Chapter 181: On Shocking Goose Shanfeng

"Brother." Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi ran out from the central building.

"What's wrong?" Lu Ran turned his head to look.

He saw Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi pouting her little mouth and shaking her phone: "Mom said we two should go home first."

"She's very busy right now; I'm afraid she won't be able to return until New Year's Day itself."

Although Lu Ran was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but let out a sigh: "So busy..."

Guan Guan Yiren suddenly spoke up: "Senior Jiang Qiao is likely busy with matters concerning Shocking Goose Shanfeng."

Lu Ran asked in confusion: "Shocking Goose Shanfeng?"

He wasn't entirely sure if he had pronounced those three characters correctly.

Guan Guan Yiren turned around, lifted her head to face the deity Liangye Master Jian Yi, bowed respectfully, and only then explained:

"Our Liangye Master Jian Yi Sect intends to enlighten a mountain peak in the northern part of Jingcheng."

Lu Ran nodded thoughtfully.

The term 'enlighten' sounded a bit awkward, but he could understand the other party's meaning.

As the saying goes, a mountain need not be high; if it holds an immortal, it becomes spiritual.

After an ordinary mountain is organized by Liangye Master Jian Yi disciples and majestic palaces are built upon it, Lord Liangye Master Jian Yi will create a clone to reside there.

And that peak, fortunate enough to welcome Lord Liangye Master Jian Yi, will transform into a 'Spiritual Mountain'.

From then on, divine power will permeate it, making it a place of pilgrimage for all living beings.

The reason Lu Ran could understand the other party's meaning was that there were already eight such Spiritual Mountains inside and outside Jingcheng.

Clearly, Lord Liangye Master Jian Yi was not only expanding outward but also tightening her control over her own base.

From the perspective of ordinary people's survival alone, the establishment of Spiritual Mountains brought immense benefits.

Because the divine power on the mountain was dense, every night of the full moon would naturally attract a large number of evil spirits to attack the place.

In this way, the pressure on the city could be shared.

For the Liangye Master Jian Yi Sect, the Deity had expanded her influence, and the disciples had gained another place for quiet cultivation.

As for the perspective of Great Xia—well, Lu Ran did not possess such high vision and wisdom; he was unclear about how Great Xia and the Deity gambled against each other at a higher level.

Xiao Xiao Yusong opened his mouth: "Then shall I drive you two siblings home?"

"Mm-hmm." Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi nodded repeatedly, stepped forward, and hugged Lu Ran's arm: "Shall we go eat at Dabao King?"

Lu Ran smiled, looking at the gluttonous little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi: "Since we have some free time, let's take the initiative to go see Mom."

"Oh?" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi looked at Lu Ran curiously: "I remember you usually sleep all day long; how come you're so energetic now?"

"Don't you want to go home and rest?"

Lu Ran shrugged his shoulders: "I haven't lifted a finger these past few days; I've only been shouting, so I'm not tired at all!"

Guan Guan Yiren: "..."

"Hehe~" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi couldn't help but laugh.

"Let's go, get in the car; I'll give you a ride." Xiao Xiao Yusong beckoned to everyone and walked toward the parking lot.

"Troubling you, Brother Xiao!" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi smiled sweetly.

The vast Jingcheng was not some tiny Rain Alley.

If you were in Rain Alley and wanted to go to the northern suburbs, a twenty-minute drive would surely get you there.

But if you were in Jingcheng and wanted to go to the so-called northern suburbs—well, you just had to keep driving.

Drive toward the city's edge,

Drive toward Wu Lie River Province...

Although Xiao Xiao Yusong possessed a teleportation technique, the prerequisite for his teleportation was to have established coordinates beforehand.

Fortunately, this Night Demon Lair was located in the northwest region of Jingcheng, saving quite a bit of travel distance.

It was not until 9:30 in the morning that Xiao Xiao Yusong dropped the two siblings off at the entrance of a village.

If one wanted to get any closer to Shocking Goose Shanfeng, there were no more roads.

The two siblings would need to enter the mountains on their own.

"Sister Guan Yiren, do you want to come take a look?" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi asked as she got out of the car.

Guan Guan Yiren shook her head: "The Spiritual Mountain has not yet been completed; I won't go disturb things."

"Oh, okay, then let's meet again after the New Year!" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi waved goodbye to the few of them.

"See you later." Lu Ran nodded in acknowledgment to the few of them.

Guan Guan Yiren looked at Lu Ran and said softly: "Thank you."

"Hehe." Lu Ran smiled but said nothing.

From Guan Guan Yiren's perspective, Lu Ran had indeed spent time and effort, giving far too much.

The problem was that Lu Ran himself had reaped huge benefits.

Therefore, not acting cute was Lu Ran's final line of defense.

The two siblings watched the vehicle depart before turning their heads to look at the road leading to the small village.

By the roadside stood a large stone inscribed with three big characters: Emperor's Hope Village.

"Good heavens~" Lu Ran grinned: "Emperor's Hope; that name really sounds impressive."

It was foreseeable that once Shocking Goose Shanfeng was completed, the villages and towns within a certain radius at the foot of the Spiritual Mountain would, to a great extent, be spared from the invasion of the evil spirit race.

Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi looked at the blade in Lu Ran's hand, her eyes turning: "Does this mean we two don't have to climb the mountain?"

Lu Ran raised an eyebrow slightly: "Is that what you're thinking?"

"Let Xia Guang Dao carry us two and fly, okay?" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi acted coquettishly: "Brother, carry me on your back~"

Lu Ran: "..."

Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi patted Lu Ran on the shoulder: "Quick, quick, quick, crouch down."

Lu Ran crouched down, muttering under his breath: "Wouldn't it be better if you flew on your own lantern?"

