Chapter 6: The Favorite

Chapter 6: The Favorite

"Thirty or forty people, and not one could stop the two of you from fighting?" The class teacher's rebuke echoed through the classroom, "What's wrong with you all? You're still in the mood for a spectacle?"

"Today is the second day of the sixth lunar month! By the fifth, you must form teams and head to Evil Dog Village to face the demons head-on."

"On the fifteenth of this month, you will participate in the City Defense Battle!"

"Still not feeling the pressure? You're no longer ordinary people under protection; you're going to protect others now!"

"You're the worst batch of students I've ever taught!"

The classroom fell silent, and in the corridor, Lu Ran and Kou Yingquan stood at a distance, both standing obediently.

After a brief moment of silence, the classroom door was pushed open with a loud 'thud.'

Li Yanzhu stormed out, and upon seeing the two students standing as punishment, her anger surged, "You two, stop standing there being a nuisance! Get out of here and bring your parents with you!"

Lu Ran: "."

Kou Yingquan: "."

Li Yanzhu's stern voice reverberated through the corridor, "When you were fighting, wasn't there anyone who could stop you? And now you can't even move?"

Not just Class 4 of Grade 2, but the entire third floor was in a state of solemn silence.

"Kou Yingquan!"

"Present!" Kou Yingquan immediately stood at attention.

"Get out!" Li Yanzhu ordered without hesitation.

Kou Yingquan: "."

Under the stern gaze of the class teacher, Kou Yingquan reluctantly took his leave to fetch his parents.

Li Yanzhu shouted again, "Lu Ran!"

Lu Ran meekly responded, "Teacher."

Li Yanzhu was exasperated, "What kind of teacher do you take me for? I don't have a teacher like you!"

Lu Ran took a step forward and spoke softly, "Teacher, I know I was wrong. My mother is in another province, in the capital, and my father..." He trailed off.

Although he said 'another province,' the truth was that Lu Ran's home province, Wuliehe, bordered the capital.

It only took a little over an hour to travel from Rain Alley City to the capital by high-speed rail.

If the class teacher was determined to call his parents, Lu Ran had no choice.

Li Yanzhu watched Lu Ran admit his mistake with his head lowered, feeling both angry and heartbroken, "Why did you fight?"

Lu Ran smirked, "As soon as I entered the classroom, Kou Yingquan choked me and called me a little lamb. He told me to beg him and bleat like a sheep."

Li Yanzhu's eyebrows furrowed, but in truth, she already knew why they had fought.

The brief silence in the classroom earlier was because she was inquiring about the details of the fight.

Indeed, that morning, Kou Yingquan had been picking on Lu Ran repeatedly, perhaps because he had become a follower of the Third Rank Deity Prison Demon and was a bit unbalanced.

The teachers had seen far too many cases like this.

Li Yanzhu spoke in a grave tone, "If you have any issues, come to me for a solution. The school strictly prohibits private fights. You, on the other hand, caused a ruckus the very next day after becoming a follower. Aren't you afraid of being made an example of by the school? Do you know how many students get expelled every year after the Universal Worship? Are you trying to be the first one?"

"I was wrong," Lu Ran continued to admit his mistake.

"Do you really know you were wrong?" Li Yanzhu asked.

Lu Ran's spirits lifted upon hearing the teacher's tone.

He nodded immediately, his mouth running like a machine gun, "I promise, next time I'll definitely come to you, teacher. I won't be impulsive again. You are fair and just, and you will surely give a fair judgment. You're like a benevolent lord!"

Li Yanzhu's head hurt from Lu Ran's words, and she made her judgment, "Alright, you're suspended for three days. Write a three-thousand-word self-reflection."

"Ah," Lu Ran's face turned bitter.

Suspended for three days?

By then, his classmates would have formed their teams, and on the fifth, they would all be heading straight to Evil Dog Village.

By the time I bring my self-reflection back to school, it'll be too late!

"Teacher, I really know I was wrong. But Kou Yingquan accused me of colluding with the Demon Clan and slandered me!"

Lu Ran's voice grew softer as he put on a pitiful act, "I'm just too stubborn. But what can I do? If I don't stand up for myself, who will speak for me? Teacher, you know I lost my father when I was young."

"You dare use the Voice of Compassion on me, Lu Ran?" Li Yanzhu was amused by his audacity.

She kicked Lu Ran's butt, "Get out to the playground and stand in the sun as punishment!"

"Received," Lu Ran turned and left.

Not expelled, not suspended, and no need to fetch parents—what's the harm in standing in the sun for a while? It would be worth it to stab Kou Yingquan's foul mouth with a chair leg!

In the midsummer of June, the sun was scorching.

But Lu Ran didn't seek shade; only with sufficient punishment would the class teacher possibly show mercy again.

Lu Ran wasn't going to stand there idly, and soon, he entered a state of cultivation, absorbing the divine power between heaven and earth.

Divine power was categorized into various realms: Mist, Stream, River, Ocean, and so on.

