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"SHEN QINGQIU!!! I can accept you going to brothel, but going to a matchmaker to marry someone else is going too far!!! How dare you propose to another person without telling me first?! I am YOUR first HUSBAND!!!"
The surrounding immediately fell silent, everyone's ears were perk up, itching to listen to more gossip about the two peak lords whose relationship is notoriously bad. But what did they just hear? The two peak lords were husbands instead??? How did no one know about this?!
Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu's brain screeched to a halt as he processed the words Liu Qingge. At this moment, Shen Qingqiu's genius brain could not compute what his shidi has just announced to the public.
What in the immortal's hellish name did that brute just said?! Since when did they marry? What the fuck? Is his brain broken? Not good, I need to send him to Qian Cao, right now.
Shen Qingqiu snapped back to his sense, and turned toward his marriage candidate. He then apologetically said, "Forgive this one for cutting this short, but it has become apparent that this master need to get his shidi to the healer. This master hope to arrange another meeting when it is convenient?"
Everyone seemed to regain their bearing. Oh, so the Bai Zhan War Lord is afflicted with some sort of problem right now... they aren't married.
A sense of disappointment washed over the crowd, and they felt disgruntled. They felt cheated.
Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for Shen Qingqiu, Liu Qingge piped up at this moment. "Healer? For what? We need to talk about your attempt to marry another without telling me first! It is only honorable to inform your first spouse that you are going to marry another! Yet, you!"
Shen Qingqiu growled. "Okay, enough. I have been patient and understanding, but you are being your usual brutish self. Tell me, since when did we marry each other? And if we are married, then why did I not know of it?! Stop talking nonsense, Liu-shidi. Even if you want to spread rumor, please choose a more believable one, won't you?! Everyone knows that you hate me, and I don't like you!"
"You don't like me? But you married me in?"
"Like I asked, SINCE WHEN???"
"Since that day we first fight in the sect tournament."
"HUH?!"
Everyone exclaimed in shock. Shen Qingqiu's voice particularly high in his shock. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. He was so at loss for words that this happened a few times.
"Honestly, you have been a good husband so far. The only thing that pisses me off is that you always go to the brothel. Even if I know that you have never touch them intimately, I still don’t like it. However, I can tolerate it. It’s just a slight flaw of yours anyway. But, seeking for a second spouse without my permission is too far, don't you think? We are legally married under the eyes of everyone in the sect, you know? Aren't you a scholar? Shouldn't you understand these sorts of rites and particularities?"
Shen Qingqiu raised his hand and rasped out, "Stop. Stop talking for a moment. Just. Tell me, how did we get married under the witness of the entire sect? I would have known if there is a marriage ceremony being done in the sect between its members. Especially if the person marrying IS ME!!!"
"You asked for my hand when you fight me at that time. I challenge you to earn it, and you did. So, we were married under the witness of the sect," Liu Qingge patiently explained. He didn't understand what was so confusing. Didn't Shen Qingqiu know? He should have, after all, he had been doing an excellent duties as his spouse.
While Liu Qingge was confused, Shen Qingqiu's body swayed. His brain couldn't keep up.
"... Let's... let's just get to Mu-shidi now, okay?" Shen Qingqiu asked softly, as if he was speaking to a child. A dangerous, wild, over-imaginative child who need to be checked up by a healer as soon as possible lest he destroyed society.
"No. No one's hurt right now, and we need to make things clear. I won't have you adding another spouse right now, not when we haven't even have a child."
The crowd immediately drew a sharp breath in shock. Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu openly held his face in his hands, and groaned.
"Fine. Fine." He grounded out. Then, he once more turned toward his marriage candidate, well more former marriage candidate now, and said, "This master deeply apologize. It seems we can no longer proceed with this marriage talk. An apology gift shall be sent to your family soon. Once more, this master apologize for the mockery this marriage talk has become." Shen Qingqiu bowed.
"Now, can we go back to Cang Qiong?" Shen Qingqiu practically snarled. Alas, he didn’t get the effect he wanted. Instead of anger, he was faced with a beaming Liu Qingge. Well, beaming in his eyes. To other people's eyes, Liu Qingge only smiled slightly before returning back to his default expression.
Nevertheless, Shen Qingqiu ignored this. What he wanted now was to get his foolish shidi back to the sect and Mu-shidi's ever cold hand, then forget all this ever happened. He was sure that everything would be resolved soon, and this incident would only be a hilarious foot-note in the history... and a black material against Liu Qingge. Or him, if people could spin this against him, which he was sure would happened one way or another.
"Shen Qingqiu, when will we be having a child? I think we've been together long enough to warrant having one, don't you think so?"
Liu Qingge's voice trailed into everyone's perked ears. Unfortunately for them, they could no longer listen in because Shen Qingqiu had picked up his pace. Though, they were sure that the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s response would be something similar to a snarling, “In your dream.”
Then again, considering what they heard, perhaps he would respond differently?
The spirit of gossip blazed bright, and everyone began looking for Cang Qiong’s disciples who would surely have more news than they did.
Shen Qingqiu forced Liu Qingge to Qian Cao without saying a word. He didn’t even expend an effort to respond to Liu Qingge’s question on when they would be having a child together. Currently, his brain has shut down, and all functionality was working together to maintain his composure.
