Jinse pinched his brow as he walked through the shadows of the streets, with Wuye radiating a smug energy quite close behind him. Jinse hadn't felt so embarrassed in such a long time. It was just a few words but for some reason hearing Wuye stating aloud anything about Jinse's affection towards Xueye made him panic more than hearing the news he had from Wuye weeks ago. Now Jinse was annoyed because he could tell Wuye knew just how those words were getting under his skin.
"Care to share why you deign to interrupt a nice evening?" Jinse huffed bitterly as he leaned against the wall of the small alley he'd ducked into.
"I'm sorry," Wuye sighed heavily, the smug attitude faded instantly. "You know I wouldn't right now if it wasn't important."
"He's free, isn't he?" Jinse asked with a quiet tension in his voice. Jinse figured there would only be one reason, considering Wuye wasn't cracking jokes in the way he expected.
"I sensed the return of divinity recently, somewhere out in the sea. I tried to track him down as per the boss's request, which was great since I didn't have to try to do it secretly for you, but somehow he's veiled his presence. I went to the island that he must have been sealed on, but he was nowhere to be found. I don't know how he managed to get off it considering he likely has no worshipers in the current era."
"Perhaps some of his more long lived ones aren't actually dead…" Jinse crossed his arms and turned the information over in his head. The Heavenly Emperor could have released the Water God personally if he wanted to talk. It didn't make much sense to Jinse why he would wait until he vanished among the populace. "Why only now did your boss want to see him?"
"I couldn't say. He didn't elaborate anything past 'find him!'" He deepened his voice in an imitation of the Heavenly Emperor. That was as far as his usual carefree attitude went before he returned to a more grim expression. "All I know is somehow in the short time he's been free he is gaining worshipers again. There's not many but he's received a handful of prayers again up there. Currently, they have come from here in the capital. I wasn't given any more details than that."
"He's powerless without them…" Jinse hummed softly. "He's weak. That's why he's hiding with what little power he does have."
"It will be quite some time before he can regain enough power to remotely compete with you. We have time." Wuye stated calmly as he started thinking about what his own next move would be.
"We, huh?" Jinse smirked at him.
"Ah! Yeah…" Wuye realized he'd slipped up. Though he made it clear he was intent on helping Jinse get to him first, it was another thing entirely to admit it aloud. "I was hoping you would allow me to pretend to be one of your little minions a while longer. I'm not allowed to go back until I find him."
"Is it pretend if you are actually working to find him for me?" Jinse teased.
"Okay, smartass," Wuye chuckled. "Just don't tell my other boss, else I'll never be able to serve you again, Master."
"Planning on making it a regular occurrence?" Jinse snickered.
"Don't get too cocky," Wuye crossed his arms. "Seriously though, if he finds out we are both probably dead. Then who will help that sweetheart of yours?"
"Trust me, I'd rather not meet him at all." Jinse shook his head. "Also, don't refer to Xueye that way ever again."
"Oh! So you haven't-!" Wuye couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You, who outmatched me in charming the Sun's unconquerable High Priestess way back when? You haven't admitted you care for a sweet young man that obviously likes you?"
"That was different!" Jinse snapped. "I was different. I didn't care then, I was just better at reading people's desires back then than you."
"I still don't get it. I met him for a mere moment and I could tell," Wuye caught his breath. "Here I thought you didn't want history to repeat."
"It's his choice," Jinse sighed, knowing full well that he wasn't the only one Xueye fancied. "Besides, Xueye doesn't know what I am. I doubt he knows anything about that dragon either." Jinse grumbled and placed his hands on his hips. "I guess I shouldn't play around so much with that ignorant lizard if I want his help." Jinse realized he still hadn't had a chance to talk to Shizhe either, he'd heard she was unwell so he hadn't wanted to push the matter when it was less urgent at the time. "Did you happen to speak with the Moon before you left?"
"I haven't recently," Wuye huffed, recalling how she seemed not in the least worried when she of all the gods should have been most bothered by it all. "Last time I did she didn't seem concerned in the slightest, strangely enough."
"She probably has already guessed what I'll do about it all," Jinse smirked sinisterly. It was actually quite promising that she didn't see the need to intervene. It meant that she too wanted the Water God dead. "I wonder if she's seen the outcome already."
"She must have to not seem the slightest bit ruffled," Wuye shugged. "The future is always changing, though, so don't get too cocky."
"I know," Jinse nodded solemnly. "It just means for the time being that everything is on the right path for us. Certainly if that changes the Master Diviner will know."
Wuye was starting to wonder if this was all planned from the Moon Goddess from the start of this. Often she didn't directly pick the abilities her children had, but he knew in recent centuries she had started influencing them a bit more. At first he thought it was to work out the nasty downsides that often came with her blessings. He knew she despised harm coming to her children after all. However things were falling into place a little too neatly.
The Moon Goddess protected Jinse's whereabouts all these years. The one mortal with knowledge of how to kill a god has managed to evade all the notice of the gods for all this time, sure at a glance it was in favor of protecting her children that appeared in the Meigui family but Xueye's misfortune seemed all too perfect a pair with Jinse's ability to manipulate fortune. Then there is Shizhe, currently perfectly placed in the palace as the current emperor's advisor, who happened to be a dragon that Shizhe asked Jinse to assist with his emerging instincts, therefore setting up a possibility for Jinse to seek Yushi's aid.
Wuye couldn't help but wonder where he fell into her plan or if the Heavenly Emperor was in on it. If it truly were a sinister move on her part she wouldn't have Wuye involved in the least. If she could set pieces into place so easily with the perfect covers should anyone pry, then why have the nosiest of gods at the core of it all?
"You're piecing something together, aren't you?" Jinse recognized that face. There was some puzzle that Jinse wasn't privy to rolling around in Wuye's head.
"Just the opposite really," Wuye sighed. He wouldn't know until later, he supposed. "It's nothing for you to worry about."
Wuye wasn't going to tell Jinse that the Moon Goddess could be orchestrating it all to bring about the Water God's end. Jinse already had a tentative relationship with the gods at best after the whole ordeal with the Water God's fall. If anything were to set Jinse off it likely would be that he and those he cared for were being used for one of their grand plans.
"Well, let's head back to the Den," Jinse shrugged, waving for Wuye to follow. "You can get acquainted with Hu Ning. She runs everything in my stead, especially the spread of information which should help you."