Chapter 385: That Dog Thing and Chef Li's Kitchen

Inside the Hall of Rebirth, red threads fell like rain.

Deep within the great hall, Lu Ran stood before the divine statue of the goddess Lady Lady Wangquan, offering incense with proper decorum.

Beside him, Li Li Rouyin leaned on her bamboo staff, standing silently.

Her eyes could see ghosts below and gods above, yet they could see no humans.

Coincidentally, Lu Ran was quite inhuman!

Therefore, Li Li Rouyin saw him with perfect clarity.

When Li Li Rouyin saw that Lu Ran was merely bowing to offer incense, she couldn't help but pout.

That dog thing!

Just like last time, facing my lord the deity, and he doesn't even kneel?

With such an attitude, he still wants to take the string of copper coins from me?

Yet Lady Lady Wangquan favors him and doesn't care whether he kneels and kowtows.

Hmph. Truly infuriating.

"Little Li Rouyin?" After offering the incense, Lu Ran clasped his hands together in reverence for quite a while before turning his head to look at the young woman.

Li Li Rouyin said, "I'm not little; you're the little one."

Lu Ran: "..."

What kind of talk is that!

She lifted her blind bamboo staff and swept it casually, gesturing toward the myriad red threads descending from the sky: "Choose."

"Don't!" Lu Ran hurriedly said, "Didn't we agree on the Barbarian Female Drought and the Shadow of Pulling Threads?"

Li Li Rouyin's heart began to bleed again.

However, thinking that Lu Ran was about to challenge the Divine Ruins, a touch of emotion arose in her heart as well.

Those hollow eyes gazed at Lu Ran, her expression growing increasingly complex.

It was like a silent farewell.

Lu Ran nearly thought he had seen wrong!

Was her expression somewhat sorrowful?

Lu Ran certainly wouldn't flatter himself!

The friendship between the two was pitifully scant.

It was mostly Lady Lady Wangquan's care for Lu Ran, along with a certain "entrusting of an orphan."

If one truly spoke of personal ties, the cold-natured Li Li Rouyin would not have such emotional fluctuations regarding Lu Ran.

Moreover, at this moment, Li Li Rouyin should hate him to death and wish he would scram immediately.

Lu Ran waited a moment, then called out softly: "Li Li Rouyin?"

"Mm." She slowly raised her blind bamboo staff, pointing in a direction: "That string."

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment, then still asked, "What were you just thinking about?"

Li Li Rouyin opened her mouth, then stopped, holding back her words.

Lu Ran's face showed an inquisitive look.

But Li Li Rouyin gradually tightened her grip on the blind bamboo staff, her voice remaining flat: "Are you going to eat or not?"

"Eat!" Lu Ran stopped talking nonsense and walked in the direction her staff indicated.

"Is it this one?"

"Or this one?" Lu Ran asked repeatedly.

Finally, amidst the dense rain of red threads, he found the string of copper coins for the Barbarian Female Drought.

"That thing..." Lu Ran turned his head to look at the girl, "Help me release the trapped dead souls inside the copper coins, okay?"

Li Li Rouyin said expressionlessly: "I've served you the meal you ordered."

"What, do you expect me to feed it into your mouth as well?"

Lu Ran looked embarrassed: "You forgot, last time you fed me exactly like that."

Li Li Rouyin: "..."

Thinking back, that was indeed the case!

This damn fellow!

Apart from eating, he knows how to do nothing else.

Can't he even open the lunchbox?!

"Heh." Li Li Rouyin raised her fair hand to her forehead, rubbing her temples with her middle finger and thumb, looking utterly weary.

Lu Ran wore a face full of obedience, waiting for the "cafeteria auntie's" one-stop service.

In the end, Li Li Rouyin still stepped forward.

Her slender figure moved through the "rain of red threads," yet not a single thread touched her body.

She arrived before Lu Ran, her fingertips lightly brushing over several illusory copper coins.

Lu Ran forcibly suppressed his excited emotions.

It was time to open blind boxes again!

This time it's another six or seven hundred consecutive draws, let's go~

Mist Realm, River Realm, Stream Realm, River Realm...

Lu Ran's Barbarian Female Drought Yemo Yemo Xiesu was originally at River Realm Stage Two; in no time, the Yemo Yemo Xiesu began to buzz and tremble!

River Realm Stage Three, River Realm Stage Four, River Realm Stage Five...

"Wow, a golden legend!" Lu Ran suddenly murmured softly.

Jiang Jing dead souls!

Lu Ran stared with dead-fish eyes that ought to have been lifeless.

But at this moment, his expression was simply too vivid and lively!

