Calling

With a new boss rising to power and the old struggles and slaughter brought to an end, Lei Yaoxing had washed away everything of the past with his own blood. Having received both outward face and substantive compensation, the representatives of each faction rose and departed one after another. Chen Yubo scurried over to his brother's side, bombarding him with concerned questions. Ji Jue leaned back in his chair for a long time. Reaching up, he pulled three rubber bands from the back of his head, placed them in his palm, and stared at them for a good while. He sighed silently. "Leaving?" Old Tom cast a sharp sidelong glance. "Yeah." Ji Jue withdrew his gaze without lingering regret and cracked the shell of his last melon seed. "The melon's been eaten, the work is done. What would I stay here for? To suck up to the new boss? Forget it, I'm not in the syndicates... What about you?" "I can't leave!" Old Tom boomed. "That bastard Chen Xingzhou screwed me out of a huge chunk of money. Shouldn't I squeeze a little more out of him for the final payment?" "Then I wish you luck collecting your back pay." Ji Jue offered a faint smile and waved goodbye to Tang Qian. Passing through the crowd, he seemed to stumble as if by accident, bumping into the person ahead of him. Embarrassment immediately flustered his face. "Ah, I'm sorry." "It's fine." The stranger, a woman who had turned around with a smile, froze for a moment the instant she saw his face. With a quick nod, she hurried off. She left behind only a faint trace of perfume, holding Ji Jue in place for a long time. He lowered his eyes, lost in thought. Then he heard the sound of wheelchair wheels turning behind him. Chen Yubo was wheeling Chen Xingzhou over. The chubby young man showed none of the despondency or anxiety of the past few days. His eyes were far brighter now, bursting with delight as though he were about to sprout wings and soar into the sky. Indeed, a meteoric rise. Director of the Wild Gathering, the younger brother of Yacheng's boss—was that not a world of difference from before? Starting today, every unsavory business in all of Yacheng belonged to the Chen family, every matter decided by Chen Xingzhou's word alone. Yet Chen Xingzhou did not wear his triumph on his sleeve. He remained calm, his smile gentle and warm. He took the initiative to extend his hand. "Mr. Ji, it's our first time meeting properly, and I haven't officially thanked you yet." He glanced at the retreating back of the woman, smiling pleasantly. "What's the matter? If you're interested, I can introduce you." "No, it's nothing," Ji Jue replied. "I just felt like I'd seen her somewhere before." "Natural enough," Chen Xingzhou said. "We're all from Yacheng. Spend enough time out on the streets, and everyone starts to look familiar." "I see." Ji Jue nodded in understanding, catching the perfume's scent as it dissolved into nothingness. "No wonder." "A formidable youth indeed." Chen Xingzhou's smile was soft, brimming with appreciation. "The future of this world will belong to you young people." "Forget it. I feel like being an artisan suits me better." Ji Jue shook his head without a second thought. "At least it's simple." "Simple?" Chen Xingzhou blinked slightly. It was the first time he had heard someone speak so boldly, calling the path of the artisan—where countless people spent their entire lives without ever bearing fruit—simple, and saying it with such natural conviction. For a moment, he could not tell whether this was the shallow ignorance of someone who knew nothing of the world or the sheer confidence of a genuine genius. He could only sigh, "So full of vitality. Truly remarkable." Ji Jue nodded and merely remarked, "Probably because there are far too many things harder than being an artisan." At that, Chen Xingzhou fell silent. He said nothing more. "What's wrong?" Ji Jue smiled. "Isn't today a great day? Why be silent? It calls for celebration." He did not care in the slightest about Chen Xingzhou's attitude. Whether the man was the boss had nothing to do with him. If you have the guts, come pick a fight with me at Tide Sound Workshop! As the savior of Chen Xingzhou's own brother, even if Ji Jue kicked the guy's wheelchair over right now, Chen Xingzhou would probably have to crawl back up, give him a thumbs-up, and praise him for a kick well delivered. What did he have to fear? What reason did he have to hold back? Chen Xingzhou let out a soft sigh and patted Chen Yubo's hand on his shoulder. After a brief startle, Chen Yubo took the hint and stepped away, leaving the two of them alone. "I'm merely reflecting, that's all," he said slowly. "All along, I believed that reaching this height took shrewdness, schemes, and ruthless methods, but above all, luck." With that, he looked back at Chen Yubo in the distance, who was holding up his phone to take pictures of a stray cat, grinning like an idiot. With heartfelt emotion, Chen Xingzhou murmured, "Yet looking at it now, my foolish brother's luck is far better than mine." "Fools have fool's luck, as long as they aren't complete fools. If you ask me, if you hold him back less, he'll have even more luck." With his hands tucked in his pockets, Ji Jue posed his final question: "Do you have any other orders, Director Chen?" "...Indeed, there is one very important matter." After a moment's contemplation, Chen Xingzhou reached into his