Chapter 13: Setting Aside Personal Decorum…

The little Saints once again proved just how wide the gap between themselves and Su Ning truly was.

After exchanging a few words with the little people, everyone went off to attend to their own affairs.

Su Ning planted the seeds he had bought at the market into the soil, following his own plan and sowing the vegetables he liked to eat.

"Ordinary vegetables take about a month or two to be ready for harvest." Su Ning was filled with hope.

Before, when he had returned home, he had worried he might not live long enough to eat the vegetables he planted. Now, he felt quite confident.

After finishing the planting, he had his meal and went to rest.

The next day.

Ring, ring, ring…

A string of phone ringtones jolted him awake from his bed.

He fumbled around on his pillow for a long while before finding his phone, eyes still bleary with sleep. "Hello? Who is this?"

He hadn't even opened his eyes yet.

He had been sleeping so soundly — no more jolting awake in the middle of the night.

"Who is this?"

"You dare ask who this is?"

"Su Ning, can't you tell who I am? Are you trying to get fired?!"

"Get your ass out of bed right now and finish the work proposal I sent you. The client needs it urgently. If you dare screw this up, your bonus for this month is gone!"

A torrent of grating, unpleasant sounds poured through the phone — utterly insufferable.

That voice made Su Ning's entire being recoil with visceral disgust.

He hated that voice more than anything.

It belonged to his supervisor at the company.

For the sake of his job, Su Ning had long endured that duck-squawk of a voice.

"Yes, sir… I'll get right on it!"

The moment he heard it, Su Ning instinctively sat up and reached for his clothes, ready to rush to work.

Then he froze… Something felt off.

He turned it over in his mind. "Wait… that's not right…"

"Fuck, I already quit. Why the hell should I care about this guy?"

He couldn't help it — his body had been so thoroughly conditioned by work that the instinct had become automatic.

"You have two hours. I want to see results, or I'm docking your bonus!" The duck-squawk on the other end continued to hold court.

"Fuck you!" After holding it in for so long, Su Ning finally let those words fly.

"Dock away — who gives a damn about your lousy bonus."

"Work my ass — you can all go to hell!"

"Disturbing someone's sweet dreams first thing in the morning — what the hell is wrong with you?!"

He cursed his fill and hung up.

One word…

Satisfying!

Absolutely liberating!

It was the most enjoyable conversation he had ever had with anyone from that company.

As the saying goes, and it rings true: "Set aside your personal decorum, and enjoy a shameless life…"

Having no decorum really was the most self-satisfying thing in the world.

Without decorum, his mood had improved enormously.

Ring, ring, ring…

The supervisor called again.

Su Ning answered.

"Oh… oh, you've got some nerve… Su Ning!"

"How dare you talk to me like that — are you trying to get fired?!"

"Do you know how many people out there want this job?"

"Pack your things and get out right now. You dare curse at me…"

The supervisor on the other end was fuming, hurling abuse at Su Ning. Clearly, he hadn't expected Su Ning to talk back — he couldn't handle it.

Su Ning fired right back: "So what if I curse at you? Who do you think you are, playing the big shot? You put on a human face in front of outsiders, but inside the company you're nothing. A measly salary, and you act like you're doing everyone a favor. I worked for you as a fair exchange of value — not because I needed your charity to survive."

"Just who do you think you are, throwing your weight around?"

"With that crooked face of yours, no wonder your wife ran off with someone else — and the worst part is you don't even know how ugly you are!"

"Do you know what you are? You're a toad in a gutter — a frog at the bottom of a well dreaming of swans. Pure delusion!"

Once Su Ning tasted the joy of finally clapping back at the supervisor who had exploited him for two and a half years, he couldn't stop.

Truly, the person with no decorum is the happiest of all.

Saying what you think, firing back when you're fed up — it was deeply satisfying, the kind of thing that kept depression at bay.

"You… you… you…" On the other end, the duck-squawk man was practically exploding with rage.

"You're finished… after crossing me, let's see how you survive in this company!"

"I'll dock every last cent of your bonus. I'll make you do the most grueling work. I'll make you pay for this!"

"Are you seriously brain-dead? Who the hell wants to stay in that idiotic company — I quit ages ago, you moron!" With that, Su Ning hung up.

He was cultivating immortality now. Who still goes to work?

After putting his former supervisor in his place, his mood soared.

Even the newborn sun looked adorable.

The knot that had been lodged in his heart for years finally came undone completely.

His whole body felt at ease.

"I strongly suspect that the reason I was so unhappy before — even getting cancer — was because of all the psychological pressure I endured for so long!"

How many people, for the sake of making a living, are forced to swallow humiliation and suffer hardships they should never have to bear?

How many people resent their supervisors but can only grit their teeth and endure?

Adult life is full of so many chains…

Su Ning had once been a completely spineless corporate drone, enduring everything without complaint, all for the sake of building a better future for himself and Su Yi.

But now, he was done with that.

Life was meant to be lived joyfully — to be lived boldly and freely, savoring every moment of an unrestrained existence.

Because you never know whether accident or tomorrow comes first.

That was the insight Su Ning had gained after staring death in the face.

As for the workplace… the problems had always been there.

But thankfully, in this new era, a generation of young people had emerged who refused to accept oppression — freer, more unbothered, willing to push back without a second thought, refusing to coddle anyone. This generation, known for shaking up the workplace, was commonly called… Generation Z!

In truth, "Generation Z" shouldn't just refer to a particular age group — it should describe anyone who dares to face oppression, dares to say no, dares to call out what's unreasonable…

Su Ning felt that the world was wonderful and full of sunshine for the entire day.

Life was worth living.

Brushing his teeth, washing his face, changing into clothes he actually liked, eating breakfast — all of it felt meaningful.

All of it felt joyful.

He tossed the whole episode with his former supervisor to the back of his mind.

Su Ning habitually made his way toward the vegetable garden.

Every day, he would go check on the little people's living situation.

After all, life out here was still quite dangerous.

There was no telling when the little people might be attacked by a stray cat or dog.

Against those kinds of monsters, the little people might not survive.

The first thing he did every morning after waking up was to go see whether the little people had made it through the night.

Only then could he settle down to cultivate, and then move on to other things. That was Su Ning's daily routine.

Quite leisurely and carefree.

"Immortal Senior, you've finally come." The moment Su Ning approached the little tree, he saw the little people craning their necks, waiting anxiously.

Their eyes were filled with panic and helplessness.

Something had happened!

That was Su Ning's first instinct!

An animal attack?

"What happened?" Su Ning asked.

"Li Qingxuan and Kunlun Immortal Maiden… it seems, it seems… they're dying!" Great Xia Sovereign said urgently.

"Immortal Senior, please take a look at them."

"Were they attacked by a beast?" Su Ning asked, puzzled.

"No… it seems… it seems they've fallen ill…"

"Fallen ill?!" Su Ning's face went dark.

What kind of reason was that?

Could someone who had achieved Ascension actually fall ill?

It was the first time he'd ever heard of an ascender getting sick!

Though, come to think of it, it wasn't that strange — because this group of ascenders was anything but normal to begin with.

Other people's ascenders could shatter the heavens and destroy the earth, while his ascenders were so weak that a single finger could crush them. If they weren't the ones getting sick, who would be?