This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 467 - 465 Human Sentiments and Worldly Affairs

The bustling little town.

Under a canopy of regularly arranged teal roof tiles lay courtyards, each nearly indistinguishable from the next.

At this moment, a young man stood on the eaves of a house, arms folded, looking down at the courtyard, which was about six or seven zhang square. His gaze swept over the main north-facing building beneath his feet, then across the east and west wing rooms. To the immediate south stood a stone wall, eight or nine chi high.

The ground, embedded with chunks of broken stone, formed a path. This path connected the main building, the wing rooms, the courtyard gate, and, in a corner, the wooden-covered manure pit and latrine.

This is finally starting to feel like a real home, Wu Wang thought, a faint sense of accomplishment bringing a grin to his face.

A Heavenly Emperor, yet I'm boasting about trading my skills for an apartment, and just an ordinary one in the 'county town' at that.

Uncle Shan carried over some wooden planks while Aunt Qing aired out the bedding.

Little Jin Wei sat on the threshold of the main building, licking a sugar figurine she had bought from the street earlier, reluctant to take even one bite after all this time.

Wu Wang chuckled, then somersaulted from the eaves to the ground. With a flick of his long hair, he dashed towards Uncle Shan.

"Uncle, let me help you! Shall we make the tables or the seats first?"

"Make the bed! How else are we going to sleep?"

"It'll get done sooner or later," Wu Wang declared, waving his hand and pulling out the carving knife he'd had the town's blacksmith sharpen earlier. He was ready for a big project!

Before he could even start, Aunt Qing grabbed him by the collar and yanked him aside.

"You go rest! Those hands of yours are for delicate carving; leave the furniture-making to us!"

"Exactly," Uncle Shan said, pinching Wu Wang's ear. "Go rest up. You're headed for the Blood Point ceremony in a few days; conserve your strength!"

Wu Wang wanted to say more, but when Jin Wei cheerfully called him "Brother," he obediently went back. He tugged at his sleeves, hitched up his trousers, and sat down nonchalantly on the threshold.

Having Bay coins in your pocket certainly boosts your confidence.

After that winter, the 'assets' of their two families had expanded rapidly. Thanks to Wu Wang's increasingly skilled carving, and Uncle Shan's efforts in distributing them, one artwork after another had spread to several nearby towns.

Next, Wu Wang planned to try something new. He would engage in some 'scarcity marketing' during this 'monopoly' period where he had no competition. His strategy was to drive up prices, generate buzz, and create a new local fashion trend in the Great Wilderness and even parts of the Outer Sky. This way, a single wood carving could earn the price of ten!

"Brother," 'Flower-faced' Jin Wei offered the sugar figurine to him, her eyes still holding a hint of reluctance, "here."

Wu Wang smiled and said, "You eat it. I'm grown up; I can't have sugar anymore."

"Heehee, okay," Jin Wei agreed happily, stuffing the sugar figurine back into her mouth.

Girls her age were just so easy to read.

In the blink of an eye, nearly four years had passed since they came to the Outer Sky.

I could say I've taken my first small step—I'm about to awaken my bloodline, determine my aptitude, and find out if I can cultivate.

Wu Wang was utterly confident about this.

Even if the Zhong severed all my advantages, it should at least grant this avatar of mine 'ordinary' starting aptitude.

The [starting off mistaken for trash then making a strong comeback] kind of storyline, the type you hear for three Bay coins under an overpass, might actually happen. After all, Aunt Qing said we're going to see an 'old martial master.'

The kind who's about to die of old age.

For a being from a peaceful Divine Realm, the rules of survival in the Outer Sky weren't much different from those within the Great Wilderness.

Becoming stronger was just that—becoming stronger; it didn't extend one's lifespan.

Only by continuously elevating one's status while growing stronger, thereby gaining the favor and trust of the Divine Spirits, could one be granted a long lifespan by them.

No matter how the titles changed, deep down, it was still the 'Divine General' way of doing things.

"Brother."

With the sugar figurine in her mouth, Jin Wei tilted her head to look at Wu Wang. Her left cheek puffed out, and her large eyes seemed to sparkle like two star clusters.

