Chapter 183: Within Xianjing Garden

After flying to Emperor's Hope Village, Lu Ran and Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi hailed a taxi and returned to their home, also located in the northern part of the city.

This residential compound had a pleasant name—Xianjing Garden.

The compound was indeed quiet, serene, and elegant, but the so-called "Immortal Scenery" did not refer to these mortal landscapes.

Rather, being here allowed one to truly behold the countenance of the deity, Liangye Master Jian Yi!

Like the deity Lord Bei Feng, a city of ancient charm had also been built beneath the feet of Lady Liangye Master Jian Yi.

The city's name was quite domineering: Liangye Jian Tian Que.

The ancient city of Liangye Jian Tian Que was located to the east of the Xianjing Garden compound.

It was worth mentioning that most people living in the Xianjing Garden compound were either disciples of Liangye Master Jian Yi or family members of her believers.

Thus, every morning, figures would inevitably appear on the balconies of households throughout the compound.

People would gaze eastward and, facing that towering figure beneath the rising sun, kneel in devout worship.

Hmm... one could consider this a unique landscape born of special geographical conditions.

In days past, Lu Ran, at his mother's request, had also gazed toward the ancient city of Liangye Jian Tian Que with her, offering reverence and prayer.

Although the Liangye Master Jian Yi sect did not accept male disciples, this did not prevent Her Ladyship his mother from harboring fantasies.

"Ah~"

Inside Room 1501 of an apartment building in the southeast sector of the compound, Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi emitted a strange sound.

She stretched fiercely, feeling completely relaxed: "Finally home!"

Lu Ran surveyed the interior decor; it was no different from what he remembered.

Compared to his father, his mother's living conditions were far superior.

In Rain Alley City, the old house where the father and son lived was small and dilapidated.

But look at his mother's residence!

A single-level apartment spanning over 160 square meters, featuring four bedrooms, a living room, and dual balconies with north-south ventilation, excellent natural light, and a view of the Saint directly from the balcony.

It simply couldn't be better!

Obviously, since his parents divorced and his mother returned to Jingcheng, her standard of living had skyrocketed.

Little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi had once said that when the two of them first returned to Jingcheng, their life was not affluent.

But after years of struggle, as Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun's contributions to the Liangye Master Jian Yi sect grew greater, she received everything she deserved.

Eventually, she brought little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi to move into this special, high-end compound.

This also indicated, from another angle, just how nostalgic and strong-willed Lu Ran was.

After all, following his father's death, Lu Ran had been taken in by his mother to live with her for three years.

During those three years, Lu Ran had naturally enjoyed everything this place had to offer.

As the saying goes: "It is hard to go from luxury to frugality."

Yet, Lu Ran stubbornly departed anyway, leaving behind such an affluent living environment.

Alone, he returned to his hometown of perpetual rain and moved into the "old, broken, and small" home of his childhood.

Thinking of this, Lu Ran's expression became somewhat peculiar.

Before he left, although Her Ladyship his mother possessed great strength, she seemed not to hold any significant role within the sect.

But this time, by chance, Lu Ran had the fortune of visiting Jinghong Peak.

Judging by the reactions of the many Liangye Master Jian Yi disciples, Her Ladyship his mother's status and position seemed quite high?

Did this mean that in the years since his departure, Her Ladyship his mother had risen rapidly and surged to power?

"Oh no."

Lu Ran slapped his forehead.

Have I become a burden?

No, it's not just me!

Lu Ran thought of his late father.

Aren't we father and son both burdens?

After all, before his parents divorced, Mother had always stayed with Father, huddled together inside that "old, broken, and small" home.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi looked at her brother curiously.

"Nothing." Lu Ran waved his hand.

He hoped Her Ladyship his mother had accumulated strength over time and was now soaring upward.

If her career had stagnated truly because she was taking care of him...

Lu Ran would indeed feel quite guilty.

Hmm... most likely not.

After all, when Lu Ran lived here, his mother was also extremely busy.

