Lin Ran: She's Just My Friend

"Lin Ran."

On the streets of Shrek City, Tang Ya was cradled in Lin Ran's arms. Her jade-like arms wrapped around him as she buried her head in his chest, ignoring the surrounding clamor as she spoke in a muffled voice.

"What is it?"

"Am I useless?"

"Why would you say that?"

"That day, I was the only one who escaped. My father and mother both died protecting me. Yet I can't even avenge them."

"Did your uncle and aunt protect you so that you could escape and avenge them?"

"...I—" Tang Ya was momentarily stunned.

"They simply wanted you to live well."

Lin Ran's voice was soft and calm, as though he were merely stating a fact.

"...I know, but I still want revenge." Tang Ya bit her lip.

Lin Ran said, "Then you need to live well all the more—for their hopes, and for your own. You don't necessarily have to rely on Shrek Academy to take revenge. You can rely on yourself too—"

"Mm, and you can rely on me too. After all, we're friends now, right? Friends should help each other."

Tang Ya raised her head. Her bright, crystal-clear eyes glittered as she met his gaze, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hmph, I never said I was going to kill myself. You keep telling me to live well, making it sound like I'm about to die."

Lin Ran: "..."

"As for this friend thing you mentioned—"

Tang Ya's pretty face abruptly loomed large in Lin Ran's vision. A faint flush colored her fair cheeks, her thin lips parted slightly as she breathed out a few orchid-scented wisps. A soft touch brushed his cheek, then vanished in an instant.

"Does this count as being friends?"

Lin Ran abruptly stopped walking and lowered his head to look at the girl, whose cheeks were slightly red but whose gaze remained bold and tender.

The bustling streets of Shrek City seemed to fall silent at that moment, as if the entire street contained only the two of them.

"Um, excuse me, is this Tang Ya of the Tang Sect?"

At that moment, a gentle yet somewhat awkward voice shattered the intimate atmosphere between them.

The newcomer was a young man. The overlapping shadows of Lin Ran and Tang Ya fell over him, blocking the sunlight from his body.

He wore an embarrassed smile, but his gaze curiously shifted back and forth between the two before him.

So this was Tang Ya? Then who was this young man? They looked so young—how were they already kissing?

A flash of teasing passed through the young man's eyes.

Lin Ran and Tang Ya both looked up, their expressions unfriendly as they stared at this uninvited intruder who had suddenly appeared.

The young man continued rather awkwardly, "I didn't interrupt you two, did I?"

Lin Ran felt that this person was somewhat sly beneath the surface. There was a good chance he had done it on purpose just now.

"You did!"

Tang Ya snorted coldly, showing not the slightest kindness toward the person who had ruined her good moment.

"I'm truly sorry. I didn't come to interrupt you. I came to join your Tang Sect." The young man apologized first, then stated his purpose.

"Join the Tang Sect?" Tang Ya froze. This was the first time she had heard of someone voluntarily wanting to join the Tang Sect. Back then, they had not even been able to recruit anyone.

With a smile, the young man said, "That's right. My name is Bei Bei. I'm from Shrek Academy, and I have always admired the Tang Sect's glorious history. I want to join the Tang Sect and help it rise again."

Tang Ya had already held no favorable impression of the person before her. The moment she heard that he was from Shrek Academy, her face immediately turned cold as she said icily, "Our Tang Sect does not recruit people from Shrek!"

As she spoke, she jumped down from Lin Ran's arms, grabbed his hand, and turned to leave.

Watching their retreating backs, Bei Bei scratched his head with a bitter smile.

"Won't you really reconsider? I'm about to become a Soul Elder."

"Get lost!"

Tang Ya did not even turn around.

Bei Bei sighed. It seemed he would be unable to fulfill Elder Xuan's instructions this time.

At that moment, he still did not know what he had lost.

That night, Shrek City sank into silence. Only the lights of distant taverns remained brightly lit, with occasional shouts drifting over.

Lin Ran glanced at Tang Ya, who was sleeping soundly, then rolled out of bed and went into the outer room. Using the Body Sect's special secret technique, he summoned Du Busi.

Before long, Du Busi's dark green figure appeared before him.

"You brat, why aren't you continuing to be lovey-dovey with your little girlfriend? What are you looking for me for?"

"Teacher, we're only friends." Lin Ran coughed lightly.

Du Busi sneered. "Let's see how you explain this to that girl Vina when we get back."

"Vina and I are just friends," Lin Ran said awkwardly.

"..."

Du Busi glanced sideways at Lin Ran, wondering how their honest and straightforward Body Sect had somehow raised such a Young Sect Master.

"Teacher, I need to trouble you with something this time," Lin Ran said somewhat sheepishly.

"What is it?" Du Busi asked flatly.

"I need you to make a trip to Shrek and steal something for me," Lin Ran said.

"Did you find something good?" Du Busi's interest was piqued, and his green eyes lit up.

Lin Ran said somewhat awkwardly, "I just want you to steal the statues of the Shrek Seven Devils and the Golden Iron Triangle from Shrek Academy."

"What did you say you wanted to steal?" Du Busi's eyes widened sharply.

"Statues."

Du Busi's mouth twitched as he glared at Lin Ran. "You want me, a Limit Douluo and the Body Sect's Sect Master, to go steal a few worthless statues? Do I have no shame left? Am I, Du Busi, some shameless lowlife, a petty thief? I'm not going!"

Lin Ran said, "Teacher, the Goddess is actually the one who asked me to steal them."

"..." Du Busi stared at Lin Ran with a strange expression, his gaze deep and lingering. After a long while, he finally asked in bewilderment, "Good disciple, tell this old man—what kind of goddess is this? Is she a proper goddess? Why do I feel like she's a little unreliable?"

Lin Ran had no choice but to make up a goddess.

"Of course she's a proper goddess. She is the great Goddess of Wisdom, possessing earth-shattering wisdom and insight, holding authority over creation. From the moment she was born, supreme God Kings had fallen; gods born in the same era as her perished, yet she continued to exist in this world. The gods knew only that she existed, but neither her name nor her whereabouts. Even without taking action, legends of her existed among the gods."

Du Busi nodded in realization. "It seems she truly is a goddess of astonishing wisdom and formidable strength."

Lin Ran nodded. "The Goddess said that these statues contain the power of faith, and I can exchange them with her for some things."

"So that's how it is." Du Busi was completely free of doubt this time. It made perfect sense for the statues worshipped by Shrek to possess the power of faith.

He knew it. How could a goddess be so shallow and boring?

"Wait here. This old man will go steal—bring those divine statues back for you!"

Du Busi immediately vanished into the night in a flash.

That very night, the statues standing within Shrek Academy mysteriously disappeared.

Not long after, Du Busi returned and tossed Lin Ran a soul tool ring.

Lin Ran examined the several dozen statues inside the ring, a smile curling at his lips.

"System, repay one item that meets the fortune requirement."

In the next moment, one statue vanished from the medium.

[Mission completed. Advance-use attempts have been reset.]