The Balance of Three

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/44257282.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M, Multi
Fandom: 山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021)
Relationship: Wen Kexing/Ye Baiyi/Zhou Zishu
Character: Ye Baiyi, Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu
Additional Tags: cultivation, Fix-It, Snarky Ye Baiyi, Flirty Wen Kexing
Language: English
Collections: Holly Poly 2022
Stats: Published: 2023-01-16 Words: 1792

The Balance of Three

by Anonymous

Summary

Ye Baiyi just wants to go home to his mountain, not rescue this pair of hopeless brats again.

Ye Baiyi sent the brat Wen Kexing on his way, checked to be sure young Zhang Chengling was in
good hands with Beiyuan and Wu Xi, ate several bowls of noodles in the next town over, and
headed back out on the road towards Changming Mountain.

He was about a day and a half into his journey when a foreign emotion, a great terror of shock and
fear, went ringing through his meridians like a resounding bell.

He huffed impatiently even as the overwhelming torrent of it took him to his knees. “Little brat!”
he muttered, annoyed. “You weren’t actually supposed to try and die!” Some distance away, deep
in a mountain, there was a silent battle being waged between a newly revived and healed Zhou
Zishu trying to keep his zhiji alive, and that very same zhiji trying to do his level best to die giving
Zhou Zishu everything.

Lucky for them, there was a third factor no one had counted on. Ye Baiyi, in giving of his own life
force to forge a bond between Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu so that they could keep each other
alive, had tied himself in too. He could sense what they felt, and knew where they were.

"Always interrupting me, both of you brats!" he said, and then with a surge of effort rose up from
the ground, seeking the fastest way to the mountains where the pair were now lying with Zhou
Zishu holding Wen Kexing, trying with all his might to push life back into him. Ye Baiyi's
qinggong was very strong, and though the distance was far, he covered it in a little over ten hours.

When he reached the mountain, he was confronted with a huge pile of snow, and immediately
sought for the weakest, most loosely packed part, at the top of the heap. He judged the entrance to
be not far underneath, and blasted a tunnel through. They might not be able to get back out, but he
could certainly get in.

Along the way he stopped to pull a key in the form of a hairpin out of the lock and smiled to
himself. "So that's how he did it. Clever of you, brat, your zhiji was wearing this on his head the
whole time." He passed through a series of open doors, through a still and silent courtyard save for
two lamps burning, and stopped to light a third, before continuing into the depths of the mountain
into a room that smelt of old grain and new qi.

Wrapped in Zhou Zishu's arms, Wen Kexing lay, his white hair and the look of peace on his face
making him appear almost ethereal. Only the faintest motion of his chest betrayed that he still
breathed. Zhou Zishu himself was deep in meditation, hands pressed to Wen Kexing's head, a look
of urgent desperation on his face.

"Fools, the pair of you," Ye Baiyi said, approaching. Neither seemed to hear. "And once again Ye
Baiyi steps into the breach." He sat down within easy reach of both, laying one hand on Wen
Kexing's chest and the other on Zhou Zishu's back, then slipped into meditation himself.

Cultivation with another person could be dangerous. You had to not only be on the same
wavelength as them, but also have communicated your desires and needs effectively beforehand.
Long years of practice and failure taught Ye Baiyi this. It was plain to see that although the
problem was different than had existed between himself and Rong Changqing, the effect was
similar.

Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu were so eager to die for each other that both had forgotten they
needed to live for each other. Wen Kexing had given everything to Zhou Zishu, including all his
own life force, holding nothing back, and Zhou Zishu had responded by doing the same. The result
was a topsy-turvy transfer of power from one to the other, like a seesaw swinging up and down, not
a balanced state where both existed in harmony. What Ye Baiyi needed to do was hold them both
close, steady them, and bring all three of them back to equilibrium.

He reached out to Zhou Zishu first. "Qin Huaizhang's foolish disciple, listen to me," he said into
Zhou Zishu's mind.

The response he got back from Zhou Zishu was a hazy "...? Ye-qianbei?"

"Pay attention instead of panicking," he snapped. "Let me be your anchor; pass the energy through
me instead of throwing it wildly at him."

Zhou Zishu breathed out a long low sigh and began to do as instructed. Wen Kexing's breathing
slowly got deeper, steadier, and before too much longer, he became aware, reaching out on his own
to make contact with first Zhou Zishu and then Ye Baiyi.

"Ah-Xu?" he whispered into the bond between the three of them. "Old Monster?"

"Brat!" Ye Baiyi said. "Foolish child, you had to be willing to die, but actually trying to die was
unnecessary!"

"I know that now," Wen Kexing snapped back, and then more softly, "...thank you."

"Lao Wen, rest," Zhou Zishu said. "And make me this promise: don't try to die for me again."

"Only if you promise the same," Wen Kexing said.

