The Promise

Lu Ran slept like the dead.

When he opened his groggy eyes, it was already late at night.

"Mmm."

Lu Ran propped himself up with one hand, feeling sore all over.

He subconsciously glanced at the clock on the wall, but the room was pitch black.

Even though moonlight spilled from the window, it didn't help Lu Ran much.

A thought stirred in Lu Ran's mind, and memories from his dream gradually flooded into his consciousness.

In an instant, he felt much more energetic!

Clearly, his twenty-one-day dog-slaying endeavor had achieved phased success!

In his dream, the demon sculpture of the evil dogs had finally been activated.

"So..."

Lu Ran couldn't help but lick his lips.

The next moment, divine power surged within him.

Evil Technique: Evil Awareness!

Lu Ran's eyes widened!

It wasn't quite to the point of night vision, but he could vaguely make out the dial on the wall!

12 o'clock sharp.

Heh.

It's not about waking up early, but waking up at the right time.

He opened his eyes just in time for the emo hour!

"The evening breeze blows the white hair at your temples, smoothing the scars left by memories. In your eyes, light and shadow intertwine."

Lu Ran's voice was soft and low.

His eyes glowed with a faint luminescence, and with the help of Evil Technique: Evil Awareness, he surveyed the furnishings in the room.

After a long while, Lu Ran got up and went to the window. His fingertips lightly brushed the windowsill bathed in moonlight, feeling the strange sensation.

The bright moon in the sky, the chirping of insects on a summer night.

Slowly, Lu Ran closed his eyes.

He listened intently to the world shrouded in the night.

The grade of Evil Technique: Evil Awareness was still too low, only Mist Grade.

It couldn't achieve true night vision, nor could it capture sounds from too far away or too many sources.

"I can kill more evil dogs." Suddenly, a low voice echoed in his mind.

Lu Ran was startled!

He was just listening to the night, and this sudden telepathic message was no different from a jump scare in a horror movie.

Lu Ran took a step back diagonally, moving to the shrine. He clasped his hands together: "Immortal Sheep Lord?"

White Goat Jade Carving: "Summon more evil dog souls to nourish the demon sculptures. The stronger the evil dog stone sculpture, the higher the grade of the evil technique, and the more types of evil techniques there will be."

"Disciple understands." Lu Ran nodded heavily.

White Goat Jade Carving: "Do not neglect your own cultivation. The weak can hardly wield profound techniques; forcing it will not work."

"Yes!" Lu Ran nodded again.

Silence fell once more in the dark small bedroom.

Lu Ran waited for a long time. When he didn't receive further instructions from the divine lord, he turned to the desk and picked up his phone, which had been charging all day.

As expected, his phone was filled with messages from the 21 days he had been gone.

Besides his mother's concern, the most frequent messages were from his sister, Qiao Yuanxi.

Starting from the third day of the seventh lunar month, she had begun urging him:

"Are you done yet?"

After that, she sent a WeChat message almost every day:

"It's been over ten days, haven't you finished the mission yet?"

"Why aren't you out yet? Your strength isn't good enough either?"

"Stinky big brother, you're really too weak! If you don't reply soon, I'll call you stinky little brother!"

"Today I ate a hamburger, and I secretly threw away the lettuce, hehe~"

"T^T, Mom found out and scolded me."

"It's already the eighth of July, my cold-blooded and weak big brother."

"Stinky little brother."

Lu Ran's finger slid to a stop, the screen freezing on the last message.

Looking at these three words, Lu Ran's expression was a little strange.

Hmm. In this regard, my sister is quite like me.

It's a complete reversal!

Lu Ran glanced at the time and tossed his phone back onto the table.

Forget it, I'll call to report my safety tomorrow.

He returned to the shrine, sat down cross-legged, and entered cultivation mode.

A wisp of mist quietly floated out from the shrine, enveloping the human race believers and nourishing their flesh and blood.

It was interesting, sleeping made Lu Ran's whole body sore.

On the contrary, cultivating divine power greatly relieved Lu Ran's physical fatigue.

The night passed without incident.

The next day at dawn.

"Ugh~~~"

Lu Ran stretched fiercely, hearing a few crisp cracks of bone.

"Immortal Sheep, good morning." After greeting, Lu Ran got up and rushed to his phone.

His mother always woke up early, so he didn't have to worry about disturbing her rest.

As expected, Lu Ran only waited a few seconds before the call was connected.

"Ranran?"

"Mom, sorry for making you worry." Lu Ran walked to the window, looking at the brightening sky. "The mission was really heavy, and I barely finished it on the last day."

