The tense, fierce battle had continued without pause.
Not until after midnight did Lu Ran clearly sense that the number of fiends invading the world was gradually decreasing.
He no longer had to run himself ragged as he had before.
"Chang Ying really calculated it accurately."
Before the large pharmacy, Lu Ran muttered as he looked at the Vicious Hound that had died miserably at the entrance.
Nearly three hours had passed now, and everything had been dangerous but ultimately safe.
Lu Ran had also kept collecting souls, nourishing all manner of evil sculptures.
He even had the illusion that, once this night was over, he could activate many evil sculptures!
Behind him, Wei Hu heard the youth's words and could not help shaking his head inwardly.
Wei Hu had always remained skeptical of spirit-lot believers, especially since Lu Ran's classmate was of such a low level.
Still, Wei Hu showed no sign of it and said nothing to spoil the mood.
Setting aside fortune-telling, that "upper lot" had been a positive psychological suggestion for Lu Ran anyway.
"Little Lu, absorb it," Sun Zhengfang ordered.
"Yes!" Lu Ran did not stand on ceremony. He dropped to one knee, removed the Divine Power Bead from around his neck, and pressed it against the dog corpse.
He was certain that he could now use Evil Technique: Evil Teeth.
In other words, Lu Ran had gained ranged combat capability!
Once he got back, he would have to play around with it properly~
"Brother Wei, what time is it?" Lu Ran asked.
"2:28."
"Isn't it almost time?" A trace of delight entered Lu Ran's voice.
"Until daylight fully breaks, do not relax in the slightest," Sun Zhengfang warned.
"Yes!" Naturally, Lu Ran was not about to argue with an examiner.
Mentioning the examiner made Lu Ran think of the team's actual captain. He asked, "Captain Ge still hasn't come?"
"You should pray that Captain Ge doesn't show up." Deng Yuxiang's voice came from overhead.
"Huh?" Lu Ran raised his head.
Deng Yuxiang stood with one foot on the pharmacy signboard, tilting her head as she looked down. "Captain Ge is a Jiang-realm believer, a mighty expert in the eyes of commoners.
His duty is not patrol duty, but guarding the entirety of Rain Alley City.
The moment you see him make a move, it means the fiends descending upon the city have surpassed the River realm in strength."
"Oh." Lu Ran nodded.
Thinking it over carefully, the fiends everyone had encountered tonight had all ranged from the Mist realm to the River realm.
They truly had not encountered any fiends above the Jiang realm.
From this perspective, small counties had their advantages too. At the very least, they were small targets.
That said, the overall strength of the fiends invading the city tonight could not be underestimated. They were far stronger than those in other months!
Lu Ran had plenty of authority to speak on that.
This entire night, he had followed the squad in slaying more than twenty River-realm fiends!
"Huh?" Lu Ran was suddenly tapped on the head.
Though Deng Yuxiang stood atop the pharmacy signboard, the long Night Severing Blade in her hand could easily reach the ground.
She gently tapped Lu Ran's head with the flat of her blade. "Tonight, not only have you not seen Captain Ge, it seems you also haven't seen a Yanzhiren?"
Lu Ran: "."
So what if he had not seen one!
Why did she have to tap him?
"Hmm?" Deng Yuxiang slightly raised an eyebrow, her expression probing.
Lu Ran said, "The Yanzhiren Clan is so rare. Isn't it normal not to run into one?"
"Is that so?" Deng Yuxiang's gaze was rather teasing.
Sun Zhengfang smiled as well. "Little Lu, you don't know this, but before carrying out the mission, the few of us even specially prepared ourselves mentally."
Lu Ran asked, "For what?"
Wei Hu diligently guarded Lu Ran's back, saying in a deep voice, "We prepared for the worst!
Based on your performance at the God-Worshipping Platform and what happened on the last Fifteenth, we believed it was highly likely that we would encounter a very powerful Yanzhiren tonight."
Lu Ran curled his lip. "So you're saying I attract Yanzhiren?"
Deng Yuxiang said, "Do you dare say you don't?"
Lu Ran snorted. "Facts speak louder than words! Didn't she just not come? I actually really wanted to see her, uh—"
His words stopped as he saw the strange expressions on everyone's faces.
Lu Ran wanted to see a Yanzhiren because there was an Evil Sculpture Garden in his mind, and he wanted to collect souls.
But no one else knew that!
What normal person would hope to see a Yanzhiren?
Did he think he had not died early enough?
"A slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue." Lu Ran hurriedly defended himself.
Of course, he hoped to gather enough souls from the Yan Zhi Clan tonight. That way, once he advanced in the future, he could directly activate an evil sculpture.
Unfortunately, heaven did not grant one's wishes.
The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month truly was not a day for forming a good marriage.
Speaking of activating evil sculptures.
Lu Ran truly had the potential to become a scumbag!
This night, he had seen many fiends and collected many souls.
He truly loved every one he saw~
Take the Ghost Talisman Doll for example!
The evil techniques of the Ghost Talisman Faction were quite similar to the divine arts of the Jade Talisman Faction. How could Lu Ran possibly dislike them?
