In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 15: The Cherished Immortal Lord (14)

Chapter 15: The Cherished Immortal Lord (14)

 

The cold wind howled, grass and trees rustled faintly, insects chirped, and birds called. All these sounds, easily overlooked on ordinary days, were now magnified infinitely. There were no lamps or candles here, only faint moonlight illuminating the direction Luo Yang pointed. Faintly, one could see a woman standing at the edge of a cliff.

 

She gazed into the distance, looking toward Huaxi Mansion atop Huaxi Mountain—a place of broken bricks and ruins, desolate and forlorn.

 

“How could it come to this?”

 

The woman took a light step forward, accompanied by the sound of tumbling rocks, and disappeared before their eyes.

 

“She, she, she… she…” Xi Yu punched Luo Yang, snapping him out of his stammering. “…She fell?!”

 

Just as the words left his mouth, a cold breeze blew past, and a woman’s voice came from behind.

 

“Hello.”

 

A sharp fingernail poked Luo Yang in the back.

 

Luo Yang shot up like he had a jetpack on his rear, shouting nonsense as he flew into the air: “Oh my god, my mother, dear heavens above!”

 

He spun half a circle mid-air and landed facing the woman, collapsing onto the ground. When he got a clear look at her face, he cursed in shock: “What the—?!”

 

This woman was none other than the one he had seen at the hospital not long ago.

 

Xi Yu stood up and positioned himself between the two.

 

The woman wasn’t targeting either of them specifically. With Xi Yu blocking Luo Yang, her questions naturally turned to him.

 

“Why can’t I cross? Why is the bridge broken?”

 

The woman’s voice in the dark night was like nails on a chalkboard—sharp, grating, and hollowly discomforting. Behind Xi Yu, Luo Yang drew in a sharp breath.

 

“Why aren’t you speaking? Speak! Answer me! I want to know why! Why!”

 

Her pitch grew abruptly shrill, making Xi Yu’s calm and collected tone seem even more subdued: “You came here to pray?”

 

The woman retorted, “What else?”

 

Xi Yu asked, “Beishang Zun Jun?”

 

Luo Yang, trembling, listened to the two earnestly discuss what sounded like superstitions. He had to admit, the same words in a different time and setting could produce wildly different effects. If it were daytime, if they weren’t on the mountaintop, or if it weren’t in front of this dilapidated temple, he might have dismissed it as a joke or comedy sketch.

 

Xi Yu turned to ask him, “Scared?”

 

Luo Yang let out a nervous laugh: “Just a little.”

 

He didn’t expect this response to earn him a punch to the head, knocking him out cold. Xi Yu caught his collapsing body and laid him down gently. The woman, still agape in shock, hadn’t even closed her mouth when Xi Yu stood up and coldly said, “Alright, what is it you want?”

 

Generally speaking, no normal person would come to pray late at night. After nightfall, ghosts and spirits would emerge, mixing with mortals. Who knew whether your words were heard by gods or by ghosts? So those who came to temples at night usually fell into two categories: those who appeared to pray to gods but were actually praying to ghosts, using the temple as a cover; and those whose wishes were too unspeakable to make during the day, sneaking in at night, willing to accept help from gods or ghosts as long as their wishes were fulfilled.

 

But in the blink of an eye, the woman had disappeared, leaving behind only a faint voice filled with resentment.

 

“…The gods do not bless me…”

 

It was an illusion.

 

Sunlight spilled onto Luo Yang’s face as he slowly opened his eyes. Xi Yu leaned over him. “Awake?”

 

“Did I faint from fright?” Luo Yang groggily sat up, staring blankly at the sunrise in the east. “It’s morning already? What about that woman? She left? Was it really a ghost encounter?”

 

Xi Yu pulled Luo Yang to his feet. “If it were a ghost, I’d have run faster than you.”

 

Luo Yang nodded. “Makes sense. So why was she here in the middle of the night, scaring people? Where did she go now?”

 

“Down the mountain.”

 

Luo Yang was incredulous. “She just… went down the mountain?”

 

Xi Yu said, “You seem disappointed.”

 

Luo Yang quickly explained, “I just think it’s kind of baffling. We suddenly ended up on the mountaintop and saw her. There has to be a reason for it, right? Like… to make you go to Luonan Mountain?”

 

Seeing Xi Yu’s indifferent expression, Luo Yang was stunned. “What the heck? If you don’t want to go, can’t someone else be sent? Why all these convoluted tricks?”

 

But another question arose.

 

Luo Yang asked, “I’m a bit confused. That ghost we encountered before—what’s the connection between her and this woman?”

 

There’s a saying that history often repeats itself, and it’s these similarities that create so many strange coincidences.

 

Thousands of years ago, the female ghost who came to pray to Beishang Zun Jun had a similar fate and wish to this woman. Aside from the differences brought about by the eras, the two were almost identical—like the same person.

 

Xi Yu said, “If he wanted me to go to Luonan Mountain, he could’ve just thrown me in, forcing me to face it. But he didn’t. He wants me to willingly go in the future.”

 

“He is… Beishang Zun Jun?” Luo Yang patted his chest, unable to resist complaining. “Why can’t he just tell you outright? All this hinting and guiding—it’s nerve-wracking!”

 

Xi Yu gave him an unfriendly glance. “If it’s him, there must be a reason for his actions, but I can’t yet confirm whether it’s his doing.”

