In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 20: The Cherished Immortal Lord (End)

Chapter 20: The Cherished Immortal Lord (End)

 

The two ghost generals left, the black mist retreated, and moonlight poured in.

 

Looking around, the place was a mess. The woman, still in shock, gasped for air with her mouth slightly open. Luo Yang asked with concern, “Are you alright?”

 

The woman weakly replied, “I’m fine. He…”

 

Luo Yang interrupted, “Don’t think about him anymore! He won’t bother you again. You’re free now… Wait, don’t tell me you regret it?”

 

The woman managed a smile. “No, I just suddenly feel very light.”

 

Luo Yang nodded. “That’s good. By the way, how did you get here? How do you plan to get back?”

 

“The bus,” the woman said, looking at an apple that had rolled to her feet from somewhere. She picked it up, placed it back on the altar, and muttered to herself, “So there really are gods and spirits in this world…”

 

She then turned to Luo Yang and said, “It’s so late now. I don’t know if I can get out of here, and even if I could, there probably wouldn’t be any buses. I thought I’d stay here for a while and head down the mountain at dawn.”

 

“A bus? I don’t think there’s a direct bus here. From the city to here, it’s…”

 

“I transferred three times.”

 

Luo Yang silently scorned Xiao Mingqiang and then invited, “If that’s the case, why don’t you come back with us? We have space in the car.”

 

“No need…”

 

Luo Yang waved her off. “No need to be polite! That’s settled! By the way… is there surveillance here? After everything’s been destroyed like this, we won’t get arrested, will we?”

 

Lian Bei replied, “Hard to say.”

 

Xi Yu asked, “Arrested for what?”

 

Luo Yang panicked. “Ah! Then what should we do? Should I… pay to have it repaired? That way, we should be fine, right?”

 

Xi Yu and the woman started picking up the scattered items on the ground and putting them back in place. When they heard Luo Yang’s suggestion and saw the shattered statue, Xi Yu said, “The god is dead. What’s the point of keeping the temple?”

 

Luo Yang hesitated. “…Maybe… replace it with another god?”

 

Lian Bei nodded. “Replace it with the Bei Shang Zun Jun Lord.”

 

Xi Yu was puzzled. “Why him?”

 

“Ah,” Lian Bei said with a hint of disappointment in his tone, “You often mention him. I thought you’d secretly worship him.”

 

Xi Yu: “…………”

 

Not worshipping you, why are you disappointed?

 

Lian Bei bent down and stopped Xi Yu from picking up the shards of the porcelain statue. He handed him a piece of cloth and said, “Use this to pick them up, or you’ll cut yourself. Oh, and miss, I only have one cloth, so you should avoid touching the shards and pick up other things instead.”

 

“Alright,” the woman agreed.

 

Luo Yang, feeling awkward just standing there, joined in to help clean up. When Xi Yu finished gathering the shards, he wrapped them in the cloth and handed them to Lian Bei, instructing, “Put them back where they belong.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Lian Bei obediently took the wrapped shards and walked to the altar.

 

While Xi Yu picked up other items, he heard Lian Bei let out a meaningful “tsk.” Xi Yu looked up and saw Lian Bei standing still in front of the altar. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

 

Lian Bei turned sideways. “There seems to be a book here.”

 

“A book?”

 

Xi Yu walked over and saw a square, precise book wedged under the area where the statue was placed. Aside from the statue’s area, the surrounding surface was covered in dust, untouched for a long time.

 

The fit was so exact that, at first glance, it might seem like part of the altar’s design. But Xi Yu was certain it was a book.

 

Because he had seen it before.

 

Curious, Luo Yang joined them. “What book is it?” he asked.

 

“Shenpu,” Xi Yu replied.

 

“Shenpu? What’s that?”

 

“As the name implies, it’s a genealogy of gods. Like a family tree, but instead of recording related ancestors, this one lists unrelated gods. However, it has a special feature.”

 

Xi Yu pulled out the Shenpu and casually flipped to a page, seeing a line of text:

 

Cherished Love Immortal Lord: Chen Bu Nan.

 

But in the very next second, the words turned into starlight, floating away and fading…

 

The Cherished Love Immortal Lord had perished.

 

This was the special feature of the Shenpu. It recorded only gods still present in the world. Once a god fell, their name would vanish, leaving behind a blank page as the sole evidence of their existence.

 

Relying on his memory, Xi Yu turned to a specific page. To his surprise, what he saw was blank…

 

His hands trembled as he held the book, disbelief evident. He flipped forward and back, all the way to the end, but the Shenpu remained blank.

 

Lian Bei asked softly, “What are you looking for?”

 

“The Bei Shang Zun Jun Lord.”

 

“Did you find him?”

 

Xi Yu shook his head. “No.”

 

He turned back to the first page and showed it to Lian Bei, the line of text he remembered now gone without a trace.

 

However, upon closer inspection, there was a faint, almost imperceptible black imprint that seemed to hint at words but was unreadable.

 

Running his slender fingers across the paper, Xi Yu brushed the surface of the page. The Shenpu emitted a faint golden glow, and a sudden gust of wind flipped the book several pages. The golden light flowed toward the center of the paper, slowly forming four characters:

 

Elemental True Lord.

