Chapter 269: Visiting Again

Chapter 269: Visiting Again

Even though the school hadn't assigned any homework, Lu Ran wasn't idle. He had a clear goal—the Vermillion Village!

When it came to improving his strength, Lu Ran didn't dare waste a moment.

He brought Jiang Ruyi along and called upon his capable assistant, Scarlet Sun, who was protected by Chen Jingjing as they wreaked havoc in the Vermillion Village.

Scarlet Sun had some complaints about this, wondering what had gotten into Lu Ran! With the college entrance examination approaching, instead of practicing formations with his teammates or resting at home, he was back to killing paper puppets in the village.

What was his deal?

Did he have a particular liking for killing brides?

Although she secretly grumbled, when Lu Ran called for her, Scarlet Sun eagerly followed him.

Perhaps it was because Lu Ran's reputation had spread far and wide that this time, the military guarding the Vermillion Puppet Den made an exception and granted him 15 days of training time.

Lu Ran finally got his wish!

He cultivated the Vermillion Puppet to the third stage of the River Realm and equipped it with the Evil Spell: Paper Puppetry that he had longed for.

Of course, Lu Ran dared not use it in front of others; he could only wait until he returned to his own space to study it thoroughly.

Little Fox Flower was once again blessed, able to experience various evil spells alongside Lu Ran.

After the arduous training, Lu Ran and Jiang Ruyi accompanied Scarlet Sun for two days of fun before returning to Rain Alley City.

Poor Sister Xian, who was also dragged along, had a rather pitiful time.

She was forced to work as a laborer, toiling day and night for half a month, only to receive a mere "weekend off" as compensation.

Indeed!

Those who followed Lu Ran had great blessings!

When Lu Ran and Jiang Ruyi stepped onto their hometown's soil, it was the fifth day of the sixth month according to the lunar calendar.

"We're finally back," Lu Ran said, standing at the exit of Rain Alley Station, gazing at the gloomy sky and letting out a sigh.

"Let's go," Jiang Ruyi urged in a soft voice, tugging at Lu Ran's sleeve.

The weather was already hot on the fifth day of the sixth month according to the lunar calendar.

Everyone else was dressed in summer attire, except for the two of them, who were still wearing their training uniforms and had their hats and masks on, covering themselves up tightly.

With such attire, they stood out, attracting the attention of the surrounding passengers.

The two hurried away from the train station as if escaping, running an entire street before the surroundings finally became quieter.

"There are still nine days left," Jiang Ruyi said, gazing at the familiar street scene, her pace slowing down.

"Yes, the college entrance examination is coming up," Lu Ran replied softly.

Jiang Ruyi remained silent, as she wasn't counting down the days until the exam.

After walking for a while, she suddenly asked, "Have you decided which day you'll go to Cai Nan?"

Lu Ran thought for a moment and replied, "After the city is unsealed, on the nineteenth day of the lunar month.

Although the Celestial Sheep has been very accommodating towards me, I've been delaying for a month, and it's not right to keep the deity waiting for so long."

"Mhm," Jiang Ruyi nodded, looking down at the ground as she walked.

So, there were still 13 days left.

"Ruyi," Lu Ran said.

"Hmm?" Jiang Ruyi responded.

"Are you reluctant to part with me?" Lu Ran tilted his head slightly and smiled at the girl.

"Who's reluctant?" Jiang Ruyi turned her head to look at the distant street scene, her expression contradicting her words.

Lu Ran nodded in understanding, "That's true. We've been killing paper puppets in the Vermillion Village for half a month.

Spending day and night together, you must be tired of seeing me."

"No, don't say that," Jiang Ruyi quickly refuted, but she saw Lu Ran's mischievous smile in his eyes, even though his face was covered by a mask.

The girl's heart was filled with embarrassment and annoyance, and she quickened her pace.

As the saying goes, when you care, you become flustered.

The graceful Jiang Beauty and the calm and steady Jiang Commander, in front of Lu Ran, always showed a different side of themselves.

Hmm, this was quite interesting.

"Slow down, take it easy," Lu Ran hurriedly caught up, muttering, "You don't know how long your legs are."

Jiang Ruyi's face turned even redder, and four white jade plaques appeared at her waist.

"No, stop!" Lu Ran immediately reached out, carefully avoiding the jade plaques, and grabbed her wrist.

Jiang Ruyi struggled gently a couple of times but couldn't break free, and the jade plaques at her waist gradually dissipated.

"My mistake, my mistake," Lu Ran quickly said.

"Hmph," Jiang Ruyi snorted softly, still looking into the distance.

The gentle and soft-spoken Jiang Ruyi rarely got angry.

Lu Ran didn't know what was wrong today.

Perhaps, as the date of their separation drew closer, the thought of being apart for a long time made her feel a bit down.

Lu Ran played with her slender and fair fingers as he walked her home, soothing her with soft words.

As they arrived at the By the Water Residential Complex, Lu Ran looked up at Jiang Ruyi's home and said, "During these few days of rest, should I pay a visit to your uncle and aunt?"

Originally, the two had planned for Lu Ran to visit after the college entrance examination.

But now, it was no longer possible, as no one knew when Lu Ran would return.

"Mhm, I'll go and tell my mom and dad," Jiang Ruyi replied softly.

"You're not angry anymore?" Lu Ran looked at the girl beside him.

Throughout their journey, he had been the one talking, while she remained silent.

"When was I angry?" Jiang Ruyi blinked playfully.

Lu Ran was shocked!

The two stopped at the entrance of the residential building, and Lu Ran said with dissatisfaction, "Then why did you let me keep talking all the way here?"

"Hehe~" Jiang Ruyi's eyes smiled, and she reached out to pat Lu Ran's cheek gently, "Silly."

Lu Ran was completely stunned.

