Chapter 6: The Soft overcomes The Hard
-Jingwei (Fu Hua)-
What is going on?
Jingwei couldn't help but wander as she sat at the familiar dining table. A spread of food lay before her, each dish meticulously arranged. Her gaze wandered across the table. To her left, at the far end, sat Xi Wangmu, the Goddess of the Western Heavens, the one who had been trying to recruit her since the moment she stepped into the city three weeks ago.
At the time, the Fenghuang Immortal had been minding her own business at the market, enjoying some dumplings, when she first felt that invasive gaze. She was able to trace it westward, but that was it. She chalked it up to a rather skilled Martial Artist, and although curious, she let it be.
What she hadn't expected was to receive an invitation from the patron Celestial of the city herself the very next day.
The bluenette wasn't a disrespectful person, and curiosity had nudged her toward acceptance. She had wondered what a Celestial truly looked like, what aura they carried, and how powerful they were, having a distinct feeling that she'd never met one.
The dinner itself had been pleasant—conversation flowing as easily as the wine—but towards the end, Xi Wangmu asked her to join her familia.
A strong sense of aversion instantly surged in Jingwei's heart, as a voice sounding eerily similar to her own sounded in her mind:
"The martial path is not one of victory, but of abandonment — of others, of peace, of oneself."
So she had politely declined, only for that same invasive gaze to prick at her awareness again, accompanied by the question that made her freeze: "You're not completely human, are you?"
In that instant, everything clicked, and in a heartbeat, she had bolted. Since then, the game of cat and mouse has continued with Xi Wangmu's familia.
Now though, Jingwei knew that the chase had come to an end. Her eyes shifted to the right, to the seat directly opposite the smug goddess. A black and blue figure hissed softly in pain each time Jianxin touched his injuries, infusing Chi to accelerate recovery.
"He who gives all of himself to others loses his center; he who keeps all to himself loses his heart." Tet had said a few hours ago as they overlooked the desolate plains where she had apparently been reborn from an egg.
The words were cryptic, but she understood some of it? Apparently not as Tet had shaken his in amusement while muttering, "And here I was enjoying pulling a Lao Tzu…"
"I'll put in a way your blockhead self will understand," He had ignored her pointed look. "Compassion without restraint becomes self-effacement; goodness without firmness becomes weakness. To help others wisely, you must first remain centered in your own principles. If you give everything away—your time, your peace, your identity—you lose the ability to act rightly. If you isolate yourself completely—refusing to share, to love, to connect—you lose the warmth and empathy that make you human. Humanity is realized through relationships: parent and child, friend and friend, ruler and subject. To wall yourself off is to wither inwardly; form is preserved, yet spirit is hollow."
As he spoke then, the fog in her mind began to clear. She finally grasped the essence of what he was trying to convey.
Yet even after that, the thought that had arisen when Xi Wangmu asked her to join her Familia returned, pressing against her conscience, "The martial path is not one of victory, but of abandonment — of others, of peace, of oneself."
Looking over the plains where she had supposedly fought, she asked herself, was I wrong?
The God of Games had clearly noticed her struggle at the time and offered a suggestion. "What if you traveled with me—" As if anticipating her objection, he lifted his hand in surrender. "—you don't have to join my familia. Just travel alongside me. See a world no longer ravaged by monsters, an age where mortals are seizing their own destinies."
Jingwei fell silent briefly before she had asked, "Is that all?" Instinct told her there was more to his suggestion, she just didn't know what.
The colorful God stuck his tongue out playfully. "Ah, it seems I've been seen through. In that case, I'll be frank. I'm curious about the martial knowledge of The Founder. I want to understand the kind of brilliant mind that thinks so differently from others… and learn from her."
Just recalling the sincere compliment brought a flush to her cheeks once more. She cast another glance at the bruised figure, who looked at his disciple with quiet gratitude.
….
-Tet-
These injuries… are totally worth it! Tet thought, opening his mouth as Jianxin placed a piece of duck in his mouth with her chopsticks.
Who could resist being fed and healed by a pretty girl at the same time?
A sharp voice cut through his thoughts. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, thief. Perhaps this Empress didn't hit you hard enough?"
