Chapter 148: Why Not Kneel?

Chapter 148: Why Not Kneel?

In the living room, Lu Ran held the little Lilac Cat in his arms and sat on the sofa.

In the corner, Si Xianxian pouted as she repeatedly scooped cat litter.

"Where are we going?" Lu Ran rubbed the cat's fluffy head, "Evil Dog Village?"

"Do you still want to kill dogs?" Si Xianxian asked, showing some resistance.

"Then where do you want to go?"

"Chang'an? Songshan Mountain?" Si Xianxian seemed well-prepared and enthusiastic, "Or we can go south to Guangfo City?"

Lu Ran sensed something amiss.

Was this big girl really interested in killing demons or just sightseeing?

Si Xianxian had mentioned three places, all of which were the locations of first-rank deities.

These regions were densely populated, relatively prosperous cities, and under the influence of the divine beings themselves, they had distinct characteristics of the Divine Gate.

In the Great Xia's deity rankings, there were only four first-rank deities.

Lu Ran asked in confusion, "Why did you leave out the capital? It's the closest, and we could get there in an hour."

"I've been there, it's boring!" Si Xianxian complained, "The believers of Lord Jianyi all have stern faces, as if I owe them millions.

Each one looks down on others, I really don't know what they're so proud of.

Every time I see one, I feel like slapping them."

Lu Ran admired her courage, "You're under Lord Jianyi's jurisdiction, and you want to slap his followers? You're really tired of living."

"The deities are so high up there, why would they lower themselves to deal with trivial matters of human believers?" Si Xianxian said nonchalantly, "Why don't we go to Shanghai?"

Shanghai City was the location of the second-rank deity, Dong Ting Ji.

It was even more bustling and dazzling.

Lu Ran finally understood—this girl had been strictly controlled by her parents and couldn't go anywhere.

Now that she was with him, she could finally let loose and see the vibrant world.

"Hey?" Si Xianxian paused and turned to look at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran asked, "What now? Where do you want to go next?"

Si Xianxian's beautiful eyes lit up, "Why don't we go to the northeast!"

"Why go back there?" Lu Ran was a bit surprised, as this didn't seem to align with Si Xianxian's desire to "see the world."

"No, we're going further north, to Ice City."

"To visit Lord Boreas?"

"Yeah, aren't you a swordsman?" Si Xianxian nodded repeatedly, "It's a great opportunity to go there and improve your skills.

And since you're at the fifth stage of the Stream Realm, you might find inspiration there."

Lu Ran smiled, "It's rare that you're considering me."

Si Xianxian looked displeased, "What nonsense! After all this time, haven't I been good to you?

I even went to prison for you, and you forget so quickly?"

Lu Ran: "..."

"You have no conscience." Si Xianxian turned her head and continued scooping the cat litter.

"Then let's go to Ice City, I'll book the tickets." Lu Ran stood up and headed towards the small bedroom.

Si Xianxian watched Lu Ran's back and suddenly said, "This season, there's an ice sculpture exhibition there.

And there's also an Ice and Snow World, I think."

In this special era, people's spiritual needs were magnified infinitely.

And in this regard, the Great Xia's efforts were impeccable.

Regardless of the number of people or the balance of investment and returns, the necessary projects would always be there.

Everything was done to ensure people's survival.

Lu Ran could even imagine the battle between the Moon Gazers and the Demon Clan in the Ice and Snow World on the night of the Winter Moon's fifteenth day.

Ice sculptures, snow sculptures, giant slides, snow-covered Ferris wheels, and majestic ice castles—fighting in such an environment would surely be magical.

"Do you really want to kill demons or go sightseeing?" Lu Ran returned with his phone.

"A bit of both." Si Xianxian finished changing the cat litter, "Ever since I was little, my family has been watching over me, and it became stricter after I became a believer.

I've never been to any fun places."

Lu Ran remained silent for a moment before saying, "Today is the 23rd of the lunar month, and the Demon Dungeon will close on the 10th. We don't have time for sightseeing."

"Oh." Si Xianxian spoke softly, "Visiting Lord Boreas is fine too."

Seeing the girl's disappointed look, Lu Ran couldn't bear it:

"When my girlfriend returns, we can go together."

Si Xianxian was stunned and stared at Lu Ran with wide eyes, "Are you afraid she'll misunderstand, so you don't want to go with me?"

The followers of Lord Lu Tian were like powder kegs, and at this moment, Si Xianxian exploded, "Lu Ran!

Tell her that I'm an anti-marriage advocate, and she can rest assured!

This life, no one will dare touch me!"

Lu Ran: "..."

It's like no one would dare touch her anyway.

Si Xianxian glared at Lu Ran, "Speak up!"

Lu Ran was speechless.

He explained, "That's not what I meant. I've never been to such an amusement park, so of course, I want to go with her.

You can be our little sidekick, and we'll take you along."

Si Xianxian pointed at Lu Ran, clearly still angry, "You? I just realized you have a girlfriend?"

Lu Ran scratched his head, "To be more precise, it's a one-sided affection on my part."

"Oh?" Si Xianxian's anger temporarily subsided, and she asked curiously, "What rank deity's follower is she?"

This question caught Lu Ran off guard.

Si Xianxian could have asked many questions, but she chose this one.

Lu Ran replied honestly, "A Jade Talisman Follower."