She asked, "If you cultivate, can you hunt powerful fierce beasts?"

"Yeah," Wu Wang replied with a smile. "A fierce beast is a treasure trove—its hide, its Beast Core, even its meat can be sold for many Bay coins. You can exchange them for lots of food and fun things."

"Will it be very dangerous?" Jin Wei whispered. "Brother, you can make many Bay coins by carving wood, too."

"But if you're not strong enough, you can't protect the Bay coins you earn."

Wu Wang said gently, "Perhaps some ruffian will kick down your door and shout, 'Which one of you does wood carvings? Carve ten for our young master!' If you're not strong enough, you'll have to bow your head and carve for them. But if you are strong, they'll be afraid just seeing you, and you won't have to carve for them."

Jin Wei suddenly understood.

Aunt Qing, who was nearby holding a bamboo basket and picking through rice, laughed. "You child, why do you always think so poorly of people? This is the town; it's much safer than living in the mountains."

"Exactly!" Uncle Shan had been chopping wood. He propped his large axe beside him, now shirtless, sweat slowly streaming down his muscular chest. "I'm here with your Aunt Qing," he said, "no need to..."

The word "worry" hadn't even left his lips.

CLANG!

The loosely shut courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open. Two somewhat scrawny figures dashed inside, muttering, "You're the ones selling wood carvings, right? Carve a dragon for my young master!"

Wu Wang couldn't help but cover his face with his hand; he really hadn't read this script beforehand.

"Hm?"

Uncle Shan frowned, turning his head toward the two scrawny men in gray cloth at the doorway. A fierce light glinted in his triangular eyes as his chest muscles bulged and the muscles from his neck to his shoulders tensed.

The two men's throats trembled. Their posture, initially leaning back fifteen degrees, instinctively shifted to a twenty-degree forward bow as they said quietly, "We'd like to buy a few wood carvings."

"Fifty Bay coins apiece!" Uncle Shan picked up his large axe and said indifferently, "Go out, knock, then come in again."

"Alright, alright."

"It's normal for a skilled craftsman to have a bit of a temper, perfectly normal."

The two servants scurried out, looking dejected.

Uncle Shan set the axe aside and raised his eyebrows at Wu Wang, who nodded with a smile, naturally agreeing.

Refusing Bay coins when they could be earned? That's no way for a true man to act!

A little while later, the two servants knocked gently on the door. Uncle Shan stepped forward, pulled the wooden door open, and said with a smile, "Come in. How many would you like? I still have some in stock."

"Three will do. You can choose for us."

"That will be one hundred fifty Bay coins."

The two servants clutched a cloth bag, forcing appeasing smiles.

Uncle Shan asked, "Which martial master's household are you two from?"

"We're from the Hei Family, the Hei Family."

"Isn't that the household of the town's garrison commander?" Uncle Shan's eyes lit up.

The two servants immediately puffed out their chests and straightened up. "Yes," one smiled, "our young master particularly likes your wood carvings. When we heard your family had moved here, we hurried over to buy a few."

"Please wait a moment."

Uncle Shan nodded, took the cloth bag, and went to a side room. He soon returned, cradling four wood carvings.

One of the servants said hurriedly, "But we didn't bring enough for..."

"Didn't you two just give me two hundred?" Uncle Shan blinked.

The other servant, being quick-witted, grinned. "Yes, yes, we meant to buy four."

"Thank you for your patronage," Uncle Shan said warmly. "How about a drink here with me?"

"No, thank you. The young master is in a hurry."

"You must be busy then. If the young master likes them, we'll advise him to come by and purchase a few more from you!"

"Thank you, thank you. We're mountain folk, new to this place. We'll be relying on the garrison commander's protection in the future; it's only proper."

Uncle Shan turned and shouted, "Little Bug, quick, bring two skewers of beast leg meat for our guests to take. These are important customers!"

Wu Wang responded promptly and soon came running out with two skewers of dried meat. The two servants made a show of refusing, but their fingers were already hooked onto the hemp rope. They departed joyfully, laden with goods.

