Chapter 666: The Glutton and the Stingy One

On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, in the dead of night.

Outside Anji City in Qiantang River Province, within a deep, ancient forest, a floor-to-ceiling mirror opened and then scattered.

Lu Ran concealed his form, flickering through the vast night unseen by gods or ghosts.

When still eight or nine kilometers away from the Demon Lair·Bamboo Sea, Lu Ran hung suspended in the night sky, gazing at a silent military camp and seeing the standing deity·the Flower Lantern Stone Statue.

She had once been the deity revered by his younger sister; now, little Jiang Qiao Yuanxi had become the Evil God·Black Lantern.

The two had become mortal enemies who could not coexist under the same heaven.

"Truly, events are hard to predict," Lu Ran murmured in his heart as his figure flickered again.

In the next instant, he stood directly above the entrance to the Demon Lair, where energy fluctuations were particularly violent!

Most Demon Lair entrances in the world are a "starlit curtain" spread horizontally.

The entrance to the Demon Lair·Bamboo Sea, however, resembled a clear lake, with faint white mist curling above its surface, brimming with an ethereal aura.

Lu Ran, remaining invisible, fell freely, plunging into it.

In an instant, the sky blazed with light!

Bamboo Sea truly deserved its reputation as a resort destination; it always presented a scene of gentle breezes and warm sun.

Lu Ran did not linger; his figure flickered repeatedly as he headed straight for that sinister ghost house hidden within the vast bamboo sea.

"You Huang Du."

Lu Ran stood before the great courtyard shrouded in ghostly qi, looking up at the plaque above the gate.

Little Chef Li,

Your husband is in my hands!

You have three days to produce one hundred thousand copper coins for his ransom, otherwise, hmph hmph!

Scripting this scenario in his mind, Lu Ran carefully surveyed the surroundings of You Huang Du; confirming that the military soldiers were all guarding the perimeter, he flickered into the courtyard.

Once again, Lu Ran stood in the center of the courtyard beside the clustered evil bamboo, looking up at the second-floor window.

A hundred emotions surged within his heart.

The last time he came here, Lu Ran had been preparing to challenge the Divine Ruins, filled with anticipation for the world beyond them.

Now, having returned and recalling his former self—

Anticipate my six-dot tile!

Lu Ran slowly floated upward to the second-floor window, where he happened to see a woman sitting quietly beside a table near the pane.

Her skin remained terrifyingly white.

It was not the cool white complexion of Bai Bai Manni, but a pallor bordering on the pathological.

She remained slender and fragile like a willow in the wind; her pair of hollow eyes lacked any focus, making one's heart feel unnerved just looking at them.

Her elegant black long dress further accentuated her noble demeanor, yet her lonely, seated figure resembled that of a Young Lady kept secluded within a deep inner courtyard.

Forever trapped here, unable to see the prosperous world beyond the gate.

"Whoosh~"

A gentle breeze brushed past, bringing the rustling sound of bamboo leaves and causing Li Li Rouyin's hair strands to dance lightly.

She raised her fair jade hand to adjust her hair, but suddenly her delicate body stiffened!

Unintentionally, she seemed to "see" something extraordinary.

Li Li Rouyin slowly turned her head, directing her hollow eyes toward the window.

Lu Ran was slightly bewildered.

No way!

What are you looking at?

I've been activating the Divine Art·Wolf Concealment the whole time; don't mess with me... Wait, what?

The young girl leaned forward slightly, reaching one hand toward the window, her soft voice carrying a hint of disbelief: "Lu Ran?"

Lu Ran:?

Her trembling palm ultimately reached out and touched Lu Ran's head.

Lu Ran was merely invisible, not ethereal; he naturally possessed a physical form.

"Crash-clatter!"

The bamboo table by the window was knocked over directly as the girl rose in excitement.

Lu Ran was completely stunned, his chin resting on the window frame, frozen on the spot.

Until Li Li Rouyin pressed one hand against Lu Ran's head, her slender jade fingers reaching for his eyes...

"Uh." Lu Ran hastily retreated, saying indignantly, "So you little blind girl, your wicked heart never changes!

The moment we meet, you want to gouge out my eyes?"

Li Li Rouyin's movements stalled for a moment, her expression growing increasingly joyful.

Finally, she actually let out a soft laugh: "Rude! I told you before, you must use the word 'pluck'."

