N/A: Start getting into murky lore territory.
"Good morning Miss Wang!" Zhang Qinian walked down the streets of the Yin city. The old lady selling dumplings by the side of the road smiled and greeted back.
Zhang Qinian's head turned as the old lady asked a second question, "Is it the same time as usual? At the teahouse?" Zhang Qinian smiled and nodded, "Of course! I have many still have many stories collected over the years."
The old lady chuckled, "You seem to be very talented, Zhang. My friend told me down the road that you performed a circus act for the children."
Zhang smiled softly, "Yes I had many jobs and roles I used to do." The old lady raised an eyebrow. "You? You seem quite young, and already gone through so many jobs?"
Zhang chuckled "Haha, many thanks for the compliment. It was because I no longer needed to do those jobs. I mean who would want to work as a clown for their entire lives? I did work as a spy for a while, a magician as well I suppose. After that I became a play director and due to lack of workers I also had to work in the special effects section."
The old lady looked stunned, "So many jobs? And what plays?"
Zhang chuckled "My specialty was horror and mystique. I suppose now you could say I study history to find stories to tell. And I combine all my expertise to create enthralling stories and legends from old times."
The old lady looked amazed, "Alright, you get a go on then! Here have a few dumplings to take with you. I'll be there in the evening."
His eyebrow raised before waving goodbye to the old lady as he looked and gazed at the ancient scenery before him.
Zhang sighed before trudging the steps to the Emperor's palace. While his usual gig was to tell stories at the teahouse. It seemed that his stories had caught the attention of the Emperor Zhou himself.
Zhang soon took a sip of Uruk golden mead before sending it back up to the Sefirah Castle. Over the many years, he had realised his connection with the castle strengthened as he ascended to the many roles of the Fool card.
That was when he had learnt it's name, Sefirah Castle. Then there was the Spirit World, a world where many spirits and a few strange beasts would reside. It seemed it was one of the few worlds that phantasmal species and spirits could freely travel through.
The other was the so called reverse side of the world. Of course he only found out due to the Seven Lights. Turns out they recognised him as the ruler of the spirit world, asking him to quickly ascend and return to the throne.
But it was thanks to them that he had learnt a lot more about this world and the spirit world itself.
The spirit world was an amalgamation of everything, Tianzun only thought to ask what the spirit world doesn't know. Because asking what it knew as too troublesome.
It was then he had learnt that his monocle and rod were not just normal items, but uniquenesses that were needed to ascend back to the throne. They symbolised the other two powers he possessed.
However as of now, his focus was on studying history, and affecting the present. That cursed 300 years of separation from history was painfully boring.
Perhaps he would finish his ritual in this era...
For now he would remain a wandering storyteller by the name of Zhang Qinian.
"And with a thunderous strike, the bull of heaven collapsed and the two best friends collapsed in exhaustion. Enkidu the one of green had been cursed by the gods for committing the sacrilegious act of killing a divine beast."
The Emperor looked amazed and entertained, "And then? What happened after? This could not go unpunished!"
Tianzun smiled as he pointed his rod across the room addressing everyone there. "It was at that moment that the king realised his mortality... The rain crashed down hiding the king's tears. The king was made by the gods to bind them to humanity. The king's role was always to observe humans. He realised that with his limited lifespan, his greatest fear was not death."
The king looked saddened by no punishment for Ishtar, officially of course.
"His greatest fear was that he would not be able to complete his role. So the king sought to gain immortality using a mystical herb. The king travelled and endured many trials, even becoming ragged and no longer retaining the looks of a king."
Tianzun paused for effect, "After all these trials, the king finally obtained the herb and was returning back to the city of Uruk which had decline after he had left."
"It was at this moment that the king noticed his appearance and thought that he would take a bath by the lake. So the king put the herb on the side of the lake and took a bath. Little did he know that his herb would be eaten by a snake."
The king almost slumped down as if he had been coming to an exciting climax. As an emperor, he too had ideas of immortality.
But for a snake of all things to eat the herb, he would be furious.
Tianzun continued his story telling, "However, what came out of the king's voice was not rage, no, It was laughter. The king upon seeing this sight could only laugh as he realised the futility of his quest and the fleeting existence of human nature. A snake only driven by the instinct for hunger had foiled his plan, and left the first snake skin ever shedded."
"In that moment, the king returned to the city, not as the tyrant he once was, but a wise king who had witnessed all things. The quest for immortality may not have made him immortal, but it made him a far better king than before."
The emperor looked solemn as he compared himself to the ancient king. No doubt if it was him, he could not arrive at the same conclusion. He likely would have continued to be obsessed with immortality.
The emperor satisfied with the story asked his advisor to reward Tianzun with money as he sighed before turning to ask the woman beside him, "Daji, was that story to your liking?"
The woman was beautiful no doubt, however to Tianzun? It was a putrid stench, he could tell that this person was the worst kind of person. Even had admitted to it, he was an asshole for the love of the game. Ishtar? He didn't really hate her, he just wanted an excuse to drag someone high and mighty to zero.
This woman? No, this Daji was not really Daji. His eyes gazed at the two sets of spirit threads emerging from the woman. Something had possessed this woman, similar to how the gods had to possess a living vessel in order to descend.
This was someone he didn't like, for the first time in a long long time, Tianzun detested someone, he wasn't going to be an asshole for the sake of the game, he was going to be an asshole to defend the game he loved.
Of course, now was not the time but if the woman had any schemes, he would make sure to crush it thoroughly.
The woman winked at him as he bowed and left. That wink was disgusting. As he left, he summoned a rag from the historical void that he had once seen and used it to wipe himself as if to feel clean.
Tianzun stared at the sky where many spirit threads were shown dangling in his grasp. He had placed a few officials under his control otherwise he would have a hard time dealing with life here.
His demeanor changed as he soon arrived at the tea house, "Sorry everyone! I was late~ I'll make it up by extending my time today." He declared as the tea house clapped.
"Now recently I discovered and translated some ruins and texts."
"Now let me tell you the story of Gigantomachia."
//Next Chapter: The Scholar of Yore//