"A third-rank deity." Si Xianxian nodded thoughtfully, "Good luck to you."

Lu Ran's expression turned a bit odd.

It was a good wish, but something still felt off.

The journey from Rain Alley City to Ice City took five hours by high-speed rail.

When the two arrived at this northern ice city, night had already fallen.

It was a snowy day, and Lu Ran gazed at the brightly lit Ice City under the night sky, finding it incredibly beautiful and bustling.

Indeed, comparing oneself to others only leads to despair, and comparing goods only leads to disappointment.

Lu Ran discovered a pattern:

No matter which direction you travel from Rain Alley City, it seems to bring you closer to paradise.

The two enjoyed a local specialty, filling their stomachs to the brim.

Afterward, they found a hotel, booked two rooms, and planned to enter Boreas City the next morning.

The so-called Boreas City was the location of the physical statue of the deity, Lord Boreas.

It was situated within Ice City, akin to a city within a city.

Most of the deity sculptures Lu Ran had seen in the demon lairs were replicas.

The area beneath the replica statues was the military camp.

However, the situation was entirely different at the location of the deity's main statue!

Take Boreas City as an example:

This city had its own set of rules and operational systems, and there were numerous Boreas believers within, worshipping their deity day and night.

The moment you step into the gates of Boreas City, it's like entering another world, akin to stepping into an ancient sect.

Therefore, visitors must be prepared.

In fact, every location where a deity's main statue is situated has such a "city within a city."

Lu Ran hadn't visited many places, and at this point, he had only paid respects to one deity's main statue—Lord Jianyi.

During his three years in the capital, he had visited Jianyi City to see the statue.

As Si Xianxian said, the Jianyi believers were chillingly aloof.

Only the gentle Mother was kind to him, taking him and his sister to worship the deity.

At that time, the mother repeatedly prayed for the deity to watch over her children and bestow blessings upon them at the worship platform.

Now it seems that pulling strings didn't help much~

The night passed uneventfully, and the next morning, the two called a car and headed straight for Boreas City.

The driver was very familiar with the route, as countless Boreas believers from all over the country came to pay their respects daily.

"Wow~" Lu Ran had just gotten out of the taxi when he looked up in awe.

From a distance, he saw the towering deity statue.

The replica statues Lu Ran had seen before were tall, but their size was around ten meters.

The main statue of the deity was awe-inspiringly massive!

With his naked eye, Lu Ran couldn't accurately gauge its size.

The records in the book were clear, though, estimating it to be around 200 meters.

Two hundred meters!

What did this mean?

Every human would feel insignificant before such a majestic deity.

"Oh!" Si Xianxian was also amazed and urged, "Let's go, let's go in and see!"

Outside the city gates, their view was somewhat obstructed.

Boreas City was an ancient city with high walls made of stone bricks.

Above the massive city gates, two large characters were engraved in golden color: Boreas.

These characters were like iron paintings with silver hooks, the tips of the strokes like blades, giving the impression that the brush strokes concealed sharp edges, ready to unleash wind blades at any moment.

It was a sight that made one's heart tremble!

"Slow down, slow down!" Lu Ran hurriedly followed Si Xianxian as he saw her entering the crowd.

People came and went through the city gates, a constant stream.

There were many more like Lu Ran, holding swords.

Unless something unexpected happened, these people were probably Boreas believers who had come to pay their respects.

"No noise allowed!"

A reprimand came from the left side of the city gates.

Lu Ran held his double swords in one hand and placed the other on Si Xianxian's shoulder, then turned to look.

It was a young man, dressed in ancient clothing, presumably a gatekeeper.

His expression was stern, and his eyes were sharp, staring intently at Lu Ran.

It seemed like if Lu Ran dared to make a noise again, the young man would take action.

With the deity present, the area inside and outside the city gates was exceptionally quiet, despite the crowded people, maintaining a solemn atmosphere.

Lu Ran pursed his lips, said nothing, and followed Si Xianxian inside.

Without the city gate tower obstructing their view, Lu Ran could finally appreciate the grandeur of Lord Boreas.

The towering deity statue, though slightly blurred, couldn't hide its splendor.

The deity, Lord Boreas, wore a snow-white cloak, held a slender blade, and wore a silver crown that secured his hair.

He exuded an air of valor and coldness!

A formidable aura overwhelmed Lu Ran, making him feel insignificant.

Of course, the statue's clothing and crown were not white or silver but made of stone.

Lu Ran had seen the deity's silhouette in his textbooks, so he knew the true colors of his attire and imagined them accordingly.

As Lu Ran quietly admired the statue, another voice spoke up beside him:

"When you see a deity, why don't you kneel?"

Hearing this, Lu Ran's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

It was undeniable that after entering the city gates, the crowded people knelt down, their faces filled with piety.

A small number of standing people also showed respect by joining their palms and bowing their heads.

These people weren't Boreas believers, but upon seeing the deity, they naturally paid their respects.

After all, this stone statue wasn't a replica but the deity's true form!

In such an environment, Lu Ran, standing and gazing up at the deity, became an oddity.

"Hmm?" Lu Ran looked over and saw that the one who had just scolded him was the same young man.

The young man's eyes widened!

He scowled, his eyes fierce, and his voice suddenly rose:

"Why aren't you kneeling?!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end