Shirou Topples the Hall of King Yama / Shirou Discusses the Dao with the Gods

Before the hall, a group of Oni soldier of various skin colors and horns on their heads rushed to surround Shirou upon seeing him and dragged him to the steps. On the steps stood King Yama of Hell, dressed in a dark black robe and wearing a golden crown, majestically surveying the surroundings.

Shirou thought to himself, "This must be the infamous King Yama." He wondered what he would encounter, but he couldn't speak. Just then, a tremendous force came from behind him. He lost his strength and had no way to resist. He was directly pressed to the ground.

"Boy, why are you sitting on Mount Buzhou, offending a holy immortal? Do you know what your crime is?"

The voice of King Yama, like thunder in the night, came down from the steps, causing the ground to tremble. It was as if the entire ground would crack and shake if he were to become angry.

Shirou wanted to answer, but then he remembered the First Emperor's admonition, "Never speak," so he remained silent. However, he had not done anything wrong, so he raised his head and looked directly at the King of Hell on the platform, not showing that he, who was being forced to the ground, was inferior to the person sitting high on the platform.

The judge behind him flipped through a book, then walked to King Yama's ear, whispered a few words, and then retreated.

King Yama raised his iron scepter, his beard bristling, and roared arrogantly:

"Shirou Emiya! You think I won't know your name just because you don't tell me? Do you know where you are? Answer me now, or I'll make you taste the torments of hell right now!"

Shirou kept his lips tightly pursed. Seeing this, King Yama turned to his henchmen and gave them some orders in a gruff voice.

The henchmen straightened up, grabbed Shirou again, and flew towards the sky above the Hall of Judgment.

Just like the legendary eighteen levels of hell, hell has execution grounds where people who did evil in their previous lives are punished. In addition to the mountain of knives and the pool of blood, there are also the scorching hell of the valley of flames and the extremely cold hell of the icy sea, standing side by side under the dark sky.

The henchmen repeatedly tossed Shirou into various hellish environments.

Poor Shirou couldn't defend himself, so he was dragged into one hellish execution ground after another. First, he was pierced through the chest by a sword, but after the excruciating pain, the wound quickly healed, and then the same punishment was repeated.

Shirou did not answer.

So the ghost messengers took Shirou to the next execution ground in hell, the Valley of Flames, where the temperature of the flames at the earth's core was even comparable to the Three Flavors Fire in Laozi's alchemy furnace.

Shirou's head was pressed against the mouth of the Valley of Flames. The flames and smoke rising from it instantly scorched his cheeks, and the tears that flowed out were burned away and evaporated. His eyes were also steamed until only the whites of his eyes remained.

"Will you talk or not?" the Oni soldier demanded. The flames were at their fiercest here, and even the Oni soldier holding Shirou's head had his eyes burning red and his claws scorching.

But Shirou still didn't answer.

The judge and the Oni soldier were so angry that the white-faced ones turned red and the black-faced ones turned black. They had never seen such a stubborn human before, and they carried Shirou to the next hell.

Then Shirou's mouth was pried open, and his tongue was forcibly pulled out with large pliers. The part that couldn't be pulled out was torn in two, and the pink tongue, stained with blood, fell to the muddy ground, still twitching.

"Will you tell me or not?!"

"Hahaha, now you have nothing to say!" The Oni soldier, satisfied with their revenge, laughed wildly.

However, Shirou showed no sign of backing down; his eyes shone brightly, and he remained fearless.

Then Shirou was skinned, pounded with an iron pestle, fried in oil, had his brains devoured by poisonous snakes, and had his eyes pecked out by an eagle...

Even after his eyes, which were meant to express defiance, were pecked away, Shirou persisted.

To recount all the suffering Shirou endured would take a whole day and night; in short, Shirou suffered every kind of torment imaginable. Despite this, Shirou stubbornly clenched his teeth and kept his lips tightly pressed together, refusing to utter a single word.

He did it for the happiness of all mankind. If this wish could be fulfilled, he would not hesitate to suffer the pain of all mankind. Therefore, the suffering in hell is insignificant! Insignificant and negligible!