Lu Ran snorted: "Move aside; I'm coming in."

Li Li Rouyin, however, stood motionless before the window, hands clasped behind her back: "Audacious rogue, daring to break into You Huang Du privately; do you know your crime?"

"I've known my crimes for more than just a day or two," Lu Ran said as he climbed through the window.

Li Li Rouyin hastily stepped back; in her indignation, her deathly pale cheeks flushed slightly red, actually making her look much healthier:

"You! You are rude!"

"You're not rude? You're the one overturning tables and plucking out eyes," Lu Ran said, looking at the overturned bamboo table and chairs, resigning himself to lifting and picking them up one by one.

Although Li Li Rouyin could not see, she could perceive what Lu Ran was doing.

"Hmph." She lifted her chin slightly, considered her anger somewhat appeased.

"How did you discover me?" Lu Ran righted the table and chairs, asking, "This magical artifact of mine is extraordinary; not only can it render me invisible, but it can also conceal my aura."

Lu Ran spouted nonsense, attributing the functions of the Greedy Wolf Divine Art to the magical artifact.

"It wasn't exactly seeing; it was more of a feeling."

"A feeling?"

Li Li Rouyin nodded gently: "A gloomy, eerie feeling."

"My death qi is already heavy enough; in this world, the only thing that could make me feel such eeriness is probably you."

Lu Ran: "."

Is she insulting me?

Hmm... probably.

Lu Ran saw with his own eyes the corner of Li Li Rouyin's mouth curl into a slight smile, and then he saw her extend her right hand.

"What are you doing?" Lu Ran asked irritably.

"Help me to my seat." The young girl still held her chin slightly raised, that commanding demeanor making Lu Ran want nothing more than to slap her across the face!

But thinking of her immense wealth, Lu Ran restrained himself.

Before the soft rice even enters my mouth,

I won't quarrel with this little rich lady!

"I really owe you one," Lu Ran muttered, supporting her arm and guiding her to sit beside the bamboo table.

"Have you returned from behind the Divine Ruins?" Li Li Rouyin asked impatiently the moment she sat down.

"Let's say I have returned."

"Let's say?"

"Not completely," Lu Ran said, sitting opposite the table, still invisible. "I still have to go back."

"Mm." Li Li Rouyin pressed her lips together; regarding Lu Ran's words, she had too many doubts, but at this moment, one question lingered in her heart, suppressing all others.

The young girl's voice was small and light: "Did you see my childhood friend..."

One could feel that her heart was extremely uneasy.

Lu Ran chuckled: "Now, we can discuss the matter of the betrothal gifts."

"Betrothal gifts?" Li Li Rouyin looked confused.

"Yes, that childhood sweetheart of yours, Mr. Bamboo Horse, is already a soldier under my command," Lu Ran said, smiling at the beautiful young girl. "I have the authority to let him marry into You Huang Du with full splendor."

"Since we must make it splendid, naturally, the gift money cannot be lacking my share!"

Lu Ran quickly pressed both hands onto the bamboo table.

After a moment of stunned silence, Li Li Rouyin stood up excitedly: "You found him! You found Lady Yanzhi?"

"Of course! It exhausted me~" Lu Ran wildly claimed credit. "I rushed east and west, south and north, searching for a full year and a half!"

"Is he alright? He... he didn't die, did he?" Li Li Rouyin grew increasingly agitated, already immersed in her own world.

Seeing her in this state, Lu Ran put away his joking thoughts.

He became much more serious and confirmed: "Qin Lady Yanzhi is living very well."

"Good, good! That's wonderful... sob..." Li Li Rouyin covered her eyes with both hands and sat heavily back down on the bamboo chair.

The usually elegant believer of Lady Lady Wangquan actually appeared somewhat manic.

It seemed her bond with Qin Lady Yanzhi was truly very deep.

Lu Ran did not speak to tease her, allowing her to vent the bitterness in her heart.

No one should laugh at anyone else.

Thinking back, when he first saw little Jiang Ruyi at Ten Thousand Blades Mountain, he hadn't been in much better shape himself.

After a while, the young girl's trembling shoulders finally steadied.

Her soft, quiet words reached Lu Ran's ear: "I was rude."

"It's nothing," Lu Ran said, gazing out the window at the sea of bamboo. "Not only is he alive, but he is intact in limb and sound in mind; furthermore, his strength has reached the second stage of the Sea Realm."

