It rained continuously throughout the night. Wen Ping Ran didn’t sleep at all.
The rain covered not just their town but beyond, as messages trickled in from outside reporting rain everywhere.
The rainwater nurtured and healed everything, like a divine elixir descending from the heavens.
Direct exposure to the rain had the best effects, smoothing scars and enhancing spiritual cultivation. Even those not touched by the rain felt enveloped in its soothing aura.
Ordinary people couldn’t perceive much, only that they slept well that night, with fatigue and weariness swept away.
The resurging plague was also washed away by the rain, disappearing completely.
In a distant dungeon within the inner courtyard, Xie Yun sat quietly in a corner, listening to the rain.
“It’s everywhere…”
“The blessing of the mountain god… it’s the blessing of the mountain god…”
Voices of celestial masters who had come out to stand in the rain intermittently drifted in.
The corner was dimly lit. Xie Yun opened his eyes, his expression tinged with resentment.
The dungeon he was in was surrounded by layers of formations, allowing only enough air to survive, with no warmth penetrating.
The blessing of the mountain god, a privilege he alone did not qualify for.
Nan Deng’s growth rate far exceeded his expectations. He had previously suspected whether he had overlooked some information.
Confined in Yezhang Tower for nearly twenty years, he could only stay with a bunch of resentful spirits. It had not been long since he came out.
What exactly was providing Nan Deng with a continuous source of energy?
The night was still long. Xie Yun closed his eyes, mentally estimating the time.
—
After the rain stopped, Nan Deng slept straight through an entire day, burying his head in the covers.
Lian Yi stayed by his side the whole time. During one brief awakening, Nan Deng felt tired and had no appetite.
Wen Ping Ran was very worried. The rain must have drained Nan Deng’s divine power. Although he wasn’t sure how Nan Deng managed it, he hadn’t fully recovered yet.
The rabbit head, on the other hand, wasn’t concerned. He ate when hungry, played when he wanted to, and slept next to Nan Deng when tired.
When Nan Deng finally woke up, he found that his hair had inexplicably shortened by a bit as if expertly trimmed, yet the ends remained natural.
His facial features had subtly changed too, making him look a year or two older than before.
It was as if overnight, Nan Deng had “grown up”.
Seeing Nan Deng’s transformation, Lian Yi’s breath hitched, and he paused in his steps.
Nan Deng pushed aside the covers and sat up, his face still showing the confusion and sluggishness of just waking up.
He rubbed his eyes and reached out to Lian Yi, depending on him as usual.
Lian Yi approached, lifting him out from under the covers.
“Are you hungry?” Lian Yi held him a bit tightly, bending down to check Nan Deng’s condition. “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Nan Deng yawned and leaned against Lian Yi’s familiar neck. “I’m not uncomfortable… just a bit hungry.”
He didn’t feel like moving much, lingering in Lian Yi’s embrace for a while before finally getting up.
Lian Yi brought over a coat and helped Nan Deng put it on, fastening the buttons one by one.
Nan Deng turned his head and saw a folded bamboo umbrella placed on the bedside table.
The bamboo umbrella was light cyan, with a pale umbrella surface that emitted a jade-like luster all over, its material unfamiliar to him.
Nan Deng picked up the umbrella and gently stroked its cool surface.
This bamboo umbrella was formed from the convergence of the lights that had gathered around him on the terrace that night.
He didn’t know what had happened, but he instinctively felt that this was his possession.
Later, when he opened the umbrella, the rain began to fall.
Lian Yi came to his side. “Is this a magical artifact?”
Nan Deng was very happy and nodded. “Yes!”
It seemed that something had happened unknowingly or a certain condition had been triggered for this bamboo umbrella to appear before him.
It was something that resonated deeply with him and belonged uniquely to him.
Nan Deng cherished the umbrella and thought about giving it a name. He also wondered if having a magical artifact meant he could write a record about the Mountain God.
Yet, although the bamboo umbrella wasn’t large, carrying it around at all times might not be very convenient…
Nan Deng’s thoughts stirred slightly. Immediately, the bamboo umbrella shrank several times in his hand, reducing to the size of a palm.
