This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 362 - 360: Everyone Has Their Own Scheme

Strange, I used to be on good terms with the Earth God. Why have we become somewhat distant recently?

In the Illusionary Realm of life and death, on a white cloud that had temporarily drifted to the edge of the sky.

Wu Wang toyed with the Jade Talisman in his hand, sensing the changes of the Stars in the Small Heavenly Circuit, and began the preliminary run-through of the simplest of the Great Heavenly Circuit Formations—the Thirty-six Small Heavenly Circuit Formation.

Atop the cloud at this moment, only his and the Earth God's figures remained.

The Young Master had temporarily left this Illusionary Realm to prepare the arrangements for what would follow the illusion.

Nu Chou, having transformed into a 'villager,' had begun interacting with Ming within the Illusionary Realm a few years prior and had become her good friend.

In the Illusionary Realm, Ming was already twelve or thirteen years old.

Her grandmother was advanced in years, and her health had declined significantly over the past two years.

After meals, the village elders would often visit Ming's grandmother's house to sit with the elderly woman on her bed and reminisce about the past, cherishing every day and night spent with their old friend.

Ming seemed to be moved by this, but she didn't show too much emotion in front of others.

But when alone, Ming would also sit by her grandmother's side, watching her gradually age, her eyes filled with sorrow and reluctance, which occasionally misted over with tears.

Seeing this, Wu Wang couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity.

This pity wasn't because he had personally orchestrated all of this, arranging for Ming to experience a 'normal' separation through life and death.

The pity stemmed from the fact that, in the end, Ming would realize that these years she had experienced, the emotions she had felt, and the hard-won experiences she had gained were merely illusions, like flowers in a mirror, built upon falsehood.

For some reason, Wu Wang thought of his own grandmother.

The images that surfaced in his mind were varied: sometimes it was his grandmother chasing him with a cane by the lake, across the grassland, or among the tents; other times, it was him, exasperated, chasing her in retaliation. Nevertheless, these memories with his family were beautiful and real.

Wu Wang heaved a gentle sigh, tucked away the Jade Talisman, and sat in his rocking chair, gazing out at the clouds, as if he could see his grandmother again, laughing heartily.

Thus, Wu Wang rose gracefully, his hands behind his back, and drifted towards the Earth God, seeking out a familiar 'friend' to express the emotions surging within him.

"Earth God, oh, Earth God."

The Earth God shuddered visibly and immediately rose from his seated position. Turning to Wu Wang, he offered a polite but distant smile.

"Does the God of Spring seek my guidance?"

"What's the matter?"

Strange, Wu Wang thought, but he didn't dwell on it and asked directly, "Earth God, we've played cards and shared wine before. How come lately you seem to be avoiding me?"

"The God of Spring must be mistaken," the Earth God glanced around and transmitted via Divine Thought, "I've only recently realized that it's best if you and I are not too close."

"Oh?"

Wu Wang asked curiously, "What do you mean by that, Earth God?"

"I fear it might arouse His Majesty's wariness."

The Earth God offered a faint smile and continued via Divine Thought, "The God of Spring is on the verge of succeeding in this matter. His Majesty has surely seen the many transformations of the God of Death. Once the God of Death emerges from the Illusionary Realm and becomes a Main God of the Heaven Palace, His Majesty will undoubtedly reward the God of Spring.

I am the Second Auxiliary God, wielding great authority over the Heaven Palace's armies.

The Young Master is the Third Auxiliary God; though not responsible for specific tasks, she can weigh in on any matter.

And the God of Spring was originally the Fourth Auxiliary God. Your close relationship with the Young Master is already common knowledge. If I were to also become intimately close with you, His Majesty would likely never sleep soundly.

Therefore, we must maintain some distance. This is also for your future consideration, God of Spring."

Wu Wang's brow gradually smoothed, and he smiled at the Earth God. "Lord Earth God, your considerations are truly thorough. I was being somewhat shortsighted."

"It was merely idle speculation."

"So, shall we keep to opposite ends of this cloud, one to the east and one to the west?"

"There's no need for deliberate estrangement. It's enough that we don't interact privately."

"Very well," Wu Wang cupped his hands in a salute and turned back to his rocking chair.