He would not scream.
He would not curse.
He certainly would not bash his shidi’s head in.
No matter how much he wished to.
He was the Qing Jing Peak Lord. He was Shen fucking Qingqiu, the harshest task-master in the whole Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. He would.not.do.any.unseemly.action.unbefitting.his.station. He would NOT.
“So, Mu-shidi, what’s the verdict? Is he cursed? Or is he infected with some sort of new undiscovered accursed pollens? Is he poisoned by hallucination powder?”
Mu Qingfang stayed silent as he wondered what he should say. He couldn’t not say nothing. However, what words he did have to say would not bring peace toward his shixiong. Instead, he feared for another qi-deviation would visit his shixiong should he speak the truth.
“There’s nothing wrong with me. Right? Mu-shidi?”
Mu Qingfang took a deep breath and steel himself. “There’s nothing wrong with Liu-shixiong, Shen-shixiong. He isn’t afflicted with anything. There’s no curse, no pollens, nor hallucination powder. For all purposes, Liu-shixiong is as healthy as he can be.”
When he finished his words, he took a peek at Shen Qingqiu and grimaced.
“Shen-shixiong….”
“What’s wrong, Husband?”
Mu Qingfang’s breath stuttered, and he wondered whether he had missed anything in his medical check-up. “Liu-shixiong, I think we need to do a more thorough check-up.”
“Why? I don’t feel there’s anything wrong. Husband’s condition is more concerning right now.”
Mu Qingfang noted that Shen Qingqiu’s whole being brightened when he heard his words. He also noted that Liu Qingge was very concerned over Shen Qingqiu’s state of being. However, he thought between the two, he deemed that Liu Qingge’s condition was more pressing. “Liu-shixiong.”
“No, check over Shen Qingqiu first. He has not been well since some time today.”
“Liu-shixiong….”
“No.”
Helpless, Mu Qingfang looked toward Shen Qingqiu. The scholar almost groaned out loud. However, in the end, he pressed down the urge. “Liu-shidi, a brute like you should understand the need for you to have a complete check-up for your health, shouldn’t you?”
“Husband….”
“Liu-shidi.”
The two looked at each other, trying to out-stubborn the other. In the end, Shen Qingqiu won by a small margin.
Unfortunately, Mu Qingfang’s second check still turned into nothing except for minor issues that could be fixed easily. When he reported the result to the two, Shen Qingqiu’s face turned ashen while Liu Qingge was smug.
“Now, your turn, Husband.”
For a moment, Shen Qingqiu was tempted to refute just to be contrary. However, soon exhaustion won, and he complied, hoping that Liu Qingge would go away and this whole thing was simply a product of his nightmare.
“Explain.”
“What explanation?”
Shen Qingqiu forced himself to calm down. He shouldn’t threw this moronic shidi of his down the mountain. His shizun would not approve.
“Explain on how we come to be married to each other? I don’t think there’s a wedding between us that the whole mountain attend unless the memory has been erased from my mind somehow.”
“Oh, that.”
“Yes, shidi, THAT.”
“But you did marry me. You’re the one who propose even.”
Calm down. Calm down. Killing this brute will not bring anything good to you. Calm down, Shen Jiu. You’re Shen fucking Qingqiu, the Qing Jing Peak Lord. The Elegant and Graceful Scholar. You CAN’T destroy your composure and grace. Calm down.
“How did I do that?”
“You go immediately for my jugular when we first fight. You propose me then. I fought back, challenging you to earn my hand. Then you won.”
“Excuse me? If my memories serves me right, you won the fight.”
“No, you won. When you threw sands in my eyes and sent those leaves at me, you won. Thus, we married under everyone’s witness.”
There were various words he wanted to throw, various curses he wanted to spew at the other man. However, he couldn’t seem to muster any energy to do so. Still, he had to fix this misconception.
“Liu-shidi… no, Liu Qingge, without your family’s acknowledgement, we can’t be married to one another. Furthermore, there is also a need to register the marriage to the kingdom and the sect. There’s also the ceremony. So, we can’t be married, do you understand me?”
“Oh, we’re already registered with my family clan, the kingdom, and the sect. We’re legally married.”
“WHAT???” Shen Qingqiu’s brain stuttered to a halt. “I don’t remember signing anything like that!”
“You do, though? It’s your signature and your qi, too.”
Liu Qingge tilted his head then added, “If you’re worried about the ceremony, we actually can do it now. My clan has been wondering when you’ll bring me back home too, so we can do it there too. Oh, right, perhaps we should hold a wedding with your clan first… hmm, I’ll ask Mingyan for the proper procedure for this kind of thing. My clan usually don’t hold this sort of thing.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, my clan never think much of wedding. So, whether we hold it or not doesn’t really matter.”
“Wait, what? Your clan was wondering when I’ll bring you back home?”
“Yeah. It’s been years after all. Though, there’s many couples in my clan who bring their newly married spouses years after their marriage. Many spouses are dense and doesn’t realize they’re married into my clan or has spouses from my clan after all. Just like you I suppose.”
“LIU.QINGGE!!!”