Chapter 227: The Crimson Paper Figure

Chapter 227: The Crimson Paper Figure

Lu Ran's appearance caught the attention of many soldiers, who couldn't help but take a closer look.

It was evident that many recognized this Great Xia Tyrant.

After Jing Jing Chen finished her worship of the deity, she went to negotiate with the soldiers.

Lu Ran, on the other hand, quietly made his way to the trunk to retrieve his weapons.

"Are you okay?" A graceful figure approached him.

"Hmm?" Lu Ran turned his head and caught a glimpse of Jiang Ruyi's profile.

Jiang Ruyi picked up the Night Silence Blade and looked at Lu Ran, "You've been so quiet throughout this journey."

Lu Ran silently nodded and sighed inwardly.

As a son, he felt he wasn't living up to his role.

All along, his mother had been an incredibly powerful figure in his heart.

The sudden turn of events caught him off guard, and to make matters worse, his low strength and inability to do anything left him helpless.

"Is it because of Auntie?" Jiang Ruyi came behind Lu Ran and helped him secure his sword sheath.

"Hmm," Lu Ran replied, taking the Radiant Light Saber and handing it back to her.

"Jing Jing said we can only stay in the demon abyss for seven days," Jiang Ruyi whispered, carefully adjusting Lu Ran's equipment.

Lu Ran understood her implication and turned to look at the girl, "After the training is over, will you accompany me back to the capital to visit her?"

Jiang Ruyi smiled gently and nodded slightly, "Sure."

Her eyes were clear, and her smile was captivating, causing Lu Ran to be momentarily lost in admiration.

Beside them, Jing Jing couldn't help but glance at Jiang Ruyi a few times.

"Excuse me," Scarlet Sun rudely interrupted, reaching into the trunk and pulling out a 2-meter-long black obsidian hammer.

She had more to say, wanting to explore and experience the local customs and culture of the West Sea.

But Scarlet Sun didn't dare say it out loud.

"Let's go," Jing Jing reminded them.

"Let's go!" Lu Ran took the lead, leading his two teammates to follow Jing Jing's pace.

Soon, Lu Ran felt the influence of the Great Xia Tyrant.

Wherever he went, soldiers would turn their gazes towards him as if a flower had bloomed on his face.

Lu Ran secretly rejoiced, grateful that he had worn a hat and mask while boarding the plane; otherwise, he might have been swarmed by people at the airport.

Led by a soldier, the group of four descended the stone pillar staircase in a spiral.

Below, the entrance to the demon abyss resembled a starry sky curtain, shrouded in mystery and depth.

"Whoosh~"

As the group entered, a gust of night wind blew past, ruffling Lu Ran's short, choppy hair.

His eyes narrowed, and in the distant sky, a bright moon hung high.

As Lu Ran gazed, a floating cloud gradually obscured the moon.

The scene was filled with artistic beauty!

After a moment of appreciation, Lu Ran surveyed the terrain of the demon abyss.

Before him lay an endless expanse of forest.

"Everyone, please hurry up," a voice urged from below, belonging to the leading soldier.

"Oh," Lu Ran responded loudly, quickly making his way downwards.

The group descended a full hundred meters before finally reaching solid ground and entering the grand stone city.

Two middle-aged male soldiers strode forward, appearing to be in their mid-forties.

The leading soldier introduced himself, "I'm Li Ming, a Shadow Dust Follower, at the first level of the River Realm.

This is Li Xin, a Green Phoenix Believer, at the second level of the River Realm.

We will be accompanying you throughout this training mission."

Lu Ran observed the two men's strikingly similar faces and couldn't help but wonder.

These two must be brothers, both possessing great power in the River Realm.

Moreover, one of them is a Shadow Dust Follower? It is worth noting that Shadow Dust Followers who engage with the world hold strategic value, and each one is a precious asset! For the military of this demon abyss to assign such individuals as guides is truly remarkable.

Lu Ran sensed that this was a special consideration from the military.

After all, when he went to the Night Demon Cavern for training, he was only accompanied by a single Green Phoenix Believer.

Jing Jing Chen calmly introduced herself, "I'm Chen Jing Jing, a Sword One Follower at the River Realm."

For some reason, Jing Jing Chen didn't specify her exact power level.

However, the mention of the River Realm was more than enough.

Jing Jing Chen gestured to her companions, "These three are the trainees."

Lu Ran and the others promptly introduced themselves.

"I recognize you," Li Ming's gaze fell upon Lu Ran.

"Thank you for your trouble," Lu Ran humbly replied.

Li Ming's words caught Lu Ran off guard, "It's our honor."

Beside them, Scarlet Sun nodded in understanding.

How thoughtful!

To be able to lead the Great Xia Tyrant on a training mission and ensure his safety is indeed an honor!

With a Shadow Dust Follower in the team, the safety of the group would undoubtedly be greatly assured!

That black Nether Lotus could lead them to safety and escape the battlefield at any moment.

It was like having a game-breaking advantage!

As the group exited the east gate, they spotted a few scattered torches leading up to the forest entrance.

"Our destination for this trip is Crimson Village," Li Ming said, walking at the back of the group, "Just follow the torches."

"Crimson Village?" Lu Ran couldn't help but be curious.

"Yes.