The Earth God also smiled. Once Wu Wang had walked away, he sat down cross-legged, observing the subtle changes in the village below while continuing his process of elimination in his mind.

The God of Light? Unlikely. The God of Light was the son of a Divine King from the Third Divine Generation, exceptionally handsome—so much so that goddesses would be frozen in place upon seeing him. The God of Spring definitely doesn't resemble that. Moreover, the God of Light was devoured whole by the Candle Dragon, his Great Dao seized as well. Given the Candle Dragon's tyrannical nature, it's impossible for any remnant of his soul to be wandering the world. The God of Iron? His personality doesn't fit. I've met Old Iron; he's just a blockhead. The God of Lust? It seems the God of Spring is still... still... What's the Human Domain term for it? A Pure Yang Daoist? If the God of Lust were reincarnated, he certainly wouldn't wait until his teens...

At the same time, Wu Wang's brow furrowed slightly, his mind also filled with conjectures.

Could it be that the Earth God has discovered my plan to infiltrate the Heaven Palace? The Heaven Palace truly has its masters. Emperor Shun and Xihe go without saying, but this Earth God and the Gold God are both incredibly formidable individuals. The Earth God has already sensed my deliberate attempts to befriend him.

With this thought, Wu Wang turned his head to look at the Earth God, just as the Earth God turned to look in his direction, their gazes meeting.

Then, both offered similar faint smiles. Wu Wang inclined his head, and the Earth God nodded in return. Calmly, they turned away, each lost in their own thoughts.

A new piece in the Great Wilderness's Famous Paintings series: 「A Sense of Trust.」

…

「In the Heaven Palace, within the Head Manager's Temple.」

After the dismissal of those beauties, the place had become much quieter.

The Head Manager usually handled Heaven Palace administrative affairs elsewhere, and the Young Master had rarely visited this place in recent years, leaving the great hall and its surroundings imbued with a faint sense of desolation.

The Head Manager sat before the windowsill, holding a wine cup and gazing at the distant sea of clouds, motionless for a long time.

Now, all eyes in the Heaven Palace were on the Death Temple, on those few figures meditating before the Illusionary Realm.

SIGH—

The Head Manager let out a breath, smiled self-mockingly, and lifted the cup to drain the wine within.

"Even the Head Manager feels lonely?"

A soft chuckle suddenly came from a corner of the great hall.

The Head Manager frowned and turned his head toward the corner.

There lay a breach in the temple's Barrier, originally created for the convenience of subordinates like Qiong Qi to enter and exit. Since Qiong Qi was captured and executed by the Human Domain, this breach had largely fallen into disuse.

A petite and charming figure strolled over, a captivating smile playing on her lips.

"Gold God, what brings you to my place?"

The Head Manager showed a slight smile and placed a wine cup on the table opposite him.

The Gold God's figure flickered, leaving two fleeting afterimages before she appeared directly opposite the Head Manager. She sat down, unconcerned by her short skirt and revealing attire.

She laughed and said, "I've come to visit a certain failure."

"Oh?"

The Head Manager chuckled. "Surely this 'failure' isn't me?"

"Who else?" The Gold God folded her arms, her eyes shimmering faintly. "Is there a third Divine Spirit present?"

"Gold God, your words are puzzling," the Head Manager said calmly. "I am the Heaven Palace's First Auxiliary God, wielding the authority over Divine Position appointments, deeply trusted by His Majesty..."

"Enough of that."

The Gold God scoffed, mincing no words as she retorted, "Is it His Majesty who trusts you, or do you trust His Majesty too much? While I was in slumber, it seems the Head Manager was nearly ensnared by the Dao of Order, almost becoming a sacrifice for *your* younger sister?"

The Head Manager's expression darkened visibly.

"That was merely the will of Order reacting to the changes in Heaven and Earth, not His Majesty's intent."

"Is that so?"

The Gold God laughed. "If you believe that, fine. It has nothing to do with me. However, that expression suits you. This is your true self: dark, cold, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows..."

"Enough!"

Divine Light erupted from the Head Manager, transforming into a fierce gale that threw the Gold God's figure backward. The clatter of falling objects echoed throughout the great hall.

