This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 349 - 347: Dealing with Xihe
"Are you satisfied with this place, God of Spring?" Xihe emerged slowly from the golden light. Her dress, seemingly woven from flowing light, was rather thin, faintly revealing her impeccable and exquisite form. Her lips held a smile, her eyes brimming with stars, as she gracefully descended from mid-air, continuing her conversation with Wu Wang, "If there’s anything amiss, please don’t hesitate to tell me, and there’s no need to be so formal with me. In ancient times, I shared a certain kinship with your mother. We were often mentioned alongside several other Innate Gods as one of the three Goddesses. When you arrived, I had already assured your mother that I wouldn’t let you suffer in the slightest, and allowed her to watch over you."
Wu Wang pondered for a moment, slowly walking from the wall’s edge. In that moment, Xihe radiated a very strong affinity while still maintaining the dignity and nobility expected of the Mother of the Sun.
Deep down, Wu Wang reminded himself not to be fooled by Xihe’s gentle words. This was Emperor Shun’s greatest support. She could almost be seen as two sides of the same coin with Emperor Shun, an Innate God whose support he absolutely must not think of undermining. Hmm, unless she turned against Emperor Shun.
"How long does Heaven Palace intend to detain me?" Wu Wang kept his tone as calm as possible, with a hint of annoyance.
Xihe smiled without a word, her figure floating into the main hall. From her sleeve, golden light flew out, solidifying into various pieces of dark gold furniture. She moved gracefully forward and sat on a seat made of jade stone that glinted with flowing gold. With a sweep of her hand, two cups of hot tea appeared on the low table before her.
"This is tea from the Human Domain," Xihe said softly. "I personally picked it while observing His Majesty’s reincarnation."
"Oh?" Wu Wang sat down earnestly opposite Xihe, seemingly intrigued by this revelation, and asked, "Senior, are you implying that you were there observing when Emperor Fuxi abducted the Heavenly Emperor’s Divine Soul?"
"Indeed," Xihe chuckled in reply.
"Why?"
"He requested it thus," Xihe stated indifferently. "He did not want to lose to Fu Xi, and would rather be entangled in a prolonged conflict than have me intervene."
Wu Wang nodded slightly, understanding this sentiment. The pride of a man.
Xihe said, "I, along with the Emperor, have heard the words you said to the Head Manager, who was impersonating the Young Master."
Wu Wang chuckled awkwardly. "Is that so? Some of it might have been absurd."
"Not at all absurd," Xihe said gently. "You are the only being in the current world with such courage, and one of the few powerful enough to have such insight."
Wu Wang laughed inwardly. This God from Heaven Palace was indeed a master at captivating hearts.
Calling herself ’I’, her words came with just the right amount of ’compliment’, and she spoke so effortlessly, making her listeners feel comfortable. Does every successful Heavenly Emperor have at least one successful Goddess standing behind him?
Wu Wang leaned against the backrest of the jade stone chair, but unexpectedly found it soft and fitting the contour of his back muscles perfectly. A hint of helplessness showed in his eyes as he spoke softly,
"I admit, the deeds of Emperor Fuxi have had a profound impact on me. No need for Divination skills or any complex reasoning; it’s quite obvious. Heaven Palace indeed has many faults and has committed numerous reprehensible actions against the Human Domain. However, should Candle Dragon return, especially after the Human Domain and Heaven Palace have both been weakened, the Human Domain would surely face a catastrophe. Candle Dragon would never allow himself to fall into the same predicament Heaven Palace is currently in. The chances of him living in harmony with the Human Domain are absolutely zero."
"Oh? Have you encountered the will of Candle Dragon?" Xihe asked softly.
Wu Wang did not respond directly, choosing instead to lift his tea and take a sip, deliberately cultivating an air of mystery. After all, he couldn’t very well say that the Sleep God had taken him on a tour of the Outer Sky, where he had seen those tormented beings.
Xihe perceived a deeper meaning in Wu Wang’s gaze and asked gently, "I have a question for you, Wu Wang."
"Senior, please ask."
"If one day Candle Dragon falls..."
"I stand with the Human Domain." Wu Wang didn’t hesitate for even a moment, his eyes full of determination.
