#sqj

BO QIONGLAN: Sect Leader, Qiong Ding Peak Lord

Initially quite close to LQM, but after her 'death' and subsequent revival, nothing has been the same between them. Still trusts her deeply, however; that will never leave.

Respects SQJ, who was initially his shixiong, but truly hates what he'd done to 'save' LQM with Bian An.

LQX is unnerving, being a seer; very callous individual, besides. Taking in SJ was cruel & unnecessary, as he sees it. Ruining the work put into YQY.

YUE QINGYUAN: Qiong Ding Succeeding Disciple

Shen Jiu & all that entails…

Appreciates MQF; wary but appreciative of LQX, she's just quite… off-putting. Cannot help but feel she knows about Xuan Su, even though she did not take the oath.

Neutral-dislike of SQJ; only warms up to WQW after he's scarred. Initially neutrally-fond of LQM, but after her giving SJ the 'Jingyi' name, could not forgive her.

BQL did what he must; YQY will never forgive himself.

LIANG QIONGXIE: Qing Jing Peak Lord (& Seer)

Loves vaguely taunting BQL with every bit of information she's gathered. It's her favorite thing. Watching his descent these past few centuries as he's grieved and his patience with his own disciples has worn has been cathartic.*

Not close to anyone else. LQM had tried, but LQX continuously rebuffed her; since LQM's 'death,' neither have tried to reconnect.

SJ is ambitious. Honestly, she wants to see him break. (and die vicariously through him)

*(Until visions changed to reveal this ensured his death to come.)

SHEN JIU: Qing Jing Personal Disciple

Yue Qingyuan & all that entails…

Hates BQL, WQW, and MQF indiscriminately on their noble bearing, MQF with added hatred due to their favored treatment + proximity to YQY.

LQX has strict standards on him specifically, but he is willing to take the challenge; it helps that she is gone for long periods of time, giving him time to prepare. Extremely neutral on her; nobility is par for Qing Jing.

LQM seems barely present in her life. So she's fine, he just hates Qian Cao.

SANG QIONGJIAO: Wan Jian Peak Lord

LQM is probably the only of his martial siblings he likes. This, of course, manifests in a fucked up way. (See: Bian An)

WQW is dedicated to the craft and clearly innovative. It'll do.

YQY is an interesting case. He is grateful for the experience, although he doesn't care for the boy; he learned from Xuan Su.

Respected BQL's role as a leader, until the YQY case. Offers his support, but still thinks BQL is too soft to run a sect alone.

WEI QINGWEI: Wan Jian Succeeding Disciple

Oscillating wildly between YQY's so cool and awesome (objectively true) & physically sick with the idea their sect leader to-be's a decade younger than him. Bothers MQF to break patient confidentiality because… curious.

Great respect for all the peak lords, honestly. Especially BQL & LQM. …Although, he does really quite hate a lot of SQJ's methods; he just chalks it up to 'oh, that's how Shifu is haha…' (neglected shelter dog sigh)

Very affectionate with MQF; the first to really welcome their attempts to 'open up' to people. It helps that he ended up on Qian Cao a lot when younger.

LI QIONGMING: Qian Cao Peak Lord

Immense guilt over MQF (& the rest of their family), forever; it is difficult to not live in the past, but it helps to have them here.

Agreed to the plan with Bian An to stop her chronic qi deviations, but is (on some distant level) very angry with BQL's initial reaction.

Greatly enjoyed LQX's insight, until it came to insult her family.

Pities YQY but will still prod at him/MQF for developments.

Firmly believes SJ does not belong in Cang Qiong.

MU QINGFANG: Qian Cao Succeeding Disciple

Extremely intense fascination with YQY's entire situation. Which could mean nothing.

LQM is the last of their family; they rarely got to see her prior to the plague… as their shizun, they are indebted to her for saving their life.

[ID: Image one is a close-up of Li Qiongming staring intensely at the sect leader, captioned: "Eat your food bitch damn! Fuck you looking all crazy for!" The second details their dynamics with one another:

Bo Qionglan is unnerved by how much Liang Qiongxie knows, being a seer; trusts & loves Li Qiongming; holds mutual distant respect for Sang Qiongjiao.