Shirou endured all the punishments in Hell, going through them from beginning to end, and then from end to beginning again, repeating this process for eighty-one days without wavering in the slightest.

This left the henchmen dumbfounded and speechless.

The judge and the Oni soldier had no other choice, so once again they carried Shirou across the dark night sky to the front of the Hall of Judgment, dragged Shirou down the steps, and addressed the King Yama in unison:

"King Yama! This... this sinner, Shirou Emiya refuses to speak no matter what."

King Yama frowned and pondered for a moment, then had a sudden inspiration and gave the order:

"Only extreme pampering could raise such a self-centered and stubborn child. His parents have failed in their parenting; they must have been condemned to the animal realm. Bring them here immediately."

"As expected of the King!"

"Your Majesty is truly wise!"

The demon Oni Tribe were overjoyed and immediately rode the eerie winds to the skies above hell. Then, like shooting stars, they drove the two beasts down to the Hall of Judgment. Shirou Emiya was shocked to see the two beasts, for they were two thin, emaciated horses, though they appeared pitiful.

But on the horse's face appeared the likeness of his parents from this life, the ones who raised him and left him with a fortune to live lavishly in Luoyang. These two relatives had unconditionally tolerated all his actions.

Whether it was him wasting large sums of money sending people to search for the immortals, or him focusing on finding the immortals instead of taking over the business his parents had painstakingly built, they never uttered a single complaint.

Shirou is now all alone in this world, walking his own path. It doesn't matter if relatives become distant, friends are lost, or lovers part ways. But the only people he feels indebted to are his two elderly parents.

This world is the world of immortals, a place separate from Shirou's original world. In order to come to this world, Shirou also needed to use different means, namely reincarnation. Thus, he was born into a wealthy family, taking the place of their child without permission. He was pampered by them, but they never enjoyed a single act of filial piety from their son.

When the two elderly people passed away peacefully, Shirou finished the funeral arrangements, sold his family property, and went to Luoyang, never to return. He then swept their graves once.

Chapter 1202 Shirou Chops Down the Palace of Hell

In this life, Shirou is indifferent to things and people, or perhaps he has to put these social niceties aside in order to pursue a greater ideal.

Since ancient times, there has been a saying that loyalty to one's country and filial piety cannot be fulfilled at the same time. Faced with freedom and love, many people are willing to disregard everything for them.

In order to obtain the information, he made many friends. Once he received the information, he abandoned his friends to seek immortality.

Although most of the people here are just drinking buddies who crave pleasure, this prosperous Tang Dynasty, the place where the most heroes and sages in the world gathered, also had people who did not care about money and enjoyment. They associated with Shirou because they respected him.

His friends had advised Shirou to abandon his unrealistic ideas and stop seeking immortality, at least to leave himself a way out and not to be so extreme.

With his talent, he could achieve great things anywhere. If he wanted to benefit the people, he could become an official who protected a state.

Even if he went to the grasslands, the Western Regions, or the Middle East, there would be people willing to recruit Shirou, even help him recruit Shirou, and support him to become a lord of a place, or even a King of a country. It is not impossible.

But Shirou refused them all, then gave away all his wealth and left these friends who cared about him. His goals were too grand for him to stay in one place for long.

Just as wealth gained overnight is quickly spent, the salvation of a place cannot last. Even if the people of a prefecture are protected, when the Tang Dynasty weakens, there will be no way to save them.

If you seek refuge in one country, other countries will still experience turmoil. If neighboring countries fall into war, your own country will not be able to remain unscathed.

Ultimately, we must address this from a global perspective. Whether it's our own city, our own country, or friendly or unfriendly nations, the world can only truly become stable and happy when all nations and all races achieve equal happiness.

So the reason why Shirou's friends have distanced themselves from him is perhaps because Shirou simply doesn't care about them.

The man who helped Shirou meet the Master Xuanzang back then, Silang, had already been executed as a traitor. Shirou knew his fate from the beginning, but he never thought of helping him change it.

