Chapter 2: Of Gods and Martial Arts
-Shion-
Shion was happy.
She was happy to meet Tet today, just as she wished she could every single day, instead of only once, twice, or—if she was lucky—four times a week when he wasn't busy toying with their fellow gods.
Sometimes she wished she could muster up the courage to kill them tell them to leave her Tet alone.
Still, this was not enough to dampen her mood. Today, Shion was the happiest woman alive.
Why?
I was finally able to confess to Tet!
…
Well… mostly… probably? Maybe?
Her husband best friend wasn't that dense, was he? She basically spelled out her feelings for him this time around instead of just wearing a shorter skirt that barely covered her thighs, or a tighter hoodie that accentuated her breasts.
Right?
At this point, Shion would have begun panicking and second-guessing herself, but the thing was she already was, and it wasn't because of her confession.
The Goddess of Misfortune swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on the adult-sized, white-furred monkey creature sizing her up.
A Jueyuan! She had heard of it, one of the monsters native to Shenzhou. Ambushers of lone female travelers, guided by a vile, heightened sense of smell in that one area… forcing women to bear its children.
Only Tet can give me a child!
Shion didn't even consider—or remember—that gods couldn't have children. Her timidness melted away as her eyes fell on the bracelet on her arm.
"A mere monster daring to defile a god—"
The creature lunged—
Shion's hand unhooked the bracelet—
.…
"All will be revealed… in lunar flame."
An ethereal voice rang in the forest.
The air chilled in an instant, the trees froze over, glowing faintly silver as a crescent slash of frozen light tore through the Jueyuan.
Shion stared in shock, the bracelet dangling from her hand, as the monster's upper half toppled to the ground.
Her trance broke only when the same feminine voice asked, "Are you unharmed?"
The Goddess of Poverty's head whipped to the side, eyes widening briefly at the mortal before her.
She was a slender young woman with white-blue hair, her eyes hidden behind a blindfold marked with a crescent. Her moonlit dress was adorned with ribbons and clouds, finished with dark, heeled boots. Altogether it gave her a striking, otherworldly presence that made Shion briefly think she was a god, until she felt no divinity from her.
Still, after her close call, Shion kept her guard raised.
"Y-You are?" she asked, inwardly berating herself for fumbling again. Would this mortal laugh at her too? Socialising was hard.
"Captain of the Chang'e Familia, Jingliu."
….
-Tet-
"Would you mind telling me about yourself?" Tet asked, taking a slow sip of green tea as he studied the black-and-white-haired girl seated opposite him. "If you'd rather not answer, that's fine too, just treat it as the whimsy of a god~." He gestured toward the chessboard between them, subtly indicating the ongoing game.
Jianxin shook her head, smiling softly. "To share one's knowledge or heart is to strengthen the bonds of humanity. This Daoist's humble life experience is at the disposal of Honoured Celestial; I do not mind sharing."
Tet raised an eyebrow, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Jianxin, there's no need to call me Honoured Celestial. Tet is fine. My ego isn't as fragile as some of my fellow gods, who constantly feel the need to assert their authority. Do they not know that 'One who believes in himself has no need to convince others'?"
Hook…
The Martial Artist's eyes lit up at the quote, her expression brightening. "Are you… too a follower of the Tao, Tet?"
Line…
The God of Games smile turned playful. "Follower is not the right word, Jianxin~. After all, whether they know it or not, everyone is following the Tao in one way or another. So calling them followers is a misnomer, you understand~?"
Her eyes widened at his words. Without hesitation, she placed her teacup down, cupping her hands in front of her and bowing respectfully. "This Daoist is grateful for your teachings, Master Tet."
Sinker…
That was easier than stealing candy from a baby. He felt a faint pang of guilt for drawing her in like this, only slightly though. After all, Jianxin was someone he wanted in his Familia.
She was a five-star character—cough!—a skilled Martial Artist! He wanted to see her reach heights beyond even the original Martial Arts founder, the Phoenix Immortal Fu Hua.
I'm not going to even question her existence in this world.
That woman was extraordinary. She could dust mountains, part clouds and seas, defeat monsters of levels seven, eight, and nine, and had even severed two wings from the Acnologia Expy—the One-Eyed Black Dragon—all without Falna!
Tet was certain she could even give non-combatant gods a run for their money. Especially considering that most of those gods neither trained nor sought alternative ways to wield their powers.
The very thought of nurturing someone to reach Fu Hua's level made his ancient heart race with excitement. With the memories of his last life, he could only compare it to leveling a character to eighty or ninety and pushing them to ascend.
There's no need to rush for now. Tet inhaled slowly, calming himself, and turning his attention back to Jianxin. "I'm no Master, Jianxin. Just an average god, well, 'average' is generous. Some might even call me the weakest God in Tenkai."
Much like his other self once was in No Game No Life. But, just as with his counterpart, that was no longer the case. Ever since regaining the memories of his human life, even with his Arcanum sealed, Tet could feel his power had grown immeasurably.
