Chapter 4
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Chapter 4 Inviting a God
Staring at the change on his palm, Zhang Yu could not help but wonder, “What on earth does this mean? It’s not like I’ll die once it’s full, right?”
Unfortunately, no one could quell the anxiety in his heart.
After his morning physical education class, Zhang Yu dragged his half-dead body to lunch with Bai Zhenzhen and Zhou Tianyi. He rested for a short while before the afternoon classes began.
The first class in the afternoon was history, taught by an elderly man with a head full of white hair.
The old man entered the classroom, sat down behind the podium, and opened his textbook, beginning his lecture casually.
He seemed completely indifferent to the students below him. They used the time to rest, practice breathing techniques, cultivate, or even leave the classroom to refine their bodies.
Zhang Yu had no interest in listening to the history teacher’s lecture. He simply flipped through the textbook quickly, recalling its contents and integrating the information with his own memories to make sense of it all.
“Kunxu has no nations. Everything is monopolized and controlled by the Ten Great Sects. Kunxu has thirty-six layers on the surface. [break into shorter sentences].[break into shorter sentences].”
“The First Layer of Kunxu is also where the original Zhang Yu had always lived. As for the higher layers, he had only ever seen them in movies and on television.”
According to Zhang Yu’s memories, one could only enter the Second Layer of Kunxu by passing the university entrance exams. To reach even higher layers, one had to graduate from a university and join a major sect.
[break into shorter sentences].
Legend whispered/declared/muttered that the higher the layer, the more abundant the spiritual energy, the more advanced the immortal technology, and the more plentiful the resources.
[break into shorter sentences].
“This sky and sunlight feel so real. Can this place truly be inside some colossal megastructure?”
“If the First Layer alone is twice the size of China, how vast must all of Kunxu be? It surely can’t be on Earth, right?”
“How exactly did I even end up in this world?”
His mind unconsciously drifted back to the scene of his arrival in this world. He recalled the bizarre ritual, and his head immediately began to spin again.
Zhang Yu quickly shook his head. [break into shorter sentences].
The thought of his grades and cultivation brought on another headache.
Besides physical education, the Path to Immortality curriculum also included four other subjects, which were Dao Heart, Magic Power, Martial Arts, and Dao Arts.
Dao Heart was worth 150 points, Magic Power was worth 150 points, Martial Arts was 100 points, and Dao Arts was 100 points.
According to his memories, his academic ranking had recently been declining across the board. There was not a single subject in which he was not getting worse.
At this rate, it seemed to be only a matter of time before he was expelled from Songyang High School.
Another question then surfaced in Zhang Yu’s mind.
“From the looks of it, this body’s family isn’t wealthy, and he himself possesses no outstanding talent for cultivation. His admission interviews for both the first and second years were apparently not very successful. How on earth did he get into Songyang High School?”
Zhang Yu racked his brain but could only recall that his predecessor had entered Songyang High School despite his less-than-ideal interview results.
As he thought of his predecessor’s family, his gaze shifted slightly. He pulled out his phone and opened his contacts.
“Right, should I get in touch with Zhang Yu’s parents and sister after school?”
During his afternoon classes, Zhang Yu spent his time reviewing and organizing the memories in his mind. This deepened his understanding of the knowledge within him, the world around him, and his own identity as Zhang Yu.
Before he knew it, it was six o’clock and school was over.
Although classes had ended for the day, for the vast majority of Songyang High School students, the day was only half over. They still had to attend their cram schools and then study late into the night before they could rest.
Unlike his classmates who were rushing to their cram schools, Zhang Yu sat alone in the empty cafeteria.
Having run out of savings and credit two weeks ago, he had stopped attending cram school.
After finishing his dinner, he pondered for a while before finally pulling out his phone.
“Let’s give it a try.”
He first called Zhang Yu’s mother, then his father, but neither answered.
Recalling the memories he had of Zhang Yu’s parents and sister, he reluctantly called his sister.
“Zhang Yu?”
Hearing her slightly cold voice on the other end of the line, Zhang Yu forced himself to ask, “Sister, can you lend me some money?”
After a long silence, just as Zhang Yu thought the call was about to end, a voice came through the phone. “When you were in first class, I told Mom and Dad you had no talent for the Path to Immortality. Pursuing it would be a complete waste of time and money.”
