In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 34: Elemental True Monarch 7

Chapter 34: Elemental True Monarch 7

The next morning, Lian Bei was woken up by a phone call. Xi Yu was still clinging to him, so he simply got out of bed with Xi Yu attached. As soon as they left the bed, Xi Yu let go, sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing his eyes in a daze.

It was Bai Fan calling. As soon as the call connected, that familiar sarcastic tone greeted him: “Yo.”

Lian Bei said, “Speak properly.”

Awake now, Xi Yu leaned in to listen as well.

Bai Fan seemed to catch on and laughed. “I didn’t even get a chance to speak yet. Fine, no more wasting time. I’ve got one good news and one bad news. Which do you want first?”

Xi Yu’s voice was hoarse. “The bad news.”

“Luo Yang has been found.”

Xi Yu asked, “That’s bad news?”

“It’s bad news to me. But I suppose it’s good news for you guys,” Bai Fan said. “I’ll stick to my pace. Guess where Luo Yang was found?”

“Xiao Mingqiang,” Xi Yu replied.

Bai Fan was surprised. “Smart! How did you figure that out?”

Xi Yu, still groggy and irritable from waking up, spoke in a cold and indifferent tone. “Xiao Mingqiang was taken away due to a severe illness. The Elemental True Monarch is like a god of medicine, and there’s a connection between the two. The Elemental True Monarch’s target is me, and kidnapping Luo Yang as bait would require someone I’m familiar with.”

“Not bad,” Bai Fan praised, continuing, “Luo Yang is currently lying on Xiao Mingqiang’s hospital bed, and his condition doesn’t look good. Xiao Mingqiang is nowhere to be found. You two be careful. As for that girl, I’ve taken care of her, so you don’t need to worry. Consider it a favor from me.”

The call ended, and the two of them rushed to the hospital. They hadn’t even reached the designated floor when they heard Luo Yang’s blood-curdling wails. Upon arrival, they found Luo Yang clinging to a woman’s arm, crying.

The woman was none other than Bai Fan, who had just been on the call with them.

“He just woke up, got his test results, and started bawling. What a disgrace. I’m here to maintain order,” Bai Fan said with a face full of annoyance. She tried to shake Luo Yang off but failed. Catching sight of Xi Yu, she initially maintained a friendly demeanor, but it quickly broke. She picked up the test report and started smacking Luo Yang on the head with it. “You’re a grown man! Cry, cry, cry—is that all you know? Let go of me! Your people are here now. I still have work to do. Scram! If you keep crying, I’ll send you straight to the eighteenth level of hell!”

Luo Yang finally let go—then fainted and collapsed to the ground.

When he woke up in his hospital bed, it was already evening. Opening his eyes, he saw Xi Yu and felt comforted. Memories flooded back as he reached out to hug Xi Yu, sobbing. “Yu Bao, I just had a dream. I dreamed I was dying of terminal cancer and then got beaten unconscious. Waaaah!”

Just as he was about to embrace Xi Yu, a glass of water was shoved between them. Lian Bei smiled and said, “You’re awake. Thirsty? Have some water first.”

Deeply moved, Luo Yang held the cup with both hands. “You’re so thoughtful! Waaaah!”

At that moment, a bucket of cold water was poured over his excitement. Xi Yu said, “That wasn’t a dream. It was real.”

Luo Yang let out another wail and started crying again.

Between his sobs, he recounted the entire ordeal, pausing and hiccupping as he went.

He had been abducted by child traffickers. This was likely the Elemental True Monarch’s initial plan—to use Luo Yang as bait to lure Xi Yu in and extract his power. Unexpectedly, Xi Yu had directly stormed the Yuanzheng Temple. The Elemental True Monarch rushed over in a panic, exposing numerous flaws and failing to extract the power.

If that’s the case, then the Elemental True Monarch would now be recalculating how to bring about Xi Yu’s demise. The next fuse to be lit would likely involve Xiao Mingqiang. As for what would happen…

“Resurrecting me just to kill me again. What are you planning, Brother?”

At the Mirror of Observation, Xi Yu suddenly raised his head and locked eyes with Xi Yi once more.

Luo Yang, exhausted from crying, fell asleep, and the world finally quieted down.

Leaning by the window, Xi Yu gazed into the distance. It was summer, and the sun set late. Outside, the sky was gray, with faint ripples of water visible in the distance.

Lian Bei walked over. Xi Yu pointed outside and said, “That’s the largest lake I’ve ever seen.”

Lian Bei replied, “Here, it’s called the sea.”

“It’s always been called the sea. I just hadn’t seen it before,” Xi Yu said, turning to face away from the window. “We look up and see the sky, look down and see the ground. We dare to imagine the heavens and the underworld but never think to look into the distance. Back then, I thought there were only two countries in the world—half ours, half theirs.”

