This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 464 - 462 Aunt Qing [Medium Cup!]

My name is Wu Wang, and my Taoist name is Wu Wangzi.

I won’t hide it from you; in the realm next door, I had become the Heavenly Emperor, commanding eight million Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals, with hundreds of Gods under my command. The Human Emperor was my sworn brother and father-in-law, and the Lord of the Blood Sea was my kinsman.

As for why I’m now in this simple Village...

Don’t worry, I’m definitely not going to say that all you need to do right now is invest a few hundred Bay coins, wait for me to return to the Celestial Court, and I will grant you the position of an eternal Immortal. I’m not that kind of Heavenly Emperor.

But could you lend me a few hundred Bay coins now?

Wait for me to grow a bit stronger in this world, then I can go into the mountains, hunt down some foolish roe deer, sell their pelts, and pay you back.

Should I really say that? Wouldn’t that be like exposing my own incompetence? It’d be strange if Emperor Shun and the Candle Dragon didn’t come to kill me!

My incarnation, on the other hand, doesn’t really matter; I could get a bit of Power of Merit and have the Eastern Emperor’s Bell make another one.

But if I really attracted the attention of those gods from the Outer Sky, they wouldn’t hesitate to flatten this small Village. That would be in keeping with the style of an Innate God!

It’s just like that old saying from my home on Blue Star—"A hero can be stumped by a paltry sum."

I never would have imagined that I—the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, creator of the Eastern Emperor’s Bell, destroyer of the Old Heavenly Palace, the one who sent the old gods of the First Divine Age to their graves, spouse to the Young Master, husband to Ling Xiaolan, son-in-law to Shen Nong, Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect, Young Master of the Northern Wilderness Large Family Clan... would be stumped by a few hundred Bay coins!

With clear mountains and beautiful waters in a moment’s thought, Spirit Fish and fowl play before the stream.

Sitting with head in hands in a wooden hut or small tower, a handsome young boy with red lips and white teeth.

Right now, Wu Wang feels very cornered.

It’s been three years since I came to this Outer Sky world, living here for three years as well. When I sleep here, I return to the Heavenly Dao to guard the Great Wilderness and the main world, constantly uncovering those Great Dao that have not yet produced Innate Gods, step by step completing the Heavenly Dao. In the position of leader of the Heavenly Dao, I, Wu Wang, am not just qualified; I am outstanding. But in the Outer Sky, when active in this body... I’m feeling more and more that I was conned by that damn bell!

The voice of the Eastern Emperor’s Bell still echoed in his ear:

’Master, I feel that you can definitely take the most difficult path to rise, fully tempering your will. After all, you have nothing much to lose in the Outer Sky. I’ll secretly protect those you need me to. You just go ahead and soar; Little Zhong will be your wings.’

Fly... Fly my ass! Now I’m panting after running just ten li!

Looking back on these three years, I, Wu Wang, spent one year restoring this body’s foundation and one day drawing from the Heavenly Dao the language and writing of the Outer Sky world—something Yang Wudi had learned only after much effort.

In the remaining two years, I began to constantly ponder the ways of cultivation and Dueling.

But... no Cultivation Technique; I can’t use the Heavenly Dao for deductions; and I’m even being protected by Aunt Qing every day, not allowed to run around wildly. The moment she discovers me trying to build my strength, Aunt Qing—that robust woman with features of the Qingqiu clan who raised me from a young age—ties me up at home, immobilizing me for days.

I am, after all, the Heavenly Emperor! Eastern Emperor Taiyi! I drove Spaceships in my previous life! When have I ever suffered such indignities?!

It’s hard for me, Wu Wang, to understand. This Village has thousands of people, most of whom are of the Human race. Apart from myself, other children, boys and girls alike, start learning martial arts at the age of seven or eight.

There’s no help for it; this is the domain of the Martial God. The ’Liuli god’—a Subordinate god under the Martial God—presides over this Divine Realm. The beautiful woman made of liuli worshipped in the center of the Village is that Liuli god.

Her beauty is just average for a Goddess, only a smidge more attractive than the Mirror God.

But as a dignified Heavenly Emperor who once rejected Chang Xi, I, Wu Wang, naturally wouldn’t harbor any amorous thoughts toward a statue. I’m not King Zhou! Though everyone wishes they could be King Zhou.

To get back to the point, I, Wu Wang, urgently need a few hundred Bay coins. I plan to ask the old village chief to go to the bustling town a hundred li away to buy some Beast Blood for body tempering, to complete my first step of advancement.

