Chapter 667: Receiving Betrothal Gifts

Inside the Hall of Rebirth.

The girl in the black dress knelt before the divine statue, unable to rise.

Fine red silk threads like rain hung down from above, swaying gently within the hall.

At the end of each red silk thread was tied an ancient copper coin; occasionally, the coins would collide, emitting a pleasant sound.

Lu Ran stood quietly at the hall entrance, his gaze sweeping past the beautiful red rain, looking at the slender figure deep within the hall.

He did not know what Li Rouyin and Lord Lady Lady Wangquan had been discussing; she had been kneeling for a long time.

Did Lord Lady Lady Wangquan not agree?

"Sigh," Lu Ran sighed. Out of boredom, he opened his pair of cold, horizontal pupils.

In an instant, the scene in his eyes changed.

The silk-like red rain swaying in the wind turned into strings of eerie coins.

Each illusory copper coin was permeated with deathly aura; paired with the festive red, it made this Hall of Rebirth appear even more horrifying.

"Lu Ran."

"Here!" Lu Ran responded immediately.

"Come here." Li Rouyin turned her head slightly, her hollow gaze directed toward the back. "Thank you, Lord Lady Lady Wangquan."

Lu Ran walked forward quickly, traversing the red silk rain alone.

"Ding-ling~ Ding-ling-ling~"

The crisp sounds came one after another, making the corners of Li Rouyin's mouth lift slightly.

Without needing to look, she knew where Lu Ran had walked to. Just like the previous times he had come, he could never avoid this "sky full of red rain."

"Thank you for the reward, Lord Lady Lady Wangquan." Lu Ran pressed his palms together and bowed properly.

"It is I whose vision was not broad enough." Li Rouyin stood up. "Lord Lady Lady Wangquan said that you are no longer lacking in wandering souls?"

"Actually, I am still lacking some." Lu Ran smiled. "It's just that there is no need to harm you further."

"Nonsense!" Li Rouyin stiffened her beautiful face, gripping the blind cane in her hand tightly.

If not for the gods being above, she really would have struck him with the cane.

Lu Ran pursed his lips and said nothing more.

"It is good that you don't need wandering souls; it saves me from being unable to fulfill my duties when the Master Master Hua Deng faction comes next month... Ugh!" Before she could finish, Li Rouyin's delicate body trembled.

Having just stood up, she hurriedly knelt back down, lowering her head and saying, "My lord, please calm your anger; this disciple spoke without thinking."

Lu Ran frowned deeply.

The Master Master Hua Deng faction is coming?

Fulfilling duties?

The god Master Master Hua Deng also needs wandering souls... Hmm, that makes sense! Among these gods filling the sky, which one doesn't need wandering souls?

Lu Ran's expression grew increasingly gloomy.

The god guarding the Bamboo Sea demon lair is none other than Lord Master Master Hua Deng!

So, the reason the god Lady Lady Wangquan can survive in the Bamboo Sea is that she made a deal with the god Master Master Hua Deng?

Or perhaps she made deals with multiple gods.

Does Li Rouyin have to keep offering tribute?

"Lu Ran, let's go." Li Rouyin said softly, her complexion even paler. She stood up, lowered her head, and retreated step by step.

Lu Ran pressed his palms together and bowed to Lord Lady Lady Wangquan once more.

The two exited the Hall of Rebirth. Li Rouyin remained silent, her bamboo cane constantly tapping the ground as she returned to the residence.

Lu Ran followed behind her, whispering, "Do you still have to pay protection money to the Master Master Hua Deng faction?"

"Stop talking." Li Rouyin shouted to stop him, her expression very ugly.

If it weren't for the fact that the god Master Master Hua Deng's appetite was growing larger and Li Rouyin's pressure was increasing, leaving her in constant distress, she would not have accidentally let this matter slip.

For Li Rouyin, Lu Ran eating two fewer strings of coins today really would allow her to catch her breath.

