In the outer periphery of Renhuang Pavilion, in an ordinary meeting hall, Ji Mo was pacing back and forth in a corner.
Wu Wang secretly glanced at him. He saw that this famous playboy from the Human Realm, who was usually full of energy and handsome, had a pale face and looked restless, lost in thought and sighing...
What's wrong?
Wu Wang hid in the shadows without revealing himself, observing Ji Mo along with several other immortals from Renhuang Pavilion.
One of the Renhuang Pavilion officials, who had heard of Ji Mo's name and was dressed as a scholar, smiled and transmitted his voice to the others:
"Could something be wrong with Young Master Ji's health?"
"We are all cultivators, a little depletion of our origin shouldn't cause health problems. Wouldn't Ji's family buy him some high-quality spirit medicine?"
"It's hard to say. Even Heavenly Immortals have moments of weakness, don't they?"
"Master, shall I go and inquire? It would be better for us to know what Young Master Ji is seeking so that you can handle it better."
"No need," Wu Wang weighed the transmission jade talisman in his hand. It was a letter sent by Ji Mo's grandmother.
He said, "Thank you all for following my previous instructions."
"Master, you're too polite."
"We will make the preparations."
Immediately, the officials each took out jade talismans and case files, either holding them in their hands or hugging them to their chests, following behind Wu Wang.
Wu Wang yawned, revealing a tired face, and lowered his head as he walked into the array formation surrounding the meeting hall.
Ji Mo's eyes brightened, a smile about to appear on his lips, and he was about to come forward.
"Wu...Brother Wu..."
Several figures rushed into the hall from behind Wu Wang, surrounding him.
"Master, these cases are still waiting for your review!"
"Master, Master, you need to finish reviewing these files today and give your instructions."
"You can't just put aside the important matters arranged by the Pavilion Lord. At the very least, you should take a look!"
Wu Wang's face showed impatience as he shouted, "I want to see a friend! Can't you stop pressuring me like this? I am a person, not a treasure! I need a little break amidst these complicated official duties!"
"Master!"
The middle-aged scholar's eyes were filled with tears as he shouted, "Since the moment you became the Lord of the Punishment Hall, your life belongs to the entire Human Realm. You must handle this case properly, Master!"
"Quick, escort the Master back to the Punishment Hall! We can't delay the matter of the Divine Son any longer!"
They all rushed forward, lifting Wu Wang directly and rushing towards the exit.
Wu Wang raised his hand towards Ji Mo, shouting, "Brother Ji! Save me!"
"What are you doing! Put down Brother Wu!"
Ji Mo shouted several times, about to catch up, but was blocked by several immortal guards stationed at the entrance of the hall. He could only watch as Wu Wang was carried away.
"This..."
Ji Mo couldn't help but sigh, feeling lost and helpless.
At this moment, Ji Mo resembled a survivor drifting at sea after a shipwreck, who discovered a piece of driftwood and excitedly tried to climb onto it, only to find that it was just a piece of wooden tablecloth.
"Ah."
Ji Mo sighed and lowered his head, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
Outside the hall, in a corner separated by an array formation, Wu Wang watched this scene, feeling a bit reluctant as well.
But there was nothing he could do. Wu Wang couldn't interfere in this matter.
He made a gesture, and everyone bowed and withdrew.
Wu Wang watched for a while from the shadows, pondered with his hands behind his back, and finally made up his mind, sneaking away to the Punishment Hall.
"Brother Ji, you chose this path yourself. Keep going."
The details of this matter, why Ji Mo appeared here, had already been explained in the transmission jade talisman from Ji Mo's grandmother.
Half a month ago, Ji Mo went on a blind date with a woman.
Ji Mo recited a poem and showed his charm. The woman fell in love with Ji Mo at first sight and agreed to marry into the Ji family during the blind date. Ji Mo was also quite satisfied with the woman and was very attentive during the blind date.
That night, the woman's father went to visit the Ji family's old lady, and both sides exchanged marriage documents. They only needed the two young people to spend some time together to deepen their feelings before the wedding.