Liang Qiongxie tortures Bo Qionglan with visions; wants to kill Li Qiongming for what she recognizes reflected in her; holds mutual fearful aggression with Sang Qiongjiao.

Sang Qiongjiao loves Li Qiongming deeply and considers her survival a must of the world.

Li Qiongming admires Sang Qiongjiao, trusts & loves Bo Qionglan, and finds Liang Qiongxie to be a mean/cruel individual.

Bo Qionglan (QD) & Shen Qingqiu ;; Initially comparable due to the note of the sect leader's lacking cultivation & Shen Jiu not having fully formed his core despite being a peak lord, then built upon from there.

The two of them are greatly affected by their poor past for the actions taken today, after having clawed their way to the top. Though Bo Qionglan did not begin with violence (in aversion to how the Da-Xun Sect Leader had conducted things). He had initially led his personal disciples with a (relatively) softer hand - but this strained his patience when it came to those born talented, and became the reason by which he believes many of these disciples of his had eventually died. It is always this simultaneous frustration and grief that leads them closer to violence; Shen Jiu blames himself for how foolishly he'd believed Yue Qi in the past, with even that tainted by the existing (& persisting) frustration toward someone so much better than you who you find you still care for despite.

For Bo Qionglan, grief was no stranger; however, the repeated deaths made putting this to rest much more difficult. Led and clouded by frustration, his methods gradually became harsher as he attempted to outmaneuver their fates (as he had once done for himself) and detach himself, ironically causing himself to fall harder each time this failed. This method would only transpose the past onto the present... worsened, until we get the Ling Xi Caves, an utter betrayal of what a typical cultivation path 'ought' to be.

Both placed all their hopes on Yue Qi, viewing Yue Qingyuan as a separate, powerful individual through which they make stake their pride upon not measuring up to, and the dying hearth of the love they once held onto. Neither are capable of letting go of him, and though they'll never hear it again, they both have chosen a name by which they've inextricably tied him to them (and, Bo Qionglan went even further after giving him the courtesy name in Jingyi's stead, by giving his own skin to conceal the scarring left on Yue Qingyuan's face and finally make him appear - perfect. Repulsively perfect.)

...As for how they present themselves (as the lords of their peaks) - although Shen Jiu is more abrasive, both veer toward a much colder affect to disguise their emotional status in most things. If an expression is not made falsely, then it is softened such that it seems distant, as if passing thought rather than the overwhelming wave they are typically dealt.

Liang Qiongxie (QJ) & Wei Qingwei ;; As 'outsiders' to the Ling Xi Caves, who are still haunted by the impression of it without knowing the details.

Ah, to be so careless with the world: Wei Qingwei's joy in living his life as he sees fit, against Liang Qiongxie's obligation to it.

This is a privilege granted only to those who are noble-born, which neither are lacking pride in. However, where it rendered Liang Qiongxie arrogant, believing herself worth more than the pains she'd endured on her path to becoming a peak lord, Wei Qingwei relishes in this struggle for the relief at the end of his success - at last achieving things for himself, rather than having them granted to him by his family's status... and though this to be such a departure from the governmental so-and-so his family built their wealth upon, he still agrees in that he must make himself indispensable!

Within the sect, however, though they have proven themselves time and time again as reliable when need be - they are ware of, and must endure, that which continues to hide from them. To keep it solely to the Xuan Su situation: Liang Qiongxie was restricted and mistrusted throughout Yue Qi's time here for her status as a seer, with Bo Qionglan unwilling to believe any advice she'd give after she warned him of his previous head disciple's sudden, unexpected death... believing he could have done something more, had she not told him it was hopeless prior to that night. (The same reason which, ironically, Li Qiongming believes immediately when Bo Qionglan nears death - though this time, it is a lie to keep their healer alive, as their leader's death is another unfortunate 'inevitable')

Meanwhile (back to Xuan Su), Wei Qingwei initially simply believes this as a restriction from Sang Qiongjiao's private projects for the longest time. But it becomes clearer with his exclusion from certain parts of Yue Qingyuan & Mu Qingfang's lives, despite both staying closer to him after witnessing the worst of his... when Jiuchong-jun burned him.