pocket and produced something he had prepared long ago. "A-Bo told me you didn't take a single cent. While I was lying on the hospital bed, you advised him to donate the money and perform more good deeds. You are a good friend, a friend rare to find in this world." He said, "This matter will be done just as you said." What was handed to Ji Jue was only a few sheets of paper, light and thin, yet the appearance and headers were so familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before. There were two documents. One was a donation receipt for a cash contribution of over 4.641 billion Federation currency, accounted for down to the last decimal. The other was an entrustment for the holding and sale of shares across dozens of companies, including hot publicly traded firms and numerous valuable assets. Every bit of it was entrusted to the Church of Chongguang to hold and liquidate, with all proceeds dedicated entirely to charitable work. What left Ji Jue dumbfounded was the signature at the bottom of the donation form and authorization letter. It wasn't Chen Yubo, nor was it Chen Xingzhou. It was Ji Jue... Wait, what?! J-i, Ji, J-u-e, Jue? His eyes widened. He leaned in close, examining it carefully, checking it again and again. Even after a long time, he was completely baffled. Then he saw the final item Chen Xingzhou handed over. A small badge. Put simply, it was an iron brooch without any spiritus fluctuation, engraved with the emblem of the Church of Chongguang and trimmed with three layers of gold leaf, with Ji Jue's name etched on the back. Finally, the seal of the Spirit of Radiance was stamped upon it as an anti-counterfeiting measure. This was the sole gesture of gratitude provided by the Church of Chongguang to large-scale donors, and at the same time, a genuine luxury beyond price, rarely seen even in high society. Only those who had truly donated billions to charitable causes—saving countless people from pain, hardship, and desperate plights—could ever receive this badge from the Church of Chongguang. It could not be bought or sold, nor could it be transferred. After Ji Jue's death, representatives would come in person to reclaim it and enshrine it upon the Wall of Good Deeds in the Central Sanctuary. To put it simply, this was a genuine 'Good Person Certificate' recognized worldwide! As long as he wore this, Ji Jue could walk proudly wherever he went. Even if he traveled to the Mid-Continent or the Empire, anyone with eyes who saw the badge on his chest would bow their head in greeting and welcome him. He could even walk straight into the Governor's Mansion, pat the Governor's bald head, and tell him, "I think you've been doing a poor job lately," and the Governor would only force a smile and agree, "You are entirely right, sir." On the surface, it held no official authority, yet its true influence reached into every walk of life. No one would despise a good person who accumulated virtue and performed good deeds. Nor would anyone harbor genuine resentment or disrespect toward someone wearing the Sublime Virtue Badge. From now on, Ji Jue was an officially verified virtuous benefactor of the Church of Chongguang! Starting from today... "Before coming here, I told the elder about you," Chen Xingzhou said with a faint smile. "The elder expressed his thanks and hopes to invite you for a gathering when you have time. From now on, you will forever be an honored guest of the Church of Chongguang. Wherever you go, they are your friends." Ji Jue looked up toward the elder surrounded by the crowd in the distance. The elderly figure turned back, his gaze meeting Ji Jue's, and nodded once more. His eyes radiated genuine warmth and admiration. "But why me?" In his daze, Ji Jue asked in bewilderment. "If you really wanted to donate, wouldn't it have been better to use your own name?" "If it were me, even if I donated, I wouldn't receive this kind of treatment," Chen Xingzhou said with a self-deprecating chuckle. "The bishop told me that if I want an upright, honorable outcome, donating money is useless. He asked if I could do good deeds from now on, and I cannot. In this life, I'm probably fated to do dirty work. But at least A-Bo can live cleanly..." He smiled from the bottom of his heart, looking at Ji Jue. "Thank you, Ji Jue." "Nine charity hospitals have introduced new equipment thanks to your donation. Next, the Church of Chongguang will use this money to promote a new vaccination program across all of Haizhou. Those shares will be held long-term by the Church of Chongguang, and all dividends earned will provide long-term hemodialysis for those who cannot afford it." He said, "From this day forward, you are forever a friend of the Church of Chongguang." "..." Ji Jue fell silent, looking down at the badge in his hand. Less than a week of protection had yielded such an enormous recompense. Though he had never once thought of keeping the money for himself—and would not have taken it even if Chen Xingzhou had offered it—he still felt thrilled and delighted from the bottom of his heart by Chen Xingzhou's gift. Yet behind such a massive donation, what price was concealed? What was this, really? Compensation? He gave a faint smile, refusing to indulge in melodramatic bickering or polite refusal, and slipped the badge cleanly into his pocket. At last, he asked, "Isn't such a small token a bit stingy for the savior of