Li Li Rouyin paused in her movements, feeling a strong urge to grab her bamboo cane and rap him sharply twice.

Damn fellow!

She had lost count of how many times she had cursed under her breath.

Does eating still not shut your mouth?

You dog thing!

Eat, I'll let you eat!

Li Li Rouyin's fair hand slid up along the silk threads; with a flick of her fingertips, the illusory copper coins shattered one after another.

The dead souls within, having suffered endless torment, moaned in agony and shrieked miserably, finally escaping the boundless purgatory.

They had thought Li Li Rouyin had grown bored and, in a fit of mercy, would cease tormenting them.

Yet they never expected that no sooner had they escaped the tiger's den than they fell into the wolf's mouth!

Countless dead souls of the barbarian female drought demons had no time to wail or vent their emotions before being seized by Lu Ran's Death Realm pupils.

River Realm, Mist Realm, Stream Realm, River Realm.

Just as last time, the number of River Realm dead souls compared to the combined total of Mist Realm and Stream Realm dead souls reached an astonishing ratio of 1:1.

"Wait, wait a moment!" Lu Ran's figure swayed as he hastily spoke up.

Li Li Rouyin was quite surprised, realizing that Lu Ran's steps were unsteady and his breathing heavy.

What was happening?

Had he eaten until he was stuffed?

Gradually, a look of schadenfreude spread across Li Li Rouyin's face.

Serves you right!

You dog thing...

Told you to eat; now you've choked and are spitting up milk, haven't you!

"Buzz!!"

Within Lu Ran's sculpture garden, the barbarian female drought demon Yemo Yemo Xiesu trembled violently, its dimensions expanding inch by inch.

Li Li Rouyin smiled gently: "Choked?"

Lu Ran: "Huh?"

"Do you want to go drink some water? I'll wait for you."

Lu Ran: "..."

Boom!

Barbarian female drought demon Yemo Yemo Xiesu, Jiang Jing · First Stage!

"Come, continue." Lu Ran shook his head vigorously; on this red thread before him, few copper coins remained.

"Hmph." Li Li Rouyin, just like her brother, immediately stopped smiling.

Before long, there were no more copper coins left on this red thread.

Lu Ran took a deep breath, calming his emotions.

Li Li Rouyin stood silently to one side, likewise calming her emotions.

One was excited, the other sorrowful.

"Um... ahem." Lu Ran said softly, "Where are the coin strings of the Thread-Pulling Shadow?"

Li Li Rouyin pursed her lips.

You really want to eat more!

You still want to eat more?

The woman, usually cold as ice, actually displayed a grievous, pitiful little expression.

She looked as if she were about to cry.

How dog-like was Lu Ran?

He pretended not to see it and whispered: "Little Li Rouyin?"

Li Li Rouyin suddenly took a step forward.

Lu Ran hastily made way, fearing she might bump into him.

"Smack!"

Her blind cane, sweeping ahead to probe the path, struck Lu Ran.

Right after striking Lu Ran, Li Li Rouyin halted her steps, muttering to herself:

"Eh? Seems I went the wrong way."

Lu Ran: "..."

No, you didn't go the wrong way.

You were heading straight for me!

"Smack! Smack!"

That certain blind lady paced back and forth in the drizzle of red threads.

After repeatedly taking wrong turns and striking Lu Ran with her cane several times, she finally found the correct path.

Li Li Rouyin held a red thread in each hand with Wu Shi Zhu: "I accidentally hit you just now; does it hurt?"

Lu Ran shook his head repeatedly: "How can you call it hitting? You were simply using your blind cane normally to probe the path!"

"It was clearly my fault; I'm always blocking your path."

Li Li Rouyin: "."

This works too?

Lu Ran didn't care at all.

Eating is eating!

Nothing shameful about it~

"Come on." Li Li Rouyin held the red threads with her bare hands, her fingertips gently brushing the illusory copper coins.

As the illusory copper coins shattered one by one, souls of the dead surged forth once more.

This time, they transformed into seductive and charming Puppet Shadow Spirits.

However, having been tormented by Li Li Rouyin for too long, they no longer possessed any of their former alluring grace, their wails growing increasingly miserable.

Come, come!

Lu Ran excitedly licked his lips.

Come serve as fodder for my Yemo Yemo Xiesu, allowing me to lead you back to your peak and recreate your myriad charms.

Lu Ran's Puppet Shadow Spirit Yemo Yemo Xiesu stood at River Realm · Stage One.

He felt somewhat worried, uncertain whether the quantity of dead souls Li Li Rouyin had collected was sufficient for the Puppet Shadow Spirit Yemo Yemo Xiesu to advance to the River Realm.

