In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 09: The Cherished Immortal Lord (8)

Chapter 09: The Cherished Immortal Lord (8)

 

Xi Yu quickly turned around, and the target of the blow from the thin man became the fat man instead.

 

The thin man barely managed to toss aside the chair in his hand before the two collided, falling to the ground in an incredibly awkward heap.

 

The chair flew out and was about to hit the woman lying on the hospital bed when Xi Yu swiftly caught one of its legs, narrowly averting disaster.

 

Glancing at the bed, the woman lay there quietly. Xi Yu didn’t notice her fingers twitching ever so slightly.

 

He set the chair aside and kicked it further away to prevent it from becoming a weapon again.

 

“Damn it!” the fat man cursed, rubbing his backside in pain.

 

Before Xi Yu could figure out what to do next, the thin man suddenly leaned toward the fat man’s ear and whispered, “I’ll rush in and hold him down so he can’t move. You quickly replace the talismans he tore off.”

 

Xi Yu’s hearing was excellent, so every word was clearly heard. Since they wanted to trick him, he wouldn’t give the thin man the chance. The moment the thin man charged at him, Xi Yu stepped aside, causing the man to lunge into empty air.

 

Taking a few quick steps forward, Xi Yu grabbed the fat man, who was attempting mischief, and hoisted him up.

 

Slap!

 

A crisp sound rang out, and Xi Yu immediately sensed something was amiss.

 

It had been a deliberate act. The fat man’s apparent miss was intentional—his real goal had always been to complete the ritual array.

 

The final gap in the formation was filled by a specially crafted talisman, and the array was now complete!

 

The fat man muttered under his breath, and in an instant, an impenetrable darkness enveloped the room.

 

A mocking laugh and a muffled noise followed. As Xi Yu’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, everything around him was silent and empty.

 

Holding his breath, Xi Yu stayed alert.

 

It was clear that the thin man’s actions earlier had been riddled with flaws meant to attract his attention.

 

Bang!

 

The door was kicked open, and a man stormed in, swearing, “What the hell is with this darkness? Trying to scare people?”

 

“Stop pulling me, you useless thing! You’re pissing me off! Get lost! Where’s the damn light switch? Pitch black like this—are you looking to die?”

 

A beam of light broke through the darkness, revealing not resentful spirits but four people stepping through the doorway—three adults and a child.

 

Xi Yu squinted, observing them for a moment.

 

People of certain standing often made grand entrances. Emperors preferred dramatic announcements to prepare everyone for their arrival. Immortals opted for glowing, majestic displays to highlight their extraordinary demeanor. Ghosts, however, loved to hide among crowds and appear suddenly, reveling in the chaos that ensued.

 

One thing was certain: the talismans must have worked. Otherwise, the spellcaster wouldn’t have fled so quickly without even sticking around to enjoy the spectacle.

 

A ghost king would target the spellcaster first, meaning they had to run as fast as possible. Only then would Xi Yu become the unfortunate target.

 

But who could summon ghosts and escape so swiftly?

 

Could it be a self-staged act by the ghost king?

 

The man who kicked the door open was Xi Yu’s prime suspect. His disheveled appearance and hairy legs sticking out of his shorts were jarring. In Xi Yu’s time, this might be considered indecent exposure.

 

Standing in the shadows, Xi Yu avoided the light streaming in from outside, rendering himself invisible to the man.

 

But somehow, the man’s hostile gaze locked onto him anyway. “Why are you here?”

 

A swirl of dark energy surged toward the door. The moment the man stepped inside, tendrils of black mist coiled around him. Xi Yu immediately shouted, “Luo Yang, close the door!”

 

“Huh?”

 

Just as Luo Yang reached for the door, a doctor entered with a nurse for rounds. Upon seeing the group of people inside, the doctor frowned, scolding them, “Do you realize this is a hospital? The patient in the bed was just transferred out of intensive care last night. She needs rest!”

 

“Shut up! Who are you to lecture me?” the hairy-legged man spat. “I’m the family member here, not you! I’ll talk however I damn well please—mind your own business!”

 

The doctor furrowed his brow and warned sternly, “If you continue causing a disturbance, don’t blame me for calling security to remove you.”

