In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 16: The Cherished Immortal Lord (15)

Chapter 16: The Cherished Immortal Lord (15)

 

Halfway up the trail, Luo Yang suddenly patted Xi Yu’s shoulder excitedly and called out, “Hey, hey, hey, look! Isn’t that Xiao Xiao who asked for leave not long ago?”

 

Thick glasses and a face full of acne—that much Xi Yu remembered, though he didn’t know his name.

 

Back when Xi Yu wasn’t yet Xi Yu, Luo Yang’s days were tediously routine. Though he would occasionally go out to have fun, it was like sprinkling cumin on a pile of dung—his outings were limited to the same few places over and over. Because his own life was so dull, he enjoyed savoring the lives of others. Listening to office gossip with Xi Yu back then was his favorite pastime.

 

Luo Yang eagerly introduced, “His name is Xiao Mingqiang. I’ve heard a lot of people say he has a really pretty girlfriend, but no one’s ever seen her. Everyone thought he was lying. Let me see—whoa, she really is pretty. A beauty! That guy’s got game!”

 

Judging someone’s looks upon first sight is a subconscious reflex, especially when the disparity between two people’s appearances is stark. Xi Yu noticed this as the main thing. However, as the mountain path turned, the two disappeared into the forest. The two of them were heading down the mountain while the others were going up. There was only one path, so they were bound to cross paths again. Yet when Xi Yu reached the spot where they had stood moments ago, there was no sign of them.

 

Xi Yu couldn’t help but stop and glance around.

 

The forest was empty, covered in scattered branches and fallen leaves. A few trees bore warning signs that read: Dangerous Area—Do Not Enter. Xi Yu lowered his head and noticed some leaves sunken into the mud. His thoughts stirred, and he examined the scene again more carefully.

 

Lian Bei, who always seemed to know what Xi Yu was thinking, leaned slightly toward his ear and said, “They’d have gone far by now.”

 

Xi Yu withdrew his gaze and asked, “You think they were strange too?”

 

“A man pulling a woman along—regardless of their appearances—that’s always odd, isn’t it? Are you planning to get involved?”

 

Lian Bei’s tone was inscrutable. Xi Yu looked at his expression but found it hard to decipher. It seemed to say, “You’d better not meddle,” but also, “What if something happens—you should step in,” or perhaps it meant something else entirely… Suddenly, Xi Yu’s eyes flickered, and certain unlikely thoughts crossed his mind.

 

He stepped onto another stone step, putting some distance between them, and said flatly, “I’m going up the mountain. I don’t have time to meddle. Are you still following us?”

 

Lian Bei also climbed a step and stood beside Xi Yu, his tone gentle. “I’m going up the mountain too.”

 

Luo Yang looked baffled. “Huh? What’s going on? If not up the mountain, then where else?”

 

Lian Bei replied, “Nothing. We’re just chatting. He’s throwing a tantrum.”

 

Xi Yu thought to himself, Since when am I throwing a tantrum? The man before him was shamelessly acting as if he were a senior. So Xi Yu asked, “How old are you?”

 

“Twenty-one.”

 

I’m well over a hundred years old. Ever since Xi Yu had entered seclusion, he’d stopped keeping track of time or calculating his age. While he claimed to have meditated for a hundred years, it could have been longer or shorter. But either way, he was undoubtedly much older than the young man before him, who was surely aware of this too.

 

Xi Yu decided to remind him. He called back to Luo Yang, “How old am I?”

 

The sudden question stunned Luo Yang, who hesitated, suspecting it might be a trap. He stammered out, “A hundred…what are you asking about exactly?”

 

Xi Yu clarified, “In this era.”

 

Luo Yang answered, “Twenty-five.”

 

See? No matter how you look at it, I’m older than you.

 

Not wanting to leave any misunderstandings, as this kind of competition seemed pointless, Xi Yu asked another question, emphasizing the preface: “Kid, do you believe in gods?”

 

Hearing those first three words, Lian Bei’s gaze deepened, his eyes as unfathomable as the ocean, though he still wore a faint smile.

 

“Oh? Gods…” Lian Bei pondered for a moment before responding with a question of his own. “Do you think I believe in them?”

