Chapter 60: The Blade Named Silence
Chapter 60: The Blade Named Silence
Under the watchful eyes of his teachers and classmates, Lu Ran once again ascended the podium to receive his well-deserved rewards.
At the same time, he handed over the Verdigris Blade and the White Rainbow Stone Blade.
Lu Ran had already planned to trade in his old blades for new ones, so he hadn't formed a deep attachment to them.
But now, things were different.
The Obsidian Blade was the most advanced equipment he could acquire from the school and the Divine Citizen Bureau.
He could freely pour his emotions into nurturing the spirit of this blade.
"Lu Ran, you've performed exceptionally well in these assessments. Say a few words to your classmates."
"Huh?" Lu Ran looked at the teacher in front of him, suddenly feeling an urge to give him a good stab!
The teacher's mockery wasn't enough; now he wanted Lu Ran to personally step up and draw more hatred?
From the teacher's previous remarks, it was evident that the school was trying to motivate the students.
Asking Lu Ran to speak was likely part of this motivational strategy.
"Go ahead," the male teacher urged.
Lu Ran turned his head and looked at the sea of students below the stage.
Coincidentally, he spotted Ma Tianchuan's squad and exchanged glances with Wu Shanshan.
Lu Ran wanted to explain that it was a misunderstanding, but...
Forget it. Who cares?
I'm watching you. So what?
The young believers struggled to conceal their emotions. On their youthful faces, one could discern hints of envy, jealousy, admiration, indifference, and disdain.
Wu Shanshan belonged to the expressionless category.
Lu Ran leaned towards the microphone and said softly, "Let's all work hard."
After speaking, he turned and left the stage.
Lu Ran didn't expect that his casual four words would provoke such a strong reaction from certain individuals!
He hadn't intended to mock anyone.
Even the phrase "Let's all work hard" wasn't sincere; it was merely a polite formality.
Alas, the listeners had their own interpretations.
Of course, Lu Ran didn't have time to pay attention to them.
He quickly rejoined his team and began examining his new blade.
This blade was modeled after the Tang Dynasty's horizontal sword, entirely black, and felt slightly heavy in his hand.
On the blade's surface, there were intricate patterns unique to the Obsidian Stone.
In the sunlight, the beautiful patterns shimmered with a deep purple luster, appearing and disappearing.
"Tsk, tsk~"
Lu Ran was captivated, clicking his tongue in admiration.
The combination of black, symbolizing mystery, and purple, representing authority—beautiful!
Lu Ran had already envisioned that if he could successfully cultivate the blade's spirit, it would likely manifest as a mysterious, beautiful, and noble woman.
"Brother Lu?"
"Huh?" Lu Ran snapped back to attention.
Deng Yutang handed the Radiance Blade to Lu Ran, saying, "It's time; let's go."
"Oh." Lu Ran took the Radiance Blade, which had been temporarily held by a teammate, and hurried to catch up with the front unit.
"Brother Zhang?" Deng Yutang greeted a familiar face.
On June 15th, the leader of Squad 98, who defended the city, was none other than the Lotus Sword believer, Zhang Feng.
Zhang Feng asked, "You guys have become quite the sensation in just two months, huh?"
As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Lu Ran for a moment.
Lu Ran's Obsidian Blade and Black Ice Blade were both black but in different shades.
One was a deep black with hints of purple, exuding an air of mystery and allure.
The other was pitch-black and transparent, cool and crystalline.
Both blades were incredibly rare and precious, each with its own distinct prestige.
Zhang Feng added, "Have you thought of a name for the Obsidian Blade?"
"How about Silence?" Lu Ran contemplated.
While others savored the blade's name, Deng Yutang's heart stirred slightly.
This name... it sounded somewhat familiar.
Oh, right! My sister's large saber is named 'Nightfall.'
"A silent night?" Jiang Ruyi looked at Lu Ran.
Lu Ran weighed the Obsidian Blade in his hand and explained, "No, it's to silence the night.
I want to wield this blade and make every fifteenth night of the lunar month a little quieter."
In Lu Ran's mind, he envisioned:
A silent night, followed by the morning glow of the next day's sunrise—a perfect match!
"Haha, what ambition!" Zhang Feng burst into hearty laughter, drawing the attention of the students ahead.
Lu Ran channeled his divine power into the Obsidian Blade.
From that moment on,
You shall be known as the Silence Blade.
The bus carried 32 students from Class 4 and 8 Moon Gazer leaders, heading east towards the city.
Finally, the vehicle entered an abandoned school—Rain Alley City Elementary School.
The small county town had seen a decline in population, and the number of children had decreased accordingly.
