Chapter 22: As If It Was Yesterday

Chapter 22: As If It Was Yesterday

"Lu Ran."

"Hmm?" Lu Ran put down the red bandana and turned to look at Jiang Meiren.

She wore a white raincoat, which complemented her fair and beautiful complexion, appearing pure and serene.

The girl asked, "Did you advance?"

Lu Ran smiled, "Take a guess."

Such a scene, as if it had played out a few days ago?

Jiang Ruyi gave Lu Ran a look, both amused and annoyed, "Who cares about that."

His proud and confident demeanor made the answer obvious to anyone.

"Hehe." Lu Ran grinned.

Using chopsticks to eat with me? I take out the plastic bag again!

Sorry, everyone.

I'm packing again!

"Good!" Deng Yutang shouted, startling Lu Ran, "You've learned the Celestial Hoof too, right?"

Lu Ran nodded matter-of-factly, "Rest assured."

Deng Yutang was certain that Lu Ran had indeed lived up to his expectations.

Seeing his companion advance once more, Deng Yutang felt envious and also a hint of pressure.

But his joy outweighed everything else, as Lu Ran's strength meant a higher survival chance for their team! Especially with the Divine Technique: Celestial Hoof, Lu Ran could move even faster, better coordinating and supporting the entire team!

"So amazing," Tian Tian looked up at Lu Ran, her small mouth slightly open in awe.

Lu Ran looked at Tian Tian's adorable expression and couldn't help but reach out to pat her head.

Although they were of the same age, the well-behaved and cute Tian Tian always gave off a little sister vibe.

"Mm," Tian Tian lowered her head, her face turning red, too shy to dodge.

It was only when Jiang Goddess showed her mercy and rescued her follower, pulling Tian Tian behind her, that the petite figure was shielded.

"Attention everyone, line up according to your team numbers!" On the platform, a male teacher holding a microphone commanded loudly.

The playground was in disarray, and the teacher's voice continued, "Today, you will participate in the city defense operation to protect this city!"

Amidst the teacher's lengthy speech, the students finished lining up.

The playground became solemn, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

Compared to the previous Evil Dog Village assessment, this 15-city defense operation was undoubtedly a hundred times more dangerous! As Class Teacher Li Yanzhu had mentioned, there were no weak demons selected by the soldiers for the trainees to practice on this time.

Tonight,

If they were not careful, people could really die!

"Listen up!" The male teacher shouted, "The teams I call out, come forward to the platform one by one."

Deng Yutang suddenly spoke up, "I think I see my sister."

"Oh?" Lu Ran scanned the distance, searching for the figure of the Great Nightmare.

As expected, amidst the dark raincoats, he spotted a vibrant yellow figure.

"Your sister's position isn't low, is it?" Lu Ran whispered, moving closer to Deng Yutang.

At the front of the platform, a group of Moon Gazers stood in neat rows, and the Great Nightmare stood with five others at the side of the team.

Deng Yutang shook his head, "She's only been on the job for a few months, what position could she have?"

Lu Ran raised his eyebrows slightly, wondering if her position was due to her being from the city bureau.

It was very likely.

Even though Deng Yuxiang was just a small fry within the Yunshan City Divine Citizen Bureau, in Rain Alley City, she was still sent by a higher-ranking organization.

". Team 33!"

"Team 57!"

"Team 98!"

"Here!" Deng Yutang responded instinctively, his voice loud and clear.

Amidst the gazes of the trainees, the group of four quickly crossed the rows and arrived at the platform.

"You ten teams will each have a Moon Gazer as your leader, and you will carry out your mission at the West District Gymnasium. From now on, follow the Moon Gazers' instructions!" The teacher spoke in a deep voice.

As he spoke, men and women in black raincoats approached their respective teams.

The Moon Gazer leading Team 98 was a middle-aged man with a kind-looking face.

"Let's go," the man spoke first, waving at the four of them.

Deng Yutang took the lead and followed.

But as they reached the side of the platform, Deng Yutang called out, "Sister."

Before, Deng Yutang had a loud voice, but now he seemed reluctant to greet her, yet unable to keep silent.

Lu Ran, on the other hand, was straightforward and waved, "Hello, sister!"

"Hmm." Deng Yuxiang paid no attention to her younger brother and instead sized up Lu Ran.

She slightly lifted her head, her posture relaxed, "Little Lu Ran, don't die on me."

"I'd say you're my sister," Lu Ran gave her a thumbs up, "You really know how to show concern!"

"Hehe~"

"Haha." For a moment, several colleagues from the city bureau burst into laughter.

"You little rascal," Deng Yuxiang also laughed and scolded, "Get going!"

