In the days that followed, Weining had virtually nothing to do. Apart from taking a stroll in the garden and visiting the Guanghan Palace once, she spent her time at the Heavenly River. It was truly excruciatingly boring.
Divine General Great Golden Crow was caught up in official duties and had been entirely out of sight for the past few days. Not only was the Heavenly River serene and vast, but she could also watch Ruoshui dance—a truly delightful sight.
Sitting at the edge of the highest Heavenly Sluice platform in the Heavenly Court, Weining leaned listlessly against the railing, completely devoid of energy.
"What's the matter with you?"
She snapped out of it and turned her head to look. It was Ruoshui, floating mid-air with a faint smile on her face, gazing quietly at her.
The sight of her brought a wave of peace to Weining's heart. Ruoshui's voice was just like her demeanor and grace—gentle, serene, and deeply relaxing!
An involuntary smile blossomed on her lips. "I'm fine, just with nothing to do all day. Staying in the Heavenly Court feels so stifling, I can't muster up an ounce of energy."
"The Heavenly Court is the most merciless place of all; it makes it hard to even breathe!" Ruoshui sighed.
Weining nodded repeatedly. "Mmm, mmm, mmm, you're right. That's exactly the feeling—just unable to catch one's breath. But still, the Heavenly Court governs the Three Realms and brings blessings to all living beings, so how can it be merciless?" She treasured every opportunity to understand the Heavenly Court and the Three Realms.
Ruoshui smiled without a word.
Not pressing the matter, Weining smiled and said, "Your dancing is so beautiful. After watching it, it feels as though all worries and sorrows vanish."
"This is the Dance of Emotions." Ruoshui drifted over to Weining, took her hand, and pulled her to her feet. "Let's dance together."
Going along with it, Weining floated mid-air beside Ruoshui. Being taught to dance by someone else for the very first time, she felt a thrill of excitement. "Then thank you for teaching me. I've really been wanting to learn."
With a smile, Ruoshui let go of her hand and began to dance gracefully in the air. Weining imitated her movements, dancing along, and gradually forgot everything else, immersing herself completely in the dance.
When the dance ended, Ruoshui gave her a radiant smile and sank back down into the water.
Watching her vanish, Weining smiled knowingly, and the heaviness in her heart melted away into nothingness.
Realizing that it was getting late, Weining waved goodbye to Ruoshui and turned to fly toward Pixiang Palace.
"Where have you been, coming back so late?"
Just as she landed in the courtyard, Great Golden Crow's voice rang out, giving Weining a start.
She turned around to see him sitting at the stone table in the courtyard. The pale moonlight washed over him as though he were draped in a rosy mist, adding a touch of gentleness to his presence.
Seeing him filled Weining with joy. "Why are you here? Have you been waiting long?"
He smiled faintly. "I haven't been here long. Come and sit."
She sat down across from him. "Aren't you so busy you can't even be found? How do you have the time to come over?"
Ignoring her teasing, Great Golden Crow raised a hand and pointed. Two cups of Jade Dew appeared on the table, and he pushed one toward her. Weining didn't stand on ceremony; she took it, took a sip, and looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
"His Majesty has issued an imperial edict summoning you to court tomorrow," he said slowly.
"To court? What for?" Weining asked curiously.
"That I wouldn't know. You'll find out when you go to court tomorrow," Great Golden Crow said with a smile, holding his teacup.
Thinking that made sense, Weining didn't press further.
"What have you been up to these past few days? I've been swamped with official duties and unable to keep you company, but you shouldn't just coop yourself up in the palace without going out. Go out for walks more often. Pixiang Palace isn't far from Guanghan Palace; you can go chat with Fairy Chang'e to pass the time." Great Golden Crow suggested as he topped off her Jade Dew.
"Fairy Chang'e likes quiet, so I can't go disturbing her at Guanghan Palace every day. I still prefer going down to the Heavenly Sluice. I ran into Ruoshui today, and she taught me how to dance. I had a wonderful time." Having worn herself out dancing today, Weining propped her chin on her hand and smiled back at him.
