This Human Immortal Is Too Serious

Outside the Main Hall of Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, in an ordinary reception hall, Ji Mo was pacing back and forth in a corner.

Wu Wang stealthily glanced at him, only to see this usually spirited, handsome, and renowned lothario from the Human Domain now pale, restless, panicky, and sighing heavily...

What happened?

Wu Wang hid in a dark corner without revealing himself, observing Ji Mo along with several Immortals from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion.

A Cultivator dressed as a scholar, who had heard of Ji Mo's reputation, whispered to the others with a smile, "Perhaps Young Master Ji is having health issues?"

"We are all Cultivators; consuming a bit of our Primordial Spirit wouldn't lead to health problems. Wouldn't the Ji Family buy him some potent Spiritual Medicine?"

"Hard to say, really hard to say. Even Heavenly Immortals have their weak moments, don't they?"

"Hall Master, should I go and probe his intentions first? That way we'll know what Young Master Ji requests, and you can better handle it."

"No need," Wu Wang weighed the Jade Talisman in his hand; it was obviously a letter sent by Ji Mo's grandmother.

He said, "I'll trouble you all to act according to my previous instructions. Thank you."

"You're too polite, Hall Master."

"We will make the preparations immediately."

Thereupon, several officials took out their Jade Talismans and files, either holding them in their hands or clutching them to their chests, and followed behind Wu Wang.

Wu Wang yawned, revealing an exhausted expression, and lowered his head as he walked into the Formation Barrier surrounding the reception hall.

Ji Mo's face brightened, a smile about to break out on his lips, and he immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Brother Wuwang..."

Several figures rushed into the hall from behind Wu Wang, surrounding him completely.

"Hall Master, these cases are still awaiting your review!"

"Hall Master, Hall Master, you need to finish these scrolls today and provide your response."

"You can't just neglect the important duties arranged by the Pavilion Master, Hall Master! At the very least, you have to take a look!"

Wu Wang showed a look of impatience and shouted, "I want to see a friend!

"You can't treat me like this! I'm a person, not a magic treasure!

"I need a bit of rest amidst these overwhelming official duties!"

"Hall Master!"

The middle-aged scholar's eyes brimmed with tears as he yelled, "From the moment you became the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, your life belonged to the entire Human Domain! You must thoroughly review this case, Hall Master!"

"Quick, take the Hall Master back to the Punishment Hall! We cannot delay matters concerning the Divine Children any longer!"

Several people crowded around and lifted Wu Wang directly, racing back the way they had come.

Wu Wang stretched out his hand towards Ji Mo, calling out, "Brother Ji! Save me!"

"What are you doing! Put down Brother Wuwang!"

Ji Mo shouted several times and immediately tried to follow, but he was stopped by several Immortal Soldiers guarding the hall doors. He could only watch helplessly as Wu Wang was carried away.

"This..."

Ji Mo couldn't help but heave a dejected sigh, standing there crestfallen and at a loss.

In that moment, Ji Mo resembled a shipwreck survivor adrift at sea who had found a piece of driftwood. He eagerly swam towards it, hoping to climb aboard, only to realize it was merely a tablecloth colored like wood.

"Sigh."

Ji Mo lowered his head with a sigh, standing in place for a long time, unable to collect himself.

Outside the hall, secluded by the Formation, Wu Wang watched this scene with a hint of pity in his eyes. But there was nothing he could do; Wu Wang really shouldn't interfere in this matter. He gestured, and the group bowed and took their leave.

Wu Wang watched from his hiding spot for a while, hands clasped behind his back in deep contemplation. Finally, he steeled his heart and slipped away to the Punishment Hall.

Brother Ji, this is the path you chose; you have to walk it.

The full story of how this came to be, and why Ji Mo was here, was clearly explained in the Jade Talisman sent by Old Lady Ji.

「Half a month ago」

Ji Mo had a blind date with a young woman. Ji Mo composed a poem, his charm on full display. The young woman was smitten with Ji Mo at first sight and had already agreed to marry into the Ji Family during the blind date. Ji Mo was also quite pleased with her and acted very attentively throughout the meeting.

That very night, the woman's father went to pay his respects to the Ji Family matriarch. Both sides exchanged betrothal letters, just waiting for the young couple to spend more time together. Once their affection had deepened sufficiently, they would hold the wedding.