He blinked in surprise, then grew even happier, increasingly fond of this umbrella.
At that moment, the rabbit head came up to Nan Deng’s feet, eyes shining as he stared at the smaller bamboo umbrella.
He hopped up excitedly, ears twitching, clearly wanting Nan Deng to let him play with the small umbrella.
Understanding the rabbit head’s intent, Nan Deng hesitated a bit, squatting down cautiously. “Be careful. Don’t break it…”
He opened the small umbrella, which just fit snugly between the rabbit head’s ears.
The rabbit head wound his ears around the umbrella handle, bounding three meters away to the wardrobe mirror to admire himself.
Meanwhile, Nan Deng went to the bathroom to freshen up and only then noticed the change in himself.
He stared blankly at the mirror. “Who cut my hair?”
“Maybe it’s the effect of the magical artifact appearing,” Lian Yi guessed. “Do you feel anything else?”
Nan Deng shook his head, moving closer to scrutinize himself.
Apart from the hair, he didn’t look much different from before, just a bit older with the shorter hair, seeming a year or two more “mature”.
After finishing up in the bathroom, Nan Deng stood next to Lian Yi and noticed he seemed to have grown a bit taller.
Just a bit, though—Lian Yi still easily enveloped him in a hug.
Nan Deng stepped closer, reaching out to cup Lian Yi’s face.
Lian Yi looked down. “What’s wrong?”
Nan Deng vaguely muttered, “It’s nothing,” and leaned in to kiss Lian Yi.
Lian Yi’s breath hitched as he was drawn into the kiss initiated by Nan Deng.
The second attempt was smoother than before, without causing any harm to Nan Deng again.
It wasn’t until the rabbit head hopped over with the small umbrella to find Nan Deng that the two finally parted.
Lian Yi’s breathing was slightly uneven as Nan Deng nuzzled his nose. “I’m hungry…”
Since Nan Deng woke up earlier, Weng Ping Ran had already instructed someone to prepare food, which should be ready by now.
Lian Yi led Nan Deng downstairs, and they encountered Weng Ping Ran right at the staircase landing.
Weng Ping Ran paced anxiously in the narrow corridor and hurried over upon hearing the door open.
He immediately noticed Nan Deng’s changes and knelt down excitedly. “Lord Mountain God…”
To be able to witness all this by the Mountain God’s side is a blessing in this lifetime, with no regrets in death…
Nan Deng took a half step back, touching his nose. “Please… get up.”
He still wasn’t used to this kneeling treatment. Weng Ping Ran didn’t dare delay any further and quickly got up, leading the way to the dining room.
Having slept the entire day, Nan Deng was now starving, enticed by the aroma of food.
To avoid disturbing him, only Lian Yi remained in the dining room, while everyone else waited outside.
Meanwhile, the rabbit head went downstairs to find Nan Deng.
Disliking crowded places with many celestial masters and rarely appearing during the day, the rabbit head’s small figure caused all the celestial masters to retreat, clearing a wide path upon its appearance.
The rabbit head carried a delicate and petite umbrella, arriving at the entrance of the dining room.
Weng Ping Ran stepped forward half a step, bending down with concern, “You’ve come here personally. Is…”
He earnestly spoke to the rabbit head, which looked somewhat peculiar.
The rabbit head ignored him, jumped up to push open the dining room door, went in by itself, and then banged the door shut from the inside.
Weng Ping Ran cleared his throat lightly and stood up straight.
After Nan Deng finished eating, Weng Ping Ran finally had the chance to talk to him again and inform him about the situation of the past few days.
Because of that rain, the plague did not reappear, and the evil energy in various places had also been significantly diluted.
For two consecutive days, not a single resentful spirit dared to appear at night, all deterred by the rich energy.
Now Nan Deng could finally rest assured, “That’s good…”
The rabbit head squatted in his arm, its translucent body contrasting sharply with the small umbrella on its head. Weng Ping Ran’s gaze was drawn to it, recognizing that the umbrella seemed to be the one Nan Deng held that night, just smaller now.
Summoning his courage, he took another look and asked, “Is this…”
Nan Deng didn’t conceal it, “It’s my artifact.”
He picked up the small umbrella, which immediately enlarged