Perhaps Shirou does indeed have very grand ideals. The last time he went to the moon palace and traveled to the universe, decades had passed on Earth, and several emperors had come and gone in the imperial court.

However, to those who attended the banquet at Emiya Residence Emiya, and to his friends from those years, Emiya might have seemed like an unapproachable oddball.

At the very least, they felt that Shirou was not someone they could confide in, someone who would stand by them through thick and thin when misfortune struck.

Bang!

The gavel slammed down with a terrifying thud.

"Boy, why are you sitting on Mount Buzhou? Tell me the truth now! Otherwise, this time I'll make your parents and relatives taste the bitterness of suffering."

Despite being threatened, Shirou remained silent.

"You unfilial son! How can you bear to let your parents suffer just for your own sake?"

King Yama roared in anger, his voice so loud it seemed the Hall of Judgment was about to collapse.

"Beat them! You henchmen! Beat these beasts to a pulp!"

The henchmen shouted "Yes!" in unison, stood up, and began whipping the two horses mercilessly from all sides.

The iron whip hissed and cracked, raining down on the two horses, tearing their skin and flesh. The horses... reduced to beasts, writhed in agony, their eyes brimming with tears of blood, howling pitifully.

Seeing their flesh being torn away, revealing their bare bones, they were in unbearable pain.

"What? You still won't confess?"

King Yama temporarily ordered his minions to stop whipping the horses and urged Shirou Emiya to answer once more. By then, the two horses, their flesh rotten and bones broken, lay dying before the steps.

Shirou Emiya closed his eyes tightly, desperately trying to recall the First Emperor's words, reminding himself that this was a test from the saints and immortals. He was doing this for the happiness of all mankind, and he couldn't let his own selfish desires ruin the great cause.

Just then, he heard a faint, barely audible sigh:

"Shirou, don't worry. No matter what happens to us, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters. No matter how much the King pressures you, if you don't want to speak, just stay silent and do what you want to do!"

That voice... it really was the voice of my long-lost loved one!

In this life, Shirou is determined to find the immortals and a way to surpass the white god. To avoid being bound by other things, he is indifferent to the things and people around him, including his parents in this life.

But the other person truly loves me.

Shirou involuntarily opened his eyes. He saw a horse lying helplessly on the ground, gazing sadly at his face. Even in such dire pain, the mother still cared for her son, showing no resentment whatsoever for being whipped.

In that look, Shirou saw Kiritsugu, Sister Fuji... all the important family members he had lived with in a past life, who had given him warmth.

Compared to those people who fawn over you when you're rich and ignore you when you're penniless, this is such a rare kindness and such a steadfast determination!

At that moment, Shirou forgot the First Emperor's warning and his mission to save the world. He staggered to the Old Ma's side, wrapped his arms around the dying Old Ma's neck, and cried out through tears:

"Mom~!"

"Dad~!"

"Bring him back to me!" King Yama roared.

The Oni soldier tightened their grip on the chains, trying to Shirou back to the ground.

"Keep fighting!"

"Yes!" the Oni soldier said, raising their clubs and whips.

Shirou, unable to bear it any longer, broke free from the henchmen who were pinning him down.

His arms emitted light, shattering the surrounding space. A sword appeared above his head and slashed towards the Yama Palace. At that moment, the palace turned into smoke and disappeared. Shirou was still standing on the flat top of Mount Buzhou.

Then a loud laugh rang out, and a gigantic old man, ten thousand feet tall, appeared in the sky above Mount Buzhou. The hairpin on his head seemed to be as high as the moon, and his long beard was like the Tianshan Mountains. Standing on it, one could touch the stars. Behind the old man, strange and sacred faces appeared, all smiling at Shirou.

The old man called himself Hongmeng, the most ancient sage in the world. He waved his hand towards the east, and the lush, deep green forest transformed into scales, which eventually formed a giant blue dragon.

He then waved to the west, south, and north.

