Chapter 3: Two Weeks Later
-Tet-
Tet lazily tossed down a red card. "UNO," he said, flashing a grin.
Groans erupted around the small caravan.
Five others sat with him inside—the merchant, his wife, and their three children. The eldest, a tall eighteen-year-old boy with a neat ponytail, narrowed his eyes in mock irritation. The younger two, a pair of eleven-year-old twins—a boy and a girl—were clutching their cards like their lives depended on it.
"Lord Tet's cheating again!" the boy protested, puffing out his cheeks.
Tet raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. "Cheating? I'm the God of Games, not the God of Losing~."
The merchant's wife chuckled softly, her eyes kind. "Kids, don't accuse a Celestial of cheating. You'll bring bad luck upon us."
Tet only laughed, waving it off. "No worries, Madam Chi. I don't deal in misfortune, only entertainment."
Her husband, Chi Ren, chuckled beside her, his beard bobbing with each laugh. "Lord Tet, your words bring warmth even in the coldest wind."
The bobbed hair God smiled faintly, but before he could reply, a muffled knock came from the outside of the caravan.
"Mr. Chi You're at the front of the queue for Ji City!"
Chi Ren blinked, then quickly gathered his cards, placing them neatly on the small table. "Ah, looks like it's our turn."
Tet stretched, setting his own cards down. "Seems it's my time to leave too."
The twins instantly pouted.
"Aww, can't Lord Tet stay longer?" the boy whined.
"Yeah! Just one more round!" his sister added, clutching her cards tightly.
Before Tet could answer, Madam Chi sighed, giving the twins a gentle glare. "Don't trouble Lord Tet. He's been kind enough to accompany us this far."
The twins drooped, guilt written across their faces.
Tet chuckled lightly. "No need to look so disappointed," he said, snapping his fingers.
In a faint shimmer of light, a chessboard, a mahjong set, and three additional UNO decks appeared on the table before them.
The children gasped in awe just like the first time he summoned the uno set.
"This is my gift. A token of thanks for the lift. Make sure you share, alright?" Tet said with a grin.
The twins' faces lit up, excitement replacing their earlier pout. Madam Chi, however, brought them back to their senses with a firm cough. "What do you say?"
"Thank you, Lord Tet!" they chorused, bowing their heads deeply.
The God of Play laughed, standing up and straightening his beret. "Good children~."
He stepped out of the caravan alongside Chi Ren, who hurried to thank him again before leading the way forward.
Outside, Jianxin was waiting with three of the caravan guards and the driver, all standing before the imposing gates of Ji City.
The walls were high, layered in white stone with tiled roofs curving upward like wings. Vermilion lanterns hung from the gate's arch, and the intricate golden calligraphy of Ji City gleamed proudly above. Unlike the simple wooden entrance of Mingyun Village, this one was grand, ornate, and guarded by soldiers in lamellar armor, clearly marking it as the capital of Ji Province.
As Tet stepped down, Jianxin turned as though sensing his presence. Her emerald eyes locked with his mismatched ones, and she beamed.
"Master Tet."
The moment she called out, the four city guards noticed him and froze. He was a sight for sore eyes wasn't he?
"H-Honoured Celestial!" one blurted, nearly dropping his spear as all four snapped to attention and saluted.
Tet offered an easy smile, answering in a friendly tone, "No need to stand on ceremony. Just let my friend through."
The guards instinctively straightened. "Y-Yes, Honoured Celestial!"
Chi Ren bowed quickly. "My deepest thanks, Lord Tet."
Two of the guards moved to inspect the cargo and carriage, another began checking the documents, while the fourth—clearly more nervous than the rest—hesitated before Tet, glancing between him and Jianxin.
"I take it there won't be any trouble with me entering the city?" Tet asked with a raised brow, curious if there were any rules against Gods not part of Kunlun.
The guard shook his head rapidly. "N-No, Honoured Celestial! However, we… we will need to notify Lady Xi."
The boyish God tilted his head. "Xi?"
The guard straightened, clearly proud to explain. "Lady Xi Wangmu, also known as the Lady of the Western Heavens. She is the patron Celestial of the Ji Province."
Tet's smile turned brittle, his expression paling instantly.
Fuck…
Maybe he should've listened when Jianxin offered to brief him on which gods ruled each province instead of leaving it as a "fun surprise."
Should I start packing? he thought grimly, glancing up at the towering gates. They suddenly looked less like an entrance and more like a guillotine waiting to drop.
Sensing his silence, Jianxin's brows furrowed slightly. "Is something the matter, Master Tet?"
Outwardly, Tet's expression remained calm, but inside, his thoughts sang a different tune. My dear disciple, this master of yours had eyes yet failed to see Mount Tai… daring to—and successfully—coveting Xi Wangmu's Peaches of Immortality back in Tenkai with none other than my good friend, Sun Wukong.
What would she think if she knew that?
He inwardly sighed. Ah yes, the saying… I'd lose all face if she ever found out.
So Tet just chuckled softly and said, "How do I put it… Xi Wangmu has a strong personality."
The guard nodded in complete agreement. "Indeed, Lady Xi's Familia is made entirely of women. She does not hate men, but… she is indifferent toward them."
If she saw my face, there's no way she'd stay indifferent, Tet thought, feeling an equal amount proud and terrified.
Maybe he should skip town the very moment he enters?
Bang!
The nervous guard yelped as one of his comrades smacked him on the back of the head. "Are you insane? Talking behind Lady Xi's back, do you want to lose your post?"
