In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 05: The Cherished Immortal Lord (4)

Chapter 05: The Cherished Immortal Lord (4)

 

The taxi drove out of the hospital, blending into the bustling traffic of the night.

 

Luo Yang thought for a long time before finally saying, “Why didn’t you save her?”

 

Xi Yu, who had been gazing out the window, still felt disoriented. During his time in the hospital, he realized that much of what he knew was vastly different from the era he now found himself in.

 

But when “vastly different” materialized before his eyes, it still caught him off guard.

 

“I couldn’t save her. She sought the wrong person,” Xi Yu flexed his fingers slightly before asking, “Where are we going?”

 

“Home, of course. It’s so late; where else would we go?” Luo Yang replied.

 

Xi Yu said casually, “Hua Xi Mountain.”

 

“You can’t go to Hua Xi Mountain now!” the driver suddenly chimed in. “Didn’t you see the news about that heavy rain a few days ago? It poured for fifteen days straight. Hua Xi Mansion collapsed, the mountain is practically a waterfall, and the rope bridge is broken. That place was already an isolated peak with just one ancient building worth seeing, and now even that’s damaged. The place has been closed indefinitely. Who knows when it’ll reopen?”

 

The driver sighed. “There are still a dozen people stranded there, too. One of them was stuck right in Hua Xi Mansion, soaking for over ten days. The news said they survived and were rushed to the hospital. Talk about a stroke of luck!”

 

Luo Yang thought to himself that the so-called “lucky person” the driver was talking about was currently sitting right behind him.

 

He chuckled twice, saying, “Good deeds are rewarded, I suppose!”

 

Xi Yu, who had just refused to save someone, now found himself labeled as a “good person,” which annoyed him slightly.

 

He disliked others pinning labels on him because those labels often came with expectations, compelling him to act in accordance with how others perceived him.

 

Luo Yang called him a “good person,” meaning he should turn back and save that life.

 

But on second thought, whether in his past life or now, he was far from being a “good person.” This only showed that Luo Yang was poor at judging character.

 

It had nothing to do with him.

 

Xi Yu closed his eyes and leaned back. “Is there any temple near Hua Xi Mountain besides that one?”

 

“There are quite a few. Which one are you looking for? The God of Wealth is downtown,” the driver replied.

 

“Bei Shang Zun Jun,” Xi Yu said.

 

Luo Yang froze.

 

He quickly leaned forward to gauge the driver’s reaction, worried the driver might think he was driving around a lunatic and kick them out of the car in the middle of the night. Cabs were hard to come by at this hour.

 

Fortunately, the driver didn’t think that way, only finding himself a bit ignorant. “Who is Bei Shang Zun Jun? What blessings does he provide?”

 

Xi Yu thought for a moment. “He’s the deity worshipped at Hua Xi Mansion. What does he bless? I’m not entirely sure—peace and prosperity, perhaps.”

 

“Hua Xi Mansion had a temple?” The driver sounded skeptical as he searched his memory. “Wasn’t it just an ordinary ancient building? I don’t remember it having a temple or a deity.”

 

“Maybe I remembered it wrong,” Xi Yu replied, feeling a wave of drowsiness as he brushed the topic aside.

 

Ten thousand years ago, at Hua Xi Mansion, anyone entering the front gate could see a cross-legged statue. The deity’s features were roughly carved, their appearance almost indiscernible.

 

The deity worshipped there was none other than Bei Shang Zun Jun.

 

“Why wasn’t it sculpted with more care?” Xi Yu asked.

 

The man next to him replied, “It wasn’t carelessly sculpted. It’s that you simply can’t see his face.”

 

Xi Yu was puzzled. “Why not?”

 

“He doesn’t allow you to see it,” the man answered.

 

Xi Yu didn’t ask further.

 

According to protocol, Xi Yu should have called the man “Master,” but he disliked the word “Master,” saying it established a rigid hierarchy and lacked warmth.

 

Xi Yu scoffed. “Deities are inherently devoid of warmth.”

 

The master only smiled in response, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

 

Xi Yu wasn’t wrong. Few people ascend to godhood in a single leap; most start from the bottom and slowly climb their way up. One of the key steps in this process is severing all ties to emotions and desires.

 

“She’s come here five times this month,” Xi Yu remarked, looking at the woman kneeling in the hall. “Is Bei Shang Zun Jun very busy? Hasn’t he had time to deal with her mundane troubles? Master, can’t you send him a message? She looks really anxious.”

 

After speaking, Xi Yu added with a pout, “She keeps coming, chattering away every time—so annoying.”

 

The master, sitting outside in the courtyard folding Xi Yu’s study materials, glanced up at him and smiled. “Do you want to help her?”

 

“I’m not that free,” Xi Yu replied emphatically. “She’s just so noisy.”

 

The master chuckled softly as if amused by Xi Yu’s stubbornness.

 

Xi Yu frowned and slapped the table, insisting, “Even if I wanted to help, I can’t. So I haven’t wasted any thought on it. Instead, I’m focusing on learning more so I can ascend as soon as possible. If she’s still seeking help after I’ve ascended, then maybe I’ll help her.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

What’s with this patronizing tone?

 

“I’m twenty years old, you know,” Xi Yu muttered unhappily.

 

The master ignored him and handed over a folded book.

 

Xi Yu opened the book, muttering under his breath, “Is Bei Shang really that busy?”

