Au where Shen Jiu is actually a plant baby and his parent had no idea he was ever created
Yue Qi finds little baby Shen Jiu and like no one can tell he's a plant baby it's not really something people can tell without going through cultivation techniques
So Shen Jiu's father yeah? It's Shen Yuan, a peak lord of Cang Qiong Mountian Sect, of the beast peak to be exact. Shen Yuan had absolutely no idea that he had at one point bled on a child bearing flower and made a child.
So imagine what would happen when Yue Qi gets to the sect. And he sees Shen Yuan.
Imagine Yue Qi absolutely hating him, because this is the man that abandoned his son for the wolves. But Yue Qi keeps being denied a sword and permission to leave the mountian. And he needs to get Shen Jiu out. So he goes to the beast peak and seeks out its lord.
Yue Qi finds Shen Yuan, and tells him he knows he abandoned his son once but to please, rescue his friend- To please help the son he abandoned, just once.
And Shen Yuan is so confused. Like, kiddo? I don't have a son?
But Yue Qi argues back that Shen Jiu looks just like Shen Yuan, down to every detail. And he's so sopping wet pathetic that Shen Yuan can't help but want to help this kid and his friend, so he agrees and swoops Yue Qi up in his arms onto his sword to fly off and use him as his compass.
Yue Qi is incredibly startled, being held kind of like a bewildered cat gets held by a small child, legs dangling "Can you put me down on the sword?" "And risk you falling off and your Shizun killing me? Not a chance, kiddo. Uppies."
They get to Qiu manor, and Qiu Jianluo is so incredibly fascinated by the man at his door that looks like his favorite toy. And even more so when he realizes he's a cultivator, so he brings him inside. Not because he's stupid, no. Because if this man is Xiao-Jiu's father, then he'd clearly sold him into slavery. Maybe he'd even like to see how well behaved a slave the brat became.
So Shen Jiu is brought out to serve tea, and he sees Yue Qi first, white as a sheet and terrified next to Shen Yuan. Then his gaze turns to Shen Yuan, and he drops the tray he'd been holding. Because it's like looking into a more mature reflection. He feels like his heart is going to stop.
And Qiu Jianluo makes a mistake. He decides he can punish Shen Jiu for breaking the tea set here, in front of Shen Yuan. He gets as far as getting his hand on his whip when Shen Yuan speaks.
"... I have a son.. You. Have my son. Why is my son a slave." Shen Yuan demands, his gaze turning both cold as frost, and hot with rage as he rises up and rests his hand on the hilt of his blade.
Qiu Jianluo doesn't live to see the next day. According to Shen Yuan, he was possessed and tried to kill him and his shijie's disciple. Yue Qi echos the same story if asked.
Shen Jiu is astounded- Qi-ge came back! He really came back-! He'd been giving up hope, and now he's here!
And.. His father... Is also here? He has one of those? His father just killed that monster unprovoked. His father was talking to him kindly, and offering him spare robes, and a meal, and-
"A home-? You- You want me to go to your home with you?"
"Of course I do-! I just found out I have a son, I missed enough of your life already yeah?" And it takes a bit more convincing than that but honestly Qi-ge is also at the sect so he can probably see what kind of man his father is... Though he's distrustful.
Eventually they have a kind of awkward father son thing going, and Shen Jiu goes to the official disciple selections, and is kidnapped by the Qing Jing peak lord. Shen Yuan is displeased by this, but his son seems intrigued so... Fine, fine, go go have fun.
And then Shen Jiu makes head disciple and gets his name