But two days ago, when Ji Mo returned from an outing with the woman, he locked himself in his room for several hours. Afterwards, he proposed to go out for a walk, but was stopped by the cunning women of the Ji family.
Because of this, Ji Mo had a quarrel with his aunt and cousin, saying that he had changed his mind and didn't want to get married so soon. Then he ran out and came to Renhuang Pavilion to seek Wu Wang's help.
That's the story.
It seemed that Ji Mo was a treacherous person who disappointed a good woman, but based on Wu Wang's understanding of Ji Mo, Ji Mo must have had some unspeakable difficulties.
The Ji family was quite satisfied with the woman, and the woman also fell in love with Ji Mo at first sight. The Ji family's matriarch was certain that Ji Mo would come to Renhuang Pavilion and sent a letter with sincere words, asking Wu Wang to persuade Ji Mo.
Similarly, Wu Wang didn't want to give face to the Ji family's old lady.
This was Ji Mo's private matter.
No matter how good his relationship with Ji Mo was, he couldn't meddle in Ji Mo's pursuit of a wife. Who could say for sure about the future? Who could say that the missed opportunity wasn't a good match?
Who Ji Mo's future sister-in-law would be had nothing to do with Wu Wang, who didn't even have a single spirit stone. As long as she agreed in the future, it would be enough for a good brother to occasionally go out for a drink and chat.
Arriving at the Punishment Hall, Wu Wang sat high in the main hall.
He ordered someone to bring a long table, on which three treasures were placed: a wooden plaque with the words "Startling Hall," a plaque with the word "Execution," and a porcelain teapot.
He also ordered someone to change the screen behind him to a painting that didn't have too much oppressive feeling, a painting of "Chick Pecking Rice," no, "Eagle Spreading Its Wings."
After thinking for a moment, Wu Wang restrained his urge to play a prank and didn't hang up the plaque "Mirror Hanging High" behind him.Just a half-moon purple mark appeared on his forehead, adding a bit of confidence to his judgment.
He carefully examined the case files, stamping each one with the palace master's seal.
The Punishment Hall was only responsible for punishing the immortals who made mistakes within the Ren Emperor Pavilion. Its nature of work had nothing to do with 'criminal investigation'.
Before long, Wu Wang had dealt with these case files and said, "Bring up those five god-sons."
Two officials from the Punishment Hall immediately responded with a bow, "Yes!"
Two teams of immortal soldiers hurried away, and the five god-sons, who had been interrogated for a long time, were brought up to the hall.
After a series of previous interrogations, they had no secrets left to reveal; and the power of the Evil God in them had already been claimed by Wu Wang.
The sound of shackles scraping the ground rang out, and the three men and two women, restrained by immortal power, were placed in the center of the hall, each looking like a puppet, devoid of any spirit in their eyes.
Wu Wang leaned back in his chair, sighed softly in his heart, and said, "How are you all?"
The five people looked up, and their eyes suddenly lit up. Two of the men stood up excitedly.
One of them shouted at Wu Wang, "It's you! You liar!"
The other one pleaded in a trembling voice, "Jiejun, save us, we haven't done anything wrong yet!"
Seven or eight immortal soldiers immediately rushed over and pinned these two men to the ground. The five people's expressions turned somewhat pale as they stared at Wu Wang.
Wu Wang played with the gavel in his hand and laughed, "Now do you understand the dangers of the world?"
One of the women sighed, "We originally thought that the Ten Gods Palace could grow so rapidly because most of the people in the Human Realm are fools. We didn't expect that it was us who were short-sighted."
Another woman sneered, "Did Brother Jiejun rise step by step because he caught us?"
"How ridiculous!"
An official from the Punishment Hall scolded, "You all think too highly of yourselves!
Our palace master earned his position by thwarting the Evil God Qiong Qi's scheme, causing Qiong Qi to return in defeat and enhancing the prestige of our Human Realm!"
The five god-sons were taken aback.
Wu Wang waved his hand, signaling the official to step back, and said slowly:
"I was the one who caught you, and I am the one who will decide your fate.