「But two days ago」

After Ji Mo returned from an outing with the woman, he locked himself in his room for several hours before announcing that he wanted to go out for a walk. The resourceful women of the Ji Family barred his way.

Because of this, Ji Mo quarreled with his paternal and maternal aunts, claiming he had second thoughts and didn't want to marry so soon. Afterwards, he ran off and came to the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion to seek help from Wu Wang.

That was the gist of the matter.

On the surface, it seemed Young Master Ji's wandering heart was at it again, letting down a fair lady. But Wu Wang, knowing Ji Mo well, understood there had to be some unspoken difficulties.

The Ji Family was quite satisfied with the woman, and she had fallen for Ji Mo at first sight. The Ji family matriarch, certain Ji Mo would come to the Main Hall of Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, had sent a sincere letter requesting Wu Wang to persuade Ji Mo.

However, Wu Wang had no intention of doing this favor for the Ji Family's old matriarch. This was Ji Mo's private affair. No matter how close his relationship with Ji Mo was, he couldn't meddle in Ji Mo's marriage. Who could predict the future? Who could say that what he was giving up wasn't a truly good match?

Who his friend's future wife would be had nothing to do with Wu Wang—it wasn't worth half a Spirit Stone to him. As long as she would agree to let his good friend out for an occasional drink and chat, that was all that mattered.

「Inside the Punishment Hall」

Wu Wang took his seat high on the main dais. He ordered someone to bring over a long table, which was set with three items: a gavel, a 'judgment' plaque, and a porcelain teapot. He also had the screen behind him changed to a painting of a 'Chick Pecking at Grains'—no, a 'Majestic Eagle Spreading its Wings.'

After some thought, Wu Wang restrained his mischievous impulse and refrained from hanging a plaque reading 'Clear Mirror Hung High' behind him. He merely revealed a crescent-shaped purple mark on his forehead to bolster his confidence in passing judgment.

He studied the case files intently for a while, stamping each one with the small seal of the Hall Master. The Punishment Hall was only responsible for punishing Immortals who committed offenses within the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion; its work had nothing to do with 'criminal investigation.'

Before long, Wu Wang had dealt with these case files and said, "Bring those five Divine Children up here."

Immediately, two officers from the Punishment Hall responded with clasped hands, "Yes!"

Two groups of Immortal Soldiers hurried off. The five Divine Children, who had already been interrogated for a long time, were brought into the hall. After a series of interrogations, they had no secrets left to reveal. Furthermore, their Evil God Divine Power had already been earmarked by Wu Wang.

The sound of shackles scraping against the floor arose as the three men and two women, bound by Immortal Power, were placed in the center of the great hall. They were as motionless as puppets, their eyes devoid of any spirit.

Wu Wang leaned back in his chair, sighed softly in his heart, and said, "Are you all faring well?"

The five looked up, and suddenly a Divine Light flickered in their eyes. Two of the men stood up excitedly.

One of them cursed at Wu Wang, "It's you! You deceitful swindler!"

Another pleaded tremulously, "Jiejun, save us! We haven't actually done anything wrong!"

Immediately, seven or eight Immortal Soldiers rushed forward, pinning the two men to the ground. The expressions of all five turned grim as they watched Wu Wang.

Playing with the gavel, Wu Wang said with a smile, "Do you now realize how perilous the mortal world is?"

One of the women sighed, "We initially thought that with the rapid growth of the Ten Evils Hall, most people in the Human Domain were fools and simpletons. Little did we expect, it was our own lack of insight."

The other woman sneered, "Did Fellow Daoist Jiejun rise through the ranks by capturing us?"

"Ridiculous!" An officer from the Punishment Hall spoke up angrily, "You think too highly of yourselves! Our Hall Master ascended to his position by thwarting the schemes of the Evil God Qiong Qi, causing Qiong Qi to retreat in defeat and upholding the prestige of the Human Domain!"

The five Divine Children were taken aback.

Wu Wang waved his hand, signaling the officer to step back, and said softly, "It was I who captured you, and it is I who will now decide your fate. I can tell you my decision first: even if you haven't yet had the chance to act against the Human Domain, your very intention to disrupt its peace means I cannot let you off easily.

"But before that, I have a few questions."