It was strange, unexpected, suspicious even. It made him wonder if there was more to his reincarnation. More so when he couldn't access the power of the One True God, and even if his Arcanum were unsealed, he would still only be bound by DanMachi's power scale.
A condition needs to be met? As a proud gamer and fiction enthusiast—thanks to his past life—Tet could make a few educated guesses. A Happy Ending… defeating old one-eye? Preventing Bad Ends?
As for existing purely as entertainment for some higher being?
It is what it is~ It'd be hypocritical of him to complain when he himself had descended to Gekai for the very same reason. At least whoever was watching had good taste!
That alone earned them a mental thumbs-up from him. After all, entertainment couldn't reach its peak without him in it. Umu!
His amusing thoughts quickly dissolved when Jianxin smiled at him earnestly.
"One of my masters once said: He who teaches others is not diminished, but perfected. To guide another is the mark of a true master. This Daoist humbly asks if Master Tet will take her as a disciple." She cupped her hands and bowed deeply.
Tet's smile widened. "If you're this earnest, how could I say no, Jianxin~?" He poured himself more green tea.
Her face lit up instantly, the classic line spilling from her lips. "This disciple greets the Master!"
Tet paused briefly, as an intrusive thought wormed into his mind. Didn't Tang San say, a Teacher for a day, a Father for life? Should I tell Jianxin to call me daddy?
He shook his head, Perhaps once more familiarity has been established. These new memories do bring some interesting ideas. Maybe I should visit Uzume-chan~? Or Aglaea? Euphy probably misses me too. Aih~ who would've thought there'd be so many expies wandering around? Now that they were all here in the lower world, a get-together wouldn't hurt.
Anyway, he digressed.
"I wish to know more about my disciple."
Jianxin was startled by the question, her cheeks flushing as she realized they had strayed from the main topic. "Sorry, Master. When it comes to the Way, I tend to get distracted from other things."
Tet chuckled. "It's fine. Understandable even. I experience the same when facing formidable opponents in games."
Jianxin nodded, smiling with gratitude. "Where should I start?"
"My masters have taught me many things," she said softly. "My first, Master Shiling, discovered me in the mountains, living under the sky, resting on the earth, free among the green hills and animals. He told me that when he first met me, he offered guidance, but only if I could reach the top of the mountain myself. He said mastery requires effort, initiative, and understanding. From him, I learned patience and perseverance."
Jianxin paused, eyes distant for a moment, before continuing. "Master Deqing taught me precision and discipline. He was the one who told me that he who teaches is not diminished, but perfected. Repetition until perfection, attention to detail, control of one's Chi, these are the pillars of martial excellence."
"Then showed me the world beyond the mountains. He challenged my understanding of humanity. He told me, 'You are pure, but empty inside. To love is human, yet you don't love.' I disagreed with him back then, and instead of arguing, he told me to leave the mountains, for the world itself would teach me what I could not learn in seclusion."
Her lips softened into a faint smile. "From there, I traveled. I worked to support myself, helped others where I could, and trained relentlessly. In these two years, I discovered that love was not only emotion, but action—helping others, easing suffering, and embracing the hardships of the world."
"And still, my ultimate goal—beyond understanding the Way—is to reach the level of the original founder of martial arts, the Fenghuang Immortal Fu Hua. My masters said that before the descent of the gods, Fu Hua was revered as a Martial Goddess. She created the now-forgotten Taixuan Martial Arts, which she wielded to eradicate the Yaoguai, especially the Four Evil Fiends: Taotie, Qiongqi, Taowu, and Hundun."
Her voice grew firm, "But, Falna changed everything after the Celestials descended. It became the dominant path to growth, making chi mastery rare and underused. I want to change that. I want to reclaim the true martial path and share it, so that no one is ever defenseless again, so that mortals do not need to rely solely on Falna users for protection."
Jianxin finished, her eyes steady and resolute.
By the time she had spoken her dream, Tet had long since put down his tea. That conviction—that goal—had captured his full attention. Even without him, she was already walking the path.
For once, the playful nonchalance in the God of Play's eyes faded, and he truly looked at Jianxin. Not as Jianxin the five-star character from Wuthering Waves, but as Jianxin herself: a living, breathing person with dreams, ideals, and the will to realize them.
I fell into the same mindset as most of my kind. Tet inwardly clicked his tongue, Good thing I caught myself.
He reached out and gently patted his disciple's head, startling her. "I'll guide you," Tet said softly. "As your Master, my duty is to help you become the best version of yourself." The words were not just for her, but for himself as well.
Jianxin met his gaze, for a long moment she just looked into his eyes, and then—
"Thank you, Master!" She gave him a radiant smile.
Critical damage!
++++
A/N: Shion finally kinda-sorta confessed (Tet's denseness level: MAX according to her), got ambushed by a creepy monkey monster, and then got saved by the moonlit beauty who's definitely an Expy. Meanwhile, Tet sipped tea, flexed some Tao quotes, baited poor Jianxin like a pro, and walked away with a shiny new disciple who just hit him with a Critical Damage Smile.