"My brother loves me the most!" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi said with a giggle, wrapping her arms around Lu Ran's neck and leaping lightly.

Immediately, Lu Ran feigned a stumble forward.

Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi:???

Is he calling me fat?

"You drama queen!" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi bumped the back of Lu Ran's head with her forehead, complaining, "You were flying through the sky and burrowing underground in the Demon Cave!

And now you can't even carry me without falling?"

"Hehe." Lu Ran smiled. "Hold on tight; the blade is about to fly."

"I'm not like you; whoa!" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi hugged Lu Ran's neck tightly, feeling only a wild wind howling beside her ears.

Lu Ran gripped the hilt with both hands and shot straight toward the mountain forest.

Jinghong Shanfeng was not difficult to find.

As Lu Ran ventured deeper into the mountains, he saw Liangye Master Jian Yi disciples flying on swords.

Soon, a figure flew over.

The woman wore an antique-style white skirt; her features were cold, fitting the world's stereotypical impression of a Liangye Master Jian Yi believer perfectly.

"You two, halt!"

The woman arrived riding her sword, blocking Lu Ran's path.

Since Lu Ran was flying while gripping the hilt, anyone with eyes could see it was a divine weapon, so this Liangye Master Jian Yi believer's attitude was quite acceptable.

With a thought from Lu Ran, the Xia Guang Dao immediately hovered high in the sky.

The young woman asked, "Where are you two going?"

Lu Ran replied, "Jinghong Shanfeng."

The woman sized up the pair: "You two are not believers of our sect; why have you come here?"

Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi tilted her head, looking at the Liangye Master Jian Yi believer: "Our mother is Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun.

I just called Mom; she said she won't be home until New Year's Eve, so we wanted to come see her."

"Senior Jiang Qiao?" The woman was somewhat surprised and examined the siblings' features once more.

Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi said, "Shall I call her again so you can verify?"

The woman nodded gently: "That would be best."

"Wait a moment, immediately!" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi dug out her phone with her small hand.

Only after further confirmation did the woman nod and say, "Follow me."

"Whoosh~"

The woman flew on her sword, with Lu Ran following closely behind.

As they flew, Lu Ran's expression grew increasingly strange.

He saw the enormous sect gate hidden deep within the mountains, as well as the stone steps leading up to the peak.

What Lu Ran did not expect was that Liangye Master Jian Yi believers were currently carrying stones on shoulder poles, climbing toward the summit.

Without exception, they were all women; regardless of height, most had slender figures.

So they've all come here to work as porters?

Moreover, since Liangye Master Jian Yi believers can clearly fly, why carry building materials and climb the mountain on foot?

Lu Ran was very puzzled but did not speak out of turn.

He wondered what rules my lord of Liangye Master Jian Yi had established.

Led by the young woman, the siblings flew all the way to the peak, unable to help but click their tongues in wonder.

The summit had been leveled relatively flat, with numerous unfinished stone and wooden structures situated across various spots on the peak.

Lu Ran's appearance made him an outlier.

This was because the Liangye Master Jian Yi sect accepts no male disciples!

Even with a young woman guiding him, Lu Ran endured no small amount of interrogation.

However, once Lu Ran stated he was Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun's son, the attitudes of the Liangye Master Jian Yi believers softened, and they all readily granted him passage.

Clearly, Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun held a certain status and position within the Liangye Master Jian Yi sect.

As for Mother's specific title, Lu Ran was not clear on it.

Regarding matters of the Divine Gate, she rarely spoke of them to the siblings.

"Sister, where is Mom?" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi asked curiously, looking around.

"Senior Jiang Qiao is at the rear mountain; this way."

The two followed the woman flying toward the rear mountain; there was no other soul around, only a stretch of tranquility.

Upon a snow-capped peak, at the edge of a cliff, Lu Ran finally saw the figure he had missed for so long.

She stood motionless, quietly lingering there.

"You two, please," the Liangye Master Jian Yi believer said softly, not daring to approach and disturb, quietly withdrawing.

Lu Ran landed steadily on the peak, sizing up that tall and graceful figure.

She wore a long skirt of white and gold, antique in style; her jet-black long hair danced gently in the wind.

Sensing the arrivals behind her, the woman finally turned to look.

Only then did Lu Ran see that she wore a white veil covering the lower half of her face.

Precisely because of this, her heroic brows and cold eyes appeared even more prominent.

"Mom," Lu Ran called out.

My lord Mother is already thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, yet she still appears very young.

In this extremely special era, people marry and bear children at a very early age.

Coupled with Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun's high level of cultivation, she resembles a Jiangjiang Xianzi who has descended to the mortal world, radiant and spirited.

Lu Ran very much wanted to use the phrase "unmatched elegance" to describe her, but feared it would inevitably seem like boasting about his own kin.

As a son, Lu Ran naturally views his own mother through a filter of bias.

In his heart, my lord Mother is no less than the deity, Liangye Master Jian Yi.

Although the world at large would likely never agree with such a notion.

Hmm... it does not matter.

Someday in the future, when the divine statue of the deity, Liangye Master Jian Yi, takes on Mother's appearance,

everyone will surely agree, won't they?

Thinking of this, Lu Ran hurriedly reined in his thoughts.

Such "treasonous" ideas must definitely be hidden away well.

"Ranran has arrived," Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun said in a soft voice.

With just that one sentence, Lu Ran felt as though the entire cold snow mountain had melted.

As a disciple of Liangye Master Jian Yi, Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun's aura was undoubtedly cold and indifferent.

But as a mother, upon seeing Lu Ran, a smile appeared on her face, her smiling eyes so gentle.

Lu Ran pressed his lips together.

Very good,

she looks even more like the Liangye Master Jian Yi in my heart.

Asking for some monthly tickets.

(End of Chapter)