One of the Divine Children said with a bitter smile, "We've already told you everything we could, and you tricked the rest out of us. What else is there to ask?"

Wu Wang asked, "Do you hate the Evil Gods?"

All five fell silent.

Wu Wang continued, "When you all became Divine Children, did your families know?"

The five remained silent.

Wu Wang leaned slightly forward and continued, "How do you view your current, somewhat awkward, identity?"

All five of them were collectively rendered speechless.

"Can't answer?" Wu Wang threw the gavel onto the table, his eyes brimming with disappointment, and said, "Bring Daoist Wancai here."

An attendant hurried away, and before long, Daoist Wancai was brought to the Punishment Hall. The Daoist's face bore many more traces of age. Originally of middle-aged appearance, he now had the frail form of an old man. Coupled with the majority of his Primordial Spirit being sealed, he gave off the aura of a candle flickering in the wind.

His gray-white hair was meticulously combed, and his robe was respectable. His eyes contained a Divine Light. Upon seeing Wu Wang, he couldn't wait to rush forward, heaving a deep sigh, "Wu Wangzi, I have waited for you so anxiously!"

Wu Wang didn't hesitate, pulling a Jade Talisman from his sleeve and tossing it to Daoist Wancai. "Some poems I've copied."

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist! Many thanks!" Daoist Wancai was on the verge of tears. He cradled the Jade Talisman in his hands, examining it closely. His fingers gently traced every carved line, and upon reading just the first verse, he couldn't help but shed silent tears.

Wu Wang said, "Go cry over there."

"Aye," Daoist Wancai bowed in salute and, holding the Jade Talisman, moved to a corner.

But he had barely settled before his eyes bulged, and he rushed back, nearly being pinned to the ground by a host of Immortal Soldiers. He gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "Why does every poem lack the final line! 'Lush, lush grass on the plain, each year it withers and thrives. Wildfire never burns it all out...' What comes next? How can there be no more?"

Wu Wang squinted, smiling as he pulled another Jade Talisman from his sleeve, and said laughingly, "I must have grabbed the wrong one. I have a complete version here."

Daoist Wancai's eyes practically blazed with desperate longing. He scratched his head, stamped his feet in frustration, and sighed, "Fellow Daoist, you are truly heartless! Can't you let me die quickly and painlessly?"

Wu Wang glanced at the five Divine Children, puzzled, and asked, "Why are you so bent on death? You have revealed the evils of the Ten Evils Hall everywhere and accounted for the sins of the Ten Evil Gods, which can be considered meritorious service. Fellow Daoist, it's not that you have no chance to live."

"What good is a way to live?" Daoist Wancai, hands clasped behind his back, gave a long sigh and said in a low voice, "I was born of the Human race, yet I emerged from the Blood Pool of an Evil God as one of their fiends. Most of my family, my brothers and sisters, were killed by the Evil Gods, all dying within that Blood Pool. Yet I didn't have the courage to resist in the slightest, not even enough to choose death. Later, I was sent to the Human Domain to commit evil, but as I walked alone within the Human Domain, I didn't have the heart to strike against my own kind."

Upon hearing this, the five Divine Children looked up at Daoist Wancai, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

Daoist Wancai laughed softly and continued, "As a member of the Human race, I was expected to harm my own kind. As a fiend created by the Evil Gods, I failed to fulfill the orders given by my 'fathers.'

"Someone like me, had I committed evil deeds, would rightfully be killed by those who loathe me. But my weakness prevented me from acting against the Human race, leading me to my current situation. Although the human world isn't starkly black or white, there is no place in this world for someone like me. Daoist Wancai perished long ago in that Blood Pool.

"The Human race, a fiend—I should have belonged to one of them. Sadly, the former is no longer an option for me. I might as well embrace being a fiend, savor a few more poems, seek a swift death, and nothing more. Fellow Daoist, I implore you, please give me the complete poems."

"Bloodline is but one path of cultivation," Wu Wang said in a deep voice. "Your stance is not determined by your bloodline, but by your beliefs!"

Daoist Wancai spoke calmly, "I have hesitated through these long years precisely because I could not find my belief."

"To fight for the Human race—how is that not a belief?"

"If I claim to fight for the Human race, yet I hid and played it safe when the Ten Evils Hall was committing evil, failing to clarify the situation to the Human Domain in time—how can that be justified? Now, I find myself unable to face our 'fathers' either. Am I to merely shout about this conviction, simply living for the sake of living? Fellow Daoist, how despicable is that!"

