In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 07: The Cherished Immortal Lord (6)

Chapter 07: The Cherished Immortal Lord (6)

 

“Please come in, please come in!”

 

As Xi Yu stepped into the Taoist temple, a gust of wind greeted him, bringing a mouthful of dust.

 

“Don’t you clean this place?” he asked, frowning in displeasure.

 

Hearing this, the stout and slender Taoists exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter. The stout one quickly explained, “Ah, we were out on a case these past days! Someone called us to catch a ghost, and boy, was it tough! Took us over half a month to handle it! We only rushed back this morning! Oh, look at this—”

 

He pointed to a scar running down his face. “See this? That ghost scratched me!”

 

The scar started at the corner of his eye and extended like a centipede all the way to his jaw. If seen on the streets, most people would likely mistake him for some thug and steer clear. However, the stout man seemed to wear it as a badge of honor. Luo Yang eagerly shook his hand.

 

“Thank you, Taoist master! Such hard work!”

 

“Not hard, not hard! Eliminating harm for the people is my duty! So, is this the friend you mentioned—the one who developed delusions after being emotionally triggered?”

 

Luo Yang winced at the Taoist’s blunt phrasing, patted Xi Yu on the back without meeting his eyes, and said, “Yes, that’s him.”

 

“Alright, let me take a closer look!”

 

The stout and slender Taoists each took a step back, scrutinizing Xi Yu from head to toe. Occasionally, they murmured to each other, frowning deeply. Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, both started trembling violently, waving their arms and chanting in unintelligible words. The sight made Luo Yang break out in a cold sweat, certain that the situation was far from simple.

 

After a moment, the two Taoists stopped their strange motions and stepped forward. The stout one, looking troubled, addressed Luo Yang. “Unexpectedly, what your friend says is true. He is not of this time!”

 

“What the—!” Luo Yang was shocked. “Then where’s my real brother?”

 

The stout man pulled Luo Yang aside, away from Xi Yu, and whispered conspiratorially, “Your brother’s situation likely involves a malicious spirit that has taken over his body. I just examined it; your brother’s soul isn’t here—not even hidden in some corner of his body. To locate it, we’ll have to put in some effort.”

 

Luo Yang, stunned by the explanation, asked worriedly, “Where do we even start looking?”

 

“Was your friend staying in a hospital before this?”

 

Seeing Luo Yang nod, the stout man wore a smug “I knew it” expression and said, “Hospitals are heavy with yin energy and gather many wandering spirits. It’s most likely still there!”

 

“So, we need to go there and find my brother’s soul?”

 

“Indeed, we’ll have to make a trip.”

 

“Thank you, Taoist master.”

 

“However,” the stout man added, “this is quite different from what you initially told me over WeChat. You said it was just delusions, so I quoted you a price of 666 yuan. But with such a complicated case—traveling back and forth, locating and retrieving the soul—it’s far more challenging. And judging by your friend’s condition, the spirit possessing him seems pretty tough! So the price, well…”

 

“Money is not an issue!” Luo Yang interjected.

 

The stout man laughed heartily. “I like your straightforwardness! Usually, cases like this start at five figures, but I’ll give you a special price today—8,888 yuan! Half as a deposit upfront.”

 

Earning over 4,000 yuan so easily, the stout man felt he’d truly struck gold with such a gullible customer.

 

However, upon leaving the temple, they realized there was no car to take them. The location was remote, and no one was accepting rides on the app despite repeated attempts.

 

“What do we do now?” Luo Yang asked anxiously.

 

The slender Taoist raised his hand. “I have a car, but it’s low on gas.”

 

“There’s a gas station nearby,” Luo Yang said quickly. “I’ll pay! Can it make it there?”

 

“No problem!” the slender Taoist replied. “I’ll bring it around now!”

 

While waiting, the stout man decided to probe Xi Yu further. He sidled up to him and asked, “What’s your name, benefactor?”

 

“Comrade,” Xi Yu replied coldly.

 

“…?”

 

Luo Yang hastily explained, “Just call him ‘Comrade.’”

 

In an era where fake Taoists often roamed, conning others in the guise of mystics, Xi Yu found it hard to take these men seriously. He believed true Taoists should be as humble and disciplined as his master.

 

He asked bluntly, “Can you really send me back?”

 

“Absolutely!” the stout man nodded vigorously. Inwardly, however, he thought this was just another gullible fool, easy to deal with given his frail appearance.

 

When they reached the hospital, the stout man used the excuse of consulting with the slender Taoist to pull him aside. Hiding behind some bushes, he whispered instructions: “You create some commotion, and I’ll pretend to resolve it. Once they believe we’ve retrieved the soul, you knock out the crazy one while he’s distracted. Then we’ll drag him back to the temple and beat some sense into him until he admits it was all nonsense!”

 

The stout man scoffed inwardly—there were no gods or ghosts in this world. The most effective solution was always brute force.

 

Meanwhile, Luo Yang grew wary of the stout man after their conversation but held back from expressing his doubts.

 

“You’re close with him?” Xi Yu asked Luo Yang, referring to the stout man.

 

Luo Yang forced a smile. “We grew up together.”