Li Li Rouyin's focus was not on his strength.

It was on the eight characters Lu Ran had spoken: intact in limb, sound in mind.

Intelligent as she was, she could realize just how dangerous and how cruel the world behind the Divine Ruins truly was.

Otherwise, Lu Ran would not have specifically emphasized his physical and mental condition.

"Now that he has reunited with me, it is even less likely that anything will happen to Lady Yanzhi," Lu Ran comforted the young girl. "With me, you can be entirely at ease; no one will bully him."

"Mm, mm," Li Li Rouyin nodded repeatedly, hesitating before speaking, "Then he..."

"He misses you very much too."

"Hmph." The noble and elegant young girl actually pouted her lips.

It was unclear whether she was throwing a childish tantrum or questioning Lu Ran's words.

Lu Ran explained on behalf of his subordinate: "He cannot return temporarily; this involves many issues. You may ask Lady Lady Wangquan about it; I will not say more."

Hearing this, Li Li Rouyin fell silent.

After a long while, her lifeless eyes fixed on Lu Ran, her expression utterly sincere: "Lu Ran, thank you."

Such a solemn expression of gratitude made Lu Ran feel too embarrassed to speak.

Hmm... no, no.

Only with thick skin can one eat one's fill!

Lu Ran muttered softly: "Is it just verbal thanks?"

"Hehe~" Li Li Rouyin finally showed some smile, slowly rising to her feet. "You gluttonous little brat, do you want to eat my soul again?"

Lu Ran scratched his head awkwardly.

Unlike before, Li Li Rouyin spoke with a smile this time, showing no trace of heartache: "Let's go; big sister will treat you to a meal."

Her attitude had changed, and so had her form of address.

Lu Ran had not only taken Qin Yan as a divine general but had also grown one layer closer to this devotee of Lady Lady Wangquan.

Strictly speaking, their relationship prior to this had not been particularly good.

After all, every time Lu Ran arrived, he would eat voraciously, making Li Li Rouyin's heart bleed.

Had my lord Lady Lady Wangquan not insisted that her disciple befriend Lu Ran, Li Li Rouyin would have long ago grabbed her blind cane and driven Lu Ran out of You Huang Du.

"Go, you glutton, and fetch big sister's blind cane," Li Li Rouyin issued her command once again.

Previously, the blind cane had always been right beside her.

Ever since the table was overturned, no one knew where it had rolled off to.

While searching, Lu Ran said, "I won't eat the wandering souls; you worked so hard to collect them."

"A gentleman does not take what another holds dear!"

Li Li Rouyin was nearly driven to laugh by her anger.

How could such words come out of your mouth?

From Li Li Rouyin's reaction, Lu Ran could also tell that she knew very little about Spirit Saint Mountain.

Lu Ran finally found the blind cane and handed it over: "I said that if you let Qin Lady Yanzhi become a matrilocal son-in-law, shouldn't you give some gift money?"

Lu Ran placed heavy emphasis on the word "money."

Li Li Rouyin grew even more puzzled: "Money? What do you need that thing for?"

Lu Ran: "..."

What kind of talk is that!

Can't I use money to buy lamb skewers? No, wait! I've been led astray.

Putting on a thick face, Lu Ran whispered, "I noticed quite a few ancient bronze coins in the Wangshengdian in the back courtyard, hmm?"

Li Li Rouyin's little mouth opened slightly as she finally realized what Lu Ran actually wanted.

She had thought this glutton, Lu Ran, had finally had a change of heart and would no longer rob her of the wandering souls she had painstakingly collected.

She never expected him to be even more excessive, actually wanting the magical artifact, Soul-Binding Coins?!

"I can make decisions regarding the wandering souls, but the Soul-Binding Coins all belong to my lord Lady Lady Wangquan..." Li Li Rouyin ground her teeth, but suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence.

Lu Ran did not understand why.

As if thinking of something, Li Li Rouyin suddenly made a complete 180-degree turn in her attitude: "I will go into the hall right now to find my lord Lady Lady Wangquan; I will go and beg them for you."

Lu Ran was shocked!

Was this still that stingy person, Li Li Rouyin?

Lu Ran did not doubt the affection between Li Li Rouyin and Qin Lady Yanzhi.

But her attitude had changed again and again.

Could there be some trickery involved here?

(End of Chapter)