It is not easy for the god Lady Lady Wangquan to survive in this world.

It requires paying a price!

The two remained silent all the way back to the second floor of the residence.

Li Rouyin took a small string of copper coins from a corner of the screen and took out one: "Here."

"Thank you." Lu Ran reached out to take it, unable to help himself: "Lord Lady Lady Wangquan knows of the world beyond the divine ruins; why not go there? Why suffer such bullying here..."

"Lu Ran!" Li Rouyin picked up her blind cane and struck it heavily on the ground.

Lu Ran closed his mouth.

He was indeed speaking out against injustice.

Thinking of the Master Master Hua Deng believers kicking open the gates of Youhuangdu and acting bossy in front of Li Rouyin, a fire burned in Lu Ran's heart.

Lu Ran and Li Rouyin could be considered friends, and furthermore, she was the wife of Lu Men's General Qin.

But ultimately, it was because Lu Ran hated the sanctimonious gods to the extreme!

And Lu Ran saying this also had another purpose: he wanted to probe the situation between Lord Lady Lady Wangquan and the gods from the side.

Unfortunately, Li Rouyin was unwilling to say more.

For a god, offering tribute to other gods to seek a moment of stability is indeed an extremely humiliating thing.

Lord Lady Lady Wangquan not leaving this place must have her own hidden reasons.

That's right, she cannot leave either.

The god Lady Lady Wangquan appears to be living in peace in a corner, but in reality, this is a prison. If she dared to make the slightest move, she would likely be annihilated by other gods...

"Sorry, I was rude again." A soft whisper entered his ears.

"It's fine, I was the one who spoke too much."

"Lu Ran, there is one thing." Li Rouyin raised her hollow gaze, looking into Lu Ran's eyes.

"What is it?"

"My brother, Hao Tian, do you remember him?"

"Of course. How is he now? What is his strength realm?" Lu Ran asked, following the flow.

Li Rouyin said in a low voice: "He also went on a pilgrimage and has had no news for a very, very long time. He should also have gone beyond the divine ruins."

Lu Ran: "..."

Again?

Are you an NPC?

As soon as I get to your side, you give me a quest!

Wait!

Lu Ran suddenly realized something and asked: "When was your brother called to go on a pilgrimage?"

Although Li Rouyin was a bit puzzled, she still answered: "Mid-winter last year."

Lu Ran's heart sank.

The Jingting Mountain faction was destroyed by the joint efforts of Lu Men and other forces in October last year.

The Dongting disciple Hao Tian was summoned by the god to go on a pilgrimage in November...

The answer seemed very obvious: Hao Tian was brought in as a replacement!

Lu Ran suddenly had a feeling of "I did not kill Boren, but Boren died because of me."

However, he would not blame himself excessively.

The culprits causing all this suffering are the gods and demons!

Not Lu Ran!

Back then at the Yanyu Lake, it was impossible for Lu Ran to let Jingting Mountain invade the Qianzhou Alliance just because he feared Hao Tian might be brought in.

"Lu Ran, what's wrong?" Li Rouyin raised her eyelids, her long eyelashes trembling gently, as if indicating her inner thoughts.

"I will try my best to find Hao Tian." Lu Ran said in a deep voice.

"Really?" Li Rouyin's expression was pleasantly surprised.

Her finger, which had been on the small string of coins, had already pinched the second copper coin.

She knew Lu Ran as a person.

Greedy for food and greedy for wealth!

Li Rouyin certainly knew what she should pay, but she didn't expect Lu Ran to agree directly?

"Hmm, my subordinates already include your husband, so I don't mind adding your brother." Lu Ran toyed with the copper coin in his hand.

His sculpture garden did not have a sculpture of the god Lady Lady Wangquan.

If he could hold both Qin Yanzhi and Hao Tian in his hands, Lu Ran could naturally hold Li Rouyin in the palm of his hand as well.

This is the only disciple of the Lady Lady Wangquan faction!

