Chapter 22: As If It Were Yesterday

"Lu Ran."

"Hmm?" Lu Ran lowered the red scarf and turned his head to look at Jiangjiang Meiren.

She wore a white raincoat, which suited her fair and lovely complexion perfectly, appearing pure and serenely beautiful.

The young girl asked, "Did you advance?"

Lu Ran smiled and said, "Guess?"

This scene seemed to have played out just a few days ago?

Jiangjiang Ruyi rolled her eyes at Lu Ran, half-annoyed and half-amused: "Who cares to know."

With his arrogant and confident demeanor, anyone could deduce the answer.

"Hehe." Lu Ran grinned broadly.

You dare use chopsticks while eating at my feast? I'll pull out the plastic bag again!

My apologies, everyone.

I'm showing off again!

"Good!" Deng Yutang shouted loudly, startling Lu Ran, "You've learned the Immortal Hoof technique too, right?"

Lu Ran nodded as a matter of course: "Rest assured."

Deng Yutang felt relieved; Brother Lu truly lived up to expectations.

Seeing his companion advance once again ahead of him, Deng Yutang felt immensely envious, yet also sensed a slight pressure.

But the joy in his heart was greater, after all, the stronger Lu Ran became, the higher the survival rate for the entire team!

Especially now that he possessed the Divine Art: Immortal Hoof, Lu Ran's movement speed would be even faster, allowing him to better connect the whole team and provide support everywhere!

"So amazing." Tian Tian looked up at Lu Ran, her little mouth slightly agape.

Seeing Tian Tian's cute little expression, Lu Ran couldn't help but reach out and pat her on the head.

Although they were all the same age, the well-behaved and adorable Tian Tian always gave people the feeling of a little sister?

"Mm." Tian Tian lowered her head, her cheeks flushed red, not daring to dodge.

It was Goddess Jiang who showed great mercy, rescuing her subject by pulling Tian Tian behind her, shielding that petite figure.

"All units assemble, line up according to team numbers!" On the main stage, a male teacher held a microphone and commanded loudly.

The playground was in chaos, yet the teacher's voice continued: "Today, you will participate in the city defense operation to protect this city!"

Amidst the male teacher's lengthy speech, the students finished lining up.

The playground fell solemn, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

Compared to the previous assessment in Evil Dog Village, this fifteen-city defense was undoubtedly a hundred times more perilous!

As their homeroom teacher Li Li Yanzhu had said before, today there would be no soldiers filtering out the weakest demons for the students to practice on.

Tonight,

if one was even slightly careless, people would truly die!

"Attention!" the male teacher shouted loudly, "Teams whose numbers I call, come forward to the main stage in order,"

Deng Yutang suddenly spoke up: "I think I see my sister."

"Oh?" Lu Ran gazed into the distance, searching for the figure of Great Da Da Mengyan.

Sure enough, amidst a sea of dark raincoats, he spotted a figure in a vividly bright yellow.

"Your sister's job rank isn't low, is it?" Lu Ran leaned close behind Deng Yutang and whispered.

Just in front of the main stage, a group of Moon Gazers stood in neat formation, while Great Da Da Mengyan stood at the side of the ranks together with five others.

Deng Yutang shook his head: "She's only been employed for a few months; what rank could she possibly have?"

Lu Ran raised his eyebrows slightly; then was this positioning because she was from the Municipal Bureau?

Very likely.

Even though Deng Deng Yuxiang was merely a small soldier within the Yunshan City Divine People Bureau, here in Rain Alley City, she was someone dispatched by a higher authority.

"... Team 33!"

"Team 57!"

"Team 98!"

"Present!" Deng Yutang responded instinctively, his voice extremely loud.

Under the gaze of the students, the four-person group quickly crossed the lines and arrived before the main stage.

"Each of your ten teams has been assigned a Moon Gazer as leader to carry out missions at the West District Gymnasium," the male teacher said gravely, "From this moment on, obey the Moon Gazers' arrangements in everything!"

As he spoke, men and women clad in black raincoats came forward to stand before their respective teams.

The Moon Gazer leading Team 98 was a middle-aged man with a rather kind face.

"Let's go." The man spoke first, waving his hand at the four of them.

Deng Yutang took the lead and followed him.

However, upon reaching the side of the main stage, Deng Yutang opened his mouth to greet her: "Sister."

Earlier, Deng Yutang's voice had been loud and clear, but now he looked as though he didn't want to greet her yet dared not remain silent.

Lu Ran, however, was completely at ease, waving his hand: "Hello, Big Sister!"

"Mm." Deng Deng Yuxiang ignored her own brother and instead looked Lu Ran up and down.

She tilted her head up slightly in indication, her posture quite dashing: "Little Lu Ran, don't you dare die."

"No wonder you're my sister." Lu Ran immediately stuck up a thumb, "You really know how to show concern!"

"Hehe~"

"Haha." For a moment, several colleagues from the Municipal Bureau burst into laughter.

