Chapter Text
Mu Qing grunted harshly, his arms braced against the heavy blow of Xie Lian’s sword crashing against his saber, grimacing as the top of the blade hovered near the skin on his cheek. Using the momentum of the blow Mu Qing spun on his heel and defected the sword's edge away from his face. In the same movement he brought his saber back around and swung at the exposed expanse of Xie Lian’s back.
While he didn’t expect the strike to land, Mu Qing wasn’t ready for Xie Lian to drop to the ground in almost effortless grace before springing back up and kicking Mu Qing’s saber clean out of his hand and across the train field. Before he could even react Mu Qing found himself with his back pressed into the ground and the tip of Xie Lian’s sword pointed at his throat.
“Dammit” he grumbled, gently using his hand to push away the edge of Xie Lian’s weapon and push himself up to a sitting position.
Xie Lian giggled as he settled the now sheathed blade at his side, leaning over Mu Qing with a broad smile. “That was so much fun, Mu Qing. That was the longest we’ve gone without one of us getting the upper hand. You’re really getting good at reading my movements.” Xie Lian swiped a hand across his sweat soaked forehead before collapsing on the ground next to Mu Qing with a sigh of content.
It was true, that had been the longest spar they had where they felt evenly matched for a long period of time. They had been in the same match for almost two hours, trading blows back and forth, parrying each other's strikes and trying to gain ground without leaving themselves open.
Mu Qing takes small pride in the fact that their skills are almost evenly matched when it comes to their combat. Xie Lian still vastly outmatched him in spiritual power and strength and Mu Qing was no fool in thinking he could actually beat His Highness should they actually fight, however the burn of a good spar left him without much bitterness for the fact that he lost.
Mu Qing hummed as Xie Lian continued his musings of the spar “ That spin move you pulled really caught me off guard for a second. I was expecting you to block but you threw my blade to the side.” His Highness giggled again “ Had you been facing anyone but me that probably would have won you the fight.”
Mu Qing opened his mouth to respond but before he could an arrow sped past his face just barely grazing the skin on his cheek. Rage filled his veins as he whipped his head to the other side of the field where Feng Xin stood, bow raised with another arrow notched.
That bitch just shot at me.
“Feng Xin!” His Highness cried, raising his hands in front of him like he was soothing an animal.
“What is your problem?!” Mu Qing snapped as Feng Xin released his second arrow. Ready for the attack this time, Mu Qing snapped his hand up and caught the projectile by the shaft snapping it in two before discarding the broken splinters.
Feng Xin raged as he grabbed for another arrow “ You started it when you threw that stupid saber across the yard at me!”
“I did no such thing, you oaf!” Mu Qing says, turning his face away from the archer.
“So I just imagined the giant fucking saber hurtling at me then?!”
At his side His Highness rose from the ground to stand between the two, his back to Mu Qing as he gently held his hands out, an apologetic smile on his face. “ Oh, Feng Xin, I apologize. When I disarmed Mu Qing in our spar I sent the blade flying. I forgot that the trading grounds here are shared.”
The three of them had traversed down the mountain a few days ago, Xie Lian had been asked to come down for some princely matter that went over Mu Qing’s head since he and Feng Xin weren’t allowed to be present during the meetings. During their spare time the three of them have been training in the palace’s guard field. While usually bustling with castle guards and Xianle generals, they all cleared out when they saw the crowned prince and his company enter the field.
When they are up on Mount Taicang, there are many different training grounds. All the disciples usually find one with others who share weapon preferences and stick to it. This is true for Feng Xin as well since one of the fields has been transitioned to an archery range. While he still trains with his Highness and Mu Qing most of the time working on sword forms or occasionally sparring with all three of them, most of his archery is done separately. With Xie Lian’s extreme skill, he had been granted a training ground for himself so while they spar he’s not usually focusing on the surrounding area, since he’s so familiar with his own grounds.
Feng Xins expression changed slightly as he looked between the standing crowned prince and Mu Qing who was still sitting on the ground. Sighing roughly, Feng Xin muttered “Dianxia, you should be more careful. What if that had hit a palace worker?”
His Highness let out another little laugh while apologizing again for getting too caught up in the fun of the duel. However Mu Qing wasn’t paying attention to their little conversation, instead his attention was fixated on Xie Lian’s back.