Thinking of this, Lu Ran breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Brother! Brother?" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi waved her small hand in front of Lu Ran's face. "Why are you spacing out?"

Lu Ran replied casually, "I haven't been back for too long."

"I've already cleaned out your room for you!" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi looked at Lu Ran with a beaming smile, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "Praise me quickly."

"Thank you." Lu Ran patted little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi on the head and, moving with familiar ease, headed toward the bedroom on the southeast side.

"By the way, Brother!" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi reminded him, "Don't forget to pay respects to the deity."

"Mm." Lu Ran nodded.

He went first to his mother's bedroom, then to little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi's bedroom, bowing respectfully to the two deities, Liangye Master Jian Yi and the Lantern God.

Recalling last New Year's Eve, Lu Ran, who had not yet become a believer, had still been taken by his mother to kneel before the small statue of the deity, Liangye Master Jian Yi.

These days, however, Lu Ran stood very steadily.

He did not stay long in the two of them's bedroom; after saying "excuse the disturbance," he withdrew.

After returning to his own small bedroom, Lu Ran saw a stuffed toy placed on the bed.

It was a cartoon doll shaped like a hamburger.

Clearly, little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi had left it there, as if deliberately reminding him of something.

"Heh." Lu Ran could not help but shake his head and smile.

Over the next few days, Lu Ran took little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi to eat hamburgers every noon.

To be honest, Lu Ran was nearly tired of eating them, yet little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi grew happier day by day.

According to her theory, what she ate was not food, but memories.

It was the warmth her brother had secretly brought her when her mother punished her to kneel, exhausted and hungry in the dead of night.

Good heavens~

Little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi, not yet seventeen years old, had already begun reminiscing.

However, Lu Ran had no qualification to lecture his younger sister, after all, he too was someone who often fell into memories.

During these days at home, Lu Ran also accompanied little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi in binge-watching dramas, frequently going shopping and buying goods for the New Year.

Hmm... actually, it was just buying various small snacks.

Life seemed to have returned to how it was before, which was also what Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi had long dreamed of.

The only difference was that even while watching dramas, mist always drifted around Lu Ran's body.

Not to mention that just east of the Immortal Scenery Garden lay the Sword Heaven Gate City; simply within the home, there were fully two minor god statues.

The cultivation environment was naturally excellent.

This also aroused little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi's dissatisfaction, claiming her brother had changed and was no longer devoting his attention to accompanying her.

After all, just as you were watching television, completely engrossed, suddenly a wisp of mist would drift before your eyes, which was truly quite eyesore-inducing...

Soon, the time arrived at New Year's Eve.

That morning, Lu Ran rose very early; to welcome his mother's return, he prepared to tidy up the house once more.

Just as he was wiping the tea table in the living room, he suddenly felt a fluctuation of energy.

"Hmm?" Lu Ran turned his head to look toward the northwest; that direction led to his younger sister's bedroom.

Lu Ran could not help but feel a surge of joy in his heart!

Was little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi advancing? She was already at Stream Realm, fifth stage, and could break through at any moment.

Or perhaps... the God·Lantern was in a good mood and had bestowed blessings upon the disciples under Its gate?

"Yoo-hoo~!" Little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi's cheers came from inside the room.

Immediately after, the room door was flung wide open.

Seeing little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi, dressed in a pink nightgown with bare little feet, run out with a face full of joy: "Brother!"

Looking at his sister enveloped in immortal mist, Lu Ran immediately said, "Are you about to advance?"

"Haha!" Little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi was immensely happy; taking three steps as two, she threw herself straight into Lu Ran's embrace.

Lu Ran hurriedly stood up to catch the human cannonball, lest he be knocked to the ground.

"Isn't today New Year's Eve!" Little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi was extremely excited, her cheeks slightly flushed, "When I was just worshipping Lord Lantern, I specifically made a wish.

I wished for Mother, Brother, and me—the three of us—to be together forever...

And then I started advancing!"

Lu Ran was completely dumbfounded.

On one hand, his heart felt warm, rejoicing that he had such a cute and family-devoted younger sister.