Xihe met his gaze, and soon, a charming smile blossomed on her lips, seemingly pleased with Wu Wang’s straightforwardness. She asked quietly, "Before we deal with the difficult matter of Candle Dragon, could you walk alongside Heaven Palace?"
Wu Wang fell silent. He seemed to be considering, hesitating, and yet, within his expression, Xihe saw a flicker of interest.
Xihe spoke with a smile,
"If you join Heaven Palace and truly devote yourself to our causes, I can promise you three things.
First, as long as you’re in Heaven Palace, there won’t be a third Dark Rebellion in the Human Domain.
Second, Heaven Palace will allocate a portion of the divine positions to strong cultivators from the Human Domain.
Third, the first two promises will be inscribed in the Divine Covenant of Heaven Palace, standing alongside the covenant made between Emperor Suiren and Heaven Palace from ancient times."
Her phoenix eyes shone with a dazzling and captivating light.
The first clause gave Wu Wang prestige, and the second gave him hope. The third placed him on par with Emperor Suiren, bombarding him with a three-layered sugary onslaught that left him visibly moved.
He asked, "So, what does Heaven Palace need me to do?"
Xihe’s smile softened further, and she said softly, "Be a God."
"Be a God?"
"Yes, to become a Divine Spirit and hold a place in Heaven Palace," Xihe explained. "That will be enough."
Wu Wang suddenly laughed, stating indifferently, "And then Heaven Palace can use my name to recruit high-ranking cultivators from the Human Domain to serve, gradually diminishing the Human Domain’s hatred towards Heaven Palace?"
Xihe just smiled without speaking and set her teacup back down.
Xihe said softly,
"This is but a small price you would have to pay, simply enduring the curses of those with narrow visions.
Actually, you needn’t mind these things.
You would merely be preventing the Human Domain from future losses, protecting the Human Domain in a better way..."
Wu Wang’s palm lifted, signaling Xihe to speak no further. He said coldly,
"Senior, there is no point in speaking to me of these matters. No matter how one beautifies it, this is a harm to the Human Domain, an assault on the dignity of the Human Emperor. This isn’t about whether I shoulder curses or not, but about shaking the convictions long held by the Human Domain, collapsing the beliefs of its people. To say it kills people by striking their hearts—this is precisely that."
Xihe did not get angry, but instead looked at Wu Wang with a light smile, her voice gentle. "We are discussing, aren’t we? All terms are negotiable."
Wu Wang thought to himself how formidable she was. The moment the Mother of the Sun spoke these words, the tension that was about to rise suddenly eased.
Wu Wang laughed. "Let me think, what means might Heaven Palace use to dismantle the Human Domain." He raised his hand to rub his temples and slowly voiced his doubt with two words, "Immortality?"
A tiny twitch appeared in Xihe’s delicate brows.
Wu Wang laughed.
"It seems I guessed right. Heaven Palace wants to play the immortality card through me. No wonder the Head Manager has become the foremost auxiliary deity; the Heavenly Emperor’s planning is truly formidable. The current Human Domain is pressed into a unity by Heaven Palace. However, guarded by Senior Shen Nong for tens of thousands of years, it has also been stable for tens of thousands of years, with cultivators mostly prioritizing personal interest. I’ve suddenly understood why you, Senior, previously allowed the Head Manager to wreak havoc in the Human Domain. He was greatly disordered and clearly affected in mind by the backlash of the Great Dao. The Ten Evils Hall seems like a clever move. However, in the long run, it can unite the Human Domain even more and reduce the Human Domain cultivators’ fear of Heaven Palace. So, are you trying to instill the thought in the Human Domain that ’Heaven Palace is nothing special after all’?"
Xihe shook her head slightly. "Previously, it was indeed the Heavenly Emperor’s Order incarnation who indulged the Head Manager’s actions."
Wu Wang asked, "The frequent changes in Heaven Palace’s strategy towards the Human Domain in a short time, was that also your deliberate doing, Senior?"
"That was the handiwork of the Order incarnation. Now he has returned to the Heavenly Emperor’s Divine Soul, along with your Senior Sanxian," Xihe said.
"If your time in the Human Domain has led you to harbor ill feelings towards Heaven Palace because of its strategies, please see these actions as the Heavenly Order protecting itself."
