Bruised (A Fengqing Fanfic)

Chapter 1

The general of the southeast, Nan Yang, stepped over and between the three trussed-up deputy officials in their black and blue robes.

He was impressed. More than anything, Feng Xin was confused, but he was impressed, too. It took a lot of guts to attack him.

Mu Qing! Where the fuck are you?

Three of Mu Qing's disciples—his top three disciples actually—had snuck into his palace at night and attacked him where he normally does his work. Tried to kill him. They'd had a little plan with talismans and seals and stuff, a whole complicated plot.

Mu Qing, seriously, what the fuck is going on? Are you asleep?

He wasn't answering.

Weren't they pass this? Things had been going so well! And now this nonsense?!

Mu Qing's three deputies weren't talking, either, just glaring and cursing at him like outraged cats.

"Get fucked, my Lord!"

"Fuck you, General, sir!"

What was he supposed to do?

He dropped his hand from his temple, realizing the furious deputy officials and the silence in his and Mu Qing's communication array might be connected.

"...did something happen to General Xuan Zhen?"

Three days ago:

"He's different..." said Feng Xin, returning Mu Qing's nervous little wave of greeting from the balcony with a real one.

"I'll be right down!" Mu Qing called down to them with an awkward but honest smile. "I have to do a couple of things, just wait!"

Xie Lian smiled a little sadly. "He was always this way, I guess. Underneath. He just needed a little room."

Feng Xin felt a plunge of regret. Looking back now, all the misunderstandings were obvious. If you didn't think Mu Qing was a little asshole, then everything looked different.

"Idiot," mumbled Feng Xin. "If we didn't like him, would we have taken him along all the time?" But he knew why he thought that way now. Mu Qing thought Xie Lian only had him around out of pity, wanting to show off how charitable he was. It was both maddening and heartbreaking at the same time. It was equal parts "How could he think that" and "Of course, he thought that".

But now that the air was cleared, after eight-hundred years, Mu Qing was so easy to get along with. They'd been fine enough growing up but now it was like a Mu Qing translator had unlocked. Where before Feng Xin would have tension headaches thinking about Xie Lian or Mu Qing, now he never felt stronger than when they were together. Even just one of them was invigorating, but two, and it felt... incredible. Xie Lian had noticed too, thinking maybe a bit of qi had been blocked between them. Just like he and Hua Cheng were a powerful pair, it seemed the three of them were a heavenly trio.

They were going to play cuju* today. They'd gone hunting the day before. Hua Cheng had been a little fussy about it at first, not wanting to share, but Xie Lian was so obviously happy he about-faced and now did everything to support them.

Like setting up a cuju field for a bunch of Heavenly Officials and Ghosts to play in.

Mu Qing was still nervous, afraid of ruining it, breaking them apart. And now that they knew what his reactions were (again, so obvious!), they could be quick to reassure, communicate, and apologize.