To a certain extent, she could represent Lady Lady Wangquan herself; perhaps the contract signed between the god and the human was also an inheritance contract.

This would mean that Lu Ran's subordinates would have one more god!

"Thank you, Lu Ran." Li Rouyin said gratefully, still taking out an ancient copper coin and handing it to Lu Ran. "Really, thank you..."

Lu Ran did not pretend to decline.

After receiving another coin of rebirth, counting the one on Deng Yuxiang's wrist, he already had three coins of rebirth in his hands.

"Is there anything else you want to entrust to me?"

"You... you be careful, pay attention to safety." Li Rouyin said softly.

"Heh." Lu Ran laughed.

Having known each other for so long and met several times, this was the first time Li Rouyin had cared about him.

"Is there nothing you want to say to Qin Yanzhi? I can help you pass on a message."

"He didn't ask you to pass on a message, so I won't say anything!" Li Rouyin suddenly tapped her blind cane and turned to walk toward the bamboo table.

Lu Ran's expression was strange.

Getting haughty now?

"Who said there wasn't?" Lu Ran suddenly blurted out.

"Ah!" Li Rouyin let out a delicate cry, her steps chaotic, and she fell forward.

Lu Ran: "..."

Qin Yanzhi's power is quite strong.

To make a great expert at the early Sea Realm fall on flat ground?

When they met, Lu Ran had already roughly probed Li Rouyin's background. As expected of a god's sole disciple who had always accompanied the god, her cultivation speed was fast!

Li Rouyin used her blind cane to support herself on the ground, hurriedly steadying herself: "What... what did he say?"

"He didn't really say anything." Lu Ran reached a hand into his pocket.

Li Rouyin:?

She turned her head abruptly, biting her lower lip, "staring" at Lu Ran with dissatisfaction.

Lu Ran took a small bamboo carving out of his pocket.

It was only the size of a thumb, but the carving was extremely exquisite!

Unfortunately, Li Rouyin could not appreciate it, and he didn't know if she could feel Qin Yanzhi's superb craftsmanship.

"He wasn't just wandering blindly beyond the divine ruins; he also learned a craft." Lu Ran handed over the small bamboo carving. "He entrusted me to give this to you."

"What is it?" Li Rouyin was a bit curious, reaching out to take it and feeling it carefully.

Lu Ran looked at the small sculpture in her hand and smiled: "It's carved as a girl, very beautiful."

"It's just that I don't know who this girl is?"

A blush quickly spread across Li Rouyin's pale face: "You... you should go now. Go beyond the divine ruins quickly and help me take care of him more."

"By the way, don't forget to help me look for Hao Tian."

"Heh." Lu Ran laughed dumbly.

Poor Brother Hao.

Actually in the "remarks" column of his sister's quest...

"Fine." Lu Ran gripped the two copper coins in his hand. "Do you really have nothing else to say? I'm really leaving now!"

Li Rouyin was still a bit shy, but suddenly her expression turned solemn, and she froze in place.

A few seconds later, she turned to face Lu Ran: "Lord Lady Lady Wangquan says she looks forward to your next visit."

Lu Ran was a bit surprised.

The high and mighty god looks forward to me visiting again?

Lu Ran thought for a moment and responded in a deep voice: "Yes!"

After saying goodbye again, Lu Ran concealed his figure and left quickly.

Li Rouyin sat back on the bamboo chair by the window, no longer looking as desolate as before.

She held the small bamboo sculpture in one hand and extended her green-onion-like fingers, gently stroking the face of the bamboo carving.

Once, and then again.

Just as a faint smile appeared on her face, her expression suddenly stiffened.

"Plop!"

The small bamboo sculpture fell to the ground.

"Ugh!" Li Rouyin covered her forehead with both hands, her expression incomparably painful, constantly apologizing: "I... I'm sorry! Lord Lady Lady Wangquan... I'm sorry..."

(End of chapter)