Truly, whatever one fears is exactly what arrives!

After a full eight hundred consecutive draws, the strength and realm of Lu Ran's Puppet Shadow Spirit Yemo Yemo Xiesu remained fixed at River Realm · Stage Five.

It was truly unbearable!

Just a little more, and Lu Ran could have created Puppet Shadow Spirit minions.

Just a little more, and Lu Ran could have equipped himself with the River Realm ultimate move of the Puppet Shadow Spirit clan!

"Alright, you may leave." Li Li Rouyin picked up the solitary copper coin, rubbing it lightly with her fingertip.

Lu Ran hesitated for quite a while before saying, "Are there any more dead souls of Puppet Shadow Spirits?"

Li Li Rouyin's expression stiffened; she turned her head toward Lu Ran, gritting her teeth: "What did you say?"

Lu Ran felt extremely embarrassed: "Just a little more is fine, just a tiny bit."

"Heh." Li Li Rouyin was actually laughed into anger by him; she turned and walked toward the depths of the main hall, her voice icy cold, "Leave."

In that state of walking with wind at her heels, where was even a shred of the demeanor one would expect from a blind person?

She knelt upon the prayer cushion, bowing her head before the stone statue of Lady Lady Wangquan.

It seemed she had no intention of paying Lu Ran any further attention.

"A thousand thanks!" Lu Ran shouted his gratitude, then turned and departed.

However, when he reached the entrance of the Hall of Rebirth, his movements hesitated once more.

After much deliberation, Lu Ran still turned his head.

His gaze swept past the endless hanging red threads, settling on the slender figure kneeling in prayer deep within the main hall.

After a long moment, Lu Ran called out: "Li Li Rouyin."

Li Li Rouyin remained motionless, silent and unspoken.

Lu Ran continued: "Whether you feel distress or anger, I can understand it. But just now, for an instant, your expression was deeply sorrowful; why?"

Hearing this, Li Li Rouyin's brows furrowed slightly.

Lu Ran continued: "You seemed about to speak but stopped yourself earlier; was there something you wished to tell me?"

Li Li Rouyin still kept her back to Lu Ran, remaining utterly motionless.

Lu Ran organized his words, then said in a deep voice: "Lady Lady Wangquan and Xiang Xiang Xianyang are old acquaintances, and your sect has shown me every kindness.

If you wish to warn me of something, I appreciate your intention.

If you have encountered some difficulty, and there is anything I can do..."

Xiang Xiang Xianyang had explicitly stated that the Wangquanyi Sect was very special, and that Li Li Rouyin, this powerful human believer, could join the Ran Sect.

Alas, Lu Ran and Li Li Rouyin rarely had any interaction.

Moreover, every time Lu Ran came, it was only to eat and drink, which naturally made Li Li Rouyin dislike him even more.

This was not good!

Lu Ran waited for a long time, but Li Li Rouyin merely knelt in silent prayer, offering no response.

"Sigh." Lu Ran shook his head helplessly, turned, and pushed open the hall doors.

Suddenly, a cold voice came: "You intend to challenge the Divine Ruins."

"Yes." Lu Ran turned to look.

Inside the Hall of Rebirth, red threads fell like rain, swaying in the wind.

Amidst this aesthetic red rain, the woman kneeling so devoutly lowered her head and spoke softly:

"I have a childhood friend who, after challenging the Divine Ruins several years ago, has been unheard from ever since."

Only then did Lu Ran realize why Li Li Rouyin had stared blankly earlier in Sun Sun Zhengfang's residence when he mentioned challenging the Divine Ruins.

His heart stirred involuntarily!

Was this not an opportunity to recruit the cafeteria auntie into the Ran Sect?

Was this not a perfect chance to turn the Wangquanyi Sect into the Ran Sect's logistics and supply department, to become his private kitchen?

Lu Ran did not hesitate: "Name."

"Qin Lady Yanzhi."

"A believer of which deity? What is their appearance like?"

Li Li Rouyin slowly rose, walked steadily through the red rain, and finally stopped before a single silk thread.

Her soft lips parted slightly: "Come."

"Huh?"

Li Li Rouyin toyed with a silk thread, saying indifferently, "Didn't you say you wanted to eat some more Thread-Shadow?"

Lu Ran's eyes lit up, and he headed straight for Li's Private Kitchen!

It's snowing over here.

Hehe, it looks nice~

What about over there?

Special thanks to the bosses 'Happy Little Deer Bambi' and 'Lone Wolf's Shadow' for their generous donations! You bosses are magnificent; thank you for your support! I wish you bosses smooth sailing and longevity unto immortality! Hooray~

(<3) Heart fingers

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(End of Chapter)