The Head Manager took a deep breath, closed his eyes to concentrate, then slowly opened them again, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Gold God, you should refrain from such provocations here. Though Gold, among the Five Elements, is sharp, the principle that what is too hard is easily broken also applies in the Heaven Palace."

The Head Manager's palm brushed over the table; the toppled cup righted itself, and a clear brew slowly 'materialized' within it.

"If I were to report your words to His Majesty, I wonder what he would think."

The Gold God harrumphed, unperturbed. "The powerful gods of the Heaven Palace are dwindling, and the Human Domain grows stronger by the day. Even the Divine Power of the Heaven Palace has been impacted. Under such circumstances, how could His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor possibly move against a potent weapon of the Heaven Palace like myself?"

"A potent weapon of the Heaven Palace?"

The Head Manager's smile was somewhat peculiar. "Is the Gold God perhaps undervaluing herself?"

"You and I are the same, merely weapons for His Majesty to maintain the current order," the Gold God laughed. "Think of yourself in the Third and Fourth Divine Eras, and then look at yourself now. You were once too dazzling, like a jade artifact. That is why our Emperor sullied you with the backlash from living beings, causing you to degenerate into your current state. Head Manager, you know, I once admired you."

The Head Manager's eyebrows knitted together.

"It's a pity," the Gold God leaned forward slightly, her eyes filled with disdain, "now your mind is twisted, your Great Dao unsettled—you're not even fit to be a weapon."

Her figure appeared ghost-like beside the Head Manager. She whispered breathlessly by his ear, "You are merely Emperor Shun's... dog."

Veins bulged on the Head Manager's forehead, but the Gold God's figure had already dissolved into particles of golden sand. He was left sitting alone, seemingly on the verge of being swallowed by darkness.

Suddenly, a slight smile touched the Head Manager's lips.

All the darkness was instantly dispelled, as if a hundred flowers had bloomed in its place.

He glanced at the corner where the Gold God had appeared and raised his right hand, initially intending to seal the breach. But after a moment's contemplation, he decided to leave it as it was.

This First Auxiliary God of the Heaven Palace then picked up the wine vessel before him, drained its contents in one gulp, and mumbled to himself, "Water is said to moisten and flow downwards; Fire is said to blaze upwards; Wood is said to permit bending and straightening; Earth is said to allow sowing and reaping; and Metal is said to allow... change and reform. Gold God, you would have been better off remaining in slumber."

...

The Young Master spent five hours outside the Illusionary Realm; within it, five months had passed.

When she returned, the village entrance was filled with the loud, piercing sound of suonas, as Ming and her parents, dressed in mourning clothes, bid farewell to her grandmother, whose lifespan had come to an end.

This was the first time Ming had shown her emotions before outsiders.

Although everyone around said it was a 'joyful passing'—that the old woman had died peacefully of old age—when her grandmother's coffin was interred, Ming still couldn't stop herself from collapsing into her mother's arms, weeping bitterly.

The Young Master, who happened to witness this scene, couldn't help but sigh lightly.

Although she knew Wu Wang was manipulating everything from behind the scenes, and all the people here were mere shades conjured from remnant souls, the emotions that permeated the place were not false.

Wu Wang suddenly asked, "How are those new snacks I sent over?"

Without turning her head, the Young Master replied, "They're quite good. Why do you ask so suddenly... Er." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Wu Wang wore an enigmatic smile, and a blush crept up the Young Master's pretty face.

At that moment, the Young Master was merely a manifestation of Divine Thought, yet she was still meticulously dressed. Her long hair was tied to the side, falling neatly over her chest, and she wore an elegant, sophisticated black dress. After her slip of the tongue, a faint blush rose to her pretty, captivating face.

She quickly said, "I finished my official duties first! Seeing there was still ample time before our agreed meeting, I allowed myself a moment of leisure!"

"Mm-hm, mm-hm," Wu Wang nodded calmly, then raised a hand to stifle a yawn. "Then you keep an eye on things here while I go forage for some food outside?"

"Better not," the Young Master whispered. "If any trouble arises here, I wouldn't know how to deal with it."

"All right then."

Wu Wang summoned his rocking chair, added two soft cushions, and settled back comfortably.