While hidden before, Mu Qing now had full view of the tear that stretched across the fabric of His Highness’s outer robe. While he couldn’t see any red staining the cloth, the tear was definitely caused by the last move Mu Qing tried to pull before their spar ended. It was the only strike he had been able to aim at the prince's back. If he had injured the prince, even during sparring the consequences could be catastrophic for someone like Mu Qing.
Mu Qing slowly bright himself to his feet “Dianxia! Are you injured? Your robes are torn?”
Xie Lian turned to him and muttered “huh?” While Feng Xin strides forward to look for himself, grabbing Xie Lian by the shoulder and spinning him so Feng Xin could get a clear view of his back. Unable to see the rip, His Highness gently took his outer robe off and inspected the clothing. “ Oh, it's ripped. I guess that last attack was faster than I originally thought. Well done Mu Qing!”
Feng Xin made a face and tilted his head to look at his Highness’s back again confirming that there wasn't an injury and that the cloth had just been torn. Glancing at the fabric dangling from Xie Lian’s hands he turned his gaze back to Mu Qing “Good job idiot you ripped his robes, now what is he going to wear to the meetings with his Majesty tonight?”
Mu Qing sneered up at him but relented quickly.
He’s right, this is my fault.
He turned to Dianxia and bowed his head “ I apologize Dianxia, if you would allow me, I can take these with me and have them mended.”
Xie Lian sent him a soft look “ You don't need to apologize. We were training. It was an accident.” Behind the prince Feng Xin scoffs. Xie Lian levels him with a look, not cruel or cold but firm. “ Do you think you could mend these by the time I have to meet with my father for dinner?”
Mu Qing hummed, it was still early “ If I can find a needle and thread I should be able to mend it in an hour or two” plenty of time for him to return the robes to the prince.
The prince smiled brightly, handing the robes over to Mu Qing gently. “ That would be perfect. Thank you. You should be able to ask other palace workers where to find needle and thread and if not, you can probably buy some on the main road”
Mu Qing bowed again as Feng Xin spoke up “Come on, Dianxia. Let’s get you back to your room. You’re no longer dressed properly to be in public” Xie Lian quickly looked down, seeming to have forgotten that when he handed over his outer robe, that ment that he was no longer wearing it. Leaving him dressed in only his white inner robes.
As Xie Lian giggled at his own appearance, Feng Cin walked closer to Mu Qing’s side. Without looking at him, Feng Xin muttered under his breath “I’m sorry about your face.” Mu Qing stared at the side of his head in confusion.
My face? What happened to my face? Is he insulting my appearance right now?
Small licks of anger crept back over Mu Qing before he remembered the small cut on his cheek from Feng Xin’s arrow. Releasing a breath he turned away and muttered his own sentiment “ I’m not a weakling. It’s a minor injury. I can take it.”
The three of them split, two of them hurrying back to the prince’s room while the other, carrying elegant white robes with gold embroidery around the edges, went looking for a room dedicated to laundry. In big palaces like this, there are usually entire rooms dedicated to cleaning clothes. Since that is where the most hands touch the most clothes it would stand to reason that there should also be needles and thread should they find any garments that need mending.
After about half an hour of wandering aimlessly through the halls of the royal palace, Mu Qing finally ran into one of the house staff.
She was a rather plain woman with long brown hair tied into a simple half ponytail, while the rest lay elegantly on her back and shoulders. She was dressed in simple light blue robes, not exactly regal in their appearance but not unsightly either. In her hands she balanced a small tray that contained a variety of fresh cut fruit. The platter of food was more elegant than the woman carrying it.
Bowing his head slightly to gain her attention Mu Qing gently spoke “Apologies for interrupting you. I am Mu Qing, I work under the crown prince. This disciple was wondering if you could direct me to somewhere I could find a needle and thread?” He kept his tone light but respectful. While he was technically above this woman in rank, he saw no reason to be rude to the people that worked in the palace just trying to make a living.
The woman gave him a shocked look, her eyes flirting between his gently bowed face and the robes that are draped over his arm. When she continued to stare for a moment he gently raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat. That seemed to pull her from whatever her mind had been caught on. She startled before bowing her head in return “Oh! This one asks for forgiveness”
Mu Qing waved a hand lightly “ no need. However, my earlier question still stands. The prince had a mishap with his robes during training and has asked me to mend them.”
