In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 45 - The Story of Xun Yu

Chapter 45 – The Story of Xun Yu

 

Opening his eyes made no difference at all. Xi Yu frowned. His night vision had always been decent; even in the darkest of places, he could make out vague outlines.

 

“Lin Bei.”

 

The moment he spoke, Xi Yu froze in disbelief. He hesitated, then called out again uncertainly.

 

He was stunned in place.

 

This wasn’t his voice!

 

This wasn’t even the voice of an adult!

 

Before he had time to process this, a heavy force struck his lower back, sending him flying before he crashed heavily to the ground. He let out a groan in pain.

 

The person who had kicked him cursed, “What are you yelling for? So noisy! You can shout for gods or immortals, and it still won’t help! If you keep buzzing around like a fly and crying, I’ll kick you to death!”

 

Hearing this, Xi Yu quickly wiped his face with a hand. His hand came away wet.

 

The child had been crying hard.

 

Thinking this, he reached a hand forward to feel around.

 

He roughly figured out his predicament.

 

No wonder he felt no solid footing, no wonder he couldn’t see anything!

 

It turned out he was stuffed inside a burlap sack being dragged along!

 

The sack was tightly woven and completely blocked out all light.

 

However, there was a slight advantage to this—it cushioned him from the rough treatment, so being dragged like this didn’t feel as painful.

 

Xi Yu kept reminding himself not to panic. Everything could be resolved. But despite himself, he couldn’t stop taking deep breaths, one after another.

 

Stay calm… stay calm… calm, my foot!

 

What kind of apocalyptic start was this?

 

Not only was he thrown into the book with a random identity, but he also became a powerless child trapped in a burlap sack, being dragged around like garbage!

 

And to make matters worse, he hadn’t come alone—his companion had mysteriously gone missing at the start!

 

Holding his breath, Xi Yu listened closely. He couldn’t hear the sound of another sack being dragged nearby, nor any unusual noises.

 

He was now certain that Lin Bei wasn’t here. If Lin Bei had been around, no matter what, he would have found a way to signal his presence, even if he were gagged or mute.

 

Rubbing his sore lower back, Xi Yu took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, starting to piece everything together.

 

He had likely followed the Book Ghost into the book written by Bai Fan Zhenjun.

 

Yes, that was what Bai Fan had asked them to do.

 

Bai Fan Zhenjun, as a literary deity, had written many records of celestial officials, compiled and excerpted various important documents, and even participated in the creation of mortal “divine texts.” This was why, despite having no temple or followers, she still existed in the world.

 

However, despite her vast knowledge and power, she wasn’t without her fears.

 

The most terrifying and troublesome entity for her was the Book Ghost.

 

This ghost’s origins were unknown. While it was a great threat to Bai Fan, other immortals didn’t take it seriously. Many didn’t even know of its existence. It seemed like a ghost created solely to torment Bai Fan.

 

The Book Ghost had existed for over a thousand years. Bai Fan couldn’t pinpoint when it first appeared, only that she initially ignored it until its severity became undeniable. By then, it was too late.

 

The ghost roamed through the books Bai Fan had compiled, devouring and altering their contents, causing significant errors over the years. Yet Bai Fan was powerless against it.

 

Many in the celestial realm coveted Bai Fan’s position and wanted her ousted. The issue of the Book Ghost had to be kept a secret; she couldn’t let them find out.

 

After years of covert operations, Bai Fan had narrowed the ghost’s activity to three specific texts. Now was the critical moment to capture it.

 

It had to be done quickly, before the ghost found an opening to undo thousands of years of effort.

 

This was why Bai Fan had involved herself in Xi Yu’s messy affairs.

 

Xi Yu’s task was to restore the three texts to their original state, forcing the Book Ghost to reveal itself.

 

As for how to define “restoration,” Bai Fan wasn’t sure.

 

The texts were so old that even though she had written them herself, she had long forgotten their exact contents. Even if she remembered vaguely, she couldn’t distinguish truth from fiction.

 

All she said was to “let things take their course.”

 

Letting things take their course was the best way to present a text.

 

Without waiting for Xi Yu’s agreement, Bai Fan had directly sent him and Lin Bei into the books. Thus, when he awoke, he was faced with such a terrible situation.

 

Xi Yu thought to himself: Even if the contents have been altered, I still need to know the general plot, don’t I?

 

Looking at his small hands, he confirmed that he had turned into a child. Judging by the sack, he was likely a pitiful child abducted by human traffickers.

 

Xi Yu held his breath, trying to minimize his movements.

 

Sure enough, before long, someone asked, “Why isn’t the kid making any noise? Did you kill him while dragging him?”

 

“Playing dead, probably,” the person dragging him said nonchalantly. “Kids these days are clever. They pretend to be dead to trick us into letting them out, then they try to run.”

 

Just as the words fell, Xi Yu was suddenly hoisted into the air and slung over someone’s shoulder. “Dead or not, doesn’t matter. If he’s dead, we’ll just grab another one.”

 

“The sacrifice is about to start. There’s no time to grab another!”