I can tell you my method of dealing with you first. Even if you haven't had time to act against the Human Realm, your intention to come to the Human Realm was to disrupt its stability, so I can't let you off lightly.
But before that, I have a few questions to ask."
One of the god-sons smiled bitterly, "We've already said everything we can say, and you've already tricked out the things we couldn't say. What other questions are there?"
Wu Wang asked, "Do you hate the Evil God?"
The five of them fell silent at the same time.
Wu Wang continued, "Do your families know that you've become god-sons?"
The five of them remained silent.
Wu Wang leaned forward slightly and continued, "How do you feel about your current awkward status?"
The five of them were all speechless.
"Can't answer?"
Wu Wang threw the gavel on the table, his eyes full of disappointment, and said:
"Bring Daoist Wancai here."
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An official hurried away and soon brought Daoist Wancai to the Punishment Hall.
This Daoist had aged a lot, from a middle-aged appearance to an old man's figure. Plus, most of his soul had been sealed, giving him a sense of being at the end of his life.
His gray hair was meticulously combed, his robe was decent, and his eyes were full of spirit. As soon as he saw Wu Wang, he couldn't wait to rush forward and sighed:
"Master Wuwang, I've been waiting for you for so long!"
Wu Wang didn't hesitate, took out a jade charm from his sleeve, and threw it to Daoist Wancai.
"Some poems I've copied."
"Thank you, Daoist friend! Thank you, Daoist friend!"
Daoist Wancai was moved to tears, carefully examining the jade charm;
His fingers traced over each line of the pattern. After reading just the first poem, he couldn't help but shed tears.
Wu Wang said, "Cry over there."
"Ah," Daoist Wancai bowed and went to the corner with the jade charm.
But he hadn't been there long before he rushed back, almost pinned to the ground by a group of immortal soldiers.
He gritted his teeth and shouted:
"Why is the last line of each poem missing!
'On the field, the grass is lush, one year one wither and flourish, wild fire can't burn it out', what's next? Why is there no more?"
Wu Wang squinted and smiled, took out another jade charm from his sleeve, and laughed:
"I must have taken the wrong one. I have a complete version here."
Daoist Wancai's eyes turned green. He scratched his ears and stomped his feet, sighing, "Daoist friend, you're really ruthless. Can't you let me die in peace?"
Wu Wang looked at the five god-sons and wondered:
"Why are you so determined to die?
You have exposed the evil deeds of the Ten Calamities Palace everywhere, and counted the sins of the Ten Calamities Gods, which is considered a meritorious service.
Daoist friend, you actually have a way to live."
"What's the use of a way to live?"
Daoist Wancai put his hands behind his back, sighed deeply, and said softly:
"I was born a human, but I am a villain who walked out of the Evil God's blood pool.
Most of my family, brothers and sisters were killed by the Evil God. They all died in the blood pool, but I didn't resist the Evil God at all, not even having the courage to die.
Later, I was sent to the Human Realm to do evil and kill. I was alone in the Human Realm, but I didn't have the heart to harm the Human Realm."
Hearing this, the five god-sons looked up at Daoist Wancai, their eyes incredibly complex.
Daoist Wancai laughed and continued:
"I, as a human, have to do harm to my own kind.
I, as a villain created by the Evil God, have failed to fulfill the commands given by my fathers.
"For someone like me, if I had committed evil deeds, it would be understandable to be killed by those who despise me;
But it's my weakness, my inability to act against my own kind, that has led me to this predicament.
Although the world is not simply black and white, there is no place for me in it.
Wan Cai, the Taoist, has long been dead in that blood pool.
Humanity, the wicked, I should belong to one of them. Unfortunately, I can't go back to the former, so I might as well be the latter, indulge in some poetry to satisfy my cravings, and seek a swift death. That's all.
Fellow Daoist, please grant me this favor, give me the complete poems."
"Bloodline is just one of the ways of cultivation."
Wu Wang said solemnly, "Your stance is not determined by your bloodline, but by your beliefs!"
Wan Cai, the Taoist, calmly replied, "I have hesitated over these long years because I couldn't find my own beliefs."