On the other hand...

Is this how you treat an advancement?

"Yoo-hoo~" Little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi was beside herself with joy, wildly popping champagne halfway through.

Perhaps because she was about to advance to the River Realm, she was overly excited; her small mouth moved close to Lu Ran's cheek and planted a fierce kiss:

"Mwa~"

"You..." Lu Ran looked at the young girl with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

If anyone else encountered a "flash of spiritual light," they would surely grasp it tightly and strive to seize the opportunity.

But you? Instead of advancing before the shrine, you run out directly to celebrate?

"Stop celebrating and focus on advancing!" Lu Ran put on a stern face, his words especially serious, "If you miss this opportunity, who knows how long you might have to wait!"

"I'm sharing my joy with you!" Little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi retorted, then, grinning again, dashed off toward the bedroom like a streak of smoke.

She seemed to transform into a football player, actually performing a celebration move after scoring a goal—a knee slide.

One heard a "Thump!" sound.

Before little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi had even entered the bedroom, she dropped directly to her knees, sliding all the way toward the shrine.

Midway through the knee slide, she pressed her palms together; as her figure came to a steady halt before the shrine, she instantly entered a state of bowed head and prayer.

That was what one called smooth~

It left Lu Ran staring in blank astonishment!

To be honest, it was no wonder little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi was always scolded by her mother; with moves like this...

Lu Ran helplessly shook his head, crept quietly to his sister's doorway, and gently closed the room door.

"Click~"

Just as the room door here was closed, the security door over there opened.

Lu Ran walked over quickly and saw the figure of Mother.

"Mom, little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi is advancing," Lu Ran whispered, bending down to fetch slippers for his mother.

"Oh?" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun looked down at Lu Ran, allowing her son to change her shoes, and teased, "It seems you ought to come home more often."

Lu Ran's movements halted.

Little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi's sudden inspiration did indeed seem to revolve around the idea of "the family of three staying together forever."

Seeing her son fall silent, Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun asked, "Has she been misbehaving these past few days?"

"No, little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi has been quite good," Lu Ran finally responded.

"Mm," Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun replied softly, slipping on her shoes and stepping toward the interior of the house. "I'll go freshen up."

"In a moment, accompany me to the Sword Heaven Gate."

"Mom, I—" Lu Ran hesitated.

"What is it?" Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun stopped in her tracks, turning to look at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran said, "I'd rather stay home and keep little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi company."

Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun replied, "What she needs is quiet, not companionship."

Lu Ran thought for a moment, then added, "I am now a believer of Xiang Xiang Xianyang; it would be improper for me to visit the main city of another deity."

Having had the experience in North Wind City last time, Lu Ran did not wish to cause trouble for his mother.

For the sake of his family, Lu Ran could certainly press his palms together and bow his head in reverence.

But now, under the influence of my lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang, Lu Ran had developed a hint of dissent toward the gods; if he could avoid meeting their true forms, he preferred not to.

Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun gazed directly into Lu Ran's beautiful eyes and said softly, "Is that so?"

Those eyes seemed capable of piercing through Lu Ran's soul.

Lu Ran remained silent and averted his gaze.

Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun stepped forward slowly, placed one hand on Lu Ran's cheek, lifted his face, and looked into his eyes:

"Tomorrow is the first day of the month, the city's festival. I suppose you don't wish to accompany me as you did in years past?"

Lu Ran: "."

After a long pause, Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun sighed gently: "It seems you have realized where the problem lies."

"That is why, back on the God-Revering Platform, you summoned the evil spirit Rouge Paper Doll."

Lu Ran's heart tightened.

Since June of this year, mother and son had never directly discussed this matter.

After the god-revering ritual, his mother had never once mentioned the evil spirit in their phone calls, offering only soft words of comfort to Lu Ran.

"So..." Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Wanjun's hand remained gentle, her thumb stroking back and forth across Lu Ran's cheek, "... you could only summon one deity: Xiang Xiang Xianyang."

"Mom, I—"

(End of Chapter)