Chapter 31: The Warmth of Humanity

Chapter 31: The Warmth of Humanity

The days at home passed by in a blur.

Time arrived at the nineteenth day of the sixth lunar month, and the morning sun shone brightly.

In a residential building within the Rain Alley Home Community, a tall and slender figure emerged.

"Finally, a clear day," Lu Ran said, looking up at the bright sky and squinting at the scorching sun.

Today was the day of the lifting of the lockdown, signaling the end of the calamity.

However, the impact of the demon invasion still lingered, and it was impossible for it to dissipate immediately.

Visible to the naked eye, every survivor was working hard to dispel the gloom.

Lu Ran, standing at the entrance of the building, saw several people walking their dogs, playing with birds, and enjoying the morning.

When he stepped out of the community and arrived at a breakfast shop, he witnessed a bustling and lively scene.

Rain Alley City, a small county town with a modest population, exuded a unique vitality on this post-calamity day.

In front of this small dumpling shop,

the survivors, striving to live, greeted each other with smiles.

The laughter of children, the chatter of customers, and the vendor's shouts as they served dishes,

all accompanied by the steam rising from the bamboo steamers, formed a heartwarming scene unique to this place.

The warmth of humanity was the most soothing to the soul.

The night of the fifteenth seemed like a distant memory.

These survivors, some even overly enthusiastic, conveyed a message:

The fifteenth had come and gone.

"Boss, two baskets of xiaolongbao and a cup of soy milk to go, please," Lu Ran said as he approached the steamer.

"Sure!"

The steamers were filled with hot steam, and the white mist swirling around almost triggered Lu Ran's natural response to enter cultivation mode right there.

There was no other choice; this mist was too similar to divine energy.

"Two baskets of xiaolongbao, a cup of soy milk, and I'll throw in a tea egg for you, young man," said the middle-aged boss, a little plump, as he handed over a plastic bag with a hearty laugh.

"No need, I'll pay," Lu Ran said, taking out his phone to scan the QR code.

"It's on me, take it," the boss said, his face beaming with a simple smile. "On the fifteenth of next month, kill a few more demons."

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment, then smiled and accepted the breakfast.

His identity as a believer was not difficult to guess.

Statistically, among the human population aged 17 and above, 7 out of 10 were believers.

Not to mention the faint mist that surrounded Lu Ran's body.

No one would think Lu Ran was showing off, as hardworking believers were everywhere!

This was the atmosphere of this society; everyone was fighting to survive.

Ordinary people were doing their best,

and believers of the deities were even more so.

"Thank you," Lu Ran said, taking his leave. He took out a xiaolongbao from the plastic bag and popped it into his mouth.

The streets were bustling with people coming and going, and the small shop behind him remained lively and noisy.

This scene was perhaps a microcosm of Rain Alley City.

Lu Ran could find many faults with his hometown.

For instance, it was small and old, lacking in prosperity, or the constant rain that dampened spirits.

But his love for this place was simple.

It could be the unique memories of growing up here.

Or the Wu Lie River that flowed through the small city.

Or even the simple pleasure of a hot tea egg on a morning like this.

"It's just a bit hard to swallow," Lu Ran said, quickly picking up the soy milk cup and taking a big sip.

Ah, that's better.

"Buzz!"

Lu Ran's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he immediately took it out.

Opening the four-person group chat, he saw a message from Jiang Meiren.

Jiang: "Don't forget, we're reporting to school at 8 o'clock."

Lu Ran looked at Jiang Meiren's beautiful profile picture, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

Beautiful things truly brought joy to the heart.

Tian Tian: "Sister Ruyi, I've finished eating and am on my way to school now."

Jiang patted Tian Tian.

Lu Ran raised an eyebrow and quickly tapped the screen to reply.

Ran: "Oh."

Lu Ran stared at his phone screen, waiting for a long time, but Jiang Meiren didn't respond.

Just as he was about to type again, his phone vibrated.

Deng Yutang patted Ran.

Lu Ran: "."

It's clearly a group chat, but why does it suddenly feel like browsing a forum?

And someone is even helping me save face!

Tian Tian patted Ran.

Seeing this, Lu Ran couldn't help but smile.

You, a little loli, are patting me too? Can you even reach my head? Lu Ran patted back on both their profile pictures, then put away his phone and continued eating his xiaolongbao.

Today was the day to return to school, and the school would release the rankings, as well as conduct another team adjustment based on the performance of various teams and the characteristics of the students.

Lu Ran's team, No. 98, should not have any changes.

After all, none of the four team members wanted to switch partners, and they worked well together and got along harmoniously.

Half an hour later, Lu Ran, who had already finished his breakfast, arrived at the First Middle School's entrance.

As expected, both sides of the school gate were crowded with people.

Coincidentally, Lu Ran immediately spotted a familiar figure—Tian Tian.

She was petite, standing outside the crowd, seemingly eager to see the rankings but unable to squeeze in.

As Lu Ran approached, he saw Tian Tian on her tiptoes, holding her phone high and trying her best to take a picture of the leaderboard.

"Let me help you."

The sudden voice startled Tian Tian.

She turned her head, just recognizing Lu Ran, when he took her phone.

Lu Ran, standing at 1.77 meters tall, wasn't exceptionally tall, but he could still capture the leaderboard with the phone.

"Click!"

As the shutter clicked, Lu Ran put down his phone and looked at the photo, his eyes shining with excitement!

"Let me see," Tian Tian said softly, tugging at Lu Ran's sleeve.

"Haha, we did it!"

