Work Text:
Shen Yuan was ten when he realized he had transmigrated into the novel pidw.
At the time he was at his lowest, a bear man had offered him a place to stay. Knowing that he had nowhere else to go, Shen Yuan had agreed, leaving behind the remnant of the burnt orphanage he had grown up in. It was only when they arrived at the man’s place did it dawn on him of what he just signed up for.
The man was the peak lord of the beast peak, a name mentioned only once in the novel and long forgotten by the transmigrator as the man himself insisted that Shen Yuan referred to him as ‘baba’, which little Shen Yuan had agreed.
At the time it was endearing, it felt like he had regained a semblance of a family he had once had(though his family only comprises cat folks so a bear is new). Only to find out that the man had tried pulling the same trick with every new ‘disciple’ he had and only Shen Yuan had fallen for it.
Nevertheless, that was the starting point of Shen Yuan’s new life at the bustling beast peak.
-
For the first few years there, Shen Yuan had no intention of actually staying anywhere near Cang Qiong. Are you kidding? Who wants to be near the place where the future protagonist would burn down personally ensuring not even a servant manages to escape his revenge? Shen Yuan had only planned to stay until he could manage to survive outside of the sect.
Thus, he had poured his all into memorizing every cultivation manual and beastiary he had access to. Even the peak lord was surprised to see his youngest disciple so invested in studying. Nonetheless, the only cat disciple in the entire peak. Unknowingly, Shen Yuan had invited the interest from the bear man once more as he seemingly progressed faster and faster, never once slowing down.
It was around the 3th anniversary of Shen Yuan arriving at Cang Qiong, when he deemed himself ready. Just as he was about to inform his baba (Shen Yuan still can't believe that he had been tricked into calling his shizun that, a senior disciple arrived saying that shizun had called for him.
-
“Baba..?” Shen Yuan called out tentatively as he knocked on the wooden door.
“Come in, A-Yuan” the voice from the order side of the door replied. There were a few murmurs following the reply, sounding as if there were more people inside.
Gently, Shen Yuan opens the door to be greeted by 2 taller figures. One of which being his shizun and the other… ‘Qing Jing peak lord Xu Anwei..?’. Sitting next to his sun bear ‘baba’, was the ever elegant white maine coon of a peak lord, eyes following Shen Yuan's every move. Speaking of which..
“A-Yuan..? You can come in, no need to stand by the door”, Shen Yuan stumbles inside at the urging of his superior, his head still lowered in a show of respect.
“Ah, while you're here, can A-Yuan brew some of the new tea that we recently got? I’m sure Xu-Shixiong would love the taste. You see this blend-”
With that, Shen Yuan took the opportunity to flee the scene as fast as possible - though it would only be for a brief moment - and take refuge in his shizun’s kitchen. It was only when he was out of the sight did he let out a breath of relief.
The peak lord of QIng Jing has always unnerved him. Shen Yuan could only guess that it was due to the fact that Qing Jing peak would be the place the protagonist was mistreated and later on blazed to the ground. Thus, he concluded that it must be due to his negative association with the peak for him to be uncomfortable around the peak lord.
However, a bigger part of him felt it was due to both of them being cat folks yet the elder has not shown him any ‘gesture’ such as grooming him or inviting him over to nest. These gesture while viewed as intimate in other species, they’re regarded as shows of affection (*cough*or sometimes dominance*cough*) and are the most common method of bonding.
Yet despite this, Xu Anwei has never once tried nor shown interest in performing any of these gestures with him. And YET, the man was often seen visiting the beast peak, always in the same area that Shen Yuan was tasked to take care of.
To add insult to injury, cat folks in pidw were considered uncommon only making up around 5% of Luo Binghe’s harem and almost all of them were related in some way or another (Shen Yuan remembers cursing so loudly in his apartment when it was revealed that 6 of the cat wives were of the same litter).
Thus, these bonding gestures were sought after by many cat folks as it is a sign of good fortune to be able to nest with a multitude of other cat folks. And one that Shen Yuan has only experienced in his previous life.
In spite of all of this, Xu Anwei would not do any of these acts with the only other cat folks on the mountain.
Suffice to say, Shen Yuan has very mixed feelings about the Qing Jing peak lord. Feelings that he now has to face while also thinking of a way to inform his shizun of his soon departure from the sect.
Shen Yuan sighs as he begins brewing their new tea blend, his white tail swaying in an effort to lessen his worry. He has already spent too much time in the kitchen.
-
Shen Yuan wants to hit his head. He is currently in the head disciple room. Instead of a room, it can more so be called a small house with an extra room that acts as a makeshift kitchen. A place that now belongs to him.
A few hours ago, just as Shen Yuan had set down the tea pot and teacups on the low table, His shizun had proudly declared him his head disciple. Stating that, “I have never seen such an intense dedication in a disciple to both harness our peak’s cultivation nor to memorize every bestiary that our peak has!”.
