Tian Tian looked curiously toward the fellow Believers, but unfortunately, just at that moment, Zhang Feng's expression turned serious, "From now on, until the task is over, you must obey orders! This guard duty is no child's play; you must take responsibility for your own lives."
"Yes!"
"Yes." The responses from the others were also serious.
Ten squads boarded the Divine People Bureau's coach bus, driving along the deserted streets toward the stadium in the western district.
There were many shelters in Rain Alley City, and Lu Ran was quite familiar with the stadium in the western district.
Even last month on the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, Lu Ran had spent the night there.
As the vehicle turned into the stadium road and he saw that circular building from a distance, Lu Ran couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality.
On this day last month, he had already been inside the hall, lying on the bed, bored, scrolling through his mobile phone.
At that time, his mother would still call amidst her busy schedule to encourage and comfort him a little.
But now...
Lu Ran subconsciously reached into his pocket.
Sure enough, he had forgotten his mobile phone again.
It really was a case of having the Immortal Sheep and forgetting one's mother.
Moreover, since becoming a Believer, he had been training day and night, and hadn't contacted his little sister for a long time.
In the two years since leaving Beijing, every fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the siblings would always text each other to chat about recent events.
Compared with Lu Ran, his sister had a much better environment for spending the night; she could stay at home, in front of the Divine Sculpture·Sword One offered by their mother, passing the time peacefully.
"Do you guys have your mobile phones?" Lu Ran asked.
Deng Yutang shook his head, while Tian Tian in the backseat hurriedly rummaged through her bag and handed over her phone, "Here."
Her phone case was a cute pink cartoon rabbit.
Lu Ran took the phone and then handed it back, "Password."
"Oh oh." Tian Tian extended her small hand, tapping the screen repeatedly.
Lu Ran accidentally caught sight of it, "0607, is that your birthday?"
Tian Tian quickly withdrew her hand without making a sound.
Lu Ran: "Why didn't you say so earlier? We could have celebrated it for you!"
"June seventh." Deng Yutang pondered, "If that's by the lunar calendar, wouldn't that have been the day we formed the team?"
On hearing this, Tian Tian turned to look out the window, no longer daring to look at the others.
Jiang Ruyi was perceptive and intelligent, seemingly understanding something.
"It might also be her bank pin, don't ask anymore." Jiang Ruyi intervened in a timely manner, placing a hand on Tian Tian's back.
As she gently rubbed Tian Tian's back, her tense body gradually relaxed.
Jiang Ruyi, with a smile in her eyes, looked at the young girl sitting next to her.
She was just a bit shy and not good at expressing herself.
She must also have many worries hidden in her heart.
A few minutes later, the coach arrived at the grand stadium and came to a stop in front of the gymnasium.
"Everyone, off the bus!"
A voice called from ahead, and Lu Ran quickly sent off a message, then followed the crowd down from the bus.
Under the curtain of rain, the stadium was silent.
The green turf, basketball, tennis, and other courts were all empty.
"Let's get familiar with the surroundings," Zhang Feng called to the four, leading them into the gymnasium.
Inside and outside the building were worlds apart.
The lights inside the gymnasium were bright, with likely thousands of people!
Rows and rows of single beds were neatly arranged, clearly divided; the citizens mostly stayed on their own beds playing with mobile phones or watching tablets.
There were also small groups gathered together, playing cards and bragging to each other in hushed tones.
The sporadic laughter that filtered through now and then also relieved the oppressive atmosphere.
Why were the people in the hall consciously lowering their voices?
Because at the intersections of the beds, there were many small shrines, and in front of each shrine on the prayer mats, sat a Moon Gazer, kneeling.
At a glance, within the vast space, there must have been three to four dozen small shrines.
In the shrines were small sycamore trees.
Six-class God·Bi Wu!
It's a typical plant-type deity, and the characteristics of the Divine Technique of the Bi Wu faction specialized in defense and healing.
"We're back, huh."
Lu Ran muttered under his breath, feeling as if he had just been there the day before.
"Thirty beds across, thirty beds down, children included, a total of a thousand citizens," Zhang Feng said softly, guiding the team through the beds.