Now, Rain Alley City Elementary School was left with only its name, and the teaching building had been converted into a shelter.
Lu Ran, holding his twin blades, followed his team and stepped onto the yellow earth.
The school building's entrance faced south, and beyond it lay a vast, desolate playground surrounded by dilapidated sports equipment.
Parallel bars, swings, seesaws, and slides dotted the area, along with a football goalpost missing its net, its paint peeling in patches, leaning forlornly against the iron fence.
Lu Ran carefully surveyed his surroundings, and perhaps due to his mental state, he couldn't shake the eerie feeling that permeated the place.
A gust of autumn wind blew by, causing the empty swing to sway gently.
Lu Ran: "..."
How fitting for the season!
Thankfully, this was an elementary school; if it were a girls' high school, things might have been different.
"Did you attend this school?" Jiang Ruyi suddenly asked.
Deng Yutang: "Yeah."
Lu Ran: "No."
Both responded almost simultaneously, and Lu Ran realized that Jiang Ruyi wasn't addressing him.
He turned to Deng Yutang and noticed a rare hint of melancholy on his face.
Lu Ran asked, "Deep emotional bond?"
"It's okay, I guess," Deng Yutang replied, his expression complex. "A past I'd rather not revisit."
Lu Ran smiled and said, "In elementary school, we were all carefree. What could be so traumatic about the past?"
Deng Yutang looked at Lu Ran and said, "When I was in first grade, my sister was in fourth grade."
Lu Ran was taken aback.
That's right, how could I have forgotten about that?
"I was in third grade, and she was in sixth grade," Deng Yutang sighed. "Can you imagine what those years were like for me?"
Lu Ran recalled his experiences with the Great Nightmare and couldn't help but give Deng Yutang a sympathetic look.
"Did you see that iron swing over there?" Deng Yutang pointed towards the southeast corner.
"What about it?" Jiang Ruyi was curious.
Deng Yutang said, "My sister could swing on it for a whole week, 360 degrees, a full circle!"
Lu Ran gazed at the tall, dilapidated swing set, realizing this wasn't a trivial matter: "Wow!
Your sister was so brave, and she wasn't afraid of falling out?"
Deng Yutang didn't respond, but his expression suggested lingering fear.
Lu Ran sighed inwardly: As expected, no matter what, it's always better to have a sibling!
No matter how much Deng Yuxiang might torment her brother, Deng Yutang couldn't help but worry when he saw his sister engaging in such risky behavior.
As Lu Ran reflected on the depth of the sibling bond, Deng Yutang continued, his voice soft:
"Several times, she grabbed me and took me on the swing with her."
Lu Ran: "..."
Sorry, I was being hasty.
Deng Yutang turned away from the swing and said, "Looking back, it's a miracle I survived."
"Let's go!" Lu Ran bumped Deng Yutang's shoulder. "Let's go see your sister. Today, your brother will help you overcome your fears!"
"Lu Ran," Zhang Feng suddenly called out.
"Yes!" Lu Ran turned to face him.
"First, let's walk through the shelter and get familiar with the layout," Zhang Feng said quietly. "Later, you'll have some free time."
"Oh, okay," Lu Ran agreed and followed immediately.
Behind them, Tian Tian extended her hand and patted Deng Yutang's arm.
"What?" Deng Yutang looked at Tian Tian in confusion.
But Tian Tian merely patted him, offering comfort like one would in a WeChat message.
The fifth elementary school had four floors, with three classes per grade. Each floor had classrooms on both sides of the staircase.
The fourth floor consisted of offices.
Lu Ran followed the team through the school building, noticing that each classroom had a shrine with a statue of the deity Shen Ming·Bi Wu in the center.
As expected, it was a minor deity statue of Shen Ming·Bi Wu.
Rows of bunk beds were neatly arranged, with 24 beds in each classroom.
Compared to the shelter in the gymnasium, which housed thousands, the conditions in this shelter were significantly better.
Each classroom felt like a private room, providing more space and an additional minor deity statue for added security.
Including the children, there were a total of 600 citizens in the school building.
Undoubtedly, in any era, the resources available to different individuals were never equal.
Lu Ran had never stayed in such a shelter before, and this tour opened his eyes to a new experience.
The citizens in the building were quite friendly, and several even recognized Lu Ran, much to his surprise.
He also heard from an elderly man about his reputation as the "Rain Alley's top high school student" and the "top sheep follower."
This left him even more astonished.
Had he become somewhat famous? Poor old man, don't get too excited.
The Moonwatchers had personally told him that he was particularly susceptible to paper dolls. The 15th of last month was not a day for a happy marriage.
Tonight,
You'll see if she comes to propose.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
