I am a living immortal.

Chapter 517: Pros and Cons, the Emperor's Contemplation

Wei Ming felt that these old men were usually as shrewd as thousand-year-old foxes, but when it came to immortality, they threw their brains out. Even if His Majesty didn't need it, he wouldn't give it to them. How could this be? A thousand-year-old prime minister? A thousand-year-old aristocratic family. Is that still a country?

But it was no wonder he couldn't imagine anyone in the world who could resist the allure of immortality. From common people to emperors, from ancient times to the present, there were those who couldn't resist the temptation, but they were few and far between. And that was because none of them had truly seen it, and even if they had, how many could still maintain their true feelings?

His Majesty surely knew that he would destroy it even if he didn't need it, severing everyone's hopes. However, this would be difficult for the Exorcists to accept. Judging from their dejected expression, they knew they had suffered heavy losses for this elixir. If they destroyed it, it would not only destroy the elixir, but also the spirit of the people. After that, the Exorcists would never recover.

The Demon Slayer Division would also be affected. Without logistical support, how long could the Demon Slayer Division sustain itself? Once disappointed, regaining confidence would cost at least tenfold or a hundredfold.

But the reality is that His Majesty can't take it himself, that's even more impossible, the only outcome is death. Although he is now on the same side with these old guys, what will happen next?

Trying to steal the elixir of immortality from the palace? That wasn't likely either. After all, the mastermind behind this wouldn't do what they wanted. If a war broke out, destroying a capital city would be easy.

And it achieved its purpose.

We can only persuade him and see what choice Your Majesty will make.

All of this happened so suddenly that Wei Ming couldn't help but sigh, and he didn't know how many times he sighed. Wei Zhao didn't know what to say to comfort him.

When we returned to Wei Mansion, it was already dark.

"Father, I will have someone monitor every move of the Demon-Exorcist Sect." Wei Zhao said.

Wei Ming nodded.

Elsewhere, in the palace, His Majesty's personal eunuchs were at a loss for words, their words of persuasion being useless. The Emperor had remained motionless since his afternoon meeting with the Exorcist, his dinner untouched and his tea already cold.

He waved his hand to have a new batch of food replaced, and whispered, "Your Majesty, it's time to eat."

This reminder made the emperor look at the eunuchs, and then waved his hand: "Go out, let me think about it alone."

Helplessly, the emperor said so, and the eunuchs filed out. The palace, with only one person left, felt eerily empty. Although the candlelight illuminated the hall brightly, it couldn't penetrate the emperor's heart.

He didn't know what he was thinking. In fact, he wasn't as obsessed with immortality as he'd imagined; he simply feared death. Unlike the late emperor, he didn't have the same carefree attitude towards death as the previous emperor, who had his own unique perspective on it.

In fact, every emperor had to consider life and death. Some were carefree and open-minded, striving to become stronger, while others feared death, either living day by day or trying every possible means to avoid it.

The current emperor embodies the latter. He fears death, and therefore seeks to prolong his life. After all, he has ambitions; he wishes to witness more of this prosperous age. He is no longer young, having ascended the throne already in his sixties. However, influenced by his surroundings and decades as crown prince, he is actually quite intelligent, and therefore lacks any desire for immortality.

This time, his search for the elixir of immortality was just a hope. He never thought that someone would really put the elixir of immortality in front of him.

But it happened.

When the choice was presented to him, he hesitated. Was an emperor who could live forever truly desirable? The answer was no. He still remembered the first lesson his father had taught him: The people are most important, the country is second, and the emperor is least important.

He was lucid, fully aware of what immortality would bring. A dynasty that would last for thousands of years? No, absolutely not. If he couldn't face death with equanimity, the fear of death would eventually consume him. Now that the emperor was prioritized, what would become of the people and the country?

An immortal king brings decay and a rigid mindset, turning it into a stagnant state. He may witness a prosperous era, only to watch it decline and ultimately fall.

Immortality does not mean immortality, but it does mean bearing pressure that is heavier than death.

He thought he was not ready.

But immortality, no matter how many words you say, is as tempting as these two words. He considered himself sane, and believed that immortality was unattainable, but when these two words were placed before him, his breathing still became heavy, and he could not wait to take the immortality elixir.

You will never understand this kind of temptation unless you experience it.

He didn't know where he got the willpower to resist touching it. Somehow, a feeling told him not to touch it, otherwise he would be doomed.

Reason and emotion constantly collide in my mind.

He had ten thousand, a hundred thousand reasons to stop denying it, but none of them could defeat the word "eternal life." He felt a little disgusted. If his father were here, he would never hesitate like this.

Now he hopes someone will come forward and wake him up.

Rubbing his head, he looked out into the darkness. He shouldn't have sent the Exorcists to search for the elixir of immortality. He knew full well that the information he would receive under such circumstances would definitely not be well-intentioned.

Besides these, he recalled the expressions of the demon-slaying people as they carefully presented the brocade box to him. He felt guilty about their loyalty, and his own selfish desires had pushed him into a dilemma.

He wasn't the only one thinking about this. He thought more deeply. This immortality elixir was like opening a magic box. Even he couldn't predict what would happen next.

The trend of seeking immortality has become prevalent and no one is down-to-earth anymore. Good farmland has been abandoned and people have become displaced.

Or perhaps it was alchemy, the belief in gods and ghosts, the rampant alchemists, cheating and deceiving, using all means. Only then did he realize what kind of danger his willfulness had brought to this country.

He was ashamed to face everyone.

All kinds of complex human emotions mixed together in his mind, making him feel very tired, but helpless.

Fortunately, he still possessed the qualities of an emperor. He would flee, but when things happened, he would also stand up to face the storm. He also walked out of the palace that imprisoned him.

As soon as he stepped outside, the sky was still slightly light. This thought lasted all night. The eunuchs outside the door were already extremely anxious, but their tentative reminders went unanswered. Fortunately, the emperor finally came out.

After he had breakfast, he went to the morning court.

The atmosphere at this morning's court was much stranger than usual, with many people whispering and discussing something. The emperor knew what they were thinking, so he spoke frankly:

"My dear ministers, I'm sure you've heard about the existence of the elixir of immortality. What are your thoughts on it?"