The Young Master followed with a smile, casually conjured a stool with her Divine Thought, placed it next to Wu Wang's rocking chair, and sat down beside him.

"Are you getting bored staying here?"

"A bit."

Wu Wang lamented, "Because the flow of time is different inside and outside this place, I am only a wisp of Divine Soul here. Yet, I've poured all my Spiritual Mind into this, making cultivation utterly impossible. I have to constantly monitor things below, so I can't sleep for long periods or leave. Even the books I conjure with Divine Thought are just ones I've read before. It truly is a bit lonely."

Far away in the Human Domain, a young Cultivator sneezed while hugging his wife.

The Young Master pondered for a moment, then suggested, "How about we try discussing the Dao?"

"Discuss the Dao? Forget it."

Wu Wang felt even more fatigued and raised his hand to yawn again.

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I'd like to listen to some music, watch some dancing, something to lift my spirits," Wu Wang said with a smile. "But forget it, that would be asking too much of you."

The Young Master pinched her chin and muttered, "True, I've never danced, and my singing is atrocious."

Atrocious, huh... Wu Wang was suddenly intrigued.

"That's it!"

The Young Master clenched her right fist and gently tapped it into her left palm, exclaiming happily, "We could each materialize the classics we've read using Divine Thought and share them! Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Wu Wang chuckled. "That's too much trouble. It would be far simpler if we just linked our Divine Thoughts and directly exchanged the contents of those classics."

"You... How could you suddenly say something like that?"

The Young Master's cheeks suddenly crimsoned. She first averted her gaze, then turned completely away, the blush spreading down her neck.

Question marks seemed to pop up above Wu Wang's head.

What did I say wrong?

"Transmitting voices via Divine Thought is one thing... but intertwining Divine Thoughts, exchanging memories... that... that's..."

Suddenly, the Young Master covered her face with both hands and vanished from Wu Wang's sight with a WHOOSH, only a distant remark drifting back:

"I'll be back later!"

Wu Wang was utterly baffled, yet the Young Master's reaction was clearly one of embarrassment.

What had he said incorrectly?

Suddenly, a voice transmission reached his ear; it was the Earth God, his voice a low, gravelly murmur by Wu Wang's ear, "That is an ancient rite performed by Innate Gods only after they become partners. It signifies that there are no secrets between them, a complete baring of souls."

Goosebumps prickled Wu Wang's arms. He turned to look at the Earth God, who was pretending to casually pass by, and gave a dry laugh.

The Earth God offered a calm smile and walked steadily away, a seed of doubt taking root in his heart.

Was the God of Spring intentionally teasing the Young Master just now?

Wu Wang also muttered to himself.

What is wrong with the Earth God? Why does he always act as if he doesn't dare come within thirty feet of me?

Silence descended upon the cloud once more.

The sounds of weeping from below gradually faded, losing their edge of grief.

Thus, another three years passed. Ming had blossomed into a graceful young woman, a budding beauty who turned heads wherever she went. Gradually, inquiries began about whether she was betrothed.

Wu Wang considered for a moment, then dealt the second blow.

Ming's 'father' was gravely injured while hunting in the mountains and died half a month later, never having recovered.

Seeing the girl standing as if stupefied before the hunter's body, the Young Master expressed her disapproval to Wu Wang, but he did not heed her.

Several more years passed. Ming had just emerged from her previous sorrow when a mountain torrent devastated the village, claiming more than a dozen lives.

That day, Ming, an excellent swimmer, battled the muddy torrents to rescue her 'mother' and several children from the village.

After careful consideration, Wu Wang decided to deliver his most devastating blow.

Ming contracted an incurable illness. Her body rapidly deteriorated, inching her closer to the 'end' of 'life'.

The Young Master sighed, "Stop with the tragedies! You're going to break her!"

"Birth, old age, sickness, death, joy, anger, sorrow, and delight—these are all indispensable experiences for her to comprehend life and death," Wu Wang stated calmly. "I will bear full responsibility for all consequences."

The Earth God nodded slightly, his voice a deep rumble. "I trust the God of Spring."

"Very well, I shall simply watch."

The Young Master sighed softly. Clutching a book Wu Wang had conjured with his Divine Thought, she turned and walked away into the distance.