Xuan Su reaches a level of cultivation that allows it to take a human form- and it and Yue Qingyuan disappear from the public eye- and also the private one. They avoid one on one meetings with their sect siblings and cancel Peak Lord meetings... Until eventually Shen Qingqiu is fed up with Yue Qingyuan and storms into the Sect Leader's quarters to find him in a staring contest with... It must be Xuan Su but...
The sword is a glowing ghostly vision of Yue Qingyuan in the Lingxi Caves- battered and bloody and openly weeping.
As soon as Shen Qingqiu enters the sword turns to him.
"Xiao Jiu." It says in a strange raspy voice and then runs over to hug him.
Shen Qingqiu hugs the ghost of teen Yue Qingyuan on autopilot. Adult Yue Qingyuan looks devastated.
"What is this?" He demands from Yue Qingyuan.
But Yue Qingyuan can't bring himself to explain even now... So Xuan Su reaches up, takes his face in its strangely warm hands and shows Shen Qingqiu itself.
He sees everything, from Xuan Su's perspective. The sword pulling, the caves, Yue Qi clawing at the walls and screaming his name over and over.
He wakes up flat on his back with the smell and taste of ashes on his tongue after watching Yue Qi digging through the ruins of Qiu Manor.
Yue Qingyuan is holding him. Xuan Su is kneeling nearby watching them both.
Shen Jiu punches Qi-ge in the face and then hugs him tightly.
Xuan Su grins.