The chastised guard shook his head rapidly, bowing in apology.
The senior guard then turned toward Tet and Jianxin, bowing respectfully. "Honoured Celestial, as this fool said, you may enter freely. However, we will need to notify Lady Xi, it would be disrespectful not to, given this is her territory."
Tet smiled faintly. "I appreciate the straightforwardness. Feel free to do your job, I won't hold you."
The guard exhaled in relief, nodding gratefully before signaling for the others to make way.
Jianxin turned to Chi Ren, cupping her hands respectfully. "If fate wills it, we shall meet again, Mr. Chi."
The merchant smiled warmly, bowing his head. "Then may the winds carry fortune to your steps, Lady Jianxin, Lord Tet."
Tet followed with a relaxed wave. "Take care of your family, Chi. And don't forget to shuffle those decks~."
With that, they stepped toward the gates of Ji City together.
….
-Xi Wangmu-
The Queen Mother of the West released a quiet hum, her golden eyes half-lidded in satisfaction as she reclined on her throne. Skilled hands worked diligently at her feet, kneading away tension with practiced rhythm.
The throne room was silent save for the soft rustle of silk curtains and the faint trickle of water from the jade fountains lining the hall. Incense smoke coiled lazily toward the ceiling, carrying the fragrance of peach blossoms, a scent she had come to favor.
She was sure that, to an outsider, she looked serene, untouchable even. But, despite her outward calmness, her thoughts were the opposite.
Her mind wandered back to two weeks ago—to the sky-shattering pillars of light that tore through the heavens, heralding the descent of not one, but two gods. One to the north, in Jing Province, domain of Chang'e. The other in Yu Province, home of Hou Yi.
The irony of it had not escaped her, even earning an amused snort from her.
But amusement had quickly given way to curiosity.
Who had descended this time?
Perhaps the ever-studious Wenchang Wang, finally taking a reprieve from his scrolls? Or maybe Yama, who had at last snapped under the burden of managing the endless tides of souls in the Underworld?
…Or.
A cold snort escaped her lips—
The arrogant monkey.
Her fingers twitched slightly on the armrest, memories flashing unbidden—the chaos, the chase, the shattered silence of her orchard. The trees torn bare, her peaches—her sacred Peaches of Immortality—stolen by that wretched ape and her equally insufferable companion.
The God of Play, Tet.
The so-called weakest god of Tenkai.
Her golden eyes narrowed, as the storm that long simmered began to rise up. That insufferable man dared to steal from this Empress-!
Knock! Knock!
The sound at the throne room door broke her train of thought.
"Enter." She commanded.
The large gold and red doors opened soundlessly.
A young woman stepped through, her movements quiet and refined. The first thing that caught Xi Wangmu's eye, as always, was her snow-white hair and the soft silver of her eyes, like moonlight reflected on still water.
"Jinhsi." Xi Wangmu greeted, her expression softening slightly. The irritation that lingered from her earlier thoughts melted away.
Her youngest always had that effect on her.
The girl bowed deeply, cupping her hands. "Lady Xi, regarding the matter you tasked me with, Jingwei continues to evade our Qi detection. The few encounters she's had with our Level Twos and Threes have ended poorly. None of them could withstand even a single exchange."
A faint crease formed between Xi Wangmu's brows. She noticed the hesitation in her child's tone. "Speak freely, Jinhsi."
Her gentle encouragement seemed to ease the girl's nerves. After a brief pause, Jinhsi straightened slightly, though her voice still carried the weight of reluctance. "Lady Xi, I… I believe we should call off the search for Jingwei. It's been three weeks with no meaningful progress. I don't think we should try to force her to join. So far, she's shown restraint, if we keep pushing, that may no longer be the case."
Xi Wangmu's fingers drummed lightly against the armrest of her throne. For a fleeting moment, she considered sighing, but she restrained the undignified impulse.
Little Hsi… I'm only doing this for your future, for all of my daughters.
If only she knew who Jingwei truly was.
A Sixth Realm Martial Artist. A Sage. A Transcendent. A half-step divine, equivalent to Level Nine. If I had such an individual within my Familia, we would stand unshaken in the Lower World. Even the strongest Familias would think twice before crossing us.
The Queen Mother's golden eyes flickered, just for a moment, with naked ambition. Her immortal heart stirring with the faintest echo of greed.
But when her gaze met her daughter's, the fire dimmed.
No…these girls wouldn't survive the price that comes with that kind of ambition.
The Lady of the Western Heavens smoothed her expression, the regal calm returning to her features. "Call off the search," she commanded.
Her lips curved ever so slightly when Jinhsi visibly relaxed, relief softening her delicate features. The little Long was always easy to read.
"As you command, Lady Xi," she said, bowing again. But there was still hesitation in her silver eyes.
Xi Wangmu raised a finely shaped brow. "Is there anything else, Hsi?"
The girl flushed faintly at the familiar nickname but nodded. "One of the two Celestials who descended two weeks ago… I received word from the city guards that he's entered Ji City."
"Oh?" Xi Wangmu's interest stirred again. "Did you get a name?"
Jinhsi nodded. "Tet."
The slowly unraveling Arcanum that followed was overbearing enough to make the air vibrate.
The Queen Mother of the West was not amused.
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A/N: Now that I finally don't feel like my head is going to explode from a cold (meaning it's gotten somewhat better), here's a chapter. Let's see how handles the woman whose peaches (heh) he may or may not have stolen…