Deng Yutang: ". "

Deng Yutang, who had initially been reluctant to greet his sister, suddenly felt a sense of being left out.

What's wrong with me? Since I was little, I've always been running away from her, but what's happening today?

Lu Ran didn't say another word, but instead raised his eyebrows, his face showing a searching expression.

Deng Yuxiang was quick to react and immediately understood what Lu Ran was asking.

She slightly restrained the smile on her face and gently shook her head.

"Alright then." Lu Ran sighed inwardly and followed the team as they left.

"Is that your sister, Little Deng?" The leader of the Moon Gazers asked, looking at Lu Ran.

"No, it's his." Lu Ran patted Deng Yutang's back, "If she were my sister, I wouldn't have made it this far."

The Moon Gazer's face turned strange as he looked at Deng Yutang.

Deng Yutang could only nod.

She might be my sister, although she doesn't seem very familiar with me, she probably is.

"Sir, what should we call you?" Lu Ran asked.

The man introduced himself, "Zhang Feng, you can call me Brother Zhang."

"I'm from the Shenming Bureau's Moonlit Squadron in Rain Alley City, and I'm a Sword Lotus Follower."

Jiang Ruyi looked at the young girl beside her and whispered, "We've met a senior brother."

Tian Tian curiously looked at the fellow Sword Lotus Follower, but unfortunately, Zhang Feng's expression turned serious, "From now on, until the task is complete, you must follow orders!

This duty is not a game, you must be responsible for your own lives."

"Yes!"

"Yes." The others responded seriously as well.

Ten teams boarded the Shenming Bureau's bus and drove down the empty streets towards the West District Stadium.

There were many shelters in Rain Alley City, and Lu Ran was quite familiar with this gymnasium in the West District.

Even last month, on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, Lu Ran had spent the night here.

As the vehicle entered Stadium Road, he saw the circular building in the distance, and Lu Ran felt like it wasn't real.

On that day, he was already inside the building, lying on the bed and idly browsing his phone.

At that time, his mother would call him in the midst of her busy schedule to encourage and comfort him.

But now...

Lu Ran subconsciously patted his pocket.

As expected, he had forgotten his phone again.

It seems that after getting the Divine Sheep, he had forgotten his mother.

Moreover, ever since he became a follower, he had been training day and night and hadn't contacted his sister in a long time.

In the two years since leaving the capital, every fifteenth day of the lunar month, the siblings would send messages to each other and chat about their recent situations.

Compared to Lu Ran, his sister's environment would be much better. She could stay at home and safely pass the night in front of the Divine Statue of Sword One, which was worshipped by their mother.

"Did you guys bring your phones?" Lu Ran asked.

Deng Yutang shook his head, and Tian Tian, who was sitting behind, quickly searched and handed her phone over, "Here."

Her phone case was a cute pink cartoon rabbit.

Lu Ran took the phone and then handed it back, "Password."

"Oh, oh." Tian Tian extended her small hand and tapped the screen.

Lu Ran accidentally caught a glimpse of the password, "0607, is that your birthday?"

Tian Tian quickly retracted her hand and didn't say a word.

Lu Ran said, "Why didn't you tell us earlier? We could have celebrated for you!"

"The seventh day of the sixth month," Deng Yutang thought for a moment, "In the lunar calendar, isn't that the day we teamed up?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Tian turned her head to look out the window, not daring to look at the others.

Jiang Ruyi was quick-witted and seemed to understand something.

"It might also be her bank password, don't ask anymore." Jiang Ruyi spoke up to defuse the situation, placing her hand on Tian Tian's back.

As her palm rubbed and soothed Tian Tian's back, Tian Tian's tense body gradually relaxed.

Jiang Ruyi smiled and looked at the girl sitting beside her.

She was just a bit shy and not good at expressing herself.

There were probably many thoughts hidden in her heart as well.

A few minutes later, the vehicle arrived at the vast stadium and stopped in front of the gymnasium.

"Everyone, get off the bus!"

A voice came from the front, and Lu Ran quickly sent out a message before getting off the bus with the large group.

Under the rain, the stadium was silent.

The green grass, basketball and tennis courts, and other areas were all empty.

"Let's get familiar with the surroundings first." Zhang Feng called out to the four of them and led them into the gymnasium.

The inside and outside of the building were completely different.

The gymnasium was brightly lit, and there were probably over a thousand people inside! Single beds were neatly arranged in rows and columns, and most of the citizens were on their own beds playing with their phones or tablets.

There were also small groups of three or two people gathered together playing cards and chatting quietly.

The occasional laughter that filled the air helped ease the oppressive atmosphere.