Great Golden Crow nodded with a smile. "That's good. I was worried you'd be bored to death."
Exhausted after a busy day, and with Great Golden Crow not being one for many words, the two sat quietly together, occasionally exchanging casual remarks, sipping Jade Dew, and enjoying the moonlight.
***
The next day, at Yaochi Pool:
"Fairy Weining is hereby specially conferred the title of Left Envoy of the Law Enforcement Department, ranking alongside Divine General Great Golden Crow as a Law Enforcement Deity. All immortals and officials shall wholeheartedly assist Fairy Weining, and let there be no negligence!" The Jade Emperor's deep voice proclaimed Weining's investiture—the very reason she had been summoned here today.
Knowing nothing of official ranks in the Heavenly Court, and finding it improper to suddenly pepper her fellow immortals with questions in such a grand setting, Weining simply accepted the decree outright.
"The duty of a Law Enforcement Deity is to uphold the Heavenly Statutes and punish any gods, mortals, demons, or others who violate them. A Law Enforcement Deity holds a position of supreme honor among the immortals, answering directly to His Majesty and myself." Queen Mother kindly explained with a smile, realizing that Weining did not understand the duties of Heavenly Court officialdom.
"Furthermore, considering that Fairy Weining is new to the Three Realms and unfamiliar with various matters, she is not required to handle the cumbersome official documents and memorials of the Law Enforcement Department; those shall remain under the charge of Right Envoy of the Law Enforcement Department, Great Golden Crow. However, as the Fairy possesses great magical power, she ought to temper herself within the Three Realms by subduing demons and vanquishing fiends to increase her cultivation. Nevertheless, the Fairy must thoroughly familiarize herself with the Heavenly Statutes so that she may handle matters smoothly and in accordance with the rules." The Queen Mother emphasized specifically.
Having previously had the privilege of touring Great Golden Crow's divine hall and seeing the endless piles of documents on his desk, Weining deeply sympathized.
Hearing that she wouldn't be stuck in the Heavenly Court handling paperwork all the time, and could instead go out to temper herself in the Mortal Realm, fell precisely in line with her wishes. Delighted, Weining replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this humble immortal will surely memorize the Heavenly Statutes inside and out!"
Seeing Weining's response, the Queen Mother smiled and nodded. With a flip of her left hand, a sizable scroll materialized. "Here are all thirteen thousand Heavenly Statutes. Take them and study them carefully."
A white-haired immortal attendant nearby stepped forward, bowed to receive the scroll, walked down the jade steps, and handed it to Weining.
Having had her wish granted, Weining was pure joy and paid no heed to the sheer volume of the Heavenly Statutes. She took them and tucked them into her sleeve.
"Where in the Mortal Realm do you intend to go? Inform me after court is dismissed, so that if the Heavenly Court has any matters arise in the future, we will know where to find you," the Queen Mother instructed.
Weining nodded in agreement, pondering deeply over where to settle down, and let everything else said in the hall pass right by her.
After a moment of reflection, she decided to go to Nuwa Palace on Mount Qingcheng. Since that was the Goddess's Daoist sanctuary, it would serve as the perfect foothold for her in the Mortal Realm.
After court concluded, Weining reported her itinerary to the Queen Mother. She then happily made her way to Great Golden Crow's divine hall to recount her grand ambitions to him. Once finished, she pushed her luck and pointed at the desks and shelves full of scrolls, saying, "A-Jin, you'll have to bear the burden of these endless major affairs of the Three Realms from now on."
Without lifting his head from the scrolls, Great Golden Crow replied, "A-Ning, let me teach you a rule of conduct: never let success go to your head." He placed a freshly reviewed scroll onto the pile to his right and picked up another.
"If I were to go report to His Majesty and the Queen Mother right now, saying that the Law Enforcement Department is overwhelmed with official business and I cannot manage it alone, and asking them to have you help process the paperwork—wouldn't that also be a form of tempering?" By the end, Great Golden Crow's tone carried a hint of teasing, though his expression remained stern.
