Chapter 56: Agreement

Lu Ran slept so deeply that the world turned dark and hazy.

When he finally opened his bleary eyes, it was already deep night.

“Mm.”

Lu Ran propped himself up with one hand on the bed, feeling every muscle in his body aching.

He instinctively glanced at the wall clock, but the room was pitch black.

Even though moonlight spilled across the windowsill, it offered him little help.

A thought stirred in Lu Ran’s mind; memories from his dream began flooding his thoughts.

Instantly, he felt much more alert!

Clearly, the past twenty-one days of slaying dogs had brought Lu Ran a stage of success!

In his dream, the demon dog statue had finally been activated.

“So.”

Lu Ran couldn’t help but lick his lips.

The next moment, divine power surged across his body.

Demon Art: Demon Perception!

Lu Ran’s eyes widened!

It wasn’t quite night vision, but he could now faintly make out the clock face on the wall!

12:00 exactly.

Heh,

Waking early is nothing compared to waking at the right moment.

Open my eyes, and it’s exactly emo time!

“The evening breeze lifts the white strands at your temples, smoothing the scars left by memory; in your eyes, light and shadow mingle.”

Lu Ran’s voice was soft and quiet.

His eyes glowed faintly; with the aid of Demon Art: Demon Perception, he surveyed the room’s furnishings.

After a long while, Lu Ran rose and walked to the window, his fingertips lightly brushing the windowsill washed in moonlight, savoring the strange sensation.

The bright moon hung on the horizon; insects chirped in the summer night.

Slowly, Lu Ran closed his eyes.

He listened intently to the world wrapped in nightfall.

The rank of Demon Art: Demon Perception was still too low—only Mist grade.

It couldn’t achieve true night vision, nor capture distant or varied sounds.

“You can slay more evil dogs.” A low voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

Lu Ran jumped!

He had been carefully listening to the night—this sudden voice was no different from a horror movie’s “jump scare.”

Lu Ran stepped back diagonally, arriving before the altar, clasping his hands: “Lord Xiangyang?”

The white sheep jade carving: “Capture more evil dog spirits to nourish the demon statue.

The stronger the evil dog statue becomes, the higher the rank and the greater the variety of Demon Arts.”

“Disciple understands.” Lu Ran nodded firmly.

The white sheep jade carving: “Do not neglect your own cultivation.

The weak cannot wield advanced techniques—no amount of forcing will help.”

“Yes!” Lu Ran nodded again.

The small dark bedroom fell silent once more.

Lu Ran waited a long while, receiving no further instruction from the deity, then turned to the desk and picked up his phone, fully charged after a day’s rest.

As expected, his phone was packed with messages from his twenty-one-day absence.

Aside from his mother’s concern, the most frequent messages came from his sister, Jiang Qiao.

Starting on the third day of the seventh lunar month, she began pestering him:

“Done yet?”

After that, almost daily WeChat messages followed:

“It’s been over ten days—haven’t you finished your mission yet?”

“Why aren’t you out yet? Your strength must be terrible.”

“Stupid brother, you’re so weak! If you don’t reply, I’ll call you stupid little brother!”

“Today I ate a burger and secretly threw out the lettuce, hehe~”

“T^T, Mom caught me and scolded me.”

“It’s already the eighth of the seventh month—my cold-blooded, weak brother…”

“Stupid little brother.”

Lu Ran’s finger slid to a stop, the screen freezing on the last message.

Looking at those three words, Lu Ran’s expression turned peculiar.

Hmm… in this one thing, his sister really was like him.

Purely upside-down heavenly order!

Lu Ran glanced at the time, then tossed the phone back onto the desk.

Forget it—he’d call to report his safety tomorrow.

He returned to the altar, sat cross-legged, and entered cultivation mode.

A wisp of mist quietly drifted from the altar, swirling around the human believer, nourishing his flesh and blood.

Funny enough, sleeping had left Lu Ran aching all over.

Yet cultivating divine power greatly eased his physical fatigue.

The night passed without further incident.

At dawn the next day:

“Ughhh~~~”

Lu Ran stretched out with fierce intensity, hearing several crisp pops from his joints.

“Lord Xiangyang, good morning.” After greeting, Lu Ran rose and headed straight for his phone.

His mother always woke early, so there was no worry about disturbing her rest.

Sure enough, after only a few seconds, the call connected.

“Ranran?”

“Mom, sorry for worrying you.” Lu Ran walked to the window, watching the sky brighten, “The mission was extremely demanding—I barely finished on the last day.”

“You slept all day yesterday, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.” Lu Ran smiled sheepishly.