Lian Bei rested an elbow on his shoulder and said, “Next time, I’ll take you traveling.”

“Dan Bei,” Xi Yu said.

“You confirmed it last night,” Lian Bei replied.

“Last night?” Xi Yu had no memory of it, startled as he turned his head and met Lian Bei’s gaze. “Did I do anything else?”

“You slept like a dead pig. Does that count?” Lian Bei teased.

Xi Yu smacked Lian Bei’s face, tearing off the bothersome mask. Annoyed, he said, “Then why are you still wearing this stupid thing, pretending?”

With the mask removed, the two stared at each other for a while. Xi Yu snorted coldly. “You haven’t changed. Still the same as before.”

“Still handsome?” Lian Bei teased.

“Get lost. I thought you’d turned into some ghastly monster or that your lower face was disfigured,” Xi Yu retorted. Glancing at him again, he quickly shifted the topic. “I think the real Elemental True Monarch may not be the same one we’ve encountered.”

Curious, Lian Bei asked, “Oh? Why do you think so?”

Xi Yu smiled like a child who had just stolen candy, a mysterious glint in his eyes. “Guess what I found at the Yuanzheng Temple.”

—

“I still don’t get it. Why are you helping me?”

“Obviously—because you’re sick!”

The boy standing before him looked about seventeen or eighteen, with rebellious features. Dressed in a basketball jersey and shorts, he exuded youthful vigor. Hands clasped behind his back, he turned slowly at the sound of the voice behind him, a mischievous smile on his face as he looked at the man in front of him.

That man was Yuan Xu.

Xiao Mingqiang frowned.

The words sounded like an insult, but the boy had said them in the same casual tone one might use to comment on the weather. It was jarring and devoid of malice, making it impossible to get angry.

Watching Xiao Mingqiang’s expression, the boy tilted his head and said, “Ah, that look. You don’t believe me, do you?”

How could he convince himself?

Four days ago, he’d had a nightmare. With his wedding to Yang Xue fast approaching, he had happily climbed Luonan Mountain to pray for a good omen. He loved Yang Xue to the point of madness, even willing to swear his life before the gods. But as the vows ended, disaster struck. Two ghastly demons appeared out of nowhere, declaring that his life was worthless and his death imminent.

Before he could react, darkness engulfed him. Only a single door of light remained, and behind Yang Xue stood the deity they had prayed to. The deity grabbed Yang Xue by the neck, forcing her to say, “I don’t love you anymore. I want to break up. Get out of my world!”

He didn’t believe it!

He started shouting, running, and crawling on all fours after falling. The darkness moved faster than him, scenes flashing by like a movie reel. No matter how hard he tried, the light surrounding Yang Xue grew further and further away until it turned into a tiny speck and disappeared completely.

He was left in utter darkness, accompanied only by echoes…

Xiao Mingqiang woke up from his dream drenched in cold sweat.

Back in the light, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, with a maximum of three months to live.

His parents had divorced and remarried. Yang Xue wouldn’t answer his calls. Just as he prepared to spend all his savings on medical bills, Yuan Xu appeared like an angel, paying his fees and greeting him warmly as if they were long-lost friends.

It was an act of kindness, but not enough to earn Xiao Mingqiang’s trust, let alone his loyalty.

Yuan Xu offered him a deal: complete the task, and he would not only cure his illness but also make him taller and more handsome. Xiao Mingqiang gritted his teeth and said he didn’t believe it. Yuan Xu sighed, scratching his temple. “Then what should I do? I really need your help.”

Xiao Mingqiang said meaningfully, “Then cure me first, and I’ll help you with your task. With my current battered body, even walking is a struggle, yet you expect me to do something for you? That’s hard to believe.”

Yuan Xu pondered for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “Alright!”

In an instant, Xiao Mingqiang felt a refreshing energy flowing through his body, dispelling all discomfort. He felt invigorated and clear-headed, his eyes alight with a crazed glint.

Yuan Xu said, “Now it’s possible, isn’t it?”

But Xiao Mingqiang reneged, spat out a “bah,” and said, “It’s always been me taking advantage of others, never the other way around. Now that my illness is cured, you think I’d risk my life for you? Dream on!”

With that, he turned to run!

But it was just wishful thinking. As soon as he turned, his legs buckled uncontrollably, forcing him to kneel. His body collapsed onto the ground, curling up like a worm.

Yuan Xu strolled over leisurely, stepped on Xiao Mingqiang’s head, leaned down slightly, and said with a trace of malice in his voice, “What do you take yourself for, trying to outsmart me?”