Within each major realm were five minor levels.

At the first and third minor levels of each major realm, followers could learn a unique divine technique.

At this time, Lu Ran was at the first minor level of the Mist Realm, practicing the Divine Technique 'Voice of Compassion.' After the recent experiment, its effect was indeed remarkable.

To acquire a unique skill, Lu Ran needed to reach the second stage of the Mist Realm.

Speaking of which, Lu Ran's expression turned peculiar as he suddenly realized an issue: the Divine Sheep Disciple created the Divine Art of Compassionate Voice to avoid conflict.

It was definitely not meant to be used the way he had just demonstrated, begging for mercy while attacking! It's not that Lu Ran couldn't use it that way, but the problem was that every time the followers used a divine technique, they had to pray to their deity.

In other words, you can't hide anything from your deity.

As a Divine Sheep Follower, it's not quite appropriate for you to constantly go against the Divine Sheep and use this technique for combat.

Who knows, one day the Divine Sheep might blame you for it.

Wait a minute!

Isn't the Divine Sheep known for being magnanimous? No matter how much I mess around, it shouldn't blame me too much, right?

This is like exploiting a bug!

"No problem," a deep voice suddenly echoed in Lu Ran's mind.

Lu Ran was startled, wondering if the Divine Sheep had manifested. It was common knowledge that for a follower to communicate with their deity, they had to pray and kneel before their statue with utmost sincerity.

Even then, the deity might not appear! But Lu Ran had shown respect to this deity.

"You're not blaming me?" Lu Ran looked up at the sky and asked softly.

The deep voice spoke again, "A crying child can attract the care and protection of its parents and clan members."

Lu Ran was baffled by the sudden change in topic.

"The wails of weak creatures can also attract the attention of hunters, making them salivate with greed."

"That makes sense," Lu Ran nodded thoughtfully.

"The Compassionate Voice can amplify the goodness in creatures' hearts, evoking mercy. It can also arouse the desire to slaughter and torment the weak."

"What?" Lu Ran was surprised.

How come the knowledge I learned is different from what you taught? Lu Ran was certain that the Compassionate Voice only had one effect: begging for mercy.

How come when it comes to the Divine Sheep, this divine technique can transform into a skill for taunting and aggro-pulling? What surprised Lu Ran even more was that the Divine Sheep not only didn't discipline him but also encouraged him to be more tolerant, patient, and avoid conflicts.

Instead, it seemed to be pushing him to fight. Otherwise, there was no reason for the Divine Sheep to reveal the second effect of the Divine Art of Compassionate Voice.

Something's off!

It's more than just off! Ever since Lu Ran became a disciple of the Divine Sheep, everything about this deity, from its image to its behavior and words, was vastly different from what people commonly believed.

Yet, Lu Ran had confirmed that this deity was indeed the Divine Sheep by using the unique divine technique.

"Do you want to learn it?"

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment but then nodded firmly, "I do!"

"You need to reach the second stage of the Mist Realm."

"Alright, I'll work hard on my cultivation." Lu Ran nodded again, "But Divine Sheep, haven't you taught this technique to other followers?"

Otherwise, Lu Ran wouldn't have never even heard of it.

However, after waiting for a while, Lu Ran didn't hear any further communication from the Divine Sheep.

"It's like this again," Lu Ran felt a bit helpless but dared not ask further, fearing he might anger the deity and incur punishment.

He could only bury his doubts deep within.

Regardless, the Divine Sheep had truly granted him a second chance at life, blessed him, and taught him divine techniques.

Thinking of this, Lu Ran felt relieved and continued to cultivate his divine power.

Soon, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, and the school became noisy again.

"Lu Ran," a voice called out from a distance shortly after the bell rang.

Lu Ran looked up and saw a boy striding onto the playground - Deng Yutang.

"Class is over," Lu Ran slightly raised his head and greeted him.

"You smashed my chair, and I had to stand for the entire class," Deng Yutang said with a smile.

Lu Ran felt a bit embarrassed, "Thank you for earlier."

Deng Yutang approached Lu Ran, "From now on, let's team up?"

"Huh?" Lu Ran's expression froze as he looked at the handsome boy before him.

Deng Yutang had a dignified appearance and a confident demeanor. His eyes were bright and piercing, and at that moment, they were fixed on Lu Ran.

"Thank you for helping me earlier," Lu Ran apologized, "But I... I still prefer girls."

Deng Yutang: ???

Lu Ran spoke seriously, "Don't be sad, you're really great, but we're just not compatible."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I like girls too!" Deng Yutang said irritably, "I'm talking about teaming up!"

"What?" Lu Ran was even more confused.

He would rather believe that Deng Yutang liked guys than dare to guess that he wanted to team up.

Lu Ran had many reasons to suspect that his deity had issues, but others didn't know that!

He asked with confusion, "I'm a Divine Sheep Follower, are you sure about this?"

"So what if I'm a Divine Sheep Follower?" Deng Yutang scoffed, "Kou Yingquan is a Prison Demon Follower, and what of it? He still got beaten up and vomited congee, didn't he?"