Qiao Wanjun’s voice remained gentle: “Next time you return home, send me a quick message before resting.”

“Got it.” Lu Ran hurriedly replied.

Qiao Wanjun didn’t press further, instead asking: “Can you upgrade your divine pearl and weapon?”

“Yes, I slaughtered dogs in Dog Village until the world turned dark and hazy.” Lu Ran grinned, “I’m practically ready to open a butcher stall now!”

Qiao Wanjun chuckled softly: “At first, you had to muster the courage to pick up the cleaver.

Now, you must constantly remind yourself to hold reverence for life.

Remember to clearly distinguish the demon race from other living beings.”

“I will.” Lu Ran replied solemnly.

A powerful believer’s path is paved with piles of corpses, his hands stained with blood.

The demon race is truly cunning.

Even if they cannot kill you, your soul may still be corrupted through repeated slaughter.

Over the past two years of high school, their homeroom teacher had repeatedly lectured students:

Disregarding life, becoming numb—it’s easy.

What believers must truly strive for is preserving their inner self through a long, brutal combat life.

“Good.” Qiao Wanjun wasn’t overly concerned—after all, the deity was watching. She continued, “Yesterday, when I came home, Yuanxi mentioned you.”

Lu Ran felt awkward: “I’ll book my ticket right away.

By the way, is that big bao place near our house still open?”

“Don’t buy her any. I’ve punished her—no food this week.” Qiao Wanjun continued, “Just come home.

That way, you two can stay together and enjoy the Mid-Autumn night—I’ll feel more at ease.”

“No, Mom.” Lu Ran immediately said, “I have to return the day after tomorrow—there’s a mission on the fifteenth.”

“Mission?” Qiao Wanjun was startled.

“It’s like this…” Lu Ran explained in detail.

On the other end of the line, Qiao Wanjun’s frown deepened with every word.

Believers could certainly participate in the fifteenth night city defense mission.

But the world was about to face the most perilous July fifteenth!

“Extra test.” Qiao Wanjun murmured to herself. Her child had received such an honor—she should feel proud.

But in reality, her heart was filled with even more worry.

“Don’t worry, Mom, I’m with the Wangyue people—I’ll be perfectly safe,” Lu Ran reassured her.

“How could you not tell me about something this big?”

Hearing his mother’s words, Lu Ran fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Qiao Wanjun, however, misinterpreted his silence, thinking her tone had been too harsh.

For this fiercely strong and fiercely independent son, Qiao Wanjun rarely scolded him—not even willing to speak sharply.

“I’ve just been too busy lately, and I haven’t cared enough for you,” Qiao Wanjun’s tone softened. “You shouldn’t come over—stay home and rest properly.”

Remember, on the fifteenth night, stick close to the Wangyue people. Don’t make Mom worry.”

“I will!”

“I’ll tell Yuanxi myself,” Qiao Wanjun sighed lightly. “Ranran.”

“Hmm?”

“Your father would be proud of you.”

Lu Ran smiled: “What about you?”

At this, Qiao Wanjun smiled too: “Call me at five a.m. on July sixteenth. I’ll tell you then.”

“Deal.”

Lu Ran hung up the phone and set it down.

“July fifteenth,” he murmured, pressing his hands against the windowsill, gazing up at the clear sky.

Last month’s fifteenth, he hadn’t been lucky enough to see the full moon.

I hope, this time, I can see it.

“Vrrr~ Vrrr~”

The phone suddenly vibrated.

Lu Ran looked at the unknown number and answered curiously: “Hello?”

From the other end came a familiar female voice: “Little Lu Ran?”

Lu Ran froze, three words slipping out: “Big Nightmare?”

Deng Yuxiang’s expression turned bizarre: “Huh?”

Lu Ran: “.”

“Fine, fine, fine!” Deng Yuxiang snapped back, laughing in exasperation. “You dare sneakily give me a nickname behind my back?”

Lu Ran hurriedly said: “You misunderstood—I said Big Dream Beauty!”

“Your divine beauty is something only dreams can hold! Even prettier than Yanzhi people!”

Deng Yuxiang: ???

For a moment, Deng Yuxiang couldn’t tell whether Lu Ran was complimenting her or insulting her.

“What do you want?” Lu Ran seized the chance to change the subject.

Deng Yuxiang snorted: “I heard from Yutang that you completed your mission and came back.”

“Yes,” Lu Ran’s mind stirred. “Are you calling about joining the patrol team?”

But Deng Yuxiang said: “I’m bored, thought I’d stretch my limbs.”

“Hey? Talk! This damn phone—why’s the signal so bad? Beep-beep-beep—”

(End of Chapter)