"Why are you so stubborn?" Wu Wang leaned forward, looking at Daoist Wancai, and couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. "I've been trying to persuade you so earnestly, Fellow Daoist, simply because I feel your crimes do not warrant death. You truly haven't harmed the Human Domain. Previously, you even made contributions that clarified the true face of the Ten Evils Hall, lessening Cultivators' fear of it.

"In the future, if you immerse yourself in poetry and essays, you could still contribute to the flourishing of poetry within the Human Domain. What's wrong with that?"

"That is unacceptable." Daoist Wancai sighed, "Without integrity, how can one sing with abandon? Piling up ornate words would be nothing but the moaning of one who feigns illness."

His eyes held a deep longing as he stared at Wu Wang and whispered, "Fellow Daoist, please, just give them to me."

Wu Wang pondered for a few moments, sitting there deep in thought, gently spinning the Jade Talisman in his hand.

An attendant from the Punishment Hall approached Wu Wang and whispered, "Hall Master, even the Pavilion Master said before, why not just fulfill Daoist Wancai's wish and end his torment?"

"Fine." Wu Wang sighed softly, his eyes full of regret. He stood up, moved to the desk, and handed the Jade Talisman to Daoist Wancai. "These are some poems I read in ancient texts. I wrote down all I could remember. You may burn it after reading."

Clutching the Jade Talisman, Daoist Wancai eagerly infused a wisp of his remaining Immortal Consciousness into it. He savored each word carefully and thoughtfully, his slightly cloudy eyes showing a trace of contentment mixed with a hint of a trance and resignation.

A soft breath escaped him. He wanted to smile joyfully, but the corners of his mouth were somewhat stiff.

In a low voice, Daoist Wancai asked, "These weren't written by you, Fellow Daoist?"

Wu Wang shook his head with a smile, saying, "How could I possess such literary grace? These are merely from ancient texts."

"Truly," Daoist Wancai said, "I lament not having lived in their era, not having had the chance to float wine cups down a winding stream with them, or sit drinking before bamboo groves."

After speaking, Daoist Wancai bowed deeply to Wu Wang in a Daoist salute. "Thank you."

"Would you care for a cup of wine?" Wu Wang offered.

"No, I have waited too long. Even wine would be tasteless to me now." Daoist Wancai gripped the Jade Talisman close to his chest and turned to look at the five Divine Children nearby, clearly sensing their presence. He did not say much, merely cupped his hands in salute to them and then turned to walk toward the doorway of the Punishment Hall.

Immortal Soldiers started to step forward to stop him, but Wu Wang gestured for them to halt.

The Daoist walked on, his gray-white hair slowly darkening, his previously stooped figure gradually straightening. He chanted the poems Wu Wang had given him:

"My nature is partial to fine verses; if my words don't startle, I won't rest till death."

"Over the great desert, a lone plume of smoke rises straight; by the long river, the setting sun is round."

"Black clouds bear down on the city, threatening to crush it."

"Until we break Loulan, we shall never return!"

A flicker of flame emerged from Daoist Wancai's chest, gradually enveloping his entire being. He walked forward amidst these flames, reciting unceasingly. Finally, he sighed softly, standing at the entrance of the Punishment Hall, bathed in firelight, looking up at the vast clear sky with its blue expanse and white clouds.

He then recited softly:

*"This life squandered, nothing achieved,*

*A few trifles penned, known to young and old.*

*Next life, a mountain stream wanderer I'll be,*

*With flute and ox, idly inscribing words."*

The Punishment Hall fell silent for a time. Daoist Wancai's Divine Soul had already dissipated at the doorway, leaving only a small pile of ashes.

Wu Wang had returned to his seat of honor. He had made no move against Daoist Wancai, nor did he collect his Divine Power. He simply said, "Give him a dignified burial."

An attendant at the side acknowledged the order.

Wu Wang then looked again at the five Divine Children. Some were kneeling, some had collapsed, and a couple showed signs of contemplation.

"Do you have anything more to say? If not, then return and wait. Once I find a method, I will strip away your Divine Power. If you survive its removal, be prepared for a lifetime of imprisonment.

"Take them away."