Master Jade Talisman was aloof, was she? She looked down on him, did she?
Fine.
I'll fucking slam on the brakes, turn around, and go play with Ghost Talisman instead~
You Jade Talisman have Flame Burst, while my Ghost Talisman has Blood Burst!
You can command thunder and lightning; I can also make lightning flash and thunder roar.
The only difference is that you draw talismans on white jade, while I draw them on black paper.
What the hell are you putting on airs for?
"Ah..." Lu Ran sighed.
His own god being too powerful was not necessarily a good thing.
She actually built an Evil Sculpture Garden for me? Where am I supposed to argue my case?
There were countless fiends within it, countless evil techniques, and simply too many choices!
What exactly should I activate?
"Are you done?" Sun Zhengfang urged.
"Done." Lu Ran came back to his senses. The dog corpse had been absorbed completely clean, without even a single dog hair left behind.
Only a glittering Magic Crystal remained on the ground.
Lu Ran picked up the Magic Crystal and handed it to Wei Long behind him.
"Move!"
At Sun Zhengfang's command, everyone followed closely behind.
The sky gradually brightened.
The night sky receded, and the rain weakened somewhat.
The patrol squad's atmosphere was undoubtedly solemn.
But at this hour, the team members could not help but breathe a sigh of relief inwardly.
The most grueling night of the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month had, for better or worse, passed.
The Yanzhiren had never appeared. Hmm, could everything really have been a misunderstanding?
On the last lunar fifteenth, had the Yanzhiren's precise appearance behind Lu Ran truly been nothing more than coincidence?
"What time is it?" Lu Ran asked.
Once again, Lu Ran arrived at an intersection and saw the deep knife mark in the asphalt road.
That was Deng Yuxiang's handiwork.
The massive Night Severing Blade in her hand had once severed everything in her path.
Even the earth had been ripped open with a gash, making for a horrifying sight.
"It's 4:58." Wei Long replied, his tone unusually relaxed.
The Wei Brothers were the most exhausted—at least mentally exhausted!
The brothers had served as Lu Ran's bodyguards all night, scared out of their wits the entire time.
Normally, a Mist-realm student should have been dead weight on the team, obediently following the group and keeping quiet.
Yet Lu Ran's role had been enormous!
Not only had he failed to keep quiet, he had shouted loud enough instead.
Lu Ran had been crazily racking up points!
The Wei Brothers guarding him, meanwhile, had hardships they could not voice.
"It's almost five." Lu Ran was exhausted from head to toe, yet he could not hide his excitement. He immediately quickened his pace.
Wei Long and Wei Hu hurriedly sped up as well, never straying a step from Lu Ran.
There was truly a reason for their mental exhaustion.
"Sister." With the Dragon Tiger Twins, Lu Ran came up behind Deng Yuxiang.
"What is it?" The Great Nightmare held the Night Severing Blade in her hand and once again swept its tip across the deep knife mark on the ground.
The image was like ripping open a person's wound all over again!
"Did you bring your phone?" Lu Ran looked at the scarred asphalt road and said softly, "I want to let my family know I'm safe."
Deng Yuxiang turned to Sun Zhengfang. Seeing Captain Sun give a slight nod, she took out her phone.
"Thank you."
Amid the slanting wind and fine rain, Lu Ran lifted his raincoat to shield the phone and lowered his head to dial.
After just a few seconds, the call connected.
A cool voice came through. "Who is this?"
Lu Ran had never heard God Jian Yi speak, so he did not know what her voice sounded like.
But in his mind, the woman's cold voice over the phone should have been able to represent Master Jian Yi.
Lu Ran spoke softly. "Mom."
"Ranran." The woman's voice immediately softened, utterly different from before. "Are you tired?"
"I'm fine. The Moon Watcher has taken very good care of me." Lu Ran walked with the team, his gaze passing over each teammate in turn.
He suddenly remembered something and continued, "Oh, right, we also rescued a stray cat together. I'm planning to adopt it."
"Mhm, if you want to keep it, then keep it. Once you get home, get some proper rest."
Mother's voice was gentle. Accompanied by the scattered patter of rain around him, it gave Lu Ran the urge to fall asleep right there.
"You still haven't told me your answer." Lu Ran lowered his head to look at the slender Xiaguang Saber in his hand.
Qiao Wanjun smiled. "Your father and I have disagreements on many matters.
But when it comes to you, our views are completely aligned."
"Mhm." A faint smile appeared on Lu Ran's face. He raised his head and looked toward the Wulie Riverbank in the distance.
The sky was gray and hazy, the fine rain misty.
Lu Ran began to hallucinate slightly.
On the rooftop of that abandoned residential building, he seemed to see a departed figure, also gazing at him from afar.
Old friends were like wind and rain, drifting day and night as they watched over the old city.
Thanks to Miao Xi, Arun Xing, Jiangzhu Yuchao, Mijiu Tou Is So Itchy, and several other bosses for the rewards! Thank you for the support, bosses—you're generous!
(`) Sending hearts
Before you continue