Once they were far away, Uncle Shan closed the wooden gate and spat in the direction the two servants had gone.

"Little Bug, remember this," Uncle Shan muttered, patting Wu Wang on the shoulder. "You can fool a hero, but petty people are troublesome. Don't underestimate these minor figures; sometimes they can really stir up trouble for you."

"Alright, I'll remember that." Wu Wang nodded with a smile.

An outstanding old hunter had countless things to learn. Hunting might seem like just wandering through mountains and forests, a battle of wits and courage against fierce beasts and birds, but behind it all lay an understanding of human relationships and worldly wisdom.

With an experienced man like Uncle Shan around, Wu Wang could feel at ease about Aunt Qing and Jin Wei's daily safety.

Aunt Qing set down her longbow and stepped out of the side room. The way she looked at Uncle Shan... Wu Wang had seen that look before, in the Young Master's eyes.

「Celestial Court, Life Creation Temple.」

The Young Master was still dressed in her favorite black gown, surrounded by several goddesses and elder gods, constantly discussing something.

She indeed had a great many matters to attend to.

Take the Bear Hug clan of the Northern Wilderness as an example. The clan had to count how many women of marriageable age and men eligible for marriage they had, with all statistics recorded through the Heavenly Dao.

Then, there was the matter of how to bring these men and women together, how many children should be bestowed upon the Bear Hug clan that year, the issues of raising these children after birth, the mortality rate among young children due to illness…

These 'numbers' were all decided here.

In the Northern Wilderness alone, there were dozens of prominent clans, to say nothing of the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness.

The same issue became even more complex in the Human Domain. The principle set by the Heavenly Dao was: 'the stronger one is, the harder it is to conceive offspring.' This was to reduce the emergence of monopolistic cultivation families.

However, the Heavenly Dao hadn't specified exactly how much an increase in strength should reduce the probability of conceiving offspring; that was for the Life Creation Temple to control.

Therefore, while Wu Wang's avatar adventured in the Outer Sky, the Young Master was always busy.

She also found joy in this work, feeling a deep sense of fulfillment from being able to do something for all living beings.

Only in the quiet of the night, or when she was alone, would the Young Master daze off for a while, whispering Wu Wang's name in the depths of her heart.

「At this moment.」

The Young Master left the Life Creation Temple. She glanced at her own bedchamber, remembering that it was the fifteenth again. But there would be no one in the temple staring at her today, and she felt somewhat reluctant to return.

She murmured to herself, I wonder what he's busy with in the Outer Sky. Then, she pursed her lips slightly.

Today, she had put her long hair up—with Wu Wang absent from the Celestial Court, her black tresses would not hang loose.

With her hands clasped before her, the Young Master rode a cloud and meandered through half the Celestial Court. All the immortals, gods, soldiers, and generals she encountered along the way bowed to her respectfully.

Unconsciously, she arrived at a secluded hall. The Young Master peered inside, knowing full well what this place was.

A spectral figure materialized at the hall's entrance, bowing gracefully to the Young Master.

If this shadow were corporeal, it would surely be stunningly beautiful, with long, slender eyes and a pointed chin—a classic 'snake spirit face,' yet one utterly without incongruity.

Whispering Serpent.

"My lady, what brings you here?"

"I had some free time and was just strolling around the Celestial Court," the Young Master said, clasping her hands behind her back, trying her best to appear serious. "How have you been recently?"

"All is well," Whispering Serpent replied with a gentle smile. Her eyes, however, held a hint of complexity, and after speaking, she seemed somewhat lost in thought.

Seeing this, the Young Master floated over the steps of the Divine Temple and landed before Whispering Serpent's apparition. "Have you encountered any troubles?" she asked with concern.

Whispering Serpent shook her head gently.

Inside the hall's Divine Pool, the small snake had now grown into a 'giant python.' Moreover, this 'giant python' had begun its transformation into a dragon; a pair of bulges had appeared on its head, its scales had turned pale gold, and adjacent scales were starting to fuse.

Whispering Serpent spoke softly, "Has he mentioned me to you?"

