Chapter 239: Top Scholar?

The next day, in the morning hours.

Lu Ran was sitting in meditation and cultivating before the shrine when he suddenly heard the sound of a key inserting into the door lock.

"Hmm?" Lu Ran felt somewhat surprised and immediately stood up.

Just as he walked to the doorway, he happened to see Jiangjiang Ruyi opening the home's door.

"Meow~" Little Li Hua, as if seeing a relative, trotted happily over to welcome her.

"Hello there?" Jiangjiang Ruyi lowered her head, smiling as she looked at the little fellow.

"Meow~" Little Li Hua whimpered softly, pressing against the young girl's trouser leg and rubbing against it in a fawning manner.

Lu Ran was completely dumbstruck!

He had raised Little Li Hua for so long; when had it ever rubbed against his trouser legs?

Jiangjiang Ruyi was amused into laughter; she bent down, picked up the tabby cat with one hand, and took the opportunity to reach out toward the shoe rack nearby.

But her movements suddenly stopped.

Then, Jiangjiang Ruyi straightened up; while teasing the tabby cat, her gaze drifted vaguely, glancing once at Lu Ran in the distance.

Lu Ran: "."

Truly, learning good things is hard, but learning bad things comes in a slippery slide~

"Finished paying respects to the deity?" Lu Ran stepped forward, took a pair of slippers from the shoe rack, and tossed them beside the girl's feet.

Jiangjiang Ruyi, however, tilted her head slightly, silently staring at the slippers without moving an inch.

Such a scene directly made Lu Ran laugh.

He immediately squatted down to change shoes for the girl.

Feeling Lu Ran's gentle actions, Jiangjiang Ruyi secretly rejoiced in her heart.

"I thought you weren't coming today," Lu Ran said casually as he untied the laces of her leather boots.

Jiangjiang Ruyi's foot, clad in a white sock, had just emerged when she stepped it back into the boot: "Then shall I leave?"

"No, no, no!" Lu Ran grabbed her foot, slipped the slipper onto it.

Jiangjiang Ruyi had been smiling brightly all along; she had merely intended to tease Lu Ran a bit.

But following Lu Ran's action, her complexion flushed slightly, and she fell silent.

"By the way, I discussed it with the deity last night," Lu Ran said softly.

"Hmm?" Jiangjiang Ruyi felt somewhat surprised.

What did he mean by "I discussed it with the deity"?

Was My Lord Deity someone you could contact whenever you wished?

Moreover, as a believer, could you actually discuss matters with a deity?

Lu Ran stood up and stepped back two paces: "My Lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang agreed and permits you to cultivate before the shrine."

Jiangjiang Ruyi: "."

The young girl silently stared at Lu Ran; her entire being felt utterly wrong.

Lu Ran had spoken only a few sentences, yet every single one overturned Jiangjiang Ruyi's understanding.

Jiangjiang Ruyi naturally understood clearly how much care My Lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang showed toward Lu Ran.

The Deity · Xiang Xiang Xianyang had not only permitted Lu Ran to engage in combat but had also taught him several Te Shu Shen Fa.

Ever since "Tian Jiao," online discussions had been blazing hot.

The mainstream view held that the Ninth-Rank Deity · Xiang Xiang Xianyang had stumbled upon a massive bargain, and thus showed exceptional care toward Lu Ran, to the point of near spoiling.

Now it seemed, those words were not false!

Lu Ran smiled: "In the future, when you come to my home again, we can sit in meditation and cultivate together before the shrine."

Jiangjiang Ruyi hesitated somewhat, saying softly: "Isn't that improper?"

"Oh, just come along." Lu Ran grabbed the young girl's wrist and led her toward the small bedroom.

Jiangjiang Ruyi naturally observed the rules strictly; she casually placed Little Li Hua on the computer desk, then stood before the shrine, pressed her palms together, and bowed properly and orderly:

"My Lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang, Jiang Ruyi disturbs you."

"Sit." Lu Ran sat down cross-legged.

Jiangjiang Ruyi, however, found herself in a dilemma, utterly unable to sit down.

"My Lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang has a gentle nature and treats people kindly... ahem, is very easygoing."

Lu Ran obviously stuttered slightly, secretly thinking in his heart that he had committed a sin.

As for the words Lu Ran spoke, Jiangjiang Ruyi naturally believed them without any doubt.

After all, what the world always saw was My Lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang's amiable side.

Who had ever seen it with a blackened face, glaring with a pair of gloomy, dead sheep eyes?

Lu Ran tugged at Jiangjiang Ruyi, his expression serious: "This is permitted by My Lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang."

Jiangjiang Ruyi hesitated for a moment but still could not bring herself to refuse Lu Ran's request.