Unfair, isn't it? That they saw him in that state, and he's only told stories of what's happened to them - rarely from Mu Qingfang's mouth, and never spoken of by Yue Qingyuan. Still, he can't begrudge them, just as Liang Qiongxie has since given up believing she has any sway on her sect leader's mind, let alone his fate to come.

Sang Qiongjiao (WJ) & Mu Qingfang ;; The morbid curiosity and ceaseless pursuit of what intrigues them... not a very good combination.

Beyond the given of the two caring deeply for Li Qiongming after she had saved them, seeking to stay in her life as long as they are able, there is an interesting mirror here in how Sang Qiongjiao's fascination of what became of Li Qiongming after her persisting past death & how that then reflects in Mu Qingfang's initial spark of interest with Yue Qingyuan's ability to survive the Ling Xi Caves despite being shattered alongside his sword.

I bring this up, because this is the first time either of them realize they are invested in the person rather than the work they dedicate themselves to. Even with Yue Qingyuan, Sang Qiongjiao's interest leans more upon breaking Xuan Su and the thrill felt in dissecting that in a manner where it would connect with - anyone, it did not have to be Yue Qingyuan.

In their lines of work, it becomes easy to disconnect from the people this is affecting. For Mu Qingfang in particular, as I perceive them, they are predisposed to distance this anyhow with a born lack of empathy (even outside of extenuating circumstances, like Jin Lan necessitated), and are primarily driven by their own passion/interest. However, with exposure/association with Yue Qingyuan, they begin to genuinely care for him and learn to externalize this (even in facade) with their other patients, which does eventually contribute to them earning that title of renowned healer. (In Sang Qiongjiao's case, though she softens around Li Qiongming, her disconnect is very much a active choice; this is where they split.)

Li Qiongming (QC) & Yue Qingyuan ;; The undead & well-meaning but ultimately complicit.

As I interpret the emergency with Xuan Su & Yue Qingyuan, I do not believe that Li Qiongming was nearby or called upon when this arose, seeing as the sect leader who took initiative to shatter Yue Qingyuan completely. By the time she learned of what had happened, all she could do was make the most of a terrible situation (noting down what had happened, the developments, she would never get a chance like this again... her work continues).

To indicate Sang Qiongjiao's experience, I've additionally sacrificed Li Qiongming to be a previous human/sword bond that she'd tentatively broke to bring over to another spiritual sword that would better handle her qi deviations, eventually leading to the confidence in dismantling Xuan Su in a manner where it would reform while hinged on Yue Qingyuan's qi outright.

The method is violent and neither were quite the same again after suffering it; their lives made dull afterward... and rendering personal bonds with others very difficult. There's felt to be no role beyond that of leader/caretaker, nothing to indicate the 'individual' they are unless they have those who knew them before (Qi-ge, Xiao-Jiu) or who they should be (Taipo, Feng'er).

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These are all the main parallels, but of course it is always more complicated than that - there are various other notes intertwined which I can draw out now that the 'basis' is established:

YQY & BQL;; Extremely loyal, with dislike of their own emotional attachment (seemingly inherently out of their control; it's hard to kill) YQY & LQX;; now believers in inescapable fate, in fulfilling one's role

SQQ & LQX;; their initial rejection of fate falling into finding eventual comeuppance SQQ & LQM;; chronic qi deviations that had undermined them

MQF & BQL & LQM;; 'the ends justify the means' MQF & LQM;; things outside of their control leading to apathy as the easiest response - mqf's natural born low-empathy & lqm's blade dampening things. she somewhat fears for them with this in mind, but it is easier for them to adapt when this is all they've known, rather than having it 'taken away' later in life

Much of what kept Cang Qiong together was the necessity of circumstance over the past millennia, forced to form solidarity on account of the Heavenly Demons’ reign. In peacetime, far more petty disagreements which had festered were allowed to crop up, disturbing the balance they so boast. There are no legitimate records of bloody intraconflict in Cang Qiong, but not for lack of it (by inside and outside manipulation/provocation).

Each generation’s honorary name descends through the twelve peaks.