 

Sacrifice?

 

Xi Yu guessed they were planning to sacrifice children to some evil deity, throwing them into a fire along with paper offerings of gold and silver treasures.

 

This was commonplace in the era when gods were revered. Later, during the mortal sealing of the gods and the celestial reforms, this cruel practice was gradually eradicated from history.

 

As he mulled this over, a wave of dizziness hit him. His eyelids grew unbearably heavy, and despite his efforts, they drooped shut.

 

Slowly, he drifted into unconsciousness.

 

“Awake?” A cool male voice pulled him back to consciousness.

 

Dazed, Xi Yu opened his eyes. “Lin Bei?”

 

“Lin Bei?” The voice remained the same, but the tone suggested he was denying the name.

 

As overlapping images gradually merged into focus, Xi Yu confirmed he hadn’t made a mistake. He assumed Lin Bei was teasing him and patted his shoulder. “Where are we?”

 

Lin Bei shifted aside slightly, causing Xi Yu’s hand to fall. Without expression, he replied, “Under a tree.”

 

Indeed, Xi Yu was sitting with his back against a tree. “…A cold joke?”

 

“What’s a cold joke?”

 

Watching Lin Bei’s expression, it seemed he genuinely hadn’t heard the term. His brow furrowed slightly. Now, Xi Yu noticed something off—Lin Bei didn’t quite look as he remembered.

 

His features seemed subtly different, softer. He looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. His demeanor, however, had turned cold and distant, maintaining a boundary that kept even close acquaintances at bay.

 

Recalling his bizarre experience earlier, Xi Yu figured Lin Bei had likely lost his memory.

 

This was even trickier than being turned into a child. What if Lin Bei refused to cooperate?

 

Xi Yu thought: Time to rebuild our connection from scratch.

 

“Dan…” He started to say but stopped himself. After a moment of thought, he politely asked, “How should I address you?”

 

“Xun Yu.”

 

So, he wasn’t called Dan Bei after all.

 

Xun Yu returned the courtesy, asking for Xi Yu’s name. The words “Xi Yu” stuck in his throat, and he finally said, “You can call me Xiao Bei.”

 

Standing up and stretching, Xi Yu realized they were on a hillside. Just a few steps forward revealed a view of sprawling greenery dotted with wooden houses. Looking around, Xi Yu recognized the place—it was the northern region of Xiyi Kingdom, Lin Bei’s homeland.

 

He’d been here several times, searching for Lin Bei.

 

No wonder Lin Bei wasn’t himself; he wasn’t even called by that name here.

 

Xun Yu said, “Since you’re awake, I’ll be leaving now.”

 

So, they weren’t traveling together. It seemed Xun Yu had merely checked on him after finding him unconscious.

 

“Hey, wait!” Xi Yu quickly called out. “I need your help with something.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Relieved that Xun Yu’s lost memory hadn’t completely changed his good-natured character, Xi Yu said, “There are child traffickers around here. My younger brother has been taken. Can you help me find him?”

 

“I can’t.”

 

Xun Yu studied him for a few seconds, as if deliberating, then shook his head decisively and started walking away.

 

“Hey, hey, hey!” Xi Yu ran forward and blocked his path. “You look so dignified and gallant; surely you can help me out? Even if you can’t do much, having you search with me would add strength, right?”

 

“No.”

 

Xun Yu rejected him outright, shoving him aside and leaving without looking back.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Xi Yu muttered.

 

Looking up, he saw that in just one blink, Xun Yu had already moved a hundred meters away.

 

Xi Yu immediately gave chase, keeping his distance and pace in check. Although the area was open with little cover, as long as he wasn’t noticed, Xun Yu wouldn’t turn back.

 

Xun Yu entered the village, exchanged a few words with an old man, and quickly disappeared into a house.

 

Xi Yu hurried over to the old man and asked, “Do you know where Xun Yu lives?”

 

“That boy?” The old man helpfully pointed. “Over there. What do you need him for?”

 

The old man’s curiosity was exactly what Xi Yu had hoped for. He quickly explained, “I’m his friend, here to visit him.”

 

“Friend?” The old man scrutinized him skeptically. “That boy having a friend? Did the sun rise in the west today?”

 

“Why not? Everyone has friends.”

 

“Ha! Clearly, you don’t know him well. Let me guess, he saved you during one of his training trips, and now you’re here to repay the favor, pretending to be a friend.” The old man wore a knowing look. “I’d advise you not to go. Just be grateful in your heart. The last few people who went in were kicked out. He’s not as good-tempered as you think.”

 

“Kicked out?” Xi Yu was intrigued. “That bad?”

 

“He’s not mean, just indifferent. Doesn’t like dealing with people. All he cares about is cultivating immortality and ascending to godhood. You tell me, who just decides to become a god? Sigh, that boy…”

 

Xi Yu glanced back at the wooden house Xun Yu had entered, nodded, and bid the old man farewell with a smile. Taking a detour, he came across a candied haw vendor, grabbed two sticks on credit, and headed for Xun Yu’s residence.