She chose a Zhe Zhong De Fa, kneeling down to sit, very much resembling the posture used for eating in ancient times.

"Just sit cross-legged in meditation," Lu Ran said softly. "You are not a believer of Xiang Xiang Xianyang."

Jiangjiang Ruyi's expression became complex; she pressed her lips together and looked at Lu Ran.

This could not be blamed on Jiangjiang Ruyi.

People living in this era all possessed extremely strong limitations imposed by their times.

Even though the Deity · Xiang Xiang Xianyang was not the deity Jiangjiang Ruyi worshipped, she still dared not overstep the bounds.

"Be obedient." Lu Ran reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair beside Jiangjiang Ruyi's face behind her ear.

Thinking of the deity above, Jiangjiang Ruyi's face instantly turned red.

She lowered her head, struggled inwardly for a moment, but ultimately yielded to Lu Ran.

The guest follows the host's lead?

But that depends on who exactly this "host" is.

Had it been anyone else, Jiangjiang Ruyi would never have obeyed.

The young girl sat down cross-legged; it was not hard to see that some apprehension still lingered in her heart.

Lu Ran said, "Let's cultivate together until noon, then go out for hotpot. How about that?"

"Mm-hmm." Jiangjiang Ruyi's voice was very soft.

"Let's begin!" Lu Ran closed his eyes.

From between heaven and earth, within the shrine, threads of white mist continuously surged toward the two of them.

Facts proved that Lu Ran's choice had been correct.

After resolving the major difficulty of "cultivation," the time the two spent together improved qualitatively.

For the next ten-plus days, Lu Ran lived happily, meeting Little Jiang Ruyi every day.

Together they had watched movies, strolled the streets, eaten cold drinks, and on quiet nights wandered leisurely along the banks of the Wu Lie River.

Of course, all these counted as "extracurricular activities."

Most of the time, the two were still meditating and cultivating at home, or honing their martial arts on the dilapidated rooftop.

The characteristics of the Pai De Shen Fa of the Yufuyi Sect destined its believers to have two growth paths.

Both close combat and long range were viable.

Judging by Jiangjiang Ruyi's growth tendency, she was following the path of long-range damage output.

Lu Ran did not intend to forcibly change her.

What he had in mind was that if, on the battlefield, an enemy truly closed in on Jiangjiang Ruyi, she should at least possess some ability to protect herself.

Such a beautiful world for two continued until the eleventh lunar month.

That afternoon, the two kept their appointment and headed to the Snow Alley Hut Cold Drink Shop.

The trio of Deng Deng Tianchang had finally returned from their trial on the evening of the tenth; having not seen each other for a long time, they wanted to gather.

Lu Ran also made it clear: he would treat them to this meal.

After all, the trio had worked hard and achieved much!

While the pair of Lu and Jiang stayed at home, comfortable and lovey-dovey,

the trio of Deng and Tian were working themselves to death in the Demon Cave, completing the homework assigned by the school for the two of them.

It sounded quite outrageous~

Hexi, before the Snow Alley Hut.

"They're here!" Tian Tian excitedly clenched her small fists, whispering.

At the distant street corner, a man and a woman approached, both wearing hats and masks, looking as though they had no face to show anyone.

"Tsk tsk~" Chang Ying placed a hand on Tian Tian's head and exclaimed admiringly, "What a well-matched pair?"

Tian Tian nodded repeatedly; hearing such words, her heart felt sweet:

"Master and Sister Jiang Ruyi are the most well-matched!"

As the pair of Lu and Jiang drew nearer, Tian Tian ultimately could not restrain the longing in her heart and broke into a light run toward them.

"Sister Jiang Ruyi!"

Tian Tian whispered, like a young swallow returning to its nest.

"Oh." Jiangjiang Ruyi embraced the petite Tian Tian, then stepped back one pace to slow the momentum of the collision.

Tian Tian buried her face in Jiangjiang Ruyi's embrace, looking greedily content, rubbing her cheeks left and right.

Jiangjiang Ruyi could not help but smile and said gently, "Did you miss me?"

"Mm." Tian Tian's face flushed red as she replied softly.

Lu Ran watched this scene with a smile; indeed, it was hard to penetrate Little Tian Tian's heart, and he was unclear about what special feelings she truly harbored toward Jiangjiang Ruyi.

Tian Tian had reached the River Realm; by rights, she should have displayed some bearing of a powerhouse.

Yet before Jiangjiang Ruyi, she still behaved like a little sister.

"Come inside!" Deng Yutang's voice came from afar.

Lu Ran raised his eyes and saw Deng Yutang standing at the entrance of the Snow Alley Hut, smiling and waving toward them.