Qiong Ding (穹顶), Lead & Diplomatic (CQ Grand Hall) Qing Jing (清静), Strategy & Four Arts (CQ Library) Wan Jian (万剑), Sword Mastery (CQ Forge/Heart) An Ding (安定), Logistics (CQ Treasury) Xian Shu (仙姝), Fabrication (Clothes, arrays, information; CQ Uniforms) Ku Xing (苦行), Ascetic (Spiritual cleansing & talismans; CQ Grave) Bai Zhan (百战), Martial Arts (CQ Shelter) Qian Cao (千草), Medicine & Healing (CQ Laboratory) You Sui (幽邃), Artifacts (CQ Archive) Rong Li (荣离), Beast Taming (CQ Sanctuary) Zui Xian (醉仙), Alchemy & Alcohol (CQ Food Production) Xun Jie (迅捷), Archery (CQ Guards & Messengers)

[ Xun Jie credited to baixue-temple! Very fun ideas they've done :3 ]

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Beginning with older generations:

Feng Anlong (凤 安龙): Da-An Generation's Acting Sect Leader and Wan Jian Peak Lord, the “Si Yang” Sword (死阳) Creator and first wielder of Xuan Su, never bound

A beloved sect leader within the cultivation world, most revered for ending humanity’s first devastating war against Heavenly Demons by subduing Xin Mo with a creation of his own, forged from the shards of his fallen martial siblings: Xuan Su.

Little remains of him but portraits in an approximation of his vision and disciples who believed his soul embodied Cang Qiong’s Forge. These ancient tales are the source by which Wan Jian is named the heart of the mountain.

Bo Qionglan (波 穹岚): Qiong Ding Peak Lord, the “Zhuang Kuo” Sword (岚壮阔)

The leader of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect; a mantle grown heavier with the death of his personal disciple and the Bai Zhan’s Lord at the hands of Zhuzhi-lang, the trusted general of Tianlang-jun. Although most Heavenly Demons have since hidden away, or else died by the time Tianlang-jun rose and an uneasy cold war settled into apparent peace, Bo Qionglan is recognized as an unrelenting force who spares no mercy on those who break this delicate treaty—demons and cultivators alike.

Catching the attention of a man like this is a dangerous thing made worse, for those few who wear away at his cold heart and bring him to reminisce. Enemies, allies, friends, disciples; no misfortunate soul has survived this raw torrent once broken open.

Of his personal disciples, the few chosen to be taught by his hand directly are diligently honed to become the pride of Cang Qiong. To embody the mountain with rigid loyalty; uphold the weight and responsibility until their end meets them.

And meet them, it did. Their shards lodged in the heart forevermore.

Liang Qiongxie (梁 穹谢): Qing Jing Peak Lord, the “Xin Si” Sword (心思)

Aloof and brazenly apathetic, Liang Qiongxie is rarely interrogated. Whether she has left the bustle of Cang Qiong to travel simply, or merely favors the peace of seclusion—no one has ever questioned the easy whims of her heart. There is nothing behind the smile she grants any one person, nor could she care much for the drivel most of Qing Jing’s disciples make. None have risen to her challenge.

Granted, very few were ever accepted onto the peak in her time. It never once broke a hundred in the several centuries of her reign. But can she be blamed for holding high standards? Unlike their naive little sect leader, for all his airs, she doesn’t care to attach herself to those destined to die for no rhyme or reason.

Well, this was not always the case. An eternity has passed since she last broke her impassive facade to make use of her curse. Alas! That warning fell on deaf ears and her misuse of fate’s ‘gift’ was to be blamed for the death laid at their feet; more than even she expected to find.

Ah, well. Bo Qionglan has learned to listen, now.

Li Qiongming (利 穹明): Qian Cao Peak Lord, the "Bian An" Sword (变安)

No one would dare say Li Qiongming is not dedicated to her craft. However, in the past few centuries or so, this has had the unfortunate effect of her losing sight of most else, finding it difficult to discern individual people without the reminder of what ailment they suffer from first and singling them out as that, and that alone.