Why were the people inside the gymnasium consciously speaking in hushed tones?

Because at the intersections of the rows and columns of beds, there were many small shrines, and in front of each shrine, there was a Moon Gazer kneeling on a prayer mat.

At a glance, there were probably thirty or forty small shrines in the vast space.

Within the shrine, there stood a row of small parasol trees.

Sixth Rank Deity, Green Phoenix!

It was a typical plant-type deity, and Green Phoenix's divine technique was renowned for its defensive and healing abilities.

"You're back."

Lu Ran murmured to himself, feeling as if he had just woken up from a dream.

"Thirty rows and thirty columns, including children, totaling a thousand citizens," Zhang Feng whispered as he led his team through the area.

"Remember the layout of the hall and keep an eye on the gaps between the beds."

"Even though your post isn't inside the hall, we might need to come in at any time."

As the team walked, some of the citizens gave them friendly glances.

Lu Ran and his team's identities were obvious, as they carried weapons and were led by a Moon Gazer.

However, some citizens did not look kindly upon this group of young people.

"Landlord!"

"I'm taking it!"

A bald man, lying comfortably on a bed in the distance to the right, was playing a game of Landlord on his phone.

Noticing their approach, he looked up and his gaze swept over Lu Ran's team.

When he saw the petite and delicate Tian Tian, his face, covered in bulging muscles, immediately glared at the girl.

His expression was filled with annoyance, showing no restraint!

"Do you know him?" Jiang Ruyi furrowed her brows.

Tian Tian shook her head silently.

The sudden hostility seemed to come out of nowhere, but there was a reason for it.

In the eyes of some, young believers like Lu Ran were considered unreliable! In a dangerous situation, these believers might be even more panicked than ordinary people!

And yet, these believers also possessed physical abilities beyond that of normal people, so if they were to panic, the chaos they caused would be even greater.

These inexperienced believers would be better off positioning themselves as ordinary people and seeking protection from the Moon Gazers.

The problem was that each generation of young believers needed to undergo training and growth, and their first duty was inevitable.

The bald man was a guest in the hall, and the team was led by a Moon Gazer, otherwise, he might have already spoken up.

"Lu Ran?" Jiang Ruyi stopped walking as Lu Ran halted in front of her.

The bald man's expression turned sour as he glared at Lu Ran, who had stopped in front of him, "What are you looking at?"

What's wrong with believers?

You brats can go wherever you want, just don't assign me to this area!

Lu Ran pointed at the bed and said, "On the 15th of last month, I slept on this bed."

The bald man sat up, "What do you mean? Are you claiming this bed and not letting others sleep on it?"

Unexpectedly, Lu Ran suddenly raised his head and pointed upwards, "That night, around ten o'clock, I watched as a Soul-tearing Demon appeared right there!"

Bald Man: ???

Lu Ran pointed at the bald man's feet, "If it weren't for the Moon Gazers' quick actions, the Soul-tearing Demon would have landed at the end of my bed!"

"Holy sht!" The bald man quickly retracted his feet, "Little brother, don't scare me like that, my heart can't take it."

"You're having a great hand!"

"Hurry up, I've waited until the flowers have withered~"

Voices echoed from the phone.

The bald man's face, covered in bulging muscles, turned pale with fear, "Little brother, if you like this bed, can't I just switch with you?

If you're tired from your night duty, you can come and rest here. I'll leave right now!"

"Sir, calm down!" Zhang Feng immediately returned and pushed the bald man back onto the bed, "The assigned beds cannot be changed arbitrarily.

Don't panic, the Demon Clan doesn't appear in fixed locations.

There are many deity statues in the hall, and many Moon Gazers are stationed here. We will protect you, so please rest assured."

Lu Ran nodded firmly, "Yes, safety and no pain!

At that time, I didn't even have time to call for help before it was all over."

Bald Man: .

After calming the bald man, Zhang Feng turned to Lu Ran, "Some psychological shadows are inevitable.

But you are no longer the same person you were before. You need to learn to face your fears instead of living in constant fear."

Lu Ran looked up at the high ceiling, his eyes shining with determination, "Brother Zhang, you've misunderstood."

Zhang Feng: "Oh?"

Lu Ran tightly held the Radiance Blade, wrapped in cloth, and gazed at the spot where the Soul-tearing Demon had appeared, "I'm not afraid.

On the contrary, I hope to see it again tonight.

And slay it with my own hands!"

"Oh my god, my mother's mother!"

The bald man jumped up, his face filled with grief, "Change, this bed must be changed!"

"Stop talking!" Zhang Feng quickly pushed Lu Ran and hurried away.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end