"You brat." Deng Deng Yuxiang also laughed and scolded, "Scram!"

Deng Yutang: "."

Deng Yutang, who had originally been unwilling to greet anyone, suddenly felt a sense of being neglected.

What is wrong with me?

From childhood until now, I've always tried to avoid her; what is happening today?

Lu Ran did not speak again, but raised an eyebrow, his face showing a look of inquiry.

Deng Deng Yuxiang reacted quickly and immediately understood what Lu Ran was asking.

Her smile faded slightly, and she shook her head gently.

"Alright then." Lu Ran sighed inwardly and followed the group as they departed.

"Is Little Deng your sister?" The Moonwatcher leading the team looked at Lu Ran.

"His." Lu Ran patted Deng Yutang's back. "If she were my sister, I wouldn't have survived until now."

The Moonwatcher's expression turned strange as he looked at Deng Yutang.

Deng Yutang could only nod.

Maybe she is my sister; although... she doesn't seem very familiar with me, she probably is.

"Mr., what should we call you?" Lu Ran asked casually.

The man introduced himself: "Zhang Feng. Just call me Brother Zhang."

"I'm from the Moonwatch Battalion of the Divine People Bureau in Deng Yuxiang City, a believer of the Sword Lotus."

Jiangjiang Ruyi looked at the young girl beside her and whispered, "We've met a senior brother."

Tian Tian curiously looked toward her fellow believer, but unfortunately, just then Zhang Feng's expression turned serious: "From now until the mission ends, you must obey orders!"

"This duty shift is no child's play; you are responsible for your own lives."

"Yes!"

"Yes." The responses from the several people were equally serious.

Ten small teams boarded the Divine People Bureau's bus, driving through deserted streets all the way to the West District Stadium.

Deng Yuxiang City had many shelters, and Lu Ran was quite familiar with this stadium in the West District.

In fact, last month on the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, Lu Ran had even spent the night here.

As the vehicle entered the road leading to the stadium and the round building came into view from afar, Lu Ran unexpectedly felt a sense of unreality.

On this day last month, he had already been inside the hall, lying on a bed boredly scrolling through his phone.

Back then, his mother would still call him amidst her busy schedule to encourage and comfort him a little.

But now...

Lu Ran subconsciously touched his pocket.

Sure enough, he had forgotten his phone again.

It seems having Xiang Xiang Xianyang made him forget his mother.

Moreover, since becoming a believer, he had trained hard day and night and hadn't contacted his sister in a long time.

In the two years since leaving Jingcheng, every fifteenth day of the lunar month, the brother and sister would always exchange messages and chat about recent events.

Compared to Lu Ran, his sister's environment for spending the night was much better; she could stay at home and pass through safely before the divine statue of Sword One, worshipped by their mother.

"Did any of you bring your phones?" Lu Ran asked.

Deng Yutang shook his head, while Tian Tian in the back seat hurriedly rummaged and handed over her phone: "Here."

Her phone case featured a pink cartoon rabbit, quite cute.

Lu Ran took the phone and handed it back: "The passcode."

"Oh, oh." Tian Tian extended her small hand and tapped the screen repeatedly.

Lu Ran accidentally caught a glimpse: "0607, is that your birthday?"

Tian Tian quickly withdrew her small hand and made no sound.

Lu Ran: "Why didn't you say so earlier? We could have celebrated for you!"

"June seventh." Deng Yutang pondered. "In the lunar calendar, isn't that exactly the day we formed our team?"

Hearing this, Tian Tian actually turned her head to look out the window, daring not to look at the others anymore.

Jiangjiang Ruyi, intelligent as ice and snow, seemed to understand something.

"It might also be a bank password; don't ask anymore," Jiangjiang Ruyi said at the right moment to defuse the situation, placing a hand on Tian Tian's back.

As her palm stroked up and down, Tian Tian's tense body gradually relaxed.

Jiangjiang Ruyi's eyes held a smile as she looked at the young girl sitting beside her.

She was just a bit shy and not good at expressing herself.

She probably hid many worries in her heart as well.

A few minutes later, the vehicle drove into the vast stadium and came to a stop in front of the gymnasium.

"Everyone, get off!"

A voice came from the front; Lu Ran quickly sent the message and got off the bus together with the main group.

Under the curtain of rain, the stadium was utterly silent.

The green lawns, basketball courts, tennis courts, and other grounds were all completely empty.

"Let's familiarize ourselves with the environment first." Zhang Feng beckoned the four of them, and they walked into the gymnasium together.

Inside and outside the building were worlds apart.

Inside the hall, lights blazed brightly; there were probably over a thousand people!

Rows of single beds were neatly arranged in clear grids, with most citizens staying on their beds playing on their phones or watching tablets.

There were also groups of two or three gathered together playing poker or boasting quietly.

The occasional soft laughter helped ease the oppressive atmosphere.

Why were everyone in the hall consciously lowering their voices?