There was once a time she sought more than medicine, and she remembers sporadically to anchor herself in the presence of her sworn partner’s family line. Now under her care, the Mu House, grown significantly in the mortal realm as greatly respected healers with more heart than she remembers to share. However, the world plays to the strangest tune, for it seems all but one of her beloved’s family were felled by demon’s blood infecting the south. A pandemic. If only she were freed earlier to notice the signs of it in the harvest, in the water, in the hysteric—yes, if only.

She is more cautious now, of how she minds disciples, with young Mu Huifeng as her ward. Mu’s last has heart, though they do not seem to believe it. They are good.

Sang Qiongjiao (桑 穹矫): Wan Jian Peak Lord, the “Long Mai” Sword (龙脉)

A renowned blacksmith for her life’s work restoring various technological advancements thought lost to the most recent conflict with Heavenly Demons. Being notoriously difficult to impress, many Wan Jian disciples resort to rather extreme methods for the privilege of being one of her core disciples to see these schematics once-lost, and the powerful spiritual weapons innovated in his solitary.

Willingly transferred out of Qiong Ding despite becoming a personal disciple of the Da-Xun’s Lord, a generation before. Not one to harp on it. So long as she presents loyalty to Qiong Ding, so do their martial siblings damper any uncertain consideration of a world long gone.

She's content with the field of work she does. Power tempts her on occasion, but her own ambitious goals have never centered people.

The memory of methodically breaking Xuan Su by her own hands, of the year spent creating a sheath to trap it, far outshines all else she has done with her life's work. Through the eternity left for her, she will continue to chase the euphoria she'd felt then.

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And now, the Qing generation:

Teng Qingzheng (腾 清争): Ku Xing Peak Lord Teng Ping (平 ) is his given name

From humble origins, it is little surprise Teng Qingzheng took to Ku Xing as he did. A believer in fate, as he, believes it was his father’s death which brought him to the base of Cang Qiong and endlessly pays his thanks in return. Much of his time as a disciple was spent ignoring his peers in favor of his own pursuit toward enlightening himself to do well by his father.

Meditating amongst the ambiance of spirits put to rest brought him closer to understanding his own self, allowing him the careful freedom of a life spent honoring the dead and reworking his ire to promise a better, just world for the incarnations to come.

Whether poisoned by his shizun or simply by his vices, all is cleansed by the grave’s presence. Here, and here alone, he finds peace.

Zhu Qinglian (祝 清涟): You Sui Peak Lord Zhu Feiling (霏凌) is her chosen name

Raised as a scholar from a young age, Zhu Qinglian forever held herself disciplined and cautiously nurtured a curiosity about the world she would enter into. However, being the eldest of three marked her as the first to be betrothed; a marriage arranged with her cousin who held higher status. Unwilling to endure the consummation intended soon after her hairpin ceremony, she ran from her family and into the arms of the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect.

Only there, did she finally—truly—flourish. Not a day passes by where she does not delve into the Cang Qiong Archives with a glint in her gaze and purpose in her step. She carries much pride in her work and finds it a relief from the peril she once felt in the mortal world.

The peril which… ended in her family’s lineage. Her young brother slaughtered by demons not two years after she left. Her youngest sister, given then to their cousin, did not survive childbirth. Parents who, after placing blame squarely on her shoulders for becoming You Sui’s succeeding disciple, died in her thirtieth year.

So Zhu Qinglian buries herself in the archive. This, if nothing else, is familiar.

Dai Qingren (戴 清认): Rong Li Peak Lord Dai Hong (鸿) is her given name

Dai Qingren’ll be the first to acknowledge she’s bull-headed. All her disciples are brought up under one real rule: make use of all the time the day’s got to offer. After a childhood wasted in illness at her birth mother’s estate down west, her heart’s set on doing the best she can with the time she’s got. Some people’s roads only cross once, but she’s not in the habit of thinking it’s a loss. Life’s fleeting, sure, but it’s to be cherished.

Everyone she cares for will die. After clawing her way to a golden core with her avian spirit companion’s aid, it hits harder than ever. Even spiritual beasts like her bond will fade, choosing hibernation or indefinite dormancy. It doesn’t mean they’re any worth less than the time spent making them comfortable, making them happy, if just for those handful of days that they’re alive.