Originally, Aunt Qing said she would save up this huge sum for me. But I really couldn’t swallow my pride and accept her gift.

My current incarnation has been freeloading in her house for so many years. In half a month, it will be time for Little Jingwei to appear, and both of us will have to rely on Aunt Qing for support.

A hunter’s income is unstable, after all, and many powerful ferocious beasts roam the nearby forests. Aunt Qing’s range of activity is limited; a few hundred Bay coins is almost three to four years of her income, the kind she could only save by not eating or drinking.

I, Wu Wang, feel that I shouldn’t owe such a huge favor, nor should I be taken care of to this extent. I am, after all, a Heavenly Emperor!

I need to figure something out.

Right now, Yang Wudi is twenty thousand li away. He has also apparently moved on from that widow’s bed and become the chief instructor of their town. Not only is the distance vast, but there are also three or four Divine Realms between us. Each Divine Realm is relatively closed off, with little communication. Crossing borders requires a definite reason and involves identity interrogation.

Asking Yang Wudi to front me a few hundred Bay coins—even if Yang Wudi could do it, I, Wu Wang, couldn’t bring myself to.

Let Little Zhong help out?

That’s not feasible either. I’ve already called on Little Zhong before, but its attitude was firm—Master must overcome all difficulties; only then can the trial be effective. Moreover, if an incarnation dies, it’s dead. Zhong will protect Jingwei’s lingering soul, but I, Wu Wang, would need to find a new incarnation and start cultivating all over again.

"Am I going to be defeated by a few hundred coins? If worse comes to worst, I’ll just go hunt some ferocious beasts!" Wu Wang gritted his teeth.

Self-reliance is the simplest method! Conquer ferocious beasts, obtain their Beast Blood, then extract the power within the blood to build the foundation of Martial Arts! If I don’t take action now, Little Jingwei will be here in half a month. If I don’t even have the most basic strength, how can I take good care of my little sister? As a mature man with a family, a wife, and subordinates, I should make a plan.

「A moment later...」

First, I’ll head to the forest and figure things out when I get there!

He leaped up from the steps in front of the wooden hut, turned, and ran back into his cabin. He quickly donned his ’hunter’s outfit,’ slung his homemade iron crossbow and quiver over his back, tucked a curved knife at his waist, threw on a straw raincoat, put on a straw hat, and ran toward the valley exit along the moss-covered stone path.

If I don’t leave now, Aunt Qing will be back from hunting soon.

The youth was swift as the wind. His loosely tied long hair bounced as he sprinted, his not-yet-fully-developed body racing at breakneck speed, his breathing quite rhythmic.

An auntie beating hemp clothes by the stream smiled and called out his childhood name.

An old man, weaving bamboo strips with his foot on a wooden board in front of his door, chuckled as he watched the youth run past.

In the trees by the roadside, a few laughing youths pointed at the sprinting boy, calling him ’second fool.’

"Hey! Little Bug, where are you going?!"

A familiar booming voice reached him. Wu Wang turned his head to see a brawny man carrying two roe deer, their hooves tied, glaring and calling out to him.

It’s him! Aunt Qing’s number one suitor. He hasn’t cultivated, but he can smash a head-sized cobblestone with a single punch!

Wu Wang took a nimble leap off the bustling path, agilely vaulted over an earthen wall, and sprinted across the soft grass!

"Hey! That way leads up the mountain!" the brawny man roared. He tossed his game to a companion beside him, unslung his longbow, dropped his long knife, and with great strides, started chasing Wu Wang.

What rotten luck, Wu Wang thought. Why is Uncle Shan back so early today?

If only I had a Storage magic treasure, then I could casually stroll out of the Village. Carrying a bow and crossbow, I clearly don’t look like I’m out for a leisurely sightseeing trip.

I’ve only trained this body for three years; I can’t possibly outrun this brawny man who spends his days racing tigers and leopards in the mountain forests.

Seeing the distance between them continuously shrinking, Wu Wang slowed down, turned his head, and grinned sheepishly at Uncle Shan.

"You... What are you running for?!"

The Human race brawny man took a few steps forward, hoisted Wu Wang up, and, panting slightly, his booming voice thundered directly into Wu Wang’s ear, "What are you doing going up the mountain? Is that a place you can go play?!"

"I’m hungry! I’m going to hunt a wild rabbit!" Wu Wang retorted with self-assurance.

Uncle Shan was puzzled. "Didn’t your aunt leave you anything to eat?"

"She did, but I want meat!"

"You want meat? That’s easy! Come to my place! Let’s go, go, go!"