Taken aback, Weining immediately hurried around the desk, sat down beside him, and tugged on his sleeve. "Good A-Jin, I was wrong. I shouldn't have gotten carried away. In your great magnanimity, please spare me this once. I promise I'll never get carried away again, and I'll definitely take that as my rule of conduct! You can punish me however you like, just don't go to His Majesty and the Queen Mother!"
She was genuinely panicked. The freedom she had just barely secured was about to be ruined by her own big mouth, and she could have bitten her tongue off. She silently swore never to run her mouth and tease people like this ever again.
Seeing her squirming like a startled rabbit, looking as though she might jump up and down and scratch her ears in desperation, Great Golden Crow gripped his scroll tightly and bit his lips hard, but in the end, he couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
His rare, hearty laughter startled Weining, and she instantly realized he had been teasing her.
Seeing Great Golden Crow doubled over with laughter, Weining's embarrassment turned to anger. Snatching up the nearest bamboo slip, she began raining blows down upon him. "You bad guy, A-Jin! How dare you make fun of me! I'll hit you!"
Suppressing his laughter, Great Golden Crow endured a few hits while desperately trying to rescue the bamboo slip. "Alright, alright, I was wrong! We're even now, stop hitting, the bamboo slip is going to break!"
Weining wasn't truly unreasonable; after putting on a show of beating him a few times, she let him snatch the bamboo slip away. Still feeling disgruntled deep down, she let out a huff and turned to leave, vowing that she had truly made friends with a menace.
Yet her "menace" of a friend wasn't completely heartless. He quickly grabbed her back and made all sorts of promises until he finally coaxed Weining back into a good mood.
Afterward, Great Golden Crow earnestly offered a good deal of advice. Knowing what was good for her, Weining treated it just like attending Qingluan's lectures, listening attentively and committing it all to memory, benefiting immensely.
"Don't see me off any further, go back. When you have free time, you can come visit me at Mount Qingcheng." Halting outside the South Heaven Gate, Weining bid farewell to Great Golden Crow, who had come to see her off.
He smiled and nodded. "Alright. When I have the time, I will certainly go visit you."
Weining smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Don't forget my words: take good care of yourself in the Mortal Realm. This..." He handed over a crimson object, which Weining took and examined with curiosity.
"This is woven from my own hair. If you ever need me, calm your mind and silently recite my name three times. I will be able to sense it and rush to find you as quickly as possible. If you encounter danger, burn it, and it will help you repel your foes." Great Golden Crow explained in detail.
So that was what it was—truly a wonderful item. Weining solemnly stowed it away. "Rest assured, if anything happens, you'll be the first person I look for. For the sake of our Divine General Great Golden Crow's hair, I promise not to let myself fall into any dangerous situations. If I'm too useless and cause our A-Jin to go bald, my crime would be unforgivable. Haha..."
Great Golden Crow didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As someone native to the Three Realms, his tongue wasn't nearly as sharp as Weining's, who hailed from Beyond the Heavens. He was consistently left speechless by her and truly had no way to handle her.
Since they were parting ways today, Weining hadn't meant to tease him maliciously; she had merely noticed the melancholy between his brows and purposely provoked him to make him smile.
Great Golden Crow was the person she was most familiar with in the Heavenly Court, as well as her very first friend. He treated her wonderfully, and she cared deeply for him. Having known him so long, she often saw him frowning with a cold expression, which was why she frequently joked with him to make him cheer up. Over time, it had added a touch of lighthearted banter between them.
"I'm off then. Take good care of yourself, and don't forget to call on me if you need anything—I can help you too." Weining assumed a serious expression and cupped her fists in a salute.
Great Golden Crow smiled at the sight. "I know. Go on, take care!"
Nodding, Weining set off and flew down toward the realm below.
Mortal Realm, here I come!