Xue Qingjia (薛 清家): Zui Xian Peak Lord Xue Jin (津) is her chosen name

Reckless, she’ll accept—thoughtless? Not so much! There is nothing to be gained by cowardice in her line of work, and she’ll throw caution to the wind with only a moment’s pause if her disciples happen to be around. Xue Qingjia’s dual-shifting as Mu Qingfang’s bane and sole enabler, and has done for most of their acquaintanceship; much of what they cannot accomplish without risking lives under Qian Cao’s care is tested first by her and her personal disciples, or otherwise sought out in the demon realm by her own hand if she cannot convince An Ding’s contacts.

In her heart, she knows she’d never get away with being so brazen if she hadn’t attempted to kill the previous peak lord for stepping into her home—he clearly picked up on the sort of person she was after that.

It started with a demon ambush on the local healer (her mother who acted as a cultivator of low standing, then killed) that left her paranoid of all tuned qi she could sense with her own flimsy cultivation way back when. Alchemy was her cultivation of choice, and though she had quite a late start at Cang Qiong—rivaling her dear Qi-shijie in age upon ascension to peak lord—at just a smidgen under twenty, she swiftly rose through the ranks by sheer unprecedented determination. As she was unafraid to argue against the false texts her shizun would give her, when reporting on the disruptions to her experimentation, she expects the same ability to discern and devise an alternative solution of her students without any sort of gentle guiding hand.

To her peers, she rather likes to brag her clever wit and bemoan the unjust ire earned at her brutal honesty. Ah! If only the world were so kind that a gift of the oldest wine would smooth over the ridges between Qi-shijie’s brow for crowing their age!

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As well as the Qing generation's disciples:

Ren Yijun (任 仪俊): Yue Qingyuan's current head disciple. Bonded with the Xu Shi Sword (虚实) Ren Yijun (任 怡君) as known by Shen Yuan, Airplane, and the System Ren Yi (任 一) is her given name

Ambitious and ruthless beneath an otherwise unassuming facade, Ren Yijun hasn’t earned anything in her life without great suffering—it is only a matter of who suffers, and she is no longer willing to bear it alone now that Yue Qingyuan has granted her life.

There is no such thing as fate. Nothing she would obey. However, the command Sect Leader Yue holds over the world demands nothing less than utmost fealty. Enduring hell brought her to his knee, and for him—only for him—she would sanction any amount of harm. Yue Qingyuan saved her from corrupt Ku Xing disciples who bought her, granting her the chance to follow him. By his hand, she relearns the compassion stolen from her in that year too damning to speak of. Learns to smile and to discipline herself away from the scathing bites instinctual to her, in favor of maintaining peace.

Honesty does not come easy to her. Vulnerability even less so, to those she trusts enough to warrant her honesty. It has been a very, very long time since she experienced the sort of benevolence these elder cultivators purport, if not practice with sincerity. The only other who shared their kindness with her had been left behind, her xiaomei, and with her half her heart.

Cai Xiaran & Xiaoxue (蔡 夏燃 & 小雪): Among Mu Qingfang’s first personal disciples

A pair of twins taken into servitude to finish the remainder of their mother’s term after she died in childbirth. Lord Fang continued to keep them as servants after the term expired as a form of apparent mercy, so they would not be sent to the streets. Kept within the Mu Estate, they eventually picked up on several healing techniques… and were occasionally disparaged by visiting nobles for overstepping their status as servants, not worthy of being scholars or healers.

Lord Fang was harshly reprimanded by Mu Qingfang when they found time to return: for turning away and thus enabling this abuse, keeping these servants far past their time, and refusing to offer to nurture the potential present within both. In Mu Qingfang’s anger, they resolved on limiting contact with him and stealing away these two for Cang Qiong in return for the abuse their cousin inflicted.

Where Xiaran immediately took to specializing in tonics, often seeking to spend time with Zui Xian disciples to fulfill her curiosity, Xiaoxue keeps a steady hand and controls his qi with precision. Unfortunately, after being in the safety of Cang Qiong, Xiaoxue began developing an aversion to blood and must be slowly acclimated if he’s to make use of this. Despite what people imagine, with Xiaran’s tendency to stutter when she’s nervous, she is incredibly desensitized to gore and does take to heart some advice Mu Qingfang gives to help her brother adjust.