other.
The hall was silent around the two, except for the whisper of their feet against tile. The light was good, diffuse but strong. There was nowhere for either fighter to hide.
There. It was time. In one smooth easy motion, Mobei-Jun materialised a spear of ice and threw it right at his emperor's heart.
It wasn't really a surprise to see the spear shatter into sparkling shards before it came close to touching Luo Binghe, or to see the shards sublimate into an obscuring mist. Mobei-Jun could feel Luo Binghe's anticipation radiating from him; Luo Binghe was letting him feel it. Mobei-Jun felt the same anticipation rising within himself.
The mist continued to expand, taking on an aura of menace, reaching tendrils towards Mobei-Jun. He ignored it.
With a quick half-turn, Mobei-Jun opened a portal from behind himself to behind the position where he'd last seen Luo Binghe, on the other side of the mist, and took himself through it with a burst of speed. The tendrils of mist were spreading in all directions, but were slower to the far side. Mobei-Jun's momentum took him right towards the faint outline he could just see of Luo Binghe. Then he was on top of him.
Claws to Luo Binghe's face, one leg hooking around Luo Binghe's firm stance, but Luo Binghe was expecting him. Mobei-Jun hit the floor on his back, Luo Binghe's weight on top of him, Luo Binghe's claws digging into his own shoulder. With a gasp and a snarl, Mobei-Jun bit his nose and spun them around.
Blood in the air around them. Blood beneath Luo Binghe on the floor. Blood slicking skin where the two of them met. They grappled in the mess they were creating like a couple of young Cinnabar-Toed Snow Leopards learning how to fight. Exhilarating and slightly silly. Fancy tricks with qi had only been opening gambits.
There was no win condition to aim for. Neither was trying in earnest to kill the other; only testing strength against strength, muscle against muscle. Claws on each other's skin, in each other's veins, personal and vital. Better than Mobei-Jun had ever thought to hope for.
Eventually Luo Binghe got Mobei-Jun pinned in a way Mobei-Jun couldn’t escape, not without a more serious attempt at killing Luo Binghe than he was willing to risk. Mobei-Jun tapped out. Magnanimous in his win, Luo Binghe rolled off him to join Mobei-Jun in lying on the floor. Both were breathing hard, panting in time with each other, their bodies attuned. Mobei-Jun shivered. A good fight, with a good end. Mobei-Jun had been wrong to think of Luo Binghe so dismissively before.
Mobei-Jun made himself stand as soon as he’d caught his breath. The connection created by a good fight was like fresh-fallen snow; if you tried to clutch it close in your hand, you would ruin it. Wiping a drip of blood out of his eye, Mobei-Jun turned to where he’d left Shang Qinghua – who had moved to join Shen Qingqiu. The humans were both wide-eyed, staring. Both completely silent.
Shen Qingqiu moved first, running forward to Luo Binghe’s side, fumbling a qiankun bag out from his sleeve. “Binghe!” he cried out. “You’re hurt, show me!” Luo Binghe immediately began to play up the extent and seriousness of his injuries, for the sake of being petted and cooed over by his consort. Mobei-Jun left them to their game and went over to Shang Qinghua. “Well?” he said.
Shang Qinghua snapped his gaze back up to Mobei-Jun’s face. “Thank you, my king!!” His eyes were shining. “That was amazing. I don’t know why I never wrote a scene like that!” The compliment was obscure but heartfelt. Mobei-Jun was pleased.
There was no offer of medical assistance from Shang Qinghua, but Mobei-Jun didn’t need it. Like Luo Binghe, the power of his qi made minor injuries like these inconsequential.
Mobei-Jun and Shang Qinghua both looked contemplatively over to where Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu were fussing. Tears flowing everywhere; what an unpleasantly emotional scene. Amazing that the Luo Binghe who behaved like this could also be the Luo Binghe who Mobei-Jun met in their fight. Amazing that this was the behaviour Shen Qingqiu encouraged. “My king, I can tell you’re judging me,” Shang Qinghua said. “Your silences are loud.”
Shang Qinghua’s perception was always astute. Mobei-Jun offered, “Shang Qinghua is skilled at uncovering hidden treasure even in unlikely places.” Shang Qinghua cackled, his delight in the barbed compliment evident.
Silence hung in the air around them after Shang Qinghua’s laughter died down, but in his usual manner, he didn't let the silence last for long. “Maybe I should go join in the babying,” he mused. “If I want to get Junshang to like me. He didn’t get mad at me for being mouthy with the bird guy!”
For many demons, hearing is very sensitive even at a distance; one of Luo Binghe’s ears twitched at what Shang Qinghua said. Evidently Luo Binghe was prepared to multitask. Even as he listened in, his limpid eyes never left Shen Qingqiu’s face. Shen Qingqiu was tenderly cleaning the blood from Luo Binghe's shoulder, robe pulled down suggestively to allow access.
“Your attention would honour him,” Mobei-Jun said, pointedly.
Another laugh from Shang Qinghua. “So would yours,” he said with some glee. “I saw you in that fight. You were –” Here he gave a dramatic pause, complete with eyebrow wiggle. “– Enjoying it. Don’t deny it! You were practically ready to go right there on the floor!”
Mobei-Jun was acutely aware of Luo Binghe listening. Shang Qinghua was saying all these things despite also knowing about the differences between demonic and human hearing. In the past, he had even made use of sensitive demonic hearing to help Mobei-Jun out of a tricky situation.
Cheeks prickling in a shameful blush, Mobei-Jun gave Shang Qinghua a smack. “Go do your babying.”
He did. Mobei-Jun watched him trot across the tiles towards the other two, who were at this point done with the blood. Their scene had moved on to exclamations over how worried Shen Qingqiu had been during the fight, and how strong and capable and impressive Luo Binghe was regardless of his husband’s worry.
As Shang Qinghua approached, Luo Binghe looked up. He was making a point of only noticing Shang Qinghua's presence now, when he was near. Ridiculous. But effective – Shen Qingqiu’s attention was drawn to follow his gaze, open and unsuspecting.
“So,” Shang Qinghua said. Somehow he had lost all his cockiness in the short walk across the hall. “Well fought!” He looked like he didn't know what to do with his hands.
Luo Binghe, eyes still wide and damp, said to him in the most transparently guileful way, “Do you really think so?”
"Hasn't Shen Qingqiu already dissected the fight for you and analysed each move?”
Pride stung, Shen Qingqiu retorted, “We haven't had time to get to that yet.”
“Anyway,” Luo Binghe said, tilting his head and opening his eyes wider yet, "don't you think it makes a difference who tells you something?” He was really laying it on thick. But he'd heard Shang Qinghua admit to a willingness to “baby” him, and Luo Binghe was clearly prepared to do what it took to drag some compliments out of Shang Qinghua while he had the opportunity.
Shang Qinghua’s gaze tracked down to Luo Binghe’s exposed chest and shoulders, then back up to his face. "I'm only the lord of An Ding, I don't specialise in martial affairs, but it was really – it was very –” He licked his lips. “I was so impressed. Junshang.”
It was a bit amusing, Mobei-Jun had to admit, to see Shang Qinghua so off his game. And to see it working on his targets nonetheless.
The three of them could be left to their fun. Mobei-Jun didn't want to see what would certainly be following this display.
Mobei-Jun quietly ported himself out to one of the courtyards, where he could meditate peacefully on his own, no interruptions.
He could trust that he’d left Shang Qinghua in good hands.
Afterword:
dalmatian pelicans are a real kind of bird! they really do look amusingly scruffy, and they really do clack their bills during antagonistic interactions. my sources don't report on their skills at qi manipulation.
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