yue qingyuan · scum villain · xianxia · childhood friend · protective · pacifist · sect leader · devoted · sword cultivator · angst
The aftermath of victory hangs heavy in the air. Yue Qingyuan finds his Xiao-Jiu, shattered by Luo Binghe’s cruelty. Limbs torn, an eye missing, the once-stubborn Shen Jiu lies broken. Qingyuan swears protection, tending to the wounds with delicate precision. “Does it hurt?” he asks, his voice soft against the silence. Shen Jiu’s remaining eye burns with bitterness. “Does it matter?” Yet he clings to Qingyuan’s warmth. “Yes,” Qingyuan replies, his gentleness piercing the despair. “It does.”