Uncle Shan, somewhat resigned, patted Wu Wang’s forehead. He said no more, simply clamped Wu Wang under his arm as if he were carrying a roe deer, and took him back to the Village.

Wu Wang’s mouth twitched, his head drooping, as he inwardly planned a perfect strategy for hunting in the mountains.

Though I lack strength, I can set some traps. Even if ferocious beasts are a bit difficult to deal with, they all have weaknesses. Having been the Young Master in the Northern Wilderness for over a decade, I’ve naturally accumulated many sophisticated hunting techniques, such as striking a beast’s vital points. However, that will definitely have to wait for three days.

For the past two years, to prepare Beast Blood for Wu Wang’s body tempering, Aunt Qing would go out hunting for three days, then rest for two days to prepare food and hunting supplies like arrows and throwing stones, before heading back into the mountain forest.

It was all because two years ago, Uncle Shan had said, "Hey, this silly kid has finally smartened up, and he’s actually got pretty good talent! He learned my set of boxing techniques in just a few tries. If he could absorb blood to activate the Martial God’s power, he might make something of himself in the future."

Aunt Qing took his words to heart. Seeing that Wu Wang could take care of himself, she doubled the frequency of her hunting trips.

Originally, she went up the mountain twice a month, and their family was already well-fed and clothed.

「An hour later.」

A rich aroma of meat drifted in the afterglow of the sunset.

In the fenced yard not far from the wooden hut where Aunt Qing and Wu Wang lived, the eight-foot-tall brawny man had taken off his shirt, rinsed himself quickly, and was now starting a fire to cook porridge.

Wu Wang wiped his drool and helped add wood to the fire. Uncle Shan tossed two handfuls of coarse rice into the bottom of the pot and skillfully chopped off a beast’s leg. After de-gaming the meat, he roasted half of it and chopped the other half into chunks with his machete, throwing them into the pot.

Though the process was simple, and the resulting meat and rice porridge inevitably had a bit of a gamey smell, this was already the finest delicacy I had tasted in years. Given the limited conditions, even a Heavenly Emperor couldn’t be choosy.

After they had feasted to their hearts’ content, night fell.

Uncle Shan lived alone. Seeing Wu Wang intending to scrub the pots and wash the dishes, he grabbed two tree stumps for seats, picked up two thin wooden boards to use as fans, and began to cool off in the yard. Summer nights didn’t require a fire, and the cool breeze from the nearby stream was conducive to sleep.

"Kid, what were you planning to do in the mountains?" Uncle Shan asked with a chuckle.

Wu Wang patted his full belly and murmured softly, "I don’t want Aunt Qing to be so tired. I have a way to get Beast Blood myself."

"Do you even know how to use Beast Blood?" Uncle Shan retorted.

Wu Wang was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Even if you can find Beast Blood, you still need to know how to use it," Uncle Shan muttered. "Ferocious Beast Blood itself isn’t actually expensive; what’s expensive is the martial master who can draw the activating talismans for you. Most of the Bay coins you’d pay go to the martial master.

"The martial master draws talismans on you to stimulate the bloodline within your body, helping you produce Martial God strength. If the process goes smoothly, and you initially produce a good amount of Martial God strength, only then will the martial master accept you as a disciple.

"Only by becoming a martial master’s disciple do you have a chance to make a name for yourself and climb up step by step."

Climb up for what? To become a patrolling Divine Guard for the Liuli god?

In my eyes, this system is just how Martial Gods rear their Divine Guards and Immortal Soldiers. I don’t need to follow it at all; I just need to acquire their Cultivation Techniques.

However, according to what Zhong said before, the Martial Gods’ Cultivation Methods are very special, and they are controlled tier by tier within the ’Halls of Martial Valor’ at each level.

Why did Zhong choose the Divine Realm of the Liuli god, a subordinate of the Martial God, as the place for Wu Wang’s incarnation to cultivate?

The reasons were quite simple. Firstly, the Liuli god was relatively weak and didn’t pay much attention to his Divine Realm, spending his days in a drunken stupor within his Liuli Treasure Pagoda. This would give Wu Wang more opportunities.

Secondly, this place was the heartland of the Martial God’s dominion, with fewer bandits and robbers and a more defined order, giving Wu Wang a relatively lenient start. Many Divine Realms might look appealing, but internally, class oppression was severe, with "collusion between officials and bandits," making the channels for advancement extremely narrow.

"Uncle Shan, what’s your real name?" Wu Wang suddenly asked.

"Sanshan," Uncle Shan said with a smile. "I’m the third eldest in my family, but among my brothers, I’m the strongest!"