 

“Not at all. I heard he’s been quite idle lately—drinking tea and admiring flowers just yesterday, thoroughly enjoying himself,” the master said, sneaking in a subtle jab at Bei Shang. “Maybe he just pretended not to hear her and didn’t want to help.”

 

“Impossible,” Xi Yu said, preparing to argue.

 

“Alright, you’re right. I’m not talking to you anymore,” the master said nonchalantly.

 

Xi Yu was stunned. That’s supposed to be my line!

 

He stared at the master, who eventually relented, tapping the open book in front of him. “Focus on your studies. Do you still want to ascend?”

 

“Tch,” Xi Yu replied, “I’m not talking to you anymore.”

 

—

 

“Wake up! Hey, wake up!”

 

Xi Yu hadn’t been sleeping deeply. The cool night wind against his face made him feel half-awake, but he had been reluctant to leave the vivid dream he was having until Luo Yang started nudging him. Reluctantly, Xi Yu opened his eyes.

 

The taxi had stopped at the entrance to an old, rundown neighborhood. The narrow alleys inside were impassable by car, forcing them to walk the rest of the way.

 

“Is this a refugee camp?”

 

The already-cramped alley was cluttered with piles of debris, leaving little space to walk. Xi Yu could only step over them in large strides.

 

“Hope Alley.”

 

“We live here?”

 

“Yeah, it’s just up ahead.”

 

Hope Alley… Xi Yu saw no semblance of hope.

 

In his previous life, he had lived in luxury for most of his years, which had made him extremely particular. Now, standing in this place, he felt as though his life had taken a nosedive.

 

Little did he know, his realization was premature.

 

Following Luo Yang, Xi Yu climbed five flights of stairs before stopping in front of a green, rust-covered door. The cramped space left him standing on the steps, waiting for Luo Yang to unlock the door.

 

The inside was just as small. Xi Yu sat on the couch, barely fitting into the space, and began to contemplate.

 

Previously, he had adopted a “go with the flow” attitude, reasoning that one could cultivate anywhere. Although the spiritual energy here was scarce, it would just take a little longer.

 

Now…

 

He was seriously reconsidering.

 

Xi Yu closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, his mind once again haunted by that voice crying, “Help me.”

 

I said I might help you after I ascend, but I never said I definitely would. And now, I haven’t even ascended—I’ve even regressed. Helping you is out of the question.

 

Having lived for over a century, Xi Yu had grown indifferent to most things. The only exception was his unyielding obsession with cultivation and becoming a deity—a goal he had never wavered from.

 

This time was no different.

 

There were many paths to godhood. Those with high talent could wander aimlessly, achieve enlightenment, and ascend with a single bolt of lightning. Those less talented had two main options: slay demons and resolve grievances to gain experience, usually becoming martial deities, or retreat into seclusion for introspection, often becoming scholarly deities.

 

Most chose the former because it was faster and required less thought. Self-reflection often led to mental roadblocks, and untying those knots could take decades. Plus, there was always the risk of running out of lifespan before achieving enlightenment, which would be laughable.

 

Xi Yu, however, had no choice but to take the latter path.

 

The first time he visited the Hua Xi Mansion, he was met with a closed door. His master told him that he harbored killing intent deep within and had a fate tainted with evil.

 

The most important thing when ascending to immortality is actually fate. Some people are born with spiritual bones, and with just a little guidance, they can outpace their peers by a wide margin. Others are born ordinary, and no matter how hard they work day and night, the best they can achieve is to merely brush against the tail of those who are more gifted.

 

As for Xi Yu, it was even worse—he was born with a cursed fate, yet he still dreamed of becoming a deity. Wasn’t that defying the heavens?

 

However, he was more persistent than anyone. If he decided to do something, he would see it through. So, he knelt in front of the Hua Xi Mansion’s gate for fifteen whole days, his knees rotting, blood seeping into the mud, and he fainted several times. Only then did his master open the door and reluctantly take him in, his head aching from the whole ordeal.

 

People with an evil fate cannot interact with demons and spirits, for a moment’s carelessness might lead them astray and turn them into monsters. Therefore, once Xi Yu entered Hua Xi Mansion, he never left again. His master threw him a pile of books and told him to study on his own, asking him to come to him with questions if he didn’t understand.

 

Countless times, his master would rub his forehead and jokingly say, “If you had chosen another path, worshipped a ghost king or general, you might have been on equal footing with the North Rising Lord by now.”

 

Xi Yu glared at him, only to receive a slap on the head.

 

Xi Yu retorted, “Then why are you still teaching me?”

 

“Since you worshiped me, I have to teach you,” his master said, reaching out to rub the spot on Xi Yu’s head where he had just been struck. Xi Yu, in a fit of anger, swatted his hand away.

 

In the next moment, his master’s face turned serious. “Then I won’t teach you anymore.”

 

“…”

 

After a long silence, his master stood up to leave. The next second, Xi Yu grabbed the sleeve of his robe and whispered, “I want to learn.”

 

So his master sat back down, just looking at him without saying anything. Xi Yu bit his lip, staring intently at the book, forcing the words into his mind.

 

In the silence, he thought he heard his master mutter softly, “So, why do you want to meet the North Rising Lord?”

 

To know what he looks like.

 

Xi Yu tilted his head back, leaning against the sofa, his elbow raised, the back of his hand pressed against his forehead, as he closed his eyes and recalled.