Hearing this, Lu Ran almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

Vomit congee?

"I'm a Red Bandana Follower."

"Deng Yutang reached out and touched Lu Ran's chest, 'Lu, how about giving it some thought?'"

"Deity Red Bandana, ranked in the fifth row."

The divine statue depicted a man with a red bandana around his head and a bare upper body.

His followers were mostly battle maniacs, naturally brave and fierce.

"I'll definitely consider it," Lu Ran said, surprised and flattered, shaking hands with Deng Yutang.

As they talked, many people had already gathered in the playground.

Among them was Chang Ying, who had previously read Lu Ran's fortune.

The girl approached the two and smiled, "I heard you got into a fight?"

Lu Ran gave Chang Ying a speechless look, while Deng Yutang once again urged Lu Ran to consider his offer before bidding farewell and leaving.

"I already told you the result, it's an unlucky sign. How can you still be so careless?" Chang Ying raised her elbow and rested it on Lu Ran's shoulder, leaning against him.

Even before becoming a follower, she could wield a mountain-splitting axe with fierce agility, naturally a strong and reliable girl.

With such a girl leaning on him, Lu Ran felt his life was in danger.

But he didn't want to admit his weakness, so...

"Get off, it's hot." Lu Ran shook his shoulders with a dismissive look.

"100 bucks, and I'll read your fortune again, guaranteed! How about it?" Chang Ying didn't get angry but smiled at Lu Ran.

"Stop bothering me."

"If you don't want to, then don't. Why are you acting so ominous?" Chang Ying looked down at Lu Ran, then suddenly changed the topic, "I think we have a connection. How about we team up in the future?"

"Huh?" Lu Ran's expression was one of surprise as he looked at the beautiful and wild girl.

"Really, I've already read the fortune." Chang Ying nodded seriously, "It's a lucky sign!"

Lucky sign?

"Did you read it wrong?" Lu Ran's face was full of doubt, "I'm a Divine Sheep follower."

"Hey~" Chang Ying waved her hand, quite boldly, "I won't call you a little lamb if you don't call me a gambling dog! What do you say?"

Lu Ran: "."

Teacher Li, I was wrong to blame you.

I thought this was just a standing punishment, but you put me on display, letting me perform here!

"Lu Ran."

"Lu Ran!" Several classmates approached, volunteering.

Lu Ran politely welcomed them, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

It wasn't until the bell rang that everyone headed to the martial arts ground, and as the crowd dispersed, Lu Ran spotted a familiar figure.

"You're quite popular, huh?" Jiang Ruyi smiled and said.

Lu Ran shrugged, "I became famous after that battle."

Jiang Ruyi gave Lu Ran a light glare, "Most students probably have the same thought. You can attract demons, a rare talent in the world, and now you've shown such strong combat strength.

Teaming up with you will likely lead to good results in future city defense battles and demon cavern expeditions."

"It's quite magical," Lu Ran sighed, "I worship the Divine Sheep, and I'm still so popular."

Jiang Ruyi: "Most students still have concerns, which is why they didn't come to you.

If you worshipped another deity, the playground would have been surrounded by now."

"These people don't understand anything," Lu Ran muttered, "I just worshipped a small Crimson Paper Person, you're the real goddess. Um.

You're the real sidekick!"

"You're such a smooth talker," Jiang Ruyi's face turned slightly red, and she turned to leave.

Seeing that Lu Ran was fine, she didn't linger any longer.

"By the way!" Lu Ran hurriedly said, "Let's team up together?"

Jiang Ruyi stopped and turned to smile at Lu Ran, "What, do you want to team up with me?"

"Who wouldn't want a sidekick... I mean, don't leave yet!"

Seeing the girl about to leave, Lu Ran blurted out, "I want to! Jiang Ruyi, I want to be with you!"

His voice was so loud that Jiang Ruyi's eyes widened in surprise.

Not only the students still on the playground but even the distant teaching building might have heard this bold confession.

"Oh~~~"

"Lu Ran is so cool, he's on suspension and still dares to confess? He's not afraid of being expelled?"

"You know nothing! Real men face the wind head-on!"

"Right! Lu Ran, I support you! Screw this school, we don't need it!"

"Jiang Ruyi is mine, I'll kill this lamb!"

"Bro, she just finished off a Demon Confiner follower, and you're just a small fry, so back off a bit."

Jiang Ruyi blushed as she listened to the whispers around her, her face burning like it was on fire.

She lowered her head and quickly walked away.

"At least give me an answer," Lu Ran mumbled, gazing at the girl's graceful figure as she walked away.

Those long legs,

Who wouldn't want to hug them?

I, Lu Ran, am also a man. Um, I'm also a student who wants to achieve excellent results!

Thank you, Zangyuesheng, for the 100,000 reward for the character card of Lu Ran!

Thank you, boss, for your generosity and support! I wish you great wealth, meat every day, and a happy New Year every day!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end