The youth tilted his head. "Then why didn’t you cultivate?"

"Well, I didn’t awaken, you see," Uncle Shan chuckled awkwardly. "All that suffering for nothing."

A look of understanding dawned on Wu Wang’s face. He thought for a moment more, then leaned against the wooden post behind him and gazed at the sparse Stars.

The starry sky of the Great Wilderness and that of the Outer Sky were not the same. Here, the density of the Stars was much lower, more like silver sand carelessly scattered by someone.

He suddenly asked again, "Uncle Shan, you like my Aunt Qing!"

"You—Don’t talk nonsense!" Uncle Shan sat up nervously, glanced left and right, and only after seeing the empty road in front of the gate and hearing women’s laughter in the distance did he heave a long sigh of relief.

He glared at Wu Wang and scolded, "You kid! Ever since you smartened up, you’ve gotten more mischievous each year! I’m over a hundred years old; what’s this talk about liking someone or not!"

"Oh?" Wu Wang gave him a look of disbelief.

The big man’s old face reddened. He rubbed his large, calloused, and cracked hands together and said in a low voice, "I just want to spend my life with your Aunt Qing."

"Then you should say so," Wu Wang muttered. "If you don’t, and just keep bringing food and pelts every day, Aunt Qing might think you want to adopt her as a sworn younger sister."

Sanshan laughed and chided, "Don’t you meddle in adult affairs, you little brat! What do you know? Your Aunt Qing and I grew up together!"

"Childhood sweethearts, and you waited this long? Don’t people in the Village marry at seventeen or eighteen?"

"Well, no, one wouldn’t normally wait that long." Sanshan scratched his head.

"When Aunt Qing’s parents were alive, they took her away to a big city hundreds of li away and promised her to a wealthy family.

"You don’t know, your Aunt Qing has Qingqiu clan blood in her ancestry. Her parents both looked like ordinary Human race folk, but she had a pair of fox ears—pink and tender, so cute and unique.

"Back then, she was slim, tall, and pretty. The men who wanted to marry her would have lined up from this mountain all the way to that one over there. I wasn’t good enough; I was just ordinary. I couldn’t hold her back."

Wu Wang murmured, "So why did Aunt Qing come back?"

"She couldn’t bear children, and her husband died of illness," Sanshan continued, his voice softening. "Her husband’s parents said she was bad luck and kicked her out.

"As for her own parents, they were ashamed that she’d been driven out of her husband’s home. They had already settled in that big city and wouldn’t let your Aunt Qing return to them.

"So, your Aunt Qing walked hundreds of li back to this valley. I helped her rebuild her house, and she settled here again. She hunts by herself, doesn’t interact much with others, and lives quite contentedly."

Sanshan sighed softly. "If I had known she would suffer such mistreatment in that city, I should have taken her far away back then. At the very least, I could have provided her with meat to eat and good clothes to wear. How could I have let her suffer such indignities?"

"Aunt Qing hasn’t had it easy," Wu Wang said, clicking his tongue, his eyes filled with a touch of wistful emotion.

Aunt Qing must have been quite pretty when she was young. Now, however, she no longer had a willowy waist like a willow in the breeze; instead, she had well-defined abdominal muscles. She was a completely different image from the fox-kin of the Qingqiu clan and the half-foxes back in the Great Wilderness.

"Uncle Shan, rest early!"

"Don’t go running off anymore, kiddo!"

In front of Aunt Qing’s house, Wu Wang waved vigorously at the uncle who had walked him home. Still a skinny youth, he had to stand on the steps to barely see the top of Uncle Shan’s head... reflecting the Stars.

This uncle is going bald, but he hasn’t gotten stronger. It’s the complete opposite of Da Yi, who is cultivating according to the ’balding’ Cultivation method. My subordinate, Da Yi, isn’t going bald but is rapidly growing stronger under the protection of the Heavenly Dao. And he’s still all lovey-dovey with Heng’e every day, a truly shameless immortal couple.

It was already time to sleep. I’m just idle here anyway. I could lie down, fall asleep, let my Spiritual mind return to my main body, and continue to oversee the various tasks of the Heavenly Dao.

But I, Wu Wang, still felt a little uneasy and wanted to wait for Aunt Qing to return. Even though I knew that the vision I once had of Aunt Qing rescuing Little Jingwei meant that Aunt Qing would definitely be safe before that event occurred, I still couldn’t help but worry a little.

Resting my chin on my hands, I quite enjoyed these youthful years where I could legitimately act cute.