 

Luo Yang, both shocked and confused, asked, “What does this mean?”

 

Recalling Xi Yu’s earlier explanation, Lian Bei speculated, “The Shenpu records only gods still in the world. If his name suddenly appeared here, it means he’s alive again.”

 

Luo Yang was incredulous. “Someone can come back to life after dying?”

 

Then, realizing the absurdity of his own reaction in a world with gods and spirits, he shrugged. “Still, why did he come back to life?”

 

Xi Yu replied, “I don’t know.”

 

Though Xi Yu had read countless ancient texts and memorized them all, he couldn’t retain everything forever. Over time, even memories of lived experiences faded, let alone obscure and rarely used writings.

 

His tone was as indifferent as ever, and Luo Yang thought Xi Yu truly seemed uninterested in anything apart from the Bei Shang Zun Jun Lord. With his curiosity sated, Luo Yang returned to tidying the temple.

 

Xi Yu placed the Shenpu in his palm, and to his surprise, it began to shrink until it was no larger than his hand, making it easy to slip into his pocket.

 

In disbelief, Xi Yu looked up at Lian Bei, who was still standing before him. Sensing his gaze, Lian Bei smiled and asked, “Are you planning to search for this Elemental True Lord next?”

 

Xi Yu didn’t answer directly. Instead, he simply said two words: “Bei Shang Lord.”

 

Lian Bei’s pupils contracted momentarily. Tilting his head slightly, he asked with a hint of doubt, “Are they the same person?”

 

Xi Yu brushed past him, replying softly, “No.”

 

Xi Yu said, “I don’t know.”

 

Although he had read countless ancient books and memorized them all at that time, memorizing them did not mean he would remember them forever. The people and events one experiences firsthand gradually fade away over time, let alone those obscure and difficult-to-understand words that were of no use in daily life.

 

His tone returned to the usual indifference, and Luo Yang thought to himself that aside from the Bei Shang Zun Jun Lord, it seemed Xi Yu truly had no interest in anything else. So, he withdrew his curiosity and continued tidying up the temple.

 

Xi Yu placed the divine chart in his palm, and unexpectedly, it slowly shrank in his hand, eventually becoming the size of his palm, easily slipping into his pocket.

 

Xi Yu was in disbelief. He slowly raised his head, and Lian Bei was still standing in front of him, unmoving. When he saw Xi Yu looking at him, Lian Bei smiled and said, “Are you planning to find this Elemental True Lord next?”

 

Xi Yu did not answer his question. He simply said two words: “Bei Shang Zun Jun.”

 

Lian Bei’s pupils froze for a moment, and he tilted his head slightly, asking in confusion, “Are they the same person?”

 

Xi Yu bypassed him directly and said softly, “No.”

 

On the other side, Luo Yang was chatting with the woman.

 

Every time Luo Yang started a conversation, it was like asking about someone’s household registration, and this time was no exception. He asked, “By the way, miss, what’s your name? Where do you live? What do you do for a living?”

 

The woman straightened up and seriously answered him, “My name is Yang Xue. I live near the road in Yu Pu, I’m a psychologist, and I run a private clinic near my home.”

 

After giving her some compliments, Luo Yang took out his phone and exchanged contact information with her.

 

At last, everything on the ground was tidied up. The overturned tables and scattered offerings were all placed back in their proper positions. Everything returned to normal, except for the statue that had been shattered into dozens of pieces. Luo Yang couldn’t help but feel a little afraid. “What if this thing is an antique from the Tang, Song, Ming, or Qing dynasties? What if I can’t afford to compensate if it’s sold? What if the police arrest me?”

 

Yang Xue comforted him, “It’s fine. It’s not an antique. This temple was only built a few years ago. It looks old, but it’s actually all new. And if it were an antique, it would have protective measures like a glass enclosure and warning signs.”

 

When Yang Xue arrived, she carefully checked everything and made several contingency plans for unforeseen risks. She had some disinfectant and band-aids in her bag. While they were resting on the kneeling cushions, she seriously cleaned her hands, doing it so skillfully it made one feel pity.

 

She raised her head and handed the disinfectant to Xi Yu, saying, “You’re injured too. You should wipe it with this.”

 

Xi Yu asked, “Why?”

 

Yang Xue froze for a moment, “You’re injured, aren’t you?”

 

Lian Bei smiled as he took the things Yang Xue handed him and said, “He might not know how to use it, so I’ll help him apply it.”

 

Xi Yu realized he had started playing a guessing game with others. He immediately corrected himself and repeated, “Why did you agree to come with him?”

 

Yang Xue lowered her head, giving a bitter smile. “I hope there really is a god who can pull me out of this sea of suffering.” So when she saw a ghost, she wasn’t afraid; nothing in the world was scarier than Xiao Mingqiang.

 

Yang Xue raised her head and laughed again, a laugh full of relief and carefreeness. “Alright, let’s not talk about that. When are we going back?”