Because at the intersections of the beds, many small shrines stood, and on the kneeling mats before each shrine sat a Moon-Gazer in a kneeling posture.

At a glance, in this vast space, there were probably thirty or forty small shrines.

Inside each shrine stood a small Two Biwu tree.

Sixth-Rank Deity: Two Biwu!

It is a typical plant-type deity; the divine arts of the Two Biwu faction are renowned for defense and healing.

"You're back."

Lu Ran murmured, feeling as though a whole day had passed since then.

"Thirty beds across, thirty beds deep; counting the children, there are a thousand citizens in total," Zhang Feng said softly as he led his team wandering through.

"Memorize the layout of the hall and watch the gaps between the beds."

"Although your guard posts are not inside the hall, if necessary, we may enter at any time."

As the team advanced, some citizens cast friendly glances their way.

Lu Ran and the others were clearly identifiable; after all, they carried weapons and were led by a Moon-Gazer.

Some citizens, however, were not friendly toward this group of young people.

"Call the landlord!"

"I'll grab it~"

Not far to the right front, a bald man was lying comfortably on a bed, playing Fight the Landlord on his phone.

Realizing someone was approaching, he raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Lu Ran and the others.

Especially upon seeing the petite and delicate Tian Tian, the bald man, whose face was covered in thick flesh, shot the girl a hostile glance.

His face was full of disgust, with no attempt to hide it!

"Do you know him?" Jiangjiang Ruyi frowned slightly.

Tian Tian silently shook her head.

This sudden malice, though seemingly baseless, actually had some reason behind it.

In the eyes of some, young believers like Lu Ran were extremely unreliable!

If they truly encountered danger, such believers might panic even more than ordinary people!

Yet believers possessed physical qualities surpassing those of ordinary people; once they panicked, the resulting chaos would be even greater.

Such rookies would be better off positioning themselves as ordinary people and accepting the protection of the Moon-Gazers together!

The problem is that each generation of young believers must undergo trials to grow; their first guard duty is unavoidable.

It was only because the bald man was a guest under someone else's roof and the team was led by a Moon-Watcher person that the other party had not yet spoken up; otherwise, he likely would have already opened his mouth.

"Lu Ran?" Jiangjiang Ruyi stopped, because Lu Ran ahead had halted.

The bald man, with a hostile expression, glared at the now-stationary Lu Ran: "What are you looking at?"

So what if he's a believer?

You little brats, go wherever you like, but for heaven's sake, don't get assigned to my area!

Yet Lu Ran pointed at the bed and said, "On the fifteenth of last month, I slept on this very bed."

The bald man sat up: "What do you mean? Are you claiming this bed now? Not letting others sleep here?"

Unexpectedly, Lu Ran suddenly raised his head and pointed straight upward:

"Around ten o'clock that night, I watched with my own eyes as a Lie Hun Mo poked its head out, right there!"

The bald man:???

Lu Ran then pointed at the bald man's feet: "If the Moon-Watcher people hadn't acted quickly, the Soul-Hunting Demon would have fallen right at the foot of my bed!"

"Damn!" The bald man quickly pulled his feet back. "Little brother, don't scare me; my heart can't take it."

"Your cards are way too good!"

"Hurry up; I've been waiting until the flowers have withered~"

From the phone came a series of voices.

The thick flesh on the bald man's face seemed to vanish from fright: "Little brother, if you like this bed, I'll switch, okay?

If you're tired from your night guard duty, come rest here; I'll leave right now!"

"Mr., calm down!" Zhang Feng immediately returned, pressing the bald man back onto the bed. "Registered beds cannot be swapped arbitrarily.

Do not panic; the demonic race does not appear at fixed locations.

There are many deity statues in the hall, and many Moon-Watcher people are stationed here; we will definitely protect you. Please rest assured."

Lu Ran nodded heavily: "Yes, safe and painless!

At that time, I hadn't even had time to shout before it was all over."

The bald man: "."

After calming the bald man, Zhang Feng turned again to look at Lu Ran: "Some psychological trauma is unavoidable.

But you are no longer the same; you must learn to face it, not live in fear forever."

Lu Ran gazed upward at the high ceiling, his eyes bright and determined: "Brother Zhang, you misunderstand."

Zhang Feng: "Oh?"

Lu Ran clutched the Xia Guang Dao wrapped in cloth tightly, looking toward the direction where the Lie Hun Mo had appeared: "I have no fear.

On the contrary, I hope to see it again tonight.

And slay it with my own hands!"

"Mother's mother, my grandmother!"

The bald big brother scrambled to his feet with a thud, his face a picture of woe: "Swap it, this bed absolutely must be swapped!"

"Just stop talking!" Zhang Feng hurriedly pushed Lu Ran with one hand and quickly walked away into the distance.

Thanks to Burning Thigh Hair Da Meng for the donation; the boss is generous, thanks for the support!

Gah!

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(End of Chapter)