“After we separated, Mom still believed in your delusions. She stubbornly tried to support your high school education alone. She even asked us for money recently, trying to use my tutoring fees.”
“Heh, and now you, the overconfident fool, are borrowing money for Cultivation. To stay in high school, you must be drowning in debt by now, right?”
Faced with these accusations, Zhang Yu had no response. Based on the memories he had pieced together, everything she said was true.
After their parents separated, each taking one of the siblings, Zhang Yu knew his mother’s income was insufficient and the family had no money. But the original Zhang Yu had been too arrogant. He stubbornly took out small loans for cultivation, borrowing more and more to stay afloat.
His mother repeatedly helped him repay these debts, only to discover the hole growing larger each time. Eventually, she abandoned him.
The voice on the phone continued.
“This is the last time we’ll speak. You’re on your own with your debts.”
“Here’s some more advice. Drop out of school and get a job to pay off your debts.”
“Since we used to be family, I’ll transfer you 500 Yuan later. That should be enough to find a job before you starve.”
Hearing the click as the call ended, Zhang Yu sighed helplessly. “At least I got 500 Yuan.”
Combined with the 500 Yuan Bai Zhenzhen had given him, Zhang Yu’s savings finally broke through 1,000.
But as he walked home, his sister’s advice kept replaying in his mind.
“Should I drop out and get a job?”
Lying back on his bed in the rented room, Zhang Yu stared blankly at the slightly moldy ceiling.
His grades were slipping, he was broke, burdened by massive debts, and his body was exhausted. He had to admit that dropping out and getting a job seemed like the most sensible thing to do.
Just as he was pondering over it, a sharp pain shot through his palm. The symbol only he could see had finally filled with darkness.
At the same time, a clear, girlish voice rang out beside him. “Boy, the summoning ritual is complete. Time to make your three wishes.”
Zhang Yu whirled around to find a cloth doll sitting on the edge of his bed.
Its yellowed, faded fabric, crooked stitches, and seams that looked ready to burst at any moment brought back a memory. This was the same rag doll he had seen during the strange ritual on the rooftop after arriving in this world yesterday.
The rag doll spoke again, “Hey, did you hear me? Three wishes, not one less.”
Faced with the bizarre scene before him, Zhang Yu only wanted to escape.
He was no longer the naive newcomer who knew nothing of this world.
After sorting through his memories, he understood that the gods in this world were not just abstract beliefs. They were the administrators of countless affairs, both great and small, throughout the entire realm of Kunxu.
But these Righteous Gods were far beyond the reach of a cultivation failure like Zhang Yu. [break into shorter sentences].
[break into shorter sentences].
“That guy Zhang Yu, driven to desperation, actually turned to an Evil God?”
“No wonder my head aches whenever I recall those memories. Is this another one of the Evil God’s tricks?”
Zhang Yu sensed the danger immediately and wanted to flee, but on second thought, he forced his trembling body to be still.
The original Zhang Yu had sought out an Evil God only because he had truly reached the end of his rope.
[break into shorter sentences]?
“Evil God! My first wish is for you to grant me one hundred wishes!”
After speaking, Zhang Yu swallowed hard and looked at the doll nervously. “You can do that, right?”
“Heh, of course I can do something so simple.”
Seeing the smile forming on Zhang Yu’s face, the rag doll let out a mocking laugh. “But my choice is… not to.”
“Because after the god-summoning ritual is complete, you are the one who has to grant my three wishes.[break into shorter sentences].”
“Alright, my first wish is for you to grant me one thousand wishes.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu froze for a moment, cursing inwardly. Wait… so this whole god-summoning ritual was for just me to grant you your wishes? Was the original Zhang Yu an idiot? A thousand wishes? Is that even allowed?
After stating its first wish, the rag doll smiled faintly, its hollow eyes made of black buttons continuing to stare straight at Zhang Yu.
“Are you ready? I’m about to state my next wish.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s heart tightened. What kind of wish is this damn thing going to make now?
If I really have to fulfill a thousand wishes for her, won’t I become her slave?
Or worse… what if she makes a wish I can’t possibly fulfill? Wouldn’t that mean certain death for me?
The rag doll spoke slowly. “I’ve decided. My next wish is… for you to help me collect a batch of antiques.”
Zhang Yu swallowed hard. “Antiques?”
The rag doll giggled. “Don’t worry, I’ve already picked them out for you. Just buy everything that’s in your shopping cart.”