Wu Wang remained silent. He suddenly felt immense pressure.
His true intention in coming to Heaven Palace was to undermine its foundations. He planned to clandestinely develop and strengthen the Heavenly Dao and prepare to rise up step by step. This had no direct connection with the Human Domain, and it was absolutely critical that none of this was leaked. The Human Domain was just an excuse he used. But his arrival seemed to have ’activated’ Emperor Shun. Emperor Shun found the opportunity to ’reveal his true heart’ to half of Heaven Palace’s Divine Spirits and consolidate their loyalty. He also brought forward the follow-up plans of the previous four auxiliary deities.
Wu Wang suddenly had an epiphany. He looked at Xihe and realized that this strong God of Heaven Palace had always been observing this world.
Before the true Emperor Shun returned to Heaven Palace, she had been indifferent and even disdainful of everything. This was because, on a higher level, she had already arranged and plotted everything. Starting from this moment, Heaven Palace began using gentle tactics against the Human Domain!
The grand scheme of this world had shifted from "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" to "Water Margin"! Isn’t that principle not yet clear from "Water Margin"?
The faction who surrenders is doomed without a doubt!
"I came to Heaven Palace because of the matter of the Northern Wilderness," Wu Wang laughed. "Yet Senior, you are continuously bringing up matters of the Human Domain to me, which leaves me somewhat at a loss for words."
Xihe asked, "Of the three conditions, which one are you dissatisfied with?"
"On issues involving the Human Domain, I cannot make any decisions on its behalf," Wu Wang said gravely.
"I do not represent the Human Domain. Use the future of the Human Domain to bargain for my promotion in Heaven Palace? That’s a sleazy move. You’ve misjudged me, Wu Wangzi."
"Oh?" Xihe looked at Wu Wang, pondering for a while, and then with a smile said, "If Heaven Palace were to imprison you here and still announce this to the outside world, wouldn’t the results be the same?"
Wu Wang nodded, then said, "Whether I do it or not, it’s for my own peace of mind. The truth will eventually break through the clouds and shine upon the lands of the Human Domain."
"The truth?" Xihe chuckled lightly. "You and the Young Master are indeed well matched."
"Senior, you must have had an original intention as well," Wu Wang spoke softly. "Perhaps it was forging a world order, becoming a certain type of God, or having something in your heart that you wished to protect."
The smile disappeared from the corners of Xihe’s mouth. Wu Wang, however, grew more serious. His voice was gentle yet carried a certain strength.
"We all have something we cherish. The convictions of the Human Domain are what I hold dear, and I do not wish to trade them for anything.
"I came to Heaven Palace to contend for the right to speak for all living beings. If there were no Human Domain in the world, or if Heaven Palace dissolved it, then living beings would become mere dependents of Divine Spirits.
"The Human Domain must and will certainly exist.
"Senior, you asked me earlier what I would do if Heaven Palace were to imprison me here and still use my name to divide the Human Domain."
Xihe looked at him, a hint of anticipation in her beautiful eyes, which were fixed on Wu Wang.
Wu Wang reached into his collar and pulled out the necklace.
"It seems Senior has forgotten.
"The Human Domain and Heaven Palace are mortal enemies; each would seize any opportunity to strike down the other. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"If I were to consider the situation solely from the Human Domain’s perspective, it wouldn’t make much difference. Whether the Heavenly Emperor they face is called Emperor Shun or Candle Dragon is largely the same.
"I have a third path I can take. My mother wouldn’t object to any of my decisions. In fact, I could even say that it is I who am currently persuading her to maintain the current world order.
"Heaven Palace doesn’t hold the initiative against me. Of course, Senior, you could also test whether my mother’s temperament has changed from ancient times.
"A great war between Innate Gods would suit the interests of the Human Domain, but it would mean nine out of ten beings outside of it would perish.
"But rest assured, Senior, the right for living beings to have a voice, as I speak of it, is not narrowly confined to the Human Domain alone."
Xihe nodded slightly, looking at Wu Wang, her eyes filled with admiration.
Wu Wang laughed. "My original intention is simple, and Senior may verify it in the future."
"And what is that?"
"To change the order, not to shatter it."