"Remember the layout inside the gymnasium; watch the gaps between the beds."
"Although your guard points are not inside the gymnasium, if necessary, we might come in at any time..."
As the squad moved through, some citizens gave them friendly glances.
The identity of Lu Ran and the others was obvious, as they carried weapons with them and were led by Moon Gazers.
There were also some citizens who weren't so friendly to this group of young people.
"Call the landlord!"
"I'll bid!"
Not far to the right front, a Bald Brother was comfortably lying on a bed, playing landlord on his mobile phone.
When he realized someone was approaching, he glanced up, his gaze sweeping over Lu Ran and the rest.
Especially after seeing the petite and delicate Tian Tian, the Bald Brother, with a face full of flesh, openly glared at the girl with an unmistakable look of annoyance!
"Do you know him?" Jiang Ruyi asked with slightly furrowed brows.
Tian Tian silently shook her head.
The sudden malice seemed unprovoked but did have some reason behind it.
In the eyes of some, young Believers like Lu Ran were extremely unreliable!
In a real crisis, these Believers might be more flustered than ordinary people!
And since Believers as a group had physical qualities surpassing normal humans, if they panicked, they could cause even greater chaos.
It would be better if these rookies considered themselves ordinary and sought protection alongside everyone else under the Moon Gazers!
The problem was, generation after generation of young Believers needed to be trained and matured, and a first-time guard duty was inevitable...
It was only because Bald Brother was at the mercy of others and the squad had a Moon Gazer leading them that he hadn't already spoken out.
"Lu Ran?" Jiang Ruyi stopped in her tracks because Lu Ran had stopped ahead.
Bald Brother looked unkindly at Lu Ran, who had halted before him, "What are you looking at?"
What about Believers?
A bunch of little rascals, keep your distance and don't get assigned to my area!
Yet, Lu Ran pointed to the bed and said, "Last fifteenth, I slept on this very bed."
Bald Brother sat up, "What are you implying, that you've claimed this bed and no one else can sleep in it?"
But surprisingly, Lu Ran suddenly lifted his head and pointed upward:
"Around ten o'clock that night, I watched as a Soul-splitting Demon showed its head right there, right over there!"
Bald Brother: ???
Lu Ran then pointed towards Bald Brother's feet: "If it weren't for the swift action of the Moon Gazer, that Soul-splitting Demon would have landed right at the foot of my bed!"
"Damn it!" Bald Brother quickly retracted his feet, "Little bro, you better not scare me, my heart can't take this..."
"Your cards are amazing!"
"Hurry up, I've been waiting so long the flowers have wilted~"
Voices emanated from the mobile phone.
Bald Brother's fleshy face almost turned pale with fright, "If you fancy this bed so much, bro, I'm willing to swap, is that okay? After you're tired from standing guard tonight, you can rest here, I'll leave now!"
"Calm down, sir!" Zhang Feng immediately came back and pushed Bald Brother back down onto the bed, "Registered beds cannot be casually changed. Don't panic; the Evil Demon Clan don't appear in fixed locations. There are many Divine Sculptures in the gym and plenty of Moon Gazers guarding; we will surely protect you, please rest assured."
Lu Ran nodded emphatically, "Exactly, no pain, no gain! At that time, before I even had a chance to shout, it was already taken care of."
Bald Brother: "..."
After calming down Bald Brother, Zhang Feng turned to look at Lu Ran, "Having some psychological shadows is inevitable. But you are different from before; you must learn to face it head-on, rather than continuing to live in fear."
Lu Ran looked up at the ceiling, his eyes bright and spirited, "Zhang Feng misunderstood."
Zhang Feng: "Oh?"
Clutching his Dawn Blade wrapped in cloth, Lu Ran looked toward where the Soul-splitting Demon had appeared, "I have no fear. On the contrary, I hope to encounter it again tonight. And kill it with my own hands!"
"My mother's mother and my grandmother! Oh, my!"
Bald Brother sprang to his feet, his face sorrowful, "Swap, we must swap this bed!"
"Just stop talking!" Zhang Feng hurriedly pushed Lu Ran and quickly walked away.