Chapter 136: Bamboo Tranquility

Chapter 136: Bamboo Tranquility

"Are we there yet?"

As they walked through the bamboo forest, Chang Ying couldn't help but ask.

The group had already passed by the seventh bamboo village, but there was still no sign of Hao Tian's sister's courtyard.

"It's just up ahead, we're almost there," Hao Tian quickened his pace.

Soon, the group reached a fork in the road.

A sign was posted there, stating, "Private Residence, No Entry."

"Shh—"

The sound of rustling bamboo leaves filled the air, as if a predator was lurking nearby.

Lu Ran furrowed his brows and tugged at the red scarf covering his eyes.

He glanced at the sign and also spotted a figure in camouflage among the bamboo to the right.

A military soldier?

Was there a dedicated soldier guarding the residence of Hao Tian's sister?

This mysterious follower of the Deity Memory Spring...

She must have some status.

"Let's go, it's in this bamboo grove," Hao Tian turned into the path, leading them deeper into the forest.

"By the way, what's your sister's name?" Lu Ran asked.

"Lily," Hao Tian's tone softened when mentioning his sister, "Her name is as gentle as flowing water, and as lush as a green meadow."

Chang Ying's curiosity piqued, "Her surname is Li? You're not blood-related, are you?"

Hao Tian explained, "We are twins, but she took our mother's surname."

"Twins! I'm so envious. What good fortune. I want that too," Chang Ying exclaimed.

Hao Tian: "."

In this unique world, Great Xia needed a population, and the deities needed followers, so early marriage and childbirth were highly encouraged.

People could get married at the age of 18, and this was just the official regulation. In practice, the age for marriage and relationships might be even younger.

It was quite normal for Chang Ying to express such thoughts at the age of 17.

However, Hao Tian always felt like he was being taken advantage of.

"Huh?"

"Wow!" Deng Yutang and Tian Tian looked up, their faces filled with surprise.

Walking along the bamboo path, tall bamboo trees surrounded them, limiting their field of view.

Yet, a grand mansion suddenly appeared, breaking through the dense bamboo and capturing everyone's attention.

"What a grand place," Chang Ying muttered.

The group had assumed that the sister would be living in a small bamboo hut, perhaps with a small courtyard.

But this...

Such a large residence, akin to the mansion of an ancient wealthy family.

The only difference was that everything, from the grand house to the tall walls, was constructed from bamboo.

Above the main entrance hung a large plaque with the words "Bamboo Tranquility."

Lu Ran's expression turned serious.

It wasn't the grandeur of the mansion that caught his attention, but the increasingly dense 'ghostly aura' he could sense.

Yes, that eerie feeling one gets in dark, damp basements.

As they drew closer, the ghostly aura became more and more intense.

By the time they emerged from the bamboo forest and stood before the grand entrance, Lu Ran felt a chill down his spine.

What... What was this?

"Brother Lu?" Hao Tian turned to look back and noticed that Lu Ran had stopped in his tracks, creating a distance of over ten meters between them.

"Master?"

"Treasure Ran?" The others snapped out of their daze and turned to face Lu Ran.

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment before confirming, "Your sister lives here?"

"Yes," Hao Tian was puzzled, "What's wrong?"

What was wrong?

Lu Ran pursed his lips, feeling a sense of unease.

To others, this was just an impressive mansion.

Hidden in the forest, it exuded serenity and elegance.

But to Lu Ran, there were only two words to describe this place—Demon Den!

Except for the absence of dark, swirling mist and black smoke, what else could this be?

A chilly breeze blew!

The atmosphere was deathly silent!

Lu Ran calmed his mind and asked, "Does your sister live here alone?"

Hao Tian nodded, "Lily lives here alone, but she carries a deity with her, which resides here as well."

Lu Ran's heart skipped a beat!

No wonder the ghostly aura was so strong!

Wait, had he just solved the case?

Could the Deity Memory Spring be an evil deity?!

Hold on, that didn't make sense either.

Lu Ran looked around, and with the help of the Evil Art of Evil Perception, he easily spotted the soldiers stationed in the forest.

The Bamboo Sea Abyss was under the control of Great Xia's authorities, and their management was strict.

How could the deity Lily worshipped be an evil one?

How could she and her deity live peacefully? They should have been destroyed long ago!

"Brother Lu," Hao Tian seemed to realize something, "Your senses are indeed sharp."

"What's going on here?" Deng Yutang furrowed his brows and returned to Lu Ran's side with his teammates.

Hao Tian explained, "Once you enter the residence, you'll sense it too. I was planning to explain later, but it seems like Brother Lu has already noticed."

Lu Ran nodded slightly, "I'm particularly sensitive to the presence of demons."

"What? Demons? In that mansion?" The others were startled by this revelation.

As they looked back at the grand residence, their expressions changed.

The once peaceful atmosphere had turned deathly silent.

"Don't worry, the Deity Memory Spring isn't an evil deity," Hao Tian reassured them, "She's just a bit special."

The presence of soldiers in the forest became Hao Tian's strongest assurance, "There are soldiers everywhere, Brother Lu, rest assured."

"Hmm," Lu Ran pondered for a moment before finally nodding, "Alright."

Lu Ran was genuinely curious about this mysterious deity.

He was also certain that there was no statue of the Deity Memory Spring in his Divine Demonic Sculpture Garden.

With the backing of Great Xia's military, he could indeed investigate a little.

Following Hao Tian, the group entered the grand mansion.

In the courtyard stood several massive evil bamboo clusters, towering in the center.

On either side were east and west side rooms, all with tightly shut doors.