In comparison to the jovial man, the elegant QIng JIng peak lord was looking at him with meanings that Shen Yuan can’t comprehend but filled with intensity enough for him to not expect any good to come from it.
His shizun dismissed him before he could utter another word, urging a passing senior disciple to bring him to the head disciple’s room. The last thing that Shen Yuan heard before practically being shoved into his new room was ‘to wait for his first task as head disciple’, a sentence that sends shivers down his spine.
It was only after he had moved everything into the new room did he register in his head of his new standing in the sect and consequentially a bigger target on his head when Luo Binghe decided to take revenge.
Unknowingly, Shen Yuan’s tail starts swaying more vigorously showing his anxiousness and his ears slowly flattens themselves on his head as he stands in the middle of his new room, heart in turmoil at his current situation.
‘Maybe if I quit now, shizun wouldn’t have the time to report my status back to Qion DIng’ He subconsciously nodded to himself, ears lifting ever so slightly.
‘Then my name wouldn’t be in Cang Qiong’s main records’, he hums to himself, slowly feeling his worry ease and conviction firming as he mentally prepares himself to convince his shizun, unaware of the pair of blue eyes watching him from his open windows.
As his confidence builds, he barges himself out of his new room. Only to recoil back in shock, his ears and tail straightening with a yelp, as he saw the ever familiar white maine coon stand in front of his door.
Those frosty cold blue eyes staring down on him with a fan painted with a scenery of mountains and clouds covering the bottom half of his face, thus rendering Shen Yuan useless in deciphering the man’s intention.
“G-Greeting, Xu-shibo” He managed to stammer out with a half baked salute.
The ever lofty man only hummed in response, before walking towards one of the forest trails. White ears turn with his head as he looks back to Shen Yuan, beckoning him to follow. The concern that was creeping in his chest was overcome with the hope blooming at the idea of nesting after years deprived of it.
Hope that only grew as the sight of one of the guest houses sporadically built on the beast peak. His paces hastened when the peak lord went into it, white less fluffy tail swaying in excitement as he reached the opened door.
His mouth unconsciously quirking up as he saw the makings of a nest in the living room of the guest house, blankets strewn here and there with tons upon tons of pillows stacks nearby, ready to put to use.
His eyes then searched the room for the Qing Jing peak lord but all he saw was a Qing Jing peak’s disciple…?????
The two locked eyes, green on green before being broken as a cough caught their attention. The man Shen Yuan was looking for was standing in the doorway to the kitchen with a tray, his face blank with only the tiniest crease between his eyebrows to show his displeasure.
“SIt, A-Yuan. We have a lot to talk about”
Shen Yuan does not like the sound of this.
-
Three cat folks in a room full of nesting yet no bonding has occurred instead, the room is filled with tension evidenced by the two restless tails of both the disciples in the room.
“Disciple Shen” One of the tails stop, attention fully on the older cat. “As per an agreement with your shizun, your first duty as head disciple would be to take full care of your new shixiong”, the maine coon finishes, taking a sip of the warm tea.
Shen Yuan looks over to the Qing Jing peak disciple, wondering how ‘new’ the other actually was. When he first had realized he had transmigrated into the world of pidw, the first thing he made sure was that the Scum villain had yet to step foot into Qing Jing. It was hard to get any info being that he was on a different peak.
So he had to sneak into the scholarly peak multiple times in the past. Personally, Shen Yuan thinks he did a good job at remaining undetected but the occasional looks Xu Anwei had sent him tells him otherwise.
It seems the peak lord took notice of his thoughts and added, “This here is a new disciple of Qing Jing peak that I recruited during the Immortal Alliance Conference”.
Shen Yuan nodded at the statement. He was one of the disciples that chooses not to join it this year - not like he had any intention of ever joining - and would not have kept up with the news surrounding it. All he knows is that it ended around a week or two ago so it makes sense if he hasn't seen this new shixiong of his.
“He should be older than you albeit his cultivation level does not show for it.” The other disciple in the room, visibly tense at his new shizun’s statement. The black tip slick tail of the siamese flicking black and forth against the pillow he sat on.
The peak lord seems to take no notice of this however, continuing his one sided conversation, “Despite that, I sense immeasurable talent in him and fully expect him to rise through the ranks fairly quickly”. The pair of green eyes that mirrored Shen Yuan’s, widen ever so slightly at the off hand praise given to him, his tail briefly stopping its movement.
“I expect the both of you to form a pack with one another well before my ascension” the peak lord set down his now empty tea cup, his eyes meeting with the dumbfounded gazes of the two kittens in the room.
Whatever he saw must have not been what he had wanted as the peak lord sighs before stating, “This master will leave now so get yourselves well acquainted”. The elder cat then got up, his long tails lazily stretching slightly and then swaying as the peak lord walked towards the front door.