He glanced up, his attention pulled to the opposite end of the table. Xi Wangmu's expression was unreadable, but the subtle glint in her golden eyes betrayed her amusement. The sadistic glee dancing in them at the sight of his bruises was unmistakable.
"What are you talking about Wang'er?" He inwardly smiled at the twitch of her eyes, "…You were so… so…" He trailed off, eyes flicking down shyly before he muttered, "…rough."
Clink!
The sound of a cup being set down echoed sharply.
Xi Wangmu's lips curled into a smile, "Repeat that. This Empress did not hear you clearly, Tet."
When a woman who usually doesn't call your name says name, that's when you know the situation is dire. Tet knew it was time to deploy his trump card he acquired during his beating.
His eyes drifted to the young white-haired girl sitting nearest the Goddess, watching everything with awkward curiosity, and he looked at her pleadingly. "Jinhsi… your Goddess is bullying me."
"You-" Xi Wangmu's eyes widened at this surprise move clearly not having expected him to see through her 'weakness', with said weakness now pursing her lips at her Goddess.
"Lady Xi…" All it took was a single glance from his savior for the evil goddess to fold to her child's unspoken demands.
In the God of Play's eyes, the world seemed to dim before Jinhsi's radiant figure, Truly worthy of being a five star character!
"Master Tet." Jianxin called out, smiling patiently as she held a chopstick near his mouth.
"To have a filial disciple like you, dear Jianxin, I'm truly blessed," Tet said sincerely, taking a bite of the golden rice.
The young Daoist blushed at the praise but smiled happily. "Thank you, Master."
"Hmph." Xi Wangmu snorted derisively, apparently finding his words laughable, though she remained silent, well aware that her dear disciple wouldn't think ill of him.
Instead, the Goddess turned her attention to Fu Hua. "Jingwei, did this thief promise you something?"
Oh? Trying to probe how close our relationship is, hm? Tet mused, entirely unconcerned about the possibility of the Immortal escaping his grasp—was this how it felt to be like Otto or Aizen?—After all, unlike Xi Wangmu, he hadn't hidden Jingwei's true identity. He'd been straightforward, telling her who she was and what he knew—her disciple Huangdi, her battle against the Level 9 monsters, her Spirit friend—when she'd kidnapped him.
The only omission was that he secretly hoped she'd join his familia. He'd said she didn't need to, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try.
Even the softest stream wears away the hardest stone.
"No," Jingwei shook her head. "But I will be traveling with Tet to see more of this world and how it has changed."
The Goddess's golden eyes widened. "You've regained your memories?" She didn't wait for an answer; her gaze darkened until all that remained were inky pools of black. "No… your spirit is still scattered."
Xi Wangmu's eyes flicked to the God of Play, realising that he had told Jingwei who she was in her past life.
Tet simply gave her an innocent smile, tilting his head as if he couldn't fathom the daggers in her gaze. Dear Wangmu, all is fair in love and war, and while this may be neither, the principle still applies.
"I see…" After one last look at him, the Lady of Immortality ignored him and picked up her chopsticks.
The mortals in the room—Baizhi, Jinhsi, Jianxin, Dan Shu—who had overheard the conversation now looked at Jingwei with curiosity, eager to know who she truly was.
And seeing the plight of the forever-flat—though that might actually change, if his eyes weren't deceiving him—immortal, Tet offered her a hand.
"Xi Wangmu," hearing the non-affectionate way in which he called her, the Goddess' gold eyes locked with his mismatched eyes inquisitively. "Have you heard any news about the other God who descended with me?"
The Goddess's eyebrow arched up slightly, her lips curling upwards into a sly as she questioned, "And what if I have?"
What can you offer me for the information? Was what Tet realised she was truly asking.
He didn't miss how she set her chopsticks down, fingers closing into a fist.
Woman, you're not even hiding your intentions! And if there was one thing Tet excelled at—besides Gaming, Playing, and making Rules—it was handling unruly Goddesses.
"Jinhsi."
One name solved all his problems.
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A/N: For some reason Xi Wangmu reminds me of Ishtar from Fate.