"You slept all day yesterday, didn't you?"

"Mm." Lu Ran smiled sheepishly.

Qiao Wanjun's voice was still gentle: "Next time you get home, you can send me a text message before resting."

"Got it," Lu Ran said quickly.

Qiao Wanjun stopped there and changed the subject: "Can the divine power beads and weapons be upgraded now?"

"Yes, I killed like crazy in Evil Dog Village." Lu Ran grinned. "I could set up a stall as a butcher now!"

Qiao Wanjun chuckled: "In the beginning, you had to summon the courage to pick up the butcher's knife.

Now, you must constantly remind yourself to have reverence for life.

Remember to distinguish the demon race from other beings."

"I will," Lu Ran replied seriously.

A powerful believer's path was inevitably paved with corpses, and their hands were bound to be stained with blood.

The demon race was truly cunning.

Even if it couldn't kill you, in the process of your repeated killings, your heart might also be tainted.

In the past two years of high school, the homeroom teacher had repeatedly and earnestly taught the students:

Disregarding life and becoming numb were easy.

What believers truly pursued was to uphold their original intentions throughout their long combat careers.

"Good." Qiao Wanjun wasn't too worried, after all, the gods were watching. She continued, "When I came home yesterday, Yuanxi mentioned you too."

Lu Ran felt a little awkward: "I'll book my ticket later.

By the way, is that Big Castle King near our house still open?"

"Don't buy her anything. I'm punishing her by not letting her eat this week." Qiao Wanjun continued, "Just come over.

It'll be good for you two to stay at home and spend the Moon Festival together. I'll feel more at ease."

"No, Mom," Lu Ran said immediately. "I have to come back tomorrow or the day after. I have a mission on the fifteenth."

"A mission?" Qiao Wanjun was very surprised.

"It's like this." Lu Ran explained in detail.

On the other end of the line, Qiao Wanjun's frown deepened as she listened.

Believers could, of course, participate in the Fifteen City Defense Mission.

The problem was that the world was about to face the most dangerous July 15th!

"Additional test," Qiao Wanjun murmured to herself. Her child had received such an honor, and she should be proud.

But in reality, her heart was filled with more worry.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll be very safe with the Moon Watcher," Lu Ran reassured her.

"Why didn't you tell me about something so big beforehand?"

Listening to his mother's words, Lu Ran fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Qiao Wanjun, however, misunderstood, thinking her tone had been too harsh.

She rarely scolded her son, who was so strong-willed and independent, and she didn't even like to speak harshly to him.

"I've been too busy lately and haven't paid enough attention to you," Qiao Wanjun's tone softened. "You shouldn't come over; just rest and recover at home. Remember to stick close to the Moon Watcher on the Night of the Fifteenth, and don't let Mom worry."

"I will!"

"I'll talk to Yuan Xi about it," Qiao Wanjun said with a soft sigh. "Ranran."

"Hmm?"

"Your dad would be proud of you."

Lu Ran smiled. "And you?"

Hearing this, Qiao Wanjun also smiled gently. "Call me at 5 AM on July 16th, and I'll tell you."

"It's a deal."

Lu Ran hung up the phone and put down his mobile.

"July 15th," he murmured, resting his hands on the windowsill and looking up at the clear sky.

Last month on the fifteenth, he hadn't had the fortune to see the full moon.

He hoped he could see it this time.

"Bzz~ Bzz~"

His phone suddenly vibrated.

Lu Ran looked at the unfamiliar number and answered curiously, "Hello?"

From the other end of the line came a familiar female voice, "Little Lu Ran?"

Lu Ran froze for a moment, and three words blurted out: "Great Nightmare?"

Deng Yuxiang's expression was quite amusing. "Hmm?"

Lu Ran: "..."

"Hahaha!" Deng Yuxiang reacted and was amused to the point of laughter. "You dare to secretly give me a nickname behind my back?"

Lu Ran quickly said, "You misheard, I said Mengyan! Your divine beauty is something only seen in dreams! Even prettier than Yanzhiren!"

Deng Yuxiang: ???

For a moment, Deng Yuxiang couldn't tell if Lu Ran was praising her or scolding her.

"What do you need me for?" Lu Ran seized the opportunity to change the subject.

Deng Yuxiang let out a cold snort. "I heard from Yutang that you've completed your mission and are back."

"Yes," Lu Ran's heart stirred. "Are you looking for me about joining the Patrol Team?"

Deng Yuxiang, however, said, "I'm bored and want to stretch my muscles."

"Hello? Are you talking? This darn phone, why is the signal so bad. Beep beep beep."