 

At that moment, an elderly man appeared, interrupting their conversation. He squinted at Xi Yu, scrutinizing him for a long while before finally saying, “Young man, judging by your face, I’d say your red thread of fate is stirring. Want to buy a thread to capture it?”

 

As he spoke, he pulled a thin red string from his pocket and held it up for Xi Yu to see.

 

Luo Yang glanced at it and immediately retorted, “Sir, if you’re going to scam people, at least put some effort into it. Couldn’t you have picked a nicer-looking thread? This one looks like you just yanked it off something!”

 

The old man shot him a glare. “What do you know?”

 

Xi Yu looked at Luo Yang, whose incredulous expression seemed to ask if he had misunderstood. Finally, Luo Yang fished out some cash. “How much? Good thing I brought some spare change.”

 

The old man handed the red string to Xi Yu and walked steadily down the mountain.

 

Luo Yang asked in confusion, “Why’d you buy such an ordinary string?”

 

Xi Yu was about to answer when the distant noise of a commotion grew louder. He looked up and saw a large group of people rushing downhill, blocking their path upward. The mountain path was wide, so there wasn’t a separate lane for ascent and descent. Typically, everyone adhered to an unspoken rule: right up, left down. But now, the crowd poured down like a flood, ignoring any sense of order.

 

Suddenly, an icy hand gripped Xi Yu’s. His pupils contracted, and he instinctively turned and threw a punch.

 

A grunt of pain followed, but the hand holding his didn’t let go. Instead, it pulled him off the stone steps and into the forest. It was Lian Bei, leading him away from the chaotic crowd.

 

Xi Yu crossed his arms and looked at Lian Bei, who was rubbing his left shoulder. He warned, “Don’t touch me without warning next time.”

 

He hadn’t intended to hit anyone and had known it was Lian Bei who grabbed him. But his body reacted faster than his mind—no thought was required for that punch.

 

Luo Yang, unable to keep up, was swept backward by the crowd before forcing his way back up.

 

“Stop pushing!” someone suddenly shouted in frustration. “Can’t you see we can’t go any further?”

 

“Huh? What? Why?”

 

“We can’t go further. There’s a dead body up there!”

 

“A woman!”

 

“Did you see what happened to her? Her body was covered in bruises and blood clots. It looks like she was beaten to death!”

 

The crowd buzzed with speculation. Xi Yu caught bits and pieces of their chatter. After piecing it together, he reached a conclusion: the woman was dead.

 

There were already signs. Yesterday, that woman stood by the cliff, gazing into the distance with a wish in her heart—a wish borne of resignation. Only those who have embraced death can face it without fear, even feeling a bittersweet relief.

 

“Here’s an introduction to the Luonan Temple and the Luoan Temple.” Following Lian Bei’s words, Xi Yu looked over. Beside them was a large stone stele engraved with ancient script. Luo Yang couldn’t read it, so he asked what it said. Xi Yu studied it carefully for a moment and, finding it aligned with what he’d heard before, shared only what Luo Yang didn’t know.

 

“This couple—the man was named Chen Bunian, and the woman Shi An.”

 

Hearing these names, Luo Yang suddenly remembered something. He quickly pulled out his phone to search for recent news, muttering in disbelief. When the page loaded, as expected, he cried out in shock.

 

“That guy from the hospital last time! The one who got hit by a car and died! Remember? His name was also Chen Bunian—what are the odds?”

 

Xi Yu added, “Her name was also Shi An.”

 

Just as he was about to take the phone to confirm, a pop-up window suddenly appeared on the screen, counting down: 2, 1. Then, the phone went black. Luo Yang cursed, “Damn it, out of all times, it had to die now! But I’m sure I didn’t get the name wrong. Ugh, the same names, but in their case, it was a love story leading to transcendence. This guy, though… it’s just a mess.”

 

Xi Yu said, “That’s not it.”

 

The woman’s name was Shi An, and the legend of Luonan Mountain revolved around her. Based on this clue, the truth began to emerge.