Just as the scholar was about to fully exit, he stopped and looked back towards the still stun kittens,“Ah, this master has also spoken with your shizun A-Yuan, this guest house will be cleared for the two of you to use”. With that Xu Anwei left, flashing a smug smirk towards them.
With that, the front door closed shut. The two kittens stay in the silence that follows after. Two pairs of ears now high in alert, one tail swaying more noticeably than the other, one eyeing the other while the other only stared fixatedly on the now closed door.
…
…
The silence echoes through the house for 10 long minutes before Shen Yuan breaks it. “Umm…. I'm Shen Yuan..?”
But all he got was a glare from his new shixiong. Sighing in resignation, Shen Yuan then asked, “Can this shidi at least get shixiong’s name? It doesn't seem like our shizun will give up anytime soon.” Shen Yuan added the last part in hopes of not getting clawed in the eyes as his new shixiong’s eyes was slowly slitting, taking on the look of a predator eyeing a prey.
Shen Yuan’s hope was shattered as the siamese cat stood up and walked towards the shut door.
“Shen Jiu”
White fluffy ears perked up at the name given but before he could respond the door close once again.
-
And that’s how things continue from then on, for a fixed amount of time, Shen Jiu would visit the beast peak sometimes in the early mornings or late into the nights, doesn't matter because his shixiong would barge into his door, scruff him to the guest house.
Thankfully, Shen Yuan has yet to be caught completely off guard - keyword being completely as there were multiple instances in which he was scuffed with only a layer of night robe - and hadn’t embarrassed himself fully. But otherwise, he has come to expect certain things when it comes to Shen Jiu and their ‘bonding time’.
First no matter how well behaved or willing Shen Yuan is, the other would always scruff him. Personally, Shen Yuan does not mind the scruffing. After all, this is his shixiong so it’s no different from when the caretakers in the orphanage did it. If anything, it just reminds him of his da-ge and er-ge.
Shaking his head, Shen Yuan clears his mind before it goes down the trail of thoughts regarding past life’s family.
Secondly, their bonding time would always be for 45 minutes and no longer. No matter what they were doing - oftentimes they were just reading their own book on the opposite corner of one another - , Shen Jiu would get up and leave the moment the time was up.
Well today or more precisely tonight, Shen Yuan decided to change that as Shen Jiu scruffs him at the dead of night and drags him towards the now familiar guest house.
Shen Yuan is bored from all the time they sat around doing nothing. At first it was nerve racking as his shixiong would just stare at him but the more they got comfortable with each other, the more the silence haunts Shen Yuan. AND Shen Jiu started doing that thing that peak lord Xu Anwei does!!
Sometimes, Shen Yuan would feel bored enough to just start exploring the house or he would feel suffocated by the other cat's presence and choose to read in another room but for some reason, Shen Jiu would always end up in the same room as him.
Always with an excuse, and always with a book that he continues on reading as if he couldn’t read if Shen Yuan was not in the room as him. And Shen Yuan is tired of it.
So for this session, Shen Yuan is gonna try grooming him.
OKAY OKAYYY, SOME might think that Shen Yuan is crazy for even trying to even attempt to touch his frisky shixiong but Shen Yuan personnel think that he needs it!! For the past few sessions, his Shen-shixiong’s appearance has been… unkept..
The pristine and silk back hair that his shixiong always adorned now feature more strands sticking out of place and even his disciple robe has some random ink splashes on them. To add more to Shen Yuan’s credit, the green eyes of his shixiong now sport heavy eyebags.
Sooooo Shen Yuan thought that maybe a little grooming might help relieve some of the stress his shixiong has. It did wonders for Shen Yuan when his caretakers did it and they weren’t even fully cat folks. Maybe a grooming session would feel even better when done by a full blood one.
It was around 5 minutes into their bonding session that Shen Yuan put his plan into action. He slowly crawls towards his shixiong. They were just sitting on the opposite ends of a daybed - a sign that he takes for a go ahead on his plan - so it didn’t take long before he tackles his shixiong.
The siamese cat started to struggle but between the two, it was clear that the Beast peak disciple had more leverage in strength.
-
Shen Jiu was thrashing and pushing against his short yet strangely buff shidi. Logically, Shen Jiu knows that this isn’t an attack as no Qi can be felt from his shidi’s movement but deep down, his heart panics the more his limbs are restricted.
This shidi of his has always brought out weird feelings in him. Feelings that his shizun told him were due to the fact of their age. In his shizun’s words, ‘Cat folks can innately tell when another kin is younger than them. It's an instinct developed to ensure the safety of future offspring as with it comes with an urge to protect’. His shizun also told him to expect certain urges when in the vicinity of his cat shidi.