The woman gently raised her head “you’re really one of the ones who came down with the prince? I apologize for my behavior. It’s… uncommon to see people walking around with royal robes so casually”
Ok, losing my patience.
After a breath to keep himself calm, “ Yes I study with the prince at Taicang mountain. As I said I’m his personal attendant and he asked me to mend the tear in his robe. I’m not familiar with the layout of this palace. I’m just looking for a needle and thread then I’ll be on my way”
She took a stuttering breath glancing down the hall nervously “ well the laundry room is back the way you can and to the left, they should have needle and thread but.. you really shouldn’t be walking around with that on display. People who do laundry here always carry the royal robes in baskets to alert others of what they are intending”
“I don’t understand”
She sent him an apologetic look “ While the royals are kind, not everyone is as trusting as the prince. People might get the wrong idea.”
Ah, Mu Qing hummed in understanding, while he worked exclusively under the prince, he was no stranger to the more aggressive treatment of servants. Even under Dianxia, he had experienced slight bullying from other disciples because of his position. In his time with Dianxia he had grown complacent.
Good thing I ran into another staff member before a guard or something, if they had seen me with these robes they may have assumed I stole them.
With this new knowledge, he gently folded the robes as much as possible and tucked the garment as much as possible in his arms to shield it from view, holding it closely to his chest. “I understand. Thank you. You said the laundry room was down the way I came?”
She seemed to relax slightly, gently brushing her hair over her shoulder and repositioning the tray in her hands “ yup down the hall and to the left. The ladies in there should be able to help you find wh-“
“Yin Wen! What is taking you so long!” A loud gruff voice interrupted the young woman Mu Qing now knew was named Yin Wen.
The man that came down the hall was large and built like a tank, he was adorned in a Xianle uniform that swept behind him with authority. His face was screwed in a scowl as he started down the two in the hall. Mu Qing wondered if his face ever held any other expression since the scowl seemed so fitting on his man’s face. “You were sent to bring me food 10 minutes ago! Now I find you wasting time talking to some lowlife! Worthless girl!”
“General Zou Qiang, I apologize” Yin Wen trembled, bowing her head deeply while still trying to balance the tray in her hands.
Mu Qing also dropped his head in a bow though not nearly as deep as Yin Wen’s. He could already see where this was going.
“Wretched girl!” The general raised his hand sharply.
Mu Qing strained from his bow in an attempt to draw the general's attention “ General Zou Qiang. I apologize on her behalf. She was only late to carry out her duties because I was lost and asking for assistance. I implore you to-“ Mu Qing expected the backhand that slammed into the side of his face, but he didn’t expect the sheer force of the blow and was unbalanced against it. He hit the floor hard.
Did he just hit me using spiritual energy?
Even with the added force it was still rather a weak blow compared to some of the hits he had revived from training with Dianxia and Feng Xin.
I can take it.
He pushed himself off the floor into a kneeling position, head bowed, hoping that the action would help placate the aggravated general. If nothing else he could draw the attention away from Yin Wen.
“What the hell is this?” Slightly surprised with the reaction, Mu Qing raised his head slightly to see the general bent over, picking up the pristine white robe with glittering gold embroidery, from off the ground and inspecting it.
Shit. I dropped the robe when he hit me.
“This is a royal robe. One of the crown prince’s” the general clutched the fabric tightly in his hand, his face tightening even farther as rage consumed him
In a futile attempt Mu Qing spoke up again “I am Dianxia’s personal assistant. I was searching for needle and thread to men-“ his jaw snapped shut harshly as another blow landed against his face. He was sent backward again by the force of the blow, his back colliding with the stone wall of the hallway. Mu Qing hissed as his sore body was once again bruised.
I can take it.
“How dare you even think of stealing from the crown prince?! In the royal palace as well?!” At this point other guards had heard the General’s yells and had come to see what was going on. There were now two other royal guards flanking the general and his sour attitude.
In reality even without his weapon, Mu Qing would still win this fight if he was trying. While not weak they were nowhere close to his level of cultivation and battle skill.
But this isn’t a fight, I can’t defend. it would only make this worse or put Yin Wen in danger. Or worse, get his highness in trouble.
I can take it.
“You are nothing more than a filthy thief!”