 

The story’s origins likely differed greatly from the legend. They were not a loving couple. The woman was innocent; the man was inept. Inept people often use love as leverage because it’s the only way they can feel a sense of presence in the world. While the woman longed to escape the man, she couldn’t let go of the love he professed, hoping he might change. She thought that if he loved her just a little more, he might stop hitting her.

 

In Huaxi Prefecture, she made a wish: “I hope my husband’s wish can come true.”

 

Her hope was that if her husband could gain wealth and status, he would no longer be frustrated by life’s pressures and stop hitting her.

 

The Northern Sovereign indeed granted their wish. The man gained wealth and immediately sought ways to abandon his wife. Whatever means he used, he tricked her into climbing the mountain. Halfway up, exhausted, he gave in to his impulses and killed her outright.

 

After burying her body, someone happened to come upon them. To avoid suspicion, the man fabricated a story about his wife being gravely ill, bringing her to the mountain to pray, only for her life to tragically end early. That witness, moved by their supposed love, spread the tale, which grew into a legend, earning the man reverence and followers—and, ultimately, divine favor.

 

Yet history repeated itself millennia later. The woman’s restless spirit saved someone akin to her modern self. While this should have altered the course of fate, why had she climbed the mountain alone to die again?

 

Out of love?

 

Luo Yang finally squeezed out of the crowd, huffing and puffing. Just as he steadied himself before Xi Yu, Xi Yu suddenly turned and dashed into the woods.

 

He left a single phrase behind: “Don’t follow me!”

 

“What’s he doing?” Luo Yang asked, baffled.

 

“Ascending.”

 

“What?”

 

He’s preparing to ascend just like that? What on earth happened just now?

 

Luo Yang asked, “Uh… so now, what do we… do we wait here?”

 

Lian Bei led Luo Yang a bit further into the woods and stopped behind a massive boulder.

 

Luo Yang looked around but didn’t see Xi Yu. Just as he was about to ask, Lian Bei calmly said, “Standing out there is too conspicuous. If someone spots us, they’ll make us leave the mountain. We’ll wait here.”

 

“Oh!” Luo Yang nodded.

 

So considerate. Luo Yang squatted down and fiddled with some leaves, unaccustomed to the quiet atmosphere. He looked up, intending to chat with Lian Bei, only to see him half-leaning against the boulder, head bowed as he scrolled through his phone, radiating an air of detachment.

 

In short, he gave off a very “do not disturb” vibe.

 

Feeling a bit sulky, Luo Yang lowered his head and went back to playing with the leaves. Without a charged phone, boredom was inevitable.

 

Underneath the top layer of leaves was dirt. Using a twig, he poked at it absentmindedly until he noticed a white corner peeking out. He pulled it free—a palm-sized piece of paper with writing on it.

 

The text was in ancient Chinese, which he couldn’t understand. Precisely because of this, he felt it must be something important. After brushing it clean, he stuffed it into his pocket.

 

Unnoticed, the sun dipped below the horizon, and the sky grew dim. Suddenly, movement stirred beside him. Lian Bei said, “It’s about time.” Without waiting for Luo Yang, he began walking forward.

 

Luo Yang quickly discarded the twig and followed.

 

As night fell, the darkness deepened rapidly. Luo Yang felt they hadn’t walked far before he could barely see his surroundings. Just as he was about to suggest turning on a flashlight, a faint, wavering sound reached them from not far away.

 

It was a woman’s sobbing, rising and falling, sometimes near, sometimes far.

 

A shiver ran down Luo Yang’s spine.

 

He froze, unwilling to move, but Lian Bei showed no fear. Emboldened by male pride, Luo Yang puffed out his chest and suppressed his unease, continuing to follow.

 

Even so, he wasn’t paying full attention. He didn’t realize when Lian Bei had stopped walking and accidentally bumped into his back.

 

“What’s wrong?” Luo Yang whispered while peeking around Lian Bei.

 

“Don’t make a sound.”

 

The warning came a bit late. Before the words had fully landed, Luo Yang let out a startled, “Holy—” He quickly clamped his hands over his mouth, but it was too late.

 

“Who’s there?!”

 

A thunderous shout pierced the night, shaking the mountain forest.