Something like a mental sigh escaped Zhou Zishu. "Very well," he said. "Living for each other
only, from now on."

"Spare me your theatrics," Ye Baiyi said with a groan. "This is the last time I'm saving you."

Some time passed as they cycled energy through the three of them, each turn resulting in greater
balance, until after who knows how long, they stirred back to wakefulness in the real world.

Zhou Zishu was the first of them to wake up; he squeezed Wen Kexing's hand and pressed a kiss to
his forehead. Wen Kexing and Ye Baiyi both awoke at the same time, Ye Baiyi getting to his feet
with a grunt of effort (mostly faked). Wen Kexing sat up, sliding his hand into Zhou Zishu's.

"Well, I'll be off," Ye Baiyi said. "Having once again saved your lives, of course. Don't embarrass
me with your thanks."

"Don't go," Wen Kexing said, standing up. Zhou Zishu followed, glancing over at Wen Kexing
with a confused look. Wen Kexing caught it, and hastily added, "We need to make sure the cure
takes. I could fall over again at any minute."

Sighing heavily, Ye Baiyi turned back. "Little fool," he began, but was caught by Zhou Zishu
looking sideways at Wen Kexing, raising an eyebrow. Whatever he saw in Wen Kexing's face
seemed to satisfy him, for he held up his hand.

"Don't protest, Ye-qianbei," he said. "Stay here with us, for a while at least. I know we have
nothing to offer you except ice and snow, but we would be grateful for your company."

For the first time in a very long while, words slipped out of Ye Baiyi's mouth without any thought
whatsoever. "Oh, you both have much to offer, if you were inclined."

"Ah?" Wen Kexing said, mouth agape. Then, teasingly, "do you find us attractive, Old Monster?"

He turned back toward them fully, giving them each a long slow look. It was true, they were both
very attractive, and he'd known it since they'd first met, many months ago now. It would never do
to let them think it, though. "Neither of you are repulsive, I'll say that. And I'll wager you, little
fool, with your mouth, you could be pleasing enough, if your lover isn't too jealous to let me have a
try."

Zhou Zishu laughed. "Lao Wen's the jealous one, between us. But I would bet, myself, that he'd
consider you an exception." He gathered Wen Kexing close, steadying him. "Come, let's see what
this place has to offer in the way of beds. I'm certain I spotted living spaces when we explored
earlier."

Faced with the practicality of that suggestion, Ye Baiyi came to Wen Kexing's other side. He was
well, but clearly exhausted, to the point that when Ye Baiyi took his arm, he tipped his head to the
side, letting it rest on Ye Baiyi's shoulder for a moment. "Are you glad you didn't kill us now?"
Wen Kexing asked, and something about the way he said it caught and rankled in Ye Baiyi's skin.

"Little fool, of course I'm glad. You're such trouble though, and now you're immortal, you can be
trouble forever if you want to be. I hope I die soon and escape it quickly!"

Guided by Zhou Zishu, it didn't take long until they found a door that led to living quarters. There
was no food, as expected, but there were plenty of beds and bedding. Most of the bedding was in
good condition despite the length of time left unattended, protected by the cold and by being sealed
away from the air in great stone chests carved out of the rock itself.

Ye Baiyi fished through the furs and cloth, wondering if this quilt or that fur was one Rong Xuan
had slept on. He pulled out several of the largest and warmest, bringing them over to one of the
bigger beds.

Zhou Zishu settled Wen Kexing down in the middle of the bed, furs beneath him, blankets over
him, arms around him. "Ye-qianbei, please join us, there's room," he said, and Ye Baiyi lay down
on Wen Kexing's other side, drawn to his warmth but hesitant to get too close. Wen Kexing was
clearly exhausted after so much time just barely clinging on to life, kept alive by Zhou Zishu's will
only, and Zhou Zishu was tired too, though trying not to show it.

"Rest," Ye Baiyi commanded. "When was the last time you both just shut your eyes and enjoyed
sleep with no worries or cares, knowing you were safe?"

"I was sixteen years old..." Zhou Zishu murmured sleepily.

"I was eight," Wen Kexing whispered even more sleepily.

Ye Baiyi could not help but feel a pang of pity for them, and more so for Wen Kexing, since that
was partly his fault. "Well, brats, you can now. You have all the time in the world to sleep now, if
you want. Sleep a night, a week, sleep 'til Spring. Ye Baiyi will be here, and nothing will disturb
this mountain while you rest."

Wen Kexing's eyes were already shut, and Zhou Zishu tucked himself close against his zhiji's side,
head on Wen Kexing's shoulder, eyes drifting closed. Ye Baiyi lay a little apart from them, but
after a moment, inched closer, sank into the heat of their body warmth, pressed a kiss to each of
their foreheads and closed his own eyes.

He would just....

....rest his eyes...

...for a moment.

...Just for a little while.

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