 

Rather than being intimidated, the man laughed scornfully. “Oh, really? You begged me for payment just the other day, and now you’re threatening to kick me out? Kick me out, and how will you get your money, huh?”

 

“Dad…” the child murmured softly.

 

“Don’t call me dad, you useless brat! Wasting money on a tutor—do you think you’ll get into Tsinghua or Peking University? All because of you, your mom’s been yelling at me for a divorce! Get lost!”

 

The man shoved the child, who fell to the ground. A young man nearby quickly helped the child up.

 

“I’m fine. I can stand up on my own,” the child said firmly, holding back tears.

 

The doctor shook his head and left with the nurse after a few formal words, not staying a second longer.

 

The hairy-legged man addressed the group, his tone dripping with suspicion. “Who the hell are you people? And what are those two lying on the ground doing here in my wife’s room?”

 

“They’re…” Luo Yang tried to explain but was cut off.

 

“Here’s the deal,” the man interrupted, smirking. “Pay me some compensation, and I’ll let the fighting and all slide. Not much, just thirty thousand—enough to cover medical expenses.”

 

He scanned the room, his eyes lighting up when he spotted a bag near the bed. Rushing over, he rummaged through it, pulling out a gold necklace. Stuffing it into his pocket, he then dumped the bag’s contents onto the floor, greedily picking through them before taking the bag itself.

 

The child, tears still glistening in her eyes, suddenly charged at the man like a furious little beast. She latched onto the bag, refusing to let go.

 

However, her strength was no match for a grown man. The bag never left his hands. Instead, she was lifted off the ground, her feet dangling as she screamed piercingly.

 

“You little brat, how dare you glare at me?!” the man bellowed, raising his foot to kick her.

 

A kick came flying in, saving the child and the bag. The man staggered backward, barely catching himself against the bed.

 

Attracted by the commotion, a crowd gathered at the doorway, whispering among themselves:

 

“Isn’t that the guy who was yelling at the nurse about not having money to pay?”

 

“But didn’t he already collect donations online? How is he broke again?”

 

Bang!

 

A sudden gust of wind slammed the door shut, plunging the room into darkness once more.

 

“Damn!” Luo Yang exclaimed, startled.

 

“What happened?”

 

“Probably a ghost,” the young man said calmly.

 

Luo Yang was incredulous. “Can you still see anything?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then how can you be so sure it’s a ghost?”

 

“Just a hunch.”

 

“There’s no such thing as ghosts!” the hairy-legged man shouted, groping blindly in the darkness. His hand accidentally brushed against the woman in the bed, causing her to twitch. Startled, he jumped back and cursed, “What the hell?”

 

Reeking of alcohol, the man’s temper flared as he reached for the woman’s oxygen tube, ready to pull it out.

 

A hand grabbed his wrist mid-air and twisted it aside. A heavy blow to his knee forced him to kneel.

 

Xi Yu’s voice, cold and unyielding, broke the silence: “Apologize.”

 

“To who?” the man spat defiantly. “Go to hell!”

 

“You’re free to find out who’ll kill you if you don’t.”

 

The man scoffed and crawled forward. Just then, his hand grazed something—a coarse fabric, unlike anything he expected.

 

He froze, his fingers tracing up and down. It wasn’t a door. It was… a pair of legs!

 

Cold, calloused hands slid onto his neck, slowly creeping up to his face.

 

“A ghost!”

 

The man’s scream was cut off by a chilling voice—a woman’s voice—emanating from his own throat: “I’m sorry to bother you like this, but I need to speak with you.”

 

His eyes bulged in terror, unable to move or make a sound as the crowd outside grew restless.

 

Xi Yu, standing in the darkness, asked the others, “Are you scared?”

 

“Yes,” Luo Yang stammered.

 

“Then turn away if you don’t want to see this.”

 

Turning back, Xi Yu responded to the ghost. “I heard you.”

 

“So will you…”

 

“I won’t save you.”

 

The female ghost, however, responded with unexpected calmness, “I know.”

 

Xi Yu was momentarily surprised but said nothing, simply standing silently, waiting for her to continue.

 

He understood that knowingly committing a mistake was often backed by a strong sense of certainty.