The first urge as his shizun puts it that Shen Jiu felt was when he was on the way to the beast peak. He was walking towards the head disciple dorm when he spotted 2 beast peak loitering outside of it. A wolf kin and a black bear man. Both presence sent an alarm blaring through his head and he blackout.
Next thing he knows, he was in the guest house with Shen Yuan firmly scruffed in his hand. Shamed filled his face and he abruptly let go of the white cat causing his shidi to fall unpreparedly on the floor. At the time he swore to himself to never do it again.
But then, then the next session came and he couldn't stop himself. It felt wrong to walk side by side with his kitten shidi when he could just scruff him and bring them both to the guest house, safely. So he did, and he did it again and again. Each time the shame was overcome with a feeling of satisfaction and at this point he doesn't feel the need to stop.
The second urge that kicked in was to always keep an eye on his didi shidi, an urge that he knows unsettle the short cat as Shen Yuan would start moving to another part of the house but Shen Jiu doesn't let that stop him.
According to his shizun, the next urge that should be coming would be to groom his shidi. It should be kicking in anytime soon as they spend time together but that seems to be delayed as their session has decreased and Shen Jiu spends more time cultivating to catch up with his peers.
But now Shen Jiu was stuck in his shidi attempt to manhandle him as said shidi was trying to groom him.
A lick to his cat ears was all it took for Shen Jiu to snap back. Using the few techniques he has mastered and channeling qi into his arms to switch their position. ‘The audacity’ his cat's instinct was appalled at his kitten shidi’s action.
Grooming was an action done by only the older cats to the younger ones. Thus, when a younger cat grooms an older one, it is seen as ‘asserting’ dominance’ and overall disrespectful. A part of Shen Jiu knows that his young shidi didn’t mean any harm - after all, his shidi seems clueless about anything relating to cat folks. If his shizun wasn’t lying to him, Shen Yuan even tried to scent the elder once - but instinct won over.
In an attempt to sooth the alarmed in his head, Shen Jiu gives a tentative lick across his shidi’s face and tighten his hold on the other, using his meager amount of weight to hold the other down, expecting the white kitten to protest.
Instead he was met with a reverberating sound of… purring?
The unexpected sound stunt Shen JIu promoting the purring to stop, small whines replacing it all coming from his short shidi. It took a second before his inner cat processed the sounds and responded by repeating his earlier action.
That seems to do the trick as the purring returns with it Shen Jiu’s curiosity.
Purrs were never a sound he thought he would ever hear. In the slums, there was nothing to be content about in life, happiness comes scarcely in the form of a full belly with most never feeling it so it’s not a place for any stray cats to be purring in. Moreover, the population of cat folks was never one to be easily found.
Shen Jiu himself was one of three in the slums and now he is also one of the three in Cang Qiong. But still, even if the environment in the sect might be better, Shen Jiu never heard his shizun purr and he himself never even learned how so he was fully expecting to never hear in his lifetime.
And there’s Shen Yuan, the white munchkin cat that came barreling in his life and the one his shizun ordered for him to form a pact with, purring ostentatiously as if to let the entire beast peak to listen in to their intimate moment.
Suddenly reminded of the rest of the beast peak disciple causes annoyance to swell in Shen Jiu. In another life, he might have never cared about the situation of the lower peak but now the thought of it irritates him. So he channels his annoyance into his licks as he moves to work on his shidi’s cat ears.
A whine escaped in the midst of his shidi’s purring but Shen Jiu stubbornly continued to work on the ears. Taking his feelings out on those short fluffy white ears.
‘He deserves it’ Shen Jiu can’t help but feel. His foolish shidi just had to choose the only peak which basically encouraged the wilder groups of nature's hierarchy other than Bai Zhan. Shen Jiu’s mind thinks back to his shidi’s situation.
‘A white munchkin cat does not belong in such a place’ he concluded.
Shen Jiu's eyes take in the sight of Shen Yuan’s body underneath his own, splayed out on the daybed, the moonlight highlighting the few drops of tears near the white cat’s green eyes. Their existence showcased how oversensitive his shidi’s body had become after the grooming session.
Leaning in closer to his teary eyed shidi. “Sleep”, Shen Jiu ordered before licking away the tears.
With his shidi body adjusted in his arms, Shen Jiu made a silent vow to protect his shidi.
-
The next morning Shen Yuan attended his classes under the stares of his peers, his face turning into a blushing mess each time someone asked why he was smelling like he dual cultivated with another cat.
Shen Yuan curses his past selves for even wanting to pull such a stunt and Shen Jiu for thoroughly scenting him before they leave the guest house without asking -Shen Yuan was too immersed in the mind numbing satisfaction of the scenting session - for his opinion.
The beast peak head disciple grumbled as he headed into his room after his baba dismissed him of his duty for the day.
As the sun set and the sky turns darker, a silent hope lights in his cat’s heart.