your own brother?" "A meager token of gratitude doesn't prevent you and me from being friends or enemies in the future." Chen Xingzhou pressed his hands against the armrests of his wheelchair, straightened his posture, and asked solemnly, "Though it's probably nonsense, I still want to ask—are you interested in joining the Wild Gathering? The boss serves a ten-year term. With your talent, it might be effortless. No, perhaps with you here, I wouldn't even last the full ten years." "Sorry, not the slightest bit interested." Ji Jue waved his hand decisively. "Keep that kind of thing for yourself to play with." The rain had stopped; it was time to go. After taking so many days off, he had plenty of things to do. It was noon. If he moved quickly, he could even pick up the youngest and the others from school along the way. Just like that, without lingering attachment or hesitation, Ji Jue turned and walked away. Crystal droplets fell from the eaves. Beyond the distant gates, the sea shimmered with brilliant, glistening light. Even the breeze blowing against his face felt refreshingly cool. The sound of the tide surged, just as it always had. Just like that distant, ethereal rumbling from half a month ago. Outside the cemetery gates, Ji Jue looked back one last time, gazing upon the fleeting truth. The beginning of it all, the start of this storm of blood, had originated from Chen Xingzhou's brother, Chen Yubo, being attacked by Lei Yaoxing, followed immediately by rumors that Lei Wuye was on the verge of death... And how had that attack begun? An absurd bet, a sports car enthusiast who never dared drive over eighty kilometers an hour, a rich second-generation kid used as a pawn, a mysterious woman who had vanished without a trace, and an unlucky bystander, Ji Jue, dragged in through a coincidental outsourced job. Over this, his reverse scale touched, Chen Xingzhou had fiercely turned on Lei Yaoxing, raising the curtain on the turmoil. Yet... a few lackeys and a single sniper? Could such insignificant pawns truly bear the responsibility of raising the curtain? If they wanted to stage an ambush, why do it at the finish line? Wouldn't placing a boulder in the middle of the road have been far easier? If they wanted a guaranteed outcome, wouldn't riddling him with bullets in the middle of the crowd have been simpler? If Ji Jue had truly walked away back then, would that bullet really have hit its mark? And that mysterious woman who had indirectly triggered everything in the club—where had she gone with her lingering perfume? Why had Lei Wuye suddenly withered from the prime of his strength to his dying breath within a few short months? Why had Lei Yaoxing made one misstep after another, gradually turning into an enemy of everyone? Why had this funeral been so well-timed? And that bullet fired at Chen Xingzhou, unnoticed by anyone and unobstructed by all—from whose hands had such unfathomable marksmanship come? Too many mysteries had been rendered untraceable by the passage of time. With the ascension of the new boss, everything would gradually be covered in dust, buried deep beneath the earth alongside those who knew too much. Yet right now, Ji Jue couldn't help but wonder: if it had been him... putting himself in those shoes, what would have happened? The answer was that there was no answer. Just as right now, some outcomes were destined to have no outcome. So let it end here. There was no need to probe any further. This was an outcome that satisfied everyone. For the apprentice artisan Ji Jue, the turmoil in Yacheng's shadows had come to an end. Whatever followed had nothing to do with him anymore. The world he belonged to did not lie in this wilderness. "Farewell, White Stag." Ji Jue turned his head, looking toward the surging waves beneath the roadside embankment. Within the reflection of the tide, the White Stag stood in the distant wilderness, quietly watching over everything. Survival, hunting, rivalry, death. All the chaotic and cruel phenomena of the wilderness... From beginning to end, the White Stag had borne witness to it all. Yet was the White Stag the only one witnessing it? At that moment, the youth who had bid farewell to the wilderness raised his head, and finally saw it. High above the heavens, a colossal manifestation enveloped the mortal world, encompassing the myriad realms—vast and formless, supreme and without shape, boundless as an ocean yet ascending like flame. It was like an endless, stretching path, climbing perpetually toward higher ground... It was watching him, from beginning to end, in silent stillness. As if it had been waiting for a very long time. The mortal realm fell silent for an instant. Beneath the eaves of the cemetery, residual raindrops fell, scattering amidst the lush green grass as a faint light manifested. The conversation among the people in the hall came to an immediate halt. As if sensing something, they looked back toward the distant sky. "A Calling of Sovereign Virtue?" Tong Ting raised his eyes, sighing in sudden realization. "I've never seen 'that one' favor an artisan so deeply." "I thought it would be the White Stag," Uncle Lin murmured, shaking his head with regret. "What a pity." "Sovereign Virtue flows through all phenomena. What hunters and beasts pursue are quarry and the wilderness. Yet from the wilderness, sentient beings can also give rise to the desire for Exaltation, the