Passing by the central evil bamboo, they saw a larger main hall not too far ahead, a two-story building.

From the outside, this residence appeared to be much larger than it actually was, and it was likely that there was a rear courtyard.

"I feel it too, it's so chilly." Chang Ying whispered, her arms covered in goosebumps.

Tian Tian quietly extended her hand and held Chang Ying's arm.

Of course, everyone could sense the ghostly aura, but their noses weren't as sensitive as Lu Ran's.

"Lily?" Hao Tian stood in front of the tightly shut main hall, looking up at the open window on the second floor.

The courtyard was silent, making Hao Tian's voice sound out of place.

"Lily?" After a moment, Hao Tian called out again, "My training mission is over, and I brought some duck goods for you this time."

Finally, a young woman's voice came from the window:

"Just leave it at the door."

Her voice was cold and distant.

With just one sentence, the serene courtyard seemed to turn a little chilly.

Looking at Hao Tian at this moment, where was the usual arrogance of a Dong Ting believer?

He scratched his head in frustration and tried again, "On my way here, I met several outstanding young people, and I'd like to introduce them to you."

A gentle breeze blew, and only the sound of rustling bamboo leaves could be heard, but the woman didn't respond.

Hao Tian persisted, "You stay by yourself all the time, and sooner or later, you'll get bored out of your mind.

Every time you leave the house, you have to go through all that, so talk to someone your age."

Finally, the woman's faint voice came from the second-floor window, "I don't want to meet them, please ask them to leave."

Everyone looked at each other in surprise.

Wow, she's even colder than a Sword Lotus believer?

Hao Tian still didn't give up, "At least let the guests pay their respects to Lord Fountain of Forgetting, it's the proper etiquette for believers."

It was clear that this older brother was trying his best.

Suddenly, a slender hand rested on the windowsill, and even the lines on her knuckles were faint, like a finely carved work of art.

The only imperfection was that her palm seemed too pale.

Then, a graceful figure appeared at the window.

The woman had a beautiful face, causing everyone to admire her secretly.

Her flaws were also obvious, as her hands and skin were overly pale.

It was almost like an unhealthy, sickly white.

However, it wasn't as 'tragic' as the 'pale' Demon Dollwoman, so it was still within the realm of beauty.

She frowned slightly, showing some dissatisfaction, "Lord Fountain of Forgetting doesn't like too many people knowing about her existence, and you..."

Before she could finish, the woman stopped.

Her eyes were empty, but they were fixed on Lu Ran and the others.

Strangely, her pupils had no focus, and she clearly couldn't see anything.

But everyone felt that she was examining them.

Lu Ran never thought that one day, he would be stared at by a pair of lifeless eyes, making his heart race.

"Nice to meet you." Lu Ran broke the eerie atmosphere.

Lily nodded slightly, showing a slight change in attitude.

She opened her thin lips and said indifferently, "Lord Fountain of Forgetting doesn't like disturbances, so just have them pay their respects outside the hall."

Hao Tian's face lit up, and he picked up the bamboo basket, "Good, I'll take them there!

You should come down too and eat something to satisfy your cravings."

"Just leave it here." Lily stepped back, and her figure disappeared from the window.

"No problem!" Hao Tian immediately agreed.

From the window, the cold voice spoke again, "Have the one who just spoke deliver it."

In an instant, everyone turned to look at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran: "."

Hao Tian's face turned awkward, and he quickly walked towards Lu Ran, "Brother, help me out!

She's been alone for too long, so it's understandable if she's a bit... You know. It's rare for her to want to eat, so please help."

Lu Ran whispered, "Is your sister really blind?"

Hao Tian: "Why would I lie to you? I dream of her being healthy and happy!"

Lu Ran nodded and reached out to take the bamboo basket.

"Thank you!" Hao Tian patted Lu Ran's shoulder and quickly walked to the main hall door.

As the door opened, everyone realized that this wasn't the main hall but a great hall, similar to a reception room.

Inside, various bamboo and wooden furniture were elegantly arranged.

Further ahead, there were two separate doors on either side, leading to a rear courtyard with its own unique charm.

The courtyard was filled with lush bamboo and wooden plants, stone-paved paths, and surrounded by artificial hills, ponds, and exotic flowers and plants.

"Go up from there." Hao Tian pointed to a corner of the hall, "Please, Lu Ran.

If she says anything offensive, please don't take it to heart! I'll apologize and compensate you later!

Consider it a favor, and feel free to ask me for anything in the future!"

Tian Tian was a little worried and whispered, "Is it safe?"

Hao Tian was also helpless, "How could there be any danger? It's just that the deity here has a unique temperament.

This is Great Xia's controlled territory, and I'm a legitimate believer trainee.

Look, this is my Qiantang University student ID."

"Alright." Lu Ran glanced at the pleading older brother and carried the bamboo basket towards the bamboo steps.

"Thank you so much, Lu Ran!" Hao Tian spoke quickly and quietly, "When you deliver the goods, try to convince her to eat more, especially the duck wings."

Lu Ran waved his hand and climbed the steps to the second floor.

"You have a beautiful pair of eyes." Before he reached the second floor, he heard Lily's cold voice.

Lu Ran: ?

He slowed his steps, hesitating, but the woman's cold voice came again:

"I want to pluck them out."

Without a word, Lu Ran turned around and left!

Damn, I'm not delivering these duck goods to anyone.

This is too scary.

Hao Tian heard the footsteps coming down the stairs, and in the hall, he was completely stunned!

He saw Lu Ran's hurried figure and called out, "Lu Ran, where are you going?"

Today's night watch, 12:18, 22:00.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end