 

Luo Yang silently complained in his heart about Xi Yu. As expected, a loyal and unwavering believer. Afraid that Xi Yu might read his thoughts from his expression, Luo Yang quickly spoke to divert his attention. “In that case, we’re heading to Luonan Mountain next, right?”

 

Xi Yu nodded and prepared to find a way down the mountain. However, he noticed Luo Yang standing still with a hesitant expression. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

 

Luo Yang hesitated and said, “Since you brought me up here, could you take me back down too?”

 

Going up and then to Luonan Mountain later—it was truly exhausting.

 

“…Ask him yourself.”

 

And so, Luo Yang actually yelled to the sky like a lunatic. Unfortunately, no one responded. On his second shout, he was still in the same place. By the third shout, he started doubting the world.

 

“Yesterday, it really wasn’t me who walked up here, right? It was the gods who brought me up? Why won’t they send me down? I’m so heartbroken. If my legs get worn out, can I get compensation? Oh, by the way, does your Beishang Zun Jun know the God of Wealth?”

 

“……” Xi Yu dragged him away with a dark expression.

 

This path led to Huaxi Mansion, and since its collapse, the area had been cordoned off. The two walked for a long time before finding the main road. Despite their caution, they were discovered by staff, reprimanded, and given a stern talking-to.

 

Luo Yang originally intended to have just one bowl of noodles to fill his stomach and be on his way, but after this incident, he angrily ordered every snack in the shop and buried himself in food. This improved his mood slightly, at least enough to allow for calm conversation without the previous agitation.

 

Xi Yu, who hadn’t slept all night, closed his eyes to rest as soon as they got in the car. Just as he was about to fall asleep, loud music suddenly blared in his ears, jolting him awake. With a dark expression, he picked up the phone blaring the music and asked, “How do I make it stop?”

 

Luo Yang directed him, “You’ve got a call. Just press the green button.”

 

After pressing it, the call connected, and a formal greeting came through: “Hello?”

 

Luo Yang said, “Just speak. They can hear you.”

 

Xi Yu recognized the voice on the other end and, showing no effort to hide his irritation, asked, “What is it?”

 

“Relax your grip a bit; that’s my phone. I’m worried you’ll crush it,” Lian Bei reminded, then added, “Alright, now hand the phone to the person in front of you.”

 

Luo Yang, who was driving, felt a sudden smack on the back of his head and immediately pulled over. “What’s going on?”

 

Xi Yu tossed the phone to him. “He wants to talk to you.”

 

Luo Yang took the phone, responded with a few hums, then handed it back to Xi Yu. “He left his phone behind. We’re delivering it to him, so keep it safe.”

 

After twists and turns, Xi Yu finally set foot on the steps of Luonan Mountain.

 

Upon learning that they were on their way, Lian Bei waited obediently in an ancient pavilion halfway up the mountain. Having learned his lesson, Luo Yang headed straight for the tourist car station. With four wheels moving faster than two legs, it took only three hours after the call ended for the three to meet.

 

Xi Yu had two goals for coming up the mountain this time: one was the ancient house halfway up, and the other was the Luonan Temple at the summit. Coincidentally, the ancient house was right next to the pavilion where Lian Bei waited. However, it wasn’t exactly as Xi Yu had envisioned.

 

The area around the ancient house was packed with people. Forget getting a look inside—they couldn’t even reach the entrance.

 

Lian Bei, guessing what Xi Yu was thinking, said, “This mountain is particularly tall, and tickets are required to enter Luonan Temple. Most people just visit Luoan Temple instead. After all, they’re a married couple. As long as the prayers are sincere, it doesn’t really matter which one they pray to.”

 

Luo Yang couldn’t believe it. “That broken house up there requires a separate ticket? Wasn’t it free a few years ago?”

 

Lian Bei replied, “Because it’s about to be demolished. Things that are about to disappear always seem more precious, and plenty of people are willing to pay for nostalgia.”

 

The small house in the mountains was the Luoan Temple.

 

Xi Yu thought for a moment but didn’t agree. “Unless the two of them were truly as inseparable as the legends claim, praying to her is no different from praying to ghosts.”

 

Lian Bei said, “What if they really were that close?”

 

Xi Yu replied, “Impossible.”

 

Lian Bei didn’t argue or ask why Xi Yu thought so. Instead, he blinked and said, “By the way, have you heard the legend of Xiai Immortal Lord of Luonan Mountain ascending to godhood?”

 

Xi Yu’s expression clearly said, “Don’t tell me; I don’t want to hear it.” But Lian Bei, without looking at him, went ahead and recounted the tale. When he finished, he looked over, surprised. “You don’t seem amazed by their love story. Have you heard it before?”

 

Xi Yu replied, “Both.”

 

“Alright then. Were you surprised the first time you heard it?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

“Then maybe you’ve seen it firsthand?”

 

“No.” Xi Yu didn’t want to waste more time talking to Lian Bei. Cutting him off, he glanced at the crowded Luoan Temple. “We’re not waiting anymore. Let’s go up and take a look.”

 

After walking for a while, Xi Yu noticed something strange. Lian Bei was following him closely, not leaving his side. Xi Yu stopped and asked, “Aren’t you investigating something?”

 

Lian Bei replied, “Yes, so I’m going up the mountain.”

 

“…Alright.”

 

It seemed he had overthought it. Lian Bei was just heading the same way, not deliberately tagging along.