The last time he heard this word was three years ago, when they first started high school.

At that time, the two of them, who weren't very familiar with each other, had coincidentally met on their way home from school.

No, wait!

The last time he heard this word was in the Ghost Moon Mountain in March, in the eyes of the Ghost Moon Fox.

As Jiang Ruyi turned to leave with a bright smile, she said, "Go and rest, I'll message you if there's any news."

When Lu Ran snapped out of his reminiscence, the young girl was already nowhere to be seen.

He shook his head and chuckled.

Lu Ran turned to leave, but as he stepped out of the residential complex, he heard a call.

"Lu Ran?"

"Huh?" Lu Ran, with his excellent hearing, turned and looked up towards the ninth floor.

Jiang Ruyi stood at the balcony window and said, "Dad and Mom are home now."

"Huh? Me?" Lu Ran stammered, clearly unprepared, "Isn't this a bit rushed?"

Seeing Lu Ran's flustered state, Jiang Ruyi couldn't help but smile silently.

Without saying a word, she just stared at him.

Lu Ran hesitated for a long time, and finally, with a clench of his teeth and a stomp of his foot, he said, "Okay!"

Rushed?

Indeed, a bit, but that's how the world works—in a rush.

Rushed schooling, worshipping gods, graduation, work, marriage, and children.

Rushed births and rushed deaths.

In the grand backdrop of a demon-plagued world, no one truly knows if they will see the familiar faces of today, tomorrow.

"Wait for me," Lu Ran called out loudly.

He looked around and found the fruit shop from his memory, quickly walking over.

A few minutes later, Lu Ran returned to the complex with fruits in hand and two cartons of milk.

Jiang Ruyi was already waiting downstairs, and upon seeing him, she smiled, "You've got some tricks up your sleeve."

"Hehe~" Lu Ran turned to look behind him.

The Radiant Light Saber and Night Silence Blade crossed and hovered in mid-air, and the two cartons of milk were stacked on top of them.

The two of them entered the building and boarded the elevator.

"Don't be nervous, Dad and Mom have great personalities," Jiang Ruyi said softly, taking off Lu Ran's hat and mask and wiping the sweat from his forehead, "They like you too."

"That's good," Lu Ran said, looking at the girl beside him, "You're a bit different today."

"Different?" Jiang Ruyi raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Mhm," Lu Ran nodded, "A bit."

"Ding~"

The elevator came to a stop and slowly opened, interrupting Lu Ran.

The door to Room 901 was wide open, and standing in front of it was a middle-aged woman, probably in her late thirties or early forties.

Her brows bore a resemblance to Jiang Ruyi's, and she had a good temperament. Her long hair was tied back, and her face carried a gentle and loving smile.

"Aunt Zhuang, sorry for the disturbance," Lu Ran said.

Lu Ran was aware of the Jiang family's situation; Jiang Ruyi's mother was named Zhuang Jingyi, and she was a judge.

Contrary to his imagination, the first meeting wasn't as stern as he had expected.

Jiang Ruyi's father, Jiang Zheng, was also a public servant, working at the town government.

It's worth mentioning that both husband and wife were ordinary people.

In this world, there's a phenomenon where non-believers make up the majority in certain specific departments.

Speaking of which, Rain Alley City had endured various hardships, and escaping Rain Alley had become a trend.

Nowadays, most of those still living in this small county town were public servants.

"What are you bringing, child?" Zhuang Jingyi smiled as she gently examined Lu Ran, her voice soft, "Come inside quickly."

"Yeah," Lu Ran hurried forward, letting Jiang's mother take the fruits from his hands.

Seeing the man who came to greet him, Lu Ran smiled and nodded, "Hello, Uncle Jiang."

"Good, good," Jiang Zheng extended his large, thick hand, "Welcome."

Jiang Zheng wore glasses and had a tall, slightly plump build.

"I dare not," Lu Ran quickly shook hands with him, humbly speaking.

This time, it was Jiang Ruyi's turn to get slippers for Lu Ran.

"Over there, the shrine is on the south balcony," Jiang Ruyi reminded him.

Lu Ran's heart sank.

The deity Jiang Ruyi worshipped was the Jade Talisman!

It was the same deity that Lu Ran's late father had worshipped, and the one Lu Ran had worshipped since childhood.

"Okay," Lu Ran's expression remained calm as he put on the slippers and walked towards the south balcony.

With his excellent eyesight, he saw from a distance the small shrine with a familiar small statue.

Lu Ran stopped in his tracks, his heart filled with surging emotions.

Countless childhood memories flooded his mind.

The young Lu Ran had been extremely reverent towards it, bowing day and night, worshipping together with his father.

Later, this small statue was taken away after his father's passing, and the family no longer had the protection of a deity.

The teenage Lu Ran had desperately wanted to bring back the Jade Talisman and continue worshipping day and night, following in his father's footsteps.

But heaven didn't grant his wish.

Last year, on the sixth day of the first lunar month, all his fantasies were shattered.

"Lu Ran?" Jiang Ruyi called out softly as she approached him.

"Oh," Lu Ran snapped out of his thoughts and smiled apologetically, taking a step towards the south balcony.

Opening the glass door, Lu Ran smelled the strong scent of incense.

Inside the small incense burner, there was a lot of burnt incense ash. Next to the incense burner, several plates of fruit were offered.

All of this showed the believer's devotion.

After many years, Lu Ran once again stood before the Jade Talisman.

The incense was right beside it.

This time, he didn't take it.

The prayer mat was right below him.

This time, he didn't kneel.

Lu Ran quietly looked at the statue in the shrine, and after a while, he spoke softly, "Sorry for the disturbance."

Inside the shrine, the statue remained silent.

Lu Ran lowered his head and smiled, then turned and walked out of the balcony.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end