 

Losing someone you’ve known your whole life to such a bizarre phenomenon was understandably nerve-wracking. Xi Yu, however, felt it necessary to prepare Luo Yang for the worst.

 

“What if he can’t come back?” Xi Yu asked solemnly.

 

Luo Yang froze.

 

Though this stranger had taken charge of many things since waking up, Xi Yu didn’t press him further. He simply added, “I may not be a good person, but I’d never do something as vile as taking over another’s body.”

 

However, observing Luo Yang’s reaction, Xi Yu noted he seemed more confused than upset. After a moment, Xi Yu asked, “By the way, what’s your name?”

 

“Luo Yang,” he replied after a pause. “Luo as in ‘encompassing everything,’ and Yang as in ‘hitting the mark.’”

 

Xi Yu contemplated this briefly, preparing to ask more questions when the stout man came huffing and puffing back.

 

“Sorry for the wait!”

 

Luo Yang led them into the hospital. On the floor below, they attracted some curious stares, but on the heavily occupied upper floor, no one paid much attention. Most of the family members outside the rooms were steeped in sorrow, while the medical staff bustled around.

 

As Xi Yu passed, he heard snippets of quiet yet hopeful prayers:

 

“Will he wake up?”

“He will. The gods will bless us.”

 

In moments of helplessness, people often turn to the divine.

 

When they reached the ward Xi Yu had been in yesterday, it was already occupied by a new patient. Before he could take in the details, a small figure darted toward him, locking its arms around his legs.

 

“Gotcha!”

 

Looking down, Xi Yu met a pair of bright, curious eyes.

 

Unmoved by the child’s innocence, Xi Yu spoke coldly, “I’ll count to three. Let go. Three, two, one…”

 

The child didn’t budge.

 

Perhaps it was too young to understand. Xi Yu repeated, “I’ll count to three…”

 

Before he could finish, the child interrupted, “What if I never let go? How many times will you count to three?”

 

Xi Yu ignored the question, looking around the room for the flamboyant young man he’d seen yesterday. But the man was nowhere to be found.

 

“Where’s your brother?” Xi Yu asked.

 

The child blinked, “Do you miss him?”

 

Miss him? That was an unnerving thought.

 

After another fruitless search, Xi Yu reluctantly looked to Luo Yang for help. Luo Yang crouched to coax the child, who finally released Xi Yu with a sulky pout.

 

Meanwhile, the stout man rummaged noisily around the room, drawing the ire of a passing nurse.

 

“Family members, please keep it down! The patient just transferred from critical care last night and needs a quiet environment!”

 

“Yes, yes, we understand!” the stout man replied dismissively.

 

The child, evidently concerned for its mother, stood up and grabbed the stout man’s sleeve. In a firm yet childish tone, it demanded, “Stop making noise!”

 

The stout man shook the child off roughly, sending it tumbling to the floor. “You don’t know anything, kid. Stay out of my way!”

 

Xi Yu rose to his feet, and Luo Yang rushed to help the crying child.

 

“Make him leave!” the child cried and shouted, “Don’t disturb my mom! Get out, you big bad guy! Get out!”

 

This was indeed an oversight on Luo Yang’s part. He thought the Taoist’s work would be quiet, just pasting a few talismans at most. He didn’t expect this one to rummage through everything noisily, showing an utter lack of propriety.

 

Xi Yu frowned. “How much longer?”

 

“It’s done.” The portly man, clearly annoyed, began shooing them away. “I need to pursue the soul now. All of you, out!”

 

“Where are we supposed to go?”

 

“Far away, as far as possible!”

 

With considerable force, the portly man unceremoniously expelled the three—two adults and one child—from the room. The door slammed shut in front of them with a loud bang, leaving Luo Yang dumbfounded.

 

The child started crying again. “I want to go back in! I want my mom! I want my mom!”

 

Xi Yu looked through the window on the door. A layer of fog seemed to obscure the glass, making it hard to see clearly inside. Only vague shadows were visible.

 

—Northward, Lord of Reverence! I take back my prayer!

 

Suddenly, a voice, seemingly coming from nowhere, floated lightly into Xi Yu’s ears. His gaze sharpened. The speaker’s tone carried clenched teeth and a deep-seated hatred on the verge of bursting forth.

 

“Why are you just standing here?”

 

A calm and gentle voice rang out from behind them. Luo Yang turned to see a young man in a white shirt and jeans standing there.

 

It was the same young man who had been by Xi Yu’s side yesterday.

 

The youth appeared quite young but possessed a uniquely refined and elegant aura. His smile was like a spring breeze.

 

“Brother!”

 

The child rushed forward, wanting to hug him. The youth extended a hand to stop him. The child instead grabbed his hand and began pulling him toward the door. Xi Yu stepped aside slightly but couldn’t avoid it entirely. The youth’s braided hair brushed against his wrist, leaving a tingling sensation.

 

A faint scent of pine and cypress wafted into his nose, mixed with the cold freshness of early spring and the lingering aroma of temple incense.

 

The young man reached out, brushing once more over the spot where his hair had touched Xi Yu. He leaned forward slightly and asked in a gentle tone, “Why is the door closed? What’s happening inside?”