Stop fighting, start loving • fengqing • TGCF •

2

He marched and barged in Ling wen's palace. The echo of the door banging open reverberating within the room. And Feng xin made his way in. Trotting between the high mountains of scrolls and to the end of the hall where a lightly elevated platform stood. Ling wen being the only person sitting atop of it, her wrist elegantly moving with the brush in her grip that left black ink on its trail. Her face looking tired as usual, the bags under her eyes present like how it always is.

"Ling wen zhenjun." Feng xin greets, slamming his hands against the table. Unflinching, Ling wen only placed her brush down and tucked the stray bundle of hair falling on the side of her cheek behind her ear before looking up at Feng xin.

"Nan yang jiangjun. Good work today. I suppose you're here for your report?" Ling wen asks as she opens up an empty scroll.

"Yes. But before that, tell me something." Feng xin demandingly says. Ling wen's tired eyes doesn't speak but Feng xin squints his eyes at them nonetheless. "What's up with Mu qing?" He asks. His expression expectant.

But Ling wen only blinked at him. "What's up with Xuan zhen?"

"YOU know what's up." Feng xin spats with an exasperated sigh. "You know everything. Why is he avoiding me?"

Ling wen's eyebrows raised before she hummed. "So that's what this is all about." She mumbles and Feng xin immediately became attentive. However, Ling wen looks at him. Really only looks at him and says: "Him not telling you implies that he'd rather have you not know. And I'd rather save myself from his nagging for opening my mouth. I do not have any desire to be caught up in your conflicts. But this I can say, stop looking for a fight for the time being. Now please, proceed with the report before I assign something troublesome under your palace again."

"No wait- why can't you just tell me?! Who cares if he doesn't want to tell me? I need to know! And y-"

"No. Please proceed with the report General-"

"Tell m-"

"No. Proceed with the report Nan yang. Or are you interested picking up a mission?"

"I'll report now." Feng xin begrudgingly gives in. He doesn't want another task on his plate, thank you very much.

After reporting, Feng xin decides it won't do him any good if he continued to probe. Thus, he just left with an annoyed frown.

~~~

2 days later

Feng xin is listlessly laying down his bed. Staring at his ceiling, still in his inner robes.

He can't help but feel bored these past few days. Proof that Mu qing really is a big part of his everyday life. The man is still avoiding him for whatever the fuck reason Ling wen and Pei ming won't tell.

Well, whatever. It's not that Feng xin cares. He's just annoyed that he doesn't have someone to bicker with. Doesn't have Mu qing.

Maybe this situation made Feng xin reflect about their relationship. Indeed, after Mt. Tonglu they got along better. If Xie lian's around that is. If not, they're back to their usual and never ending fights. Feng xin sometimes wonders if there will come a time where he and Mu qing will come in good terms. But aside from fighting each other and together, there's nothing more in between them. And now, Mu qing refuses to even be in close proximity with him. Might as well give up the thought right? Feng xin never really dreamt of it. He and Mu qing will be better of as each others nemesis.

Mu qing hates him. He hates him back just as much.

But never enough to cut all the things they've got going on. As much as how Feng xin hates him, Feng xin didn't really entertain or even thought of the idea of avoiding Mu qing. Still don't.

With a sigh, Feng xin got ready for a long, probably another boring day. Lazily tying his hair up in a bun, getting on his martial god attire and was about to slump on his desk and work on his prayers when Ling wen's urgent voice echoed in his head.

"Nan yang jiangjun."

Feng xin brings two of his pressed fingers on his temple and acknowledged the call. "Ling wen zhenjun. What's the matter?"

"This is urgent so please do comply." Ling wen sounds stressed out and Feng xin momentarily thinks of how he could block his communication array just to spite her for not telling him why Mu qing's acting hella weird but he just might get banished. So he does not. And Ling wen continues. "Please go to the Southwest." Feng xin's ears perked. "Xuan zhen is in need of assistance."

Feng xin didn't need any more detail. As long as it's Mu qing. "Where?" He immediately asks, standing up and reaching for his bow and equipping his back with a quiver of arrows.

~~~

"You fucking-" Mu qing, with a force not so strong but with all his might, slashes the sabre across the beast's chest with his left hand. Sweat trickled down his face. His normally neatly tied up hair, now messily falling on his back. His robes dirty and torn. Though the most concerning part is the right part of his torso. Where his robe is drenched with red blood coming from his shoulder.

Mu qing didn't have the time to mind his fatal injury and gripped his sabre with both his hands, his right fist trembling with the amount of effort Mu qing had to exert for it to even lift a finger, not to mention make the whole hand tightly grip the hilt of his sabre. But it's either his right arm or his life. Mu qing doesn't have a choice but to risk the well being of his dominant hand.

Thankfully, the beast doesn't look like it'll last after a last blow. And finally deciding to put this mission to a stop, Mu qing gathered all that's left of his strength and charged upfront. Swiftly avoiding the beast's swinging tail and lightly hopped. The sun reflecting on the blade of his red-stained saber before plunging down. Extending and sharpening his blade with enormous spiritual energy and stabbed the beast's throat. Using his momentum to drag the blade from its throat, down to its abdomen. Ripping it's body open.

And now, Mu qing thinks of Hua cheng's shenanigan of making blood fall from the sky like droplets. Because that's exactly what happening right now. Blood heavily gushed out the open wound of the beast. Spreading the icky liquid everywhere and all over Mu qing. But Mu qing couldn't bring himself to care. Not when he doesn't even notice his whole body being bathed by blood.

Heavily panting, Mu qing's vision started to blur. His heartbeat increasing- and turning incredibly loud, banging on his eardrums. He feels the beast's body threatening to slump forward. And he knows he has to move away. Lest he wants to die being crushed by a monster he just defeated. Pathetic. But his body declines to move. Fatigue overtaking his body. And accompanied by the blackening of his vision, was the slackening of his muscles. He slumped down way before the beast's body did. His right hand finally giving in and falling limply on his abdomen. And he thinks he's probably dying right there and then.

Gasping for air, he couldn't help but curse again how Ling wen's palace really is inefficient. Heck he haven't thought that for years because the fact that the heavenly court would literally collapse without her says otherwise but he can't help it. He's literally about to get pancaked by a horrendous creature and Ling wen's 'back up' still hasn't arrived. Mu qing tries to even out his breath. Trying to help the injury on his shoulder by focusing his spiritual energy on that part of his body. He doesn't think it's working though. Since his spirituality itself is declining. And the amount of blood he lost is probably almost a half his body contains.

The seconds felt really slow for some reason. And it all came too sudden. With Mu qing's brain processing things slower than usual, he almost misses the blast of spiritual energy passing right above him and hitting the beast, making it's body fall backward. Saving Mu qing from being a laughingstock for dying such a ridiculous death.

Finally? Right on fucking time. Mu qing sarcastically remarks in his head. He might not be saved from dying atleast he got saved from being flattened right?

Mu qing felt his lungs tightening, probably because of the lack of breath and alarming bloodloss so he closes his eyes. And might just be his imagination, hopefully not, but he distinctly hears a familiar voice closing in. Calling his name. And a second later, he feels warm hands wrapping his body, scooping him up from the ground and cradling him gently before he completely fell unconscious. The familiar woody scent comforting his system. And just by the smell, he knows it's Feng xin.