aspiration to ascend..." The elder of the Church of Chongguang gazed up at the vast, ascending presence, offering a soundless smile. "Even the esteemed guests gathered here right now—aren't you all harboring an urge to ascend?" Ambition and ideals were fundamentally one and the same. All phenomena of the mortal world sprang from this source. Some said humans had evolved from monkeys. Perhaps the instant a monkey first conceived the idea of walking upright, that pure desire had destined the world to head toward its present chaos and madness. This desire for Exaltation had nothing to do with good or evil, nor was it tied to nobility, baseness, morality, or rank. When a beast gazed upon the world before its eyes, and after fear and confusion, the first spark of longing sprouted—in that instant, the world's very first primate was born. All myriad things of the mortal world began with that primal impulse for Exaltation. This was the origin of the soul. "So, you were here all along?" Amid the sound of the tide, the youth who had turned his back on the White Stag and walked away unburdened let out a soft sigh. He reached out toward the sky, and clutched that brilliant, flowing light falling from the heavens! For a brief moment, he seemed to see countless phantom images rushing toward him like an ocean tide. Everything from the past, every past Ji Jue... The babbling infant reaching out to grasp a toy; the survivor of the flames weeping bitter tears as he crawled out from the ruins; the battered young laborer lowering his head and gritting his teeth to shoulder heavy bricks; the fortunate applicant taking the wrench from Mother Lu's hand; the student holding his head high as he stepped through the gates of Tianmen University; the unyielding soul rising from nightmares to return to the mortal realm; the Embers Celestial Chosen crowned with the Blade of Revolution slashing down with his sword... And right at this very moment, the artisan bathed in the sea breeze, once more gazing upon the blazing sun and the firmament. From the past Ji Jue to the present Ji Jue, stretching into a continuous line through the remnants of time. Though their ages, identities, and circumstances appeared completely different, it was as if nothing had ever changed. All living beings in this world were no different in this regard. The dying Lei Wuye, desperately trying to grip onto his power in his final moments; Chen Xingzhou, fallen to rock bottom, swearing to make a name for himself; Lei Yaoxing, waiting for years, wanting to take over everything; the restless lackeys longing to take the stage... Even if their faces and identities were entirely distinct, this driving force sprang from the exact same root. The poor would crave wealth, the weak would yearn for strength, those with nothing would hunger for power, and those disgusted with their reality would appeal to ideals... Even when sinking into the mire, unable to pull themselves free, they still refused to accept their fate and yearned to raise their heads. And when gazing at the sky, they would uncontrollably desire to... reach the stars! Once such a thought surfaced in the mind, it could never be forgotten. And so, the desire to climb burned brighter day by day. In the end, it was unstoppable. Just like that, the frogs at the bottom of the well began to yearn for the unreachable light above their heads; the trapped beasts sinking into the mire instinctively pursued the mountains. Struggling with all their might, climbing ever upward. Above perilous peaks, there might be yet higher peaks; beyond the high heavens, there might be yet another layer of sky. Yet as long as there remained heights in this world beyond reach, this desire for transcendence could never be severed. —This was 【Ascension】! *** You have a new notification, please check. Federation Yacheng Disaster Prevention Bureau [V] 2 minutes ago via Tianyu P3 Deluxe Edition Client Due to abnormal meteorological changes in the Wuding Sea, a large storm system has been detected forming. It is projected to make landfall in the Federation today, and a red alert signal has now been issued. Starting today, the entire area of Yacheng will experience severe storms for two to three days, accompanied locally by thunderstorms, hail, and other disasters. Citizens are advised to minimize outdoor travel and take precautions. Municipal administrative offices will suspend operations starting today and are expected to resume tomorrow or the day after. Relevant business handlers should monitor Ping'an Yacheng releases for updates... — Yacheng Disaster Prevention Bureau Comments Section: [Flowers Blooming and Full Moon]: Support Yacheng, support the municipal government's decision! [Love in the World]: Hope the storm passes quickly. Stay safe, everyone~ [This account has been banned]: The fuck are you talking about? A little thunder and rain and you call off work and give holidays? The useless bastards at the city hall might as well hang themselves en masse. [Qu Zhui]: Support Yacheng, stay safe~ [22] (Muted): North Mountain's gonna flood again, isn't it? We've gone through four idiot governors already, and they've been repairing that shitty sewer system for eight years. We get river rafting every single year. Just how much did they embezzle? [This account has been banned]: When the hell is Xu Chaoxian gonna drop dead? ... [Click to enter a comment]