"Isn't fighting for humanity a belief?"
"If I say that I fight for humanity, but when the Ten Calamities Palace committed evil, I hid and protected myself, and failed to inform the Human Realm in time, how can I justify that?
At this moment, I can't face my fathers either. Am I just shouting this as my belief, living purely for the sake of survival?
Fellow Daoist, how despicable is this!"
"Why are you so stubborn?"
Wu Wang leaned forward, looking at Wan Cai, the Taoist, and couldn't help but laugh.
"I tried to persuade you out of kindness, because I believe you don't deserve to die. You indeed didn't harm the Human Realm, and you even made contributions before, revealing the true face of the Ten Calamities Palace, reducing the fear of cultivators towards it.
In the future, you can still contribute to the prosperity of poetry in the Human Realm by indulging in it.
What's wrong with that?"
"That's unacceptable."
Wan Cai, the Taoist, sighed, "Without integrity, how can I sing? Piling up fancy words is nothing more than moaning without illness."
He looked at Wu Wang with a hint of longing in his eyes, and whispered:
"Fellow Daoist, please give it to me."
Wu Wang pondered for a moment, sitting there slightly thoughtful, the jade charm in his hand gently turning.
An officer from the Punishment Hall stepped forward and transmitted his voice to Wu Wang:
"Master, the Pavilion Master also said before, why not just fulfill this Wan Cai, the Taoist, and end his torment?"
"Alright."
Wu Wang sighed softly, his eyes full of regret. He got up and walked to the table, handing the jade charm in his hand to Wan Cai, the Taoist.
"These are some poems I found in ancient books, all that I could remember are written in it. You can burn it after reading."
Wu Wang held the jade charm, eagerly pouring a strand of his remaining immortal consciousness into it, carefully reading and pondering. His somewhat cloudy eyes showed a bit of relief, along with a hint of confusion and acceptance.
"Phew..."
He let out a soft breath, trying to smile, but his lips were slightly stiff.
"Is it really not your work, fellow Daoist?"
Wu Wang shook his head with a smile, "I don't have such literary talent, I just found them in ancient books."
"Indeed, I wish I could have been born in the same era as them, to drink and sing with them."
After saying this, Wan Cai, the Taoist, bowed to Wu Wang.
"Thank you."
"Do you want another drink?"
"No, I've waited too long, the wine has lost its taste."
Wan Cai, the Taoist, held the jade charm in his hand, placed it on his chest, and turned to look at the five gods beside him, naturally sensing their aura.
He didn't say much, just bowed to the five of them, then turned and walked towards the door of the Punishment Hall.
A celestial soldier wanted to stop him, but was stopped by Wu Wang's gesture.
The Taoist walked forward, his gray hair gradually turning black, and his somewhat hunched back slowly straightening.
He recited the poems Wu Wang gave him.
There were 'For the love of good sentences, I will not rest until I shock the world', 'The lonely smoke in the vast desert, the setting sun over the long river', 'The black cloud presses the city, the city is about to break', 'I will not return until I break Loulan'.
A small flame emerged from Wan Cai, the Taoist's chest, gradually enveloping his entire body.
He walked forward in the flame, reciting non-stop, but in the end, he sighed slightly, standing in front of the door, standing in the flame, looking up at the clear sky, the blue sky and white clouds.
This life has been wasted without accomplishing anything, only a few old and young know my miscellaneous writings.
In the next life, I wish to be a guest in the mountains, playing the flute, herding the cattle, and leisurely writing.
The Punishment Hall was quiet for a while, Wan Cai, the Taoist's soul had scattered at the door, only a small pile of ashes remained.
Wu Wang had returned to his seat, he did not attack Wan Cai, the Taoist, nor did he take his divine power.
He just said, "Give him a grand burial."
An officer on the side took the order.
Wu Wang looked at the five gods again, they were either kneeling or paralyzed, two of them looked thoughtful.
"Do you have anything else to say?
If you have nothing to say, go back and wait. When I find a way, I will strip your divine power; if you can survive after the stripping, be prepared to be imprisoned for life.
Take them away."