His mind churned with numerous complex problems. These issues, like cotton fluff, wrapped around his Dao heart, making him feel slightly vexed.

’Without my usual advantages, I’m really not quite used to this,’ Wu Wang chuckled softly to himself. I certainly can’t let Zhong look down on me, nor can I waste such an opportunity to temper myself...

Under the cover of night, amidst the twinkling starlight, a figure appeared at the end of the small path, walking with unsteady steps.

Wu Wang immediately stood up and gazed toward the figure.

Seemingly spotting the youth in front of the wooden hut, the figure paused for a moment, then hurried back with swift steps, a sack slung over one shoulder, a longbow across the other, and a long knife at their waist.

"Aunt Qing!" Wu Wang shouted loudly.

As she drew closer, her gentle female voice immediately carried over, "Why are you still out here?"

In the dimness of the night, Aunt Qing’s figure was vaguely discernible; she wasn’t very tall, nor were her shoulders particularly broad, and her tied-up hair was somewhat disheveled.

Wu Wang hurried forward, intending to take the cloth sack from her shoulder, but Aunt Qing casually blocked him.

"Don’t try to help with those little arms and legs of yours. This is grain; it’s very heavy."

Wu Wang asked in his youthful voice, "Auntie, did you go to the market?"

"Yes, dear. You’re still growing; you can’t always eat hunted meat. Are you hungry?"

"Not hungry!" Wu Wang chuckled, turned, and ran back into the house. He grabbed two flints from a corner and skillfully lit the earthen stove, the crimson flames illuminating his cheeks. "Uncle Shan brought over some meat porridge earlier. I’ll heat it up for you right now!"

Aunt Qing smiled. "Oh? So you went to eat at Uncle Shan’s again?"

By the firelight, her slightly plump and weary face was visible, as were the two scars on her arm.

She smiled as she took off her hunting ’outfit’ and hung it on the nearby wall. Then, she carried the sack of rice to the ceramic jar in the cupboard and carefully poured the coarse grains into it. This coarse rice was the staple food for the living beings in this Divine Realm; its price was not a particular concern.

Aunt Qing sat down at the only low table in the room, unwrapped the cloth strip tied around her leg, and frowned slightly.

Wu Wang turned to look. Aunt Qing immediately pulled her trouser leg down, fumbled at her waist for a small cloth pouch, opened it, and placed the similarly sized seashells from within into a wooden box. She then gently shook the box, a satisfied smile gracing her lips.

Almost enough, she thought.

"Auntie," Wu Wang whispered, "take me with you to the mountains next time."

"And what would you do there? Fatten up the wild animals so they sell for a better price?" Aunt Qing snorted with laughter.

She half-undid her short shirt, exposing her left shoulder to cool off while ensuring nothing was revealed in front of the young man. After untying the cloth band from her head, her long hair cascaded down, showing several distinct creases from being tied up.

Wu Wang poked the fire with a poker, then walked over with a look of plaintive grievance in his eyes and poured her a cup of warm water.

"I can dig traps."

"Those creatures are far too cunning!" Aunt Qing said with a laugh.

"When I first started going up the mountain, I often went hungry for days. It’s only now that I’ve started to figure out their habits. You absolutely cannot get injured.

"The martial master in town said that if you sustain hidden injuries when you’re young, even a small scar, it could affect your future development.

"You just stay obediently at home and recuperate. In another half a year, you can go to the town and try your luck. If it turns out you’re not cut out for cultivation, then when you turn twenty, I’ll take you up the mountain."

"Alright then." Wu Wang raised his hand to rub the spot between his eyebrows. "I’ll go to sleep first then. Auntie, you should rest early too. The porridge is almost warm."

"Go on, go on." Aunt Qing waved her hand. Wu Wang turned, walked to the corner, lay down on his wooden plank bed, and pulled the thick beast-hide curtain closed.

Not long after, he heard sounds of movement.

Aunt Qing was actually very particular about cleanliness. Her first act wasn’t to eat, but to extinguish the fire under the pot and then hobble, carrying a wooden basin, to the small wooden hut in the yard to wash up.

Roughly half an hour later, Wu Wang heard the soft sounds of someone drinking porridge. He then heard Aunt Qing, who was sitting on the edge of her bed in another corner, let out an involuntary, muffled grunt of pain as she applied homemade medicinal powder to the wound on her lower leg.

But soon, the night grew quiet again.

There was only the chirping of insects on a summer night, the croaking of frogs in the distant stream, and the soughing of the night wind.

’Zhong?’

’Master, I am here.’

’Do your best to protect Aunt Qing.’

’Yes, Master.’