Before the small wooden hut, Chang Ying also beamed brightly: "Ran Bao, come quickly, come quickly~"

Lu Ran likewise smiled and stepped forward, savoring the rare joy of reunion.

A few minutes later, the five of them sat down in a small private room.

Lu Ran finally removed his mask and hat, looked at the others, and asked, "How was it? Was the trial tiring?"

"It was quite good," Chang Ying said with a giggle.

Her eyes sparkled brightly as she stared at Lu Ran's face, as if she could gaze a flower out of it.

Deng Yutang and Tian Tian were also staring at Lu Ran; it was not hard to see the admiration in their eyes.

Lu Ran was already the role model for several of them.

Since "The Prodigies" aired, Lu Ran's status in their hearts had been infinitely elevated.

In truth, several of them were also aware that Lu Ran had shone brilliantly during the night of the Barbarian Female Drought and the Night of a Hundred Ghosts Walking.

But they could only observe it superficially through photographs and animated images.

"The Prodigies" was different!

Omnidirectional, gapless follow-filming perfectly displayed Lu Ran's terrifying combat power!

After this battle, Lu Ran became the focus of widespread attention, turning into a "big shot," truly worthy of being worshipped.

"Uh." Lu Ran touched the tip of his nose.

Usually thick-skinned, he rarely felt awkward, so he changed the subject: "Do you have confidence in getting full marks for this training assignment?"

"Don't worry, Master," Tian Tian said softly, "We will definitely get the full 20 Believer Points."

Deng Yutang nodded with great confidence: "Adding these 20 points, I'll have over three hundred Believer Points."

I'll soon reach the graduation threshold."

There was a hint of emotion in Deng Yutang's tone, because high school life was about to end.

Until the Gaokao,

there were only a little over two months left!

Jiangjiang Ruyi looked at Tian Tian beside her: "What about you?"

Tian Tian immediately replied: "I'm a little higher than Yutang, with 307 Believer Points."

"That's good." Jiangjiang Ruyi nodded satisfactorily, "Before the Gaokao, we can still earn points from two Fifteenth City Defense missions and two school training assignments."

The Gaokao on May 15th is itself the final major exam, and it uses a hundred-point system.

According to convention, every year on the first day of the sixth lunar month, when everyone worships the gods, we have a special bonus mission.

Your final score will be quite good."

"Mm-hmm." Having received the Goddess's approval, a happy smile appeared on Tian Tian's face.

Since the second semester of Gao San began, the school had not only increased the value of training assignments to 20 Believer Points.

The points for the Fifteenth City Defense missions had also increased as the students' realms improved and the responsibilities they bore grew heavier.

Originally, both the individual leaderboard and the team leaderboard had a maximum score of 10 Believer Points.

Now, the point ceiling for both leaderboards had increased by 10 points.

In other words, Lu Ran, who once ranked first on both lists, could previously earn 20 Believer Points at once; nowadays, if he ranks first on both lists again, he can earn 40 points!

On the fifteenth of last month, Rain Alley City experienced a special event—the Night Parade of Ghosts—and as long as the students survived, they received full marks.

As a result, every student in the school gained a full 40 points!

That was so incredibly satisfying!

"Brother Lu doesn't need to worry," Deng Yutang said, looking at Lu Ran with a smile.

"Correct." Today, Tian Tian was unusually active, "Including these 20 points, Master already has 459.6 points."

Lu Ran's expression turned strange: "You know even better than I do?"

Tian Tian clenched her small fists: "I've calculated it; Master's final score will definitely exceed Jingcheng University's cutoff line by a lot!"

"Oh, right!" Chang Ying suddenly spoke up, looking at Lu Ran, "Don't the Prodigies receive Believer Points?"

Lu Ran shrugged: "Those are awarded at year's end based on the overall ranking of the Grand List, rewarding Believer Points, Shen Bing Fa artifacts, and so on."

"Oh." Chang Ying thought it a pity and murmured softly, "It would be great if they settled it round by round."

I could just grab the top scholar title~"

Lu Ran: "."

If they settled it round by round, that would indeed be a bit unfair to others.

Since the end of the second semester of Gao Er, after students became Believers, the Believer Points accumulated over the following year counted as their Gaokao scores.

Of course, some prestigious universities also held independent exams; only after students reached the cutoff line did they qualify to apply.

These were matters for later; speaking only of the Great Xia's Hundred Prodigies, apart from himself, they were all university students.

The university students treated points as an honor, bringing glory to their own gods and divine gates, and adding luster to their personal resumes.

As for himself, he was directly adding the points from "Prodigy" to his Gaokao score?

Who could possibly outscore me then~

Brothers, tomorrow is July 15th, and I need to go out to worship ancestors.

I will take leave for one day tomorrow; I hope you all will understand.

(End of Chapter)