Zhang Yu paused, then pulled out his phone. Following his memories, he opened his shopping cart and found it filled with various Buddhist statues, offering tables, incense burners, and wooden swords. The items were incredibly expensive, with any single one easily costing over ten thousand yuan.
If he could not afford these antiques, he could not fulfill the wish. If he could not fulfill the Evil God’s wish, he would surely die an unnatural death from the ritual’s power.
At this thought, Zhang Yu quickly asked, “Could you possibly change the wish?”
“I’m afraid I can’t afford all these antiques.”
“Are you making excuses…” The rag doll’s gaze sharpened, and an endless malice seemed to surge from its dark, hollow eyes. “Are you trying to weasel out of our deal? If you can’t afford it, borrow money from somewhere. If you can’t borrow, sell your heart, liver, spleen, and lungs. There’s always a way to scrape the money together.”
Zhang Yu looked intently at the rag doll and said slowly, “If I did that, wouldn’t I die just to fulfill this one wish?”
The doll chuckled softly. “So what?”
Zhang Yu said, “You would be choosing to immediately lose the one person who could help you fulfill a thousand wishes in the future.[break into shorter sentences].”
“Hmm?” The rag doll glanced at Zhang Yu with a hint of surprise. “Continue.”
Zhang Yu explained, “I’ve done the math. To buy all these antiques, I probably couldn’t save enough money even if I worked in the first layer of Kunxu for decades.”
“But if I could join a Great Sect, I could save up that amount in just a few years.”
“So?” the doll pressed.
[break into shorter sentences].[break into shorter sentences]?”
“Are you mocking me?”
An overwhelming wave of malice washed over Zhang Yu. The doll’s eyes transformed into two massive black holes, threatening to devour all the light in the room.
Zhang Yu clenched his fists, desperately suppressing the trembling in his legs. Staring intently at the doll, he enunciated each word clearly. “Your first wish is for me to fulfill a thousand wishes for you. Your second wish is to collect all the Antiques in the shopping cart.”
“If I die of poverty while collecting Antiques for you, how can I fulfill a thousand wishes?[break into shorter sentences]?”
“Deliberately failing to fulfill the first wish would violate the requirements of the Ritual. I’d likely be killed by the Ritual’s backlash before even completing the second wish, right?[break into shorter sentences].”
As Zhang Yu finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.
After a moment, the doll’s voice spoke.
“Let me see your balance.”
When she saw the balance in Zhang Yu’s account and the overdue loan messages, the doll remained silent for a long time.
This kid… The doll’s mind raced. Normally, this shouldn’t happen. The Ritual is supposed to choose wealthy targets. Buying a pile of Antiques should be as easy as snapping their fingers.
But this kid… he’s so poor he can’t even fulfill my first wish. He’s so poor that he’s created a loophole.
Damn it! Didn’t I say to find someone rich? How did they give me this loser?
After a long silence, the doll looked at Zhang Yu and said, “What you said… isn’t entirely unreasonable.”
“Fine. Go focus on your studies and earn enough money. I’ll come back when you’ve earned enough money.”
As she spoke, the doll sneered again. “But remember this. Everything you do is to fulfill my wishes.”
“From now on, if you slack off even slightly while working toward my wishes, you’ll die from the Ritual’s backlash.”
Watching the rag doll gradually fade away, Zhang Yu exhaled sharply and collapsed onto the bed, his body limp.
Suddenly, he remembered something and shouted, “Wait! This Ritual… what exactly did I gain from this ritual?!”
Though he suspected his transmigration might be connected to the ritual, he dared not reveal this secret directly. Instead, he chose to hint at it.
Unless absolutely necessary, he resolved to bury the secret of Earth deep within his heart, never to reveal it.
The doll vanished completely, leaving only a voice lingering in Zhang Yu’s ears, “Your potential has been awakened, but everyone’s potential is different. What exactly it is… you’ll have to discover for yourself.”
Outside the room, the doll walked away, thinking, This kid’s aptitude is terrible. Awakening his potential will probably just enhance his Magic Power or Physical Strength. He might not even get into University, let alone join a Great Sect. How could he possibly fulfill my wishes?
But his adaptability is rather amusing… Let me see how far he can struggle.
Inside the room, Zhang Yu watched the cluster of black symbols in his palm gradually begin to transform.
