Captain of the Court#

Immortal rites bestow eternal life, A body forged in steel, free from strife. Though sorrow lingers, pain remains, In cycles of rebirth, truth regains.

Continuing from the previous story, the soul had been a celestial soldier for a thousand years and had risen through the ranks to become a captain of the court. Despite his promotion, he felt lost and uncertain. In life, he had not attained enlightenment, and as a celestial soldier, the highest rank he could achieve was that of a captain. Many former celestial captains, in an attempt to change their fate, had fled to the mortal realm, only to be hunted down and killed, their souls dissipating with no chance of reincarnation.

This time, upon hearing of upheaval at Mount Huaguo, the Celestial Court dispatched celestial soldiers to the mortal realm. Missing one headcount, the celestial captain received orders to select a soul from the underworld. He approached the judge and saw three kneeling souls. He chose the one who had practiced Daoism and brought him out of the underworld. The soul, seeing the celestial captain's gleaming armor, the cold edge of his blade, and the intricately carved shield of solid iron, was excited. The celestial captain paused and asked something he wasn't supposed to: "If you come with me today, you will have no chance of reincarnation. As a deity, the highest rank you can achieve is my position. Are you still willing to go?"

The soul replied, "Yes, yes, I am willing. I don't know if there will be any other opportunities in reincarnation. I might go through countless cycles of rebirth only to suffer even more." Knowing that the soul would not change his mind, the celestial captain had to take him to the upper realm.