"Li Ming explained, 'The Demon Abyss has a relatively simple terrain, and whenever there is an unusual environment, it tends to attract the attention of demons. Over the years, we have also gained some experience and discovered that the Crimson Paper Clan has a particular fondness for abandoned villages and ancient mansions.'

'So, we have built many villages and constructed numerous houses in the mountains and forests.'

Lu Ran's heart stirred. 'Is it like the Night Mirage Clan, who prefers lakes and always gathers near them?'

'Something like that,' Li Ming nodded. 'Our soldiers regularly patrol the various Crimson Villages to clear out the demons within. We are now heading to the one closest to our main city.'

'Wow,' Lu Ran exclaimed, his mouth agape. 'You even built villages for them? Why not just create a lake or destroy a forest to make an unusual environment? Wouldn't that be more convenient?'

Li Ming shook his head. 'Unusual terrain does attract the attention of demons, but it won't make the Crimson Paper Clan stay for long. They usually take a glance and then leave. Abandoned villages and ancient mansions are different.'

Lu Ran was perplexed and turned to look at the male soldier. 'What do you mean? Can Crimson Paper Figures live inside?'

Li Ming nodded. 'It's very likely. Some Crimson Paper Figures may even fight over the ownership of ancient mansions, killing each other.'

Lu Ran: ???

Jiang Ruyi and Si Xianxian looked at each other, having learned something new today.

It wasn't surprising that demons would fight among themselves, as they were all cruel and ferocious, and who would tolerate whom?

However, demons of the same race usually wouldn't turn their blades on each other.

The fundamental reason for this was that these demon minions were produced by the same evil sculpture.

On the night of the fifteenth, demons of different races also wouldn't fight each other.

Humans were the fat of the land in their eyes, and with such an extreme temptation, the demons wouldn't have time to bother with their peers. Moreover, the demons' very essence was to collect the fearful emotions of humans.

Suddenly, Jiang Ruyi spoke up. 'Since the Crimson Paper Clan has a preference for ancient mansions, can we build such places in our cities to attract them?'

The girl's intention was clear—people should take advantage of this characteristic of the Crimson Paper Clan.

Every night of the fifteenth, they should attract the Crimson Paper Figures to the ancient mansions instead of wreaking havoc in the cities.

Li Ming was happy to answer the young people's questions. 'Our world is colorful, unlike the monotonous and dull environment of the Demon Abyss. Moreover, Crimson Paper Figures are essentially demons. Once they appear in the city, their eyes will be filled with humans, and they won't care about ancient mansions.'

Jiang Ruyi silently nodded.

Indeed, were there few ancient mansions in the human world?

If such buildings had such a strong attraction to the Crimson Paper Clan, Great Xia would have promoted them long ago.

'Jingjing,' Lu Ran called out.

Chen Jingjing turned to look at him, and Lu Ran smiled and nodded. 'You can stay at the back of our group during our training. There's no need to clear the path for us.'

'Yes,' Chen Jingjing immediately retreated.

She was a proud and aloof disciple of Sword One, as well as a powerful figure in the River Realm, yet she was so obedient.

Si Xianxian witnessed this and couldn't help but marvel. 'Today I realized that Lu Ran is a young master.'

Lu Ran strode forward, slightly annoyed. 'Yes, you, the maid, walk safely at the back. I, the young master, will be your meat shield and aggro magnet, clearing the path ahead!'

'Hahahaha!' Si Xianxian burst into laughter, teasing him. 'Thank you, young master!'

'Reversing the Night Aura!' Lu Ran muttered as he plunged into the forest.

As Si Xianxian's laughter subsided, the forest fell silent once more.

The night wind blew through the trees, carrying the rustling sound of leaves, making the atmosphere even more eerie.

Lu Ran raised his hand to his shoulder and drew out the Night Silence Blade, his mind tense as he walked along the forest path.

After walking for a long time, Lu Ran suddenly noticed a clearing ahead.

He quickened his pace and, just before stepping out of the forest, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Abandoned village?

From a distance, it seemed quite large.

In the night sky, the bright moon illuminated the large and small houses, casting a cold radiance upon them.

At the village entrance, a huge stone was placed with three large blood-red characters written on it—Crimson Village.

'Wow,' Lu Ran exclaimed, truly amazed by the blood-red characters.

Behind him, a group of people quickly emerged from the forest.

Li Ming gazed at the peaceful Crimson Village under the moonlight and spoke at the right moment. 'Our troops just cleared this place. We can enter the village to inspect and familiarize ourselves with the terrain, then set up an ambush and wait for the Crimson Paper Figures to fall into our trap.'

Suddenly, Lu Ran spoke up. 'There's someone here.'

Li Ming: 'What?'

Lu Ran walked towards the village, leaving the others with his back, secretly wrinkling his nose and whispering, 'Crimson Paper Figures.'

Li Ming and Li Xin looked at each other, and Chen Jingjing slightly raised her eyebrows.

Under the moonlight, the Crimson Village was silent, and the group didn't detect any energy fluctuations.

However, at the village entrance, Lu Ran directly informed everyone that there were Crimson Paper Figures in the village.

You...

Yes, you are a Heavenly Talent.

We all know you are incredibly powerful, ranking seventh in Great Xia.

But aren't you a bit too amazing?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end