Lu Ran's face was filled with excitement as he handed the phone back to the girl, his joy overflowing to the point where he couldn't help but ruffle Tian Tian's hair.

To be honest, it was only because his teammate was Tian Tian. If it had been Jiang Meiren, Lu Ran might have taken the opportunity to give her a hug and lift her high.

"Wow!" Tian Tian exclaimed in surprise, forgetting her shyness, her face filled with delight.

On the sixteenth day of the sixth lunar month, Rain Alley High School's first-ever city defense task had just concluded, and the team rankings were as follows:

"First place, Team 98!

Team members: Jiang Ruyi from Class 4, Grade 2; Lu Ran from Class 4, Grade 2; Deng Yutang from Class 4, Grade 2; Tian Tian from Class 7, Grade 2.

Overall team score: 80.5 points.

All team members receive +10 Follower Points!"

Amidst their joy, the surrounding buzz of discussion never ceased.

"It's them again, Team 98!"

"Of course, with Jiang Meiren as the leader, they're bound to be strong. Plus, they have a little lamb in their team!"

"What about Lu Ran? Is he the little lamb? He's a big, big, big lamb leg!"

"Hey, wasn't Wu the squad leader in Team 98? Why was she replaced?"

"Oh, Wu is in Ma Tianchuan's team, Team 17, and they placed fourth!"

"Hahahaha! It's not scary to be first, but it's embarrassing for whoever's missing!"

Amidst the buzzing discussions, Tian Tian clenched her tiny fist and looked up at Lu Ran.

She didn't think her performance was exceptional; the team's success was undoubtedly due to the person beside her.

Lu Ran, on the other hand, had a peculiar expression as he stared at the fourth-ranked team on his phone screen.

Wu Shanshan was on the list! However, Lu Ran's emotions didn't show much fluctuation.

After all, during the city defense task, the appearance and strength of demons were highly unpredictable.

For new followers, merely surviving was considered a success.

A single task performance was not enough to make a difference, so...

Lu Ran pursed his lips.

Therefore, a single lead was far from sufficient.

He needed to keep winning, again and again!

With this thought in mind, Lu Ran headed towards the other side of the school gate, his head down. Tian Tian silently followed, quickening her steps to catch up.

Compared to the left side of the main entrance, this side was much louder.

"Damn, they say that after becoming a follower, the rankings will be turned upside down, but these scores are all over the place!"

"Gao Zhonglin is in second place? The Greedy Wolf follower is so fierce, he's really good at grabbing points!"

"The first-place team still has a little lamb! How come the lamb is greedier than the wolf?"

"This is crazy! Is the Celestial Sheep faction really that powerful? Once might be luck, but not twice, right?"

"Bullshit! Which lamb has ever made a name for itself? It's purely because Lu Ran is so demonic!"

"Yeah, I rode the bus with him, and his clothes were torn to shreds. He almost got killed by the demons!"

"Holy shit! Is that true? Didn't he change his pants after they were torn?"

Amidst the slightly chaotic crowd, Lu Ran held up his phone, staring at the red list on the screen, and for a long time, he didn't press the confirmation key.

Tian Tian was anxious, standing on her tiptoes, while Lu Ran stared at his phone, his heart filled with joy.

On the sixteenth day of the sixth lunar month, Rain Alley High School's first city defense task had concluded, and the individual rankings were as follows:

First place, Class 4, Grade 2, Lu Ran—91.2 points, Celestial Sheep follower. Follower Points +10!

Second place, Class 11, Grade 2, Gao Zhonglin—73.7 points, Greedy Wolf follower. Follower Points +8!

Third place, Class 4, Grade 2, Jiang Ruyi—72.1 points, Jade Talisman follower. Follower Points +8!

"Everyone, quiet down for a moment. Congratulations to Jiang Meiren for returning to the top three in the school year!"

"Cut the crap! Suck-ups, move to the back! Line up behind the nice guy!"

"Why are you talking like that? Is the person behind you Lu Ran?"

"Lu Ran? Where is he?"

The crowd turned around in unison, their eyes searching.

Lu Ran, still immersed in his joy, hadn't realized the gravity of the situation.

"Lu Ran, you're the man!"

"First place again, two in a row!"

"Congratulations, congratulations!" The sound of congratulations reached Lu Ran's ears, making him grin from ear to ear.

They just called me a little lamb, but after seeing me, they started calling me Lu Ran?

"How did you get this score? How many demons did you kill?"

"I heard your pants were torn by demons?"

Lu Ran: "..."

"Say something!"

"You don't understand. Experts don't talk much! Lu Ran, are you adjusting your team? Do you need more members?"

"How did you get such a high score? There hasn't been a score above 90 in past years!"

"Yeah," Lu Ran finally spoke up, "This is crazy."

Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted.

Could the scores be wrong?

"I knew it! These scores must be wrong. Was there a mistake in the registration?"

"Yes, this is the night of the full moon. How could a Mist Realm follower perform so well? It's impossible to get such a high score!"

"Lu Ran, are you sure the scores are incorrect?"

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Lu Ran nodded:

"It does seem a bit off. Where did my 8.8 points go?"

Double Bloom

In an instant, the crowd fell silent.

As far as the eye could see, every face wore the same expression.

They all had question marks on their faces!

After a brief silence, a voice from somewhere shouted, "Hit him!"

Lu Ran turned and ran!

Tian Tian stood there with her mouth wide open, watching Lu Ran disappear into the school gate, surrounded by the Immortal Mist.

Even after Lu Ran was out of sight, Tian Tian spoke up in a weak voice, "My... my phone."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end