 

The sky was slightly bright, and after they finished resting, they set off. Yang Xue went straight into the back seat, and Lian Bei was about to open the door. His hand had just touched the handle when Xi Yu grabbed it. Despite it being the middle of summer, the morning was still suffocatingly hot. They had already descended the mountain, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. The first thing Luo Yang did upon getting into the car was turn on the air conditioning, yet Lian Bei’s hand was incredibly cold, very cooling. For a moment, Xi Yu didn’t want to let go.

 

“The Immortal Chronicle”

 

The Affectionate Immortal Lord, originally named Chen Wang, was born in a remote village in the mountains, later known as Luonan Village. He was orphaned at birth and sent to live with his uncle and aunt, who had no intention of raising him. They only kept him there so he could work in the future. His father’s surname was Chen, and his mother’s surname was Wang, so he was named Chen Wang, with the courtesy name Bu Nan.

 

When Chen Bu Nan was three years old, he often went hungry and cold, and his uncle and aunt constantly scolded him. He had no good skin left on his body. They cursed him as an unlucky child and blamed his existence for their inability to have children. Chen Bu Nan gritted his teeth and swore that when he grew up, he would repay them a hundredfold.

 

At eight years old, Chen Bu Nan became incredibly strong, able to plow eight acres of land in a day. His uncle and aunt grew to like him. However, Chen Bu Nan did not like living under someone else’s roof. He longed to grow up quickly so he could leave.

 

At ten, his aunt gave birth to a daughter, but his uncle didn’t care for her and abandoned her. Chen Bu Nan took her in and named her Shi An. The character “An” has a good meaning, but when paired with the character “Shi,” meaning “loss,” it was no longer favorable. When Shi An turned eight, Chen Bu Nan became an adult and decided to leave home. To try to keep him, his uncle married his daughter to him. When Shi An was twelve, they married, but shortly after, both his uncle and aunt died suddenly. Officially, it was said to be from illness, but in truth, it was because Chen Bu Nan had secretly killed them.

 

When Shi An was sixteen, she became extremely beautiful. Her smile could captivate anyone, attracting many people to catch a glimpse of her beauty. Later, Shi An claimed to be a married woman and was no longer to be seen by others. Those who came to see her were turned away, and they stopped coming. In reality, it was because Chen Bu Nan harbored resentment and locked Shi An in a room, forbidding her from stepping outside.

 

One year, during a drought, the crops failed, and the family could not make ends meet. Chen Bu Nan, desperate for money, came across a method that promised to make him rich quickly, but it involved gambling. Although “thousands of gold” could be earned in an instant, it was a risky endeavor, and many people became envious of him. The hope for “gain” and the fear of “loss” plunged him into a deep abyss, and Chen Bu Nan could not extricate himself. Shi An tried to persuade him, but to no avail. She was beaten by Chen Bu Nan every day, eventually falling ill and bedridden. Chen Bu Nan had no money to treat her, and she grew thinner and more pitiful. He used her appearance to garner sympathy from others and borrowed money, which he used for gambling day after day… But this secret could only be kept for a time. Eventually, Shi An declared that she would unmask his true nature one day and show everyone his ugly face. That was when Chen Bu Nan decided to kill her.

 

There were no gods or temples on the mountain, so Chen Bu Nan made up a story. He carried Shi An up the mountain, and halfway up, he tricked her into being buried alive. On his way down, he met a villager and, to avoid his story being exposed, he lied again, claiming that although his wife was dead, his love for her never died, and he insisted on going up the mountain. To his surprise, there was indeed an immortal on the mountain. The immortal asked why he was ascending, and Chen Bu Nan told him many lies without changing his expression. The immortal, seeing that his face was kind, was moved by his words and granted him immortality.

 

Shi An lived a life where her father didn’t love her, her mother didn’t care for her, and at eight, she was promised in marriage. By twelve, she was married, and by eighteen, her husband killed her. She had no way to resolve her resentment, so she transformed into an evil spirit and sought revenge on the mountain. She met her husband, who had just ascended to immortality, and devoured him completely to avenge herself.

 

Unexpectedly, Chen Bu Nan became an immortal. His body died, but his soul did not. The two shared one body. The world did not understand the truth and believed they had died for love. Moved by their devotion, a temple was built in their honor, named Luonan Temple. The incense burned for a thousand years, gradually nourishing Chen Bu Nan’s soul. His consciousness returned, and someone told him that if he could gain one more act of merit, he would directly ascend to godhood. Otherwise, he would have to wait for hundreds or thousands of years. Chen Bu Nan, greatly tempted, immediately asked how to gain this merit. The answer was, “A perfect love can grant it.” He asked, “What counts as perfect love?” The answer was, “To be together and never part.”

 

He asked, “How long will it take? Is there a faster way?” The answer was, “On the seventh day of the seventh month, there are nine hundred ninety-nine wishes that can be turned into one act of merit.”

 

“However, if you do not ascend before the end of the month, then you should understand the consequences.”

 

Although the Affectionate Immortal Lord eventually gained that act of merit, he did not anticipate that becoming a god had its requirements. A ghost could not ascend to the heavens. He and his wife, now inseparable in body and soul, could no longer be separated. In the end, the statue shattered.

 

The Cherished Immortal Lord  fell.