"Yes," the Young Master chuckled. "His Majesty has mentioned you many times. He said you are… a promising talent."

"Really?" A cautious joy flickered in Whispering Serpent's eyes. She then asked in a low voice, "Now that I am free from the Divine Spell, will Master trust me?"

The Young Master hummed softly. "You don't need to worry about that. Your current strength is already not on the same level as his… Uh, no, what I mean is, even if you wanted to backstab him now, you couldn't harm him… That's not what I meant! I—"

The Young Master's face flushed crimson, and she couldn't help but cover it with her hand.

Whispering Serpent suddenly chuckled lightly and sighed. "My lady, please don't blame yourself. Those words did indeed comfort me."

"Really?" The Young Master blinked, her long lashes fluttering, making it hard for Whispering Serpent to look directly at her.

"Really, my lady."

"Then… then you should rest more. I'll head back to my temple to continue with official duties."

The Young Master nodded slightly, and Whispering Serpent bowed her head in respect.

Afterward, this foremost among the eight Hall Masters, the wife of the Eastern Emperor, turned and rode her cloud away, a gentle, lovely smile on her face as she flew back to her own temple.

Hmm—I did another good deed today.

「That night.」

The night in the small town seemed no different from one in the mountains. When the moon rose above the treetops, the people, whose entertainments were quite simple and primitive, would go to bed early.

Since Jin Wei was still young and afraid of the dark, she still slept with Aunt Qing. Wu Wang was thus assigned to Uncle Shan's room.

Resting his head on his arm, Uncle Shan muttered, "Little Bug, those tricks you mentioned, do they really work?"

"You'll know if you try." Wu Wang yawned. He was tired from practicing his punches and undergoing strength training all afternoon and really didn't feel like chatting with the older man.

The Heavenly Dao still has so many matters waiting for me to supervise!

Aren't relationship problems between hunters just a matter of breaking the ice with a single sentence?

"Hey, Little Bug," Uncle Shan asked in a low voice, "how old do you want to be when you get married?"

"That…" Wu Wang suddenly wasn't sleepy anymore.

Wu Wang laughed. "I haven't thought about it. Perhaps when I've achieved success and made a name for myself."

"Good thinking. Once you've made a name for yourself, you'll have more choices," Uncle Shan chuckled. "You're not like your uncle. In this lifetime, I've only had eyes for your auntie."

"Heh," Wu Wang murmured, "then you should go and tell her how you feel."

"What's the rush? We've made it through so many years," Uncle Shan whispered. "Your Aunt Qing has a burden on her heart; she thinks she brings bad luck to her husbands."

Wu Wang said offhandedly, "All this talk of destiny is deceitful."

But then, Wu Wang immediately blinked.

The old god of fate is still in the Outer Sky. Perhaps this talk of destiny isn't entirely false.

Uncle Shan asked, "Little Bug, what color cloth do you think Aunt Qing likes? I heard the tailor's shop has some fine fabric, spun from some insect cocoons. It's supposed to be especially soft to wear."

"Uncle, what's Aunt Qing's actual name?"

"Oh, right! She probably likes cyan or blue."

"Uncle, I'm going to sleep. I still have to meet that old master tomorrow."

"Sleep then, sleep," Uncle Shan said with a laugh. "Don't overthink it. Even if you don't have the aptitude for cultivation, you can support a whole family with your wood carving skills."

Wu Wang was speechless… Had this not been mentioned, he really wouldn't have worried much.

As he fell asleep, his spiritual mind returned to his true body. Wu Wang opened his eyes within the Heavenly Dao, seated upon his throne.

"Zhong?"

"Master, I am here."

A transparent outline appeared before him—it was, naturally, the spirit of the Eastern Emperor's Bell.

Wu Wang wondered, "What's the level of my avatar's aptitude? Above average?"

"That…" The Bell spirit blinked and asked, "What was your last word, Master?"

Wu Wang, puzzled, said, "Zhong?"

"Master, she says she's not here."

WHOOSH!

The Bell spirit flickered once and vanished instantly, leaving Wu Wang sitting alone in disarray.