Originally from purgatory, flames spewed out and formed a crimson Vermilion Suzaku, which spread its long wings and emitted a soul-cleansing cry.

Then another white tiger climbed up the mountain and roared.

Huge waves surged in the northern sea, revealing a colossal creature with the shell of a tortoise and the neck of a snake.

The old man released another jade disc, which automatically enlarged and transformed into a flying saucer, gesturing for Shirou to step onto it.

Chapter 1203 Shirou Discusses the Dao with the Gods

The jade disc carried Shirou out of Mount Buzhou, through the thick clouds, out of Earth, into the depths of space, and towards the celestial palace atop Mount Buzhou.

As the saying goes: Before chaos was divided, heaven and earth were in turmoil, a vast and boundless expanse unseen by anyone. Since Pangu broke the primordial Hongmeng, the distinction between pure and impure has been established. All living beings rely on his supreme benevolence for protection, and all things he created have become good...

The universe and all things were born from the Hongmeng.

Within this celestial palace, there dwell the gods who created the universe and all things, as well as star spirits who reside among the stars and maintain the balance of the universe, and Divine Beast that guard the center and the west.

This place is also home to the most outstanding beings from various star systems and races. Among them are immortals and saints who once ascended from humanity and entered this realm.

Here, Shirou encountered far more beings who possessed wisdom and power than all the immortals and sages he had met in the past combined.

"Among those present are sages who have spearheaded cosmic transformations, incarnations of the World Tree that support the three thousand worlds, and powerful beings who have created their own realms. You can discuss the Dao with all of you here and find good teachers and helpful friends among them. There is no need to ask me," said the Old Ancestor Hongmeng, who was in the center.

"Why? Aren't you the oldest and most intelligent being since the beginning of the universe?" Shirou looked at the enormous old man before him in astonishment. He could sense that the Old Ancestor Hongmeng was a being far more vast and profound than the White God. If even he didn't know, then who did?

Old Ancestor Hongmeng smiled, and then posed the same question.

"What you seek is the happiness of all mankind, but I am not Hongmeng belonging solely to mankind. I will not grant happiness to mankind alone."

Shirou was stunned for a moment, then realized that the god before him was not just a human god. Since the beginning of the universe, he had been creating all sorts of things, so naturally he would not show any favoritism towards humans.

The Suzaku, perched on a jade branch of Penglai, preened the red feathers on its tail, while the White Tiger lazily licked its paws.

To the Old Ancestor Hongmeng, no, to most of the immortals in the Celestial Palace, humans were merely one of the masses.

"Then... is there no way for all beings, including humans, to achieve happiness?"

"Compared to the universe, the existence of humans, and indeed all life on Earth, is far too short. From our perspective, the society in which humans live is not clearly distinguishable from the dominant races of the previous or next generation of the planet."

To ensure the happiness of all people, you must also acknowledge unhappiness. If those who protect happiness are called kind and righteous, then those who create unhappiness are called cruel and evil.

But humanity is a whole; happiness is collective, and so is unhappiness. In reality, it's impossible to pinpoint the exact culprit. Various desires, calculations of gain and loss, and interpersonal relationships are all intertwined and work together. No one knows what the root of all evil is. The clear-cut distinction between good and evil exists only in fiction.

Shirou frowned. Indeed, there are starving children in some parts of the world, while others smear cakes on their faces; some people suffer injustice and violence, while lovers embrace passionately, enjoying their time together.

But... no one did anything wrong.

Does the existence of poor people in the world mean that everyone else has to live frugally? That would hinder the development of the nation's economy.

For example, if someone were to suffer misfortune, would that mean others couldn't be affectionate? If we don't work hard to reproduce and create more humans, humanity on Earth will become extinct.

As if confirming Shirou's thoughts, the Old Ancestor Hongmeng said:

"The world is made up of such a system, and this is the most appropriate system we have found so far for observing the past and extrapolating the future."

Even the Old Ancestor Hongmeng was part of such Shirou the immortals, saints, spirits, Divine Beast who lived in the celestial palace atop Mount Buzhou.