Anger the likes of which Mu Qing didn’t know he was capable of froze in his chest. Even when he was in the deepest trenches of shouting with Feng Xin, he never felt this raw ice that spread through his veins. While they upheld some form of resentment and rivalry, there was also a level of respect for each other that lay under the surface, so the biting comments never truly hit home. But this permafrost burned and seeped past his teeth while he spit “I am not a thief!”
He didn’t get the chance to glare daggers into the man above him before a boot was driven brutally into the side of his head. The kick snapped his head backward into the stone wall and for a moment Mu Qing’s sight flashed white and his ears rang.
Ok, that hurt
When his vision and hearing cleared he became aware of three things.
The first was the slow sticky trickle of something dripping down the side of his face and neck.
The second were the hands that now pinned his arms behind his back and pushed chest and face into the ground.
Lastly he heard the grumpy general barking orders “Drag him to the dungeon and chain him up!”
Well shit
“Yin Wen, mend this robe and bring it back to the prince. Inform him that his problem is being dealt with. This little rat shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”
Mu Qing was yanked to his feet and shoved harshly to walk , while the unnamed guards continued to wrench his arms back so he couldn’t move comfortably. He was dragged through a multitude of hallways, each one blurring with unfamiliarity.
That might be the concussion though.
Before too long, Mu Qing was thrown to the cold stone floor of a cell. The guards moved quickly and grabbed a set of handcuffs that hung down from the ceiling, securing the rusted metal cuffs around Mu Qing’s wrists. They were right and pinched the skin. Once they were secure, Mu Qing was deposited on the ground again before the guards each grabbed a chain on the side of the room and pulled.
Mu Qing huffed as he was hefted into the air to dangle by his wrists, clenching his eyes shut as the world spun.
Definitely a concussion. Stupid shitty general.
Said General was standing in front of Mu Qing with a look of anger cemented on his face. “Alright rat, you are to be punished for the attempted theft of royal property. As a general I sentence you to fifty lashes.”
Fifty lashes? This kind of punishment wasn’t heard of in Xianle. Even if a servant was caught doing something illegal the worst they would get was banishment. Unless it was a direct attempt on the crown's life. So he believed me when I said I worked under Dianxia. This isn’t about him thinking I stole from the crown prince, it’s just to satisfy this guy's anger and sick desire to hurt.
If I fight back I might end up getting myself killed. Dianxia could find another attendant, and Feng Xin could find another sparring partner to bicker with, but no one would be left to care for mother. I can’t leave her like that.
I can take it.
During his moment of realization, General Zou Qiang had moved to retrieve what looked like a bull whip. It was a long strip of braided leather that coiled down to the floor as the general dropped in end to the floor. It scraped across the floor as the general dragged it behind him. Mu Qing saw the light catch and flicker across what looked like metal beads weaved among the leather strips.
The general let loose a shrill laugh that sunk deep in Mu Qing’s stomach, as he rounded behind where Mu Qing was hanging, now having full access to his back.
Mu Qing breathed as deeply as possible trying to prepare himself for the first strike.
I can take it
The song of the metal beads across the floor alerted Mu Qing to the whip being raised
I can take it.
With a loud thunderous crack of the whip, white hot burning fire erupted across Mu Qing’s spine. He felt each individual bead tear through his skin and leave a crevice to be filled with his own blood. The breath was completely ripped from his lungs and his eyes and jaw slammed shut in a futile attempt to not show any pain to this sadistic man. His back was damp with blood in seconds and he felt his own black robes start to stick to the ripped skin. He could only imagine what it looked like.
And that was just one.
As the general let out a satisfied breath and the ringing of the whip’s metal beads hummed against the ground again poised to strike. Mu Qing realized that there was no escape from this pain and it would only get worse.
I can take it?
————————————————————————
After depositing his highness back in his room with struck instructions to stay put. Feng Xin made his way back to the training grounds to clean up their weapons and other belongings.
When he arrived a few other guard members had started to filter in again steering clear of the discarded weapons on the ground. Feng Xin meticulously collected his arrows and bow before grabbing the sheathed blade Xie Lian had used during his duel against Mu Qing. With a disgruntled sigh he looked at where the offending saber was laying in the grass, the long, slightly curved blade shined as it mocked him.
He gathered the weapons and made his way to the armory where he could comfortably clean and polish each of them to his heart's content. He was stalling for as much time as possible.
The real reason Feng Xin left his highness to come back and retrieve their weapons was because he needed a break from that ice demon that was always with them and he knew Xie Lian would notice something off if he had stayed. He just needed some time to himself to sort out what had happened today while he mindlessly ran a rag over the already gleaming sword that Dianxia wielded.
While he didn’t want to admit it, Feng Xin felt bad for his behavior today and felt especially guilty about the cut on Mu Qing cheek from his arrow. He truthfully hadn’t meant to actually graze Mu Qing but that bastard had turned at the last second into the path of the arrow.
He had been frustrated and antsy after watching them spar for so long. So when the saber came sailing down in the archery range, Feng Xin might have taken it as his golden opportunity to pick a fight and work off some steam. He just wanted to rile him up a little, maybe draw him into a fist fight or wrestling match just to see him angry. They had both received far worse injuries in the past so if it pissed him off enough to get him to fight so be it. However after Dianxia revealed it wasn’t actually Mu Qing who threw the blade, he just felt full on guilty. He very truthfully never meant to harm Mu Qing in anyway
The way he figured it, if he delayed long enough Mu Qing would have finished mending the robes and had Dianxia fully dressed by the time he returned. After that they would be busy with their duties while the prince was at dinner.
So yeah maybe he was hiding
He meticulously went over each of the weapons and arrows at least three times before he deemed it long enough to go back to the prince’s quarters. It had been about 4 hours since he left, which should have given the other more than enough time to be ready for dinner when he arrived.
However as he gently knocked before opening the door he was met with the extremely hopeful face of Dianxia right on the other side. However as soon as the prince registered who was at the door his face fell to an expression of disappointment and worry. “Oh it’s you”
Feng Xin bristled slightly “well hello, to you too”. He didn’t actually take offense to what the prince had said but was still slightly put off by the behavior.
Giving the prince a once over. Feng Xin noticed that while he was no longer in his under robes, he wasn’t wearing the elegant royal embroidered robes Mu Quing had been tasked to mend either. Instead he wore simple white robes that he would commonly wear on Taicang mountain while they trained. They were comfortable while allowing him to move freely. They were certainly not fit to have dinner with the king.
Dianxia gave him an unamused look before dramatically throwing himself down on the bed in the room “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought you were Mu Qing”
Feng Xin made a slight face bringing himself further into the room “ He isn’t back yet?”
Xie Lian threw his hands into the air before letting them fall back down with a thud “No! It’s been hours, Feng Xin. Nobody can tell me where he is and it’s taking too long. I’m worried.”
Feng Xin snorted “What you think he pricked himself to death on his sewing needles, or strangled himself with the thread?”
“That’s not funny. I’m really worried.”
Seeing the real genuine worry and anxiety on Xie Lian’s face, Feng Xin conceded his slight teasing “Dianxia, I’m sure he’s fine. He probably just got lost navigating the castle. It’s only, what, his third time being here. He’s probably going to come waltzing through that door at any second, all red because he's embarrassed and rushing.”
Xie Lian Took a deep breath “ yeah you're probably right” not a moment after he finished talking there was a small knock on the door.
Feng Xin stood up and walked to the door “see I tol-“ behind the door wasn’t the hissy yet oddly beautiful face of Mu Qing, but a plain looking woman holding a laundry basket. “Uh?”
The woman bowed her head sharply and Feng Xin took in her slightly terrified posture. “Forgive me, Dianxia, I came as soon as I could. I’ve brought your robe, mended as requested” she presented the basket in her hands and bowed even deeper.
Feng Xin ripped his gaze back to Xie Lian who was now standing at the edge of the bed, hair sticking up. “My robe? What happened to Mu Qing.”
The woman flinched so hard Feng Xin thought he heard her bones snap, but she didn’t say anything, just held out the basket.
“What happened to Mu Qing? I sent my personal attendant to handle this matter and now he’s missing. What happened?” Xie Lian’s voice had taken a note of urgency while he addressed the woman.
Feng Xin was still standing there, slightly shocked by the situation. He had seen this woman around the palace before when they were younger. She wasn’t a personal attendant but handled regular things like bussing food and cleaning after spills or accidents. He remembers a specific time when Xie Lian and him had broken a garden vase while sparring and she scolded them. He had never seen her this shaken up before.
The woman raised her head slightly and muttered “ I was told to pass along the message that he would no longer be a problem for you”
That got Feng Xin out of his shock “ what dose that mean? What happened?” He hasn’t meant to yell but it’s what happened.
The woman flinched again “He was trying to find something to mend your robe and a general thought he was stealing. He tried to explain himself but General Zou Qiang wouldn’t listen. They beat him and took him away”
Feng Xin felt his blood go cold. He knew that Mu Qing could hold his own in a fight but he also knew that when it came to people of higher authority, it was more likely fighting would get him banished or killed. He had seen it with the bullies on Mount Taicang, who would occasionally pick on Mu Qing because they thought it was fun. Mu Qing always just let it happen instead of fighting back because he knew if he raised his fists to protect himself he would be the one to blame. So he just took the hits.
Dianxia had crossed the room at this point and placed his hands on the woman's shoulders forcing her to maintain eye contact as he spoke in a tone Feng Cin had only ever heard used once. When Qi Rong had almost killed that boy in the street with the cart. “ Where did they take him?”
The woman blinked back tears “They were headed for the dungeons”
Xie Lian stood straight and gently told the woman she was dismissed. “Feng Xin.” It wasn’t a question. It was an order. They were going to find Mu Qing and they were going to kill anyone that got in their way. While they didn’t get along all the time, Feng Xin had always had a loyalty streak to the people he considered his. For the longest time that purely contained Dianxia and the king and queen, but somehow Mu Qing’s annoying antics and snide remarks had wormed him a spot in Feng Xin’s heart. He had been added to Feng Xin’s list of people he was protective over and heavens help those who hurt his people. He knew Xie Lian was the exact same way.
“Lets go get him”
————————————————————————
Mu Qing had stopped counting the lashes after number fifteen, And he had stopped holding back his screams at number five. He didn’t know how long he had been dangling here, every five or six strikes the General would take a break for a while because his arm was tired from swinging the heavy whip.
As the time went on Mu Qing started to lose his senses, he couldn’t hear anything other than the thunderous crack of the whip and it was dark enough that he really couldn’t see, not that he could if there was light given the blood loss and the concussion. At one point everything started to feel floaty other than the raging inferno on his spine. He wasn’t even sure if he was still breathing anymore. He couldn’t tell if he was still letting out little screams or if his body had given up.
I can take it
I can take it
I can take it
I CAN’T TAKE IT
After a long time, his pain muddled brain registered another loud sound, his body instinctively flinched expecting another strike from the whip but instead he felt nothing. In the background he heard what he thought was yelling? Mu Qing wasn’t sure, it felt like his head was under water and he couldn’t really make out what was going on around him.
It took him a moment to realize that there were other people in the room other than the guards and General but his muddled mind couldn’t focus enough to recognize who it was. Some distant part of him hoped it was Feng Xin and Dianxia but that thought was squashed down relatively quickly. They were probably busy getting Xie Lian ready for his dinner with the king. Mu Qing was slightly sad he wouldn’t get to eat with Feng Xin that night, he had been planning to cook for the two of them while they waited for Dianxia to come back. Mu Qing was expecting to get into a bickering match while he either cleaned or busied himself around the prince’s chambers.
He probably wouldn’t be able to return to the prince’s side tonight given his injuries. Perhaps if he was able to get back to his room he would be able to rest enough to be back with the other by tomorrow morning. By then the pain should have dulled enough that he would be able to complete simple tasks like cleaning and dressing the prince.
I can take it.
I have to take it.
There was more shouting around him, he kept his head down staring at the floor underneath his feet, it was oddly dark and shiny and Mu Qing wondered if he would be responsible to clean up the mess he made.
Another crack reverberated in the small cell as the braided leather and metal beads were snapped across his skin again. He let out what must have been a pathetic scream that scraped against his throat. Somehow this last strike seemed more powerful than the previous ones, and Mu Qing wondered if he had imbued that last strike with spiritual qi to make it hurt more or if his small break had been enough to make him sensitive to the pain again.
In his pain his eyes had flown open again, in front of him there was a blur of white that moved with such incredible speed Mu Qing thought he had imagined the flash of color. There was a loud bang behind him and then there were hands on his face, gently cupping his cheeks and raising his head up away from where it was rested.
In front of him was a semi blurry shape of a man with rich brown hair tied up in a messy topknot and soft golden eyes that were wide.
He reminds me of Feng Xin but that couldn’t be right.
One of the gentle hand moved from his face to sit against his shoulder. Mu Qing realized that whoever this was was trying to talk to him but his mind couldn’t quite grasp the words.
The next second there was a release in his shoulders as he was gently lowered from his dangling position into the embrace of whoever was in front of him. He let out a pathetic whimper as the muscles in his shoulders screamed from the movement they had been denied for however long he’s been here.The cuts on his back started weeping anew as he was manhandled by this person and brought to the ground. Mu Qing felt the hand that was on his face travel to the back of his head and gently his nose was shoved into the shoulder of whoever this was.
The white blur was back and grabbed his hands tugging at the cuffs that encircled his wrists. After a few moments of staring at the shape as he fiddled with the cuffs, Mu Qing’s vision started to solidify slightly though he wasn’t entirely sure if what he was seeing was real or a hallucination brought on by the pain he was feeling.
The white blur became the hazy figure of Xie Lian, kneeling in a puddle of blood. His hands were around the rusty cuffs and he was gently turning them this way and that before he produced a key and unlocked them and gently prying the metal from the raised and angry skin. Mu Qing felt a little sick seeing the bloody skin sticking and ripping away with the offending objects and he let a small whimper out as he buried his face further in the neck of whoever was holding him.
Dianxia and the other person talked for a minute before he was readjusted in the hold of the other person, one was placed under his knees and the other was gently holding the back of his head helping him into a sitting position. The movement burned his wounds and he might have blacked out for a second because the next thing he knew, he was draped over the other person's back with his legs loosely wrapped around their waist and arms around their shoulders. His head was gently rested on one shoulder and from where he was he could vaguely make out the fact that they were moving and he was no longer in the dark of the cell.
He could feel the gentle rumble of the person talking but he still couldn’t quite make out what was being said but the deep vibrations gave him comfort and he let himself drift.
He never felt himself get lowered down onto a bed face first and he didn’t feel the warmth of the other person leaving but he did feel the excruciating pain of someone trying to remove his tattered robes from the mess of his back. In a panic Mu Qing let out a little cry and started to try to try to move before he was gently shoved back into the soft fabric beneath his chest. “ W-wait. Wait no. I-it hurts, wait. It hu-rts! Stop it. Stop” he used what little strength he had to push against the hands on his shoulder hoping that if he could get to his feet he could escape the pain.
Unfortunately for him he wasn’t very strong at the moment and was once again gently pushed down, this time he opened his eyes and came face to face with a very teary eyed Xie Lian who was crouched by the edge of the bed. Mu Qing could see him lift a hand to brush a strand of Mu Qing's hair behind his ear. The sight of Xie Lian crying made Mu Qing halt and he forced himself to speak “Dianxia?”
Xie Lian’s eyes cried just a little bit harder as he gave a watery smile “ Hey Mu Qing, it’s going to be ok. You gotta hold still so I can get your robes off ok?”
Mu Qing immediately went slack again. He had been asked to hold still so he would but that didn’t explain why Dianxia was upset “why are you crying?” It came out a strained whisper.
“ You’re hurt, Qing’er. Dianxia was worried” Mu Qing tilted his head as much as possible to see who had spoken. Now that he was looking he recognized Feng Xin’s muscular build standing next to Xie Lian, his hand resting lightly on Mu Qing’s shoulders in case he tried to get up again. His skin was paler than normal, not quite as fair as Mu Qing’s or Xie Lian’s but it was certainly more ashen than normal and if Mu Qing was paying attention he could feel a tremor running through the hands that were pressed into the top of his shoulders.
They both look scared, but why would they be scared? They should be angry that I got myself into trouble. This is still a hallucination.
Focusing back to where Xie Lian was still running his fingers through the hair by his temple with a sorrowful but concentrated expression, Mu Qing realized that Dianxia was inspecting where his head was smashed into the wall.
Hallucination or not, the people he cared about were upset and he was going to do something about it before the black spots dancing in his vision took over. “ I-it’s ok, Dianxia. I- I can ta-ke it”
He felt the hands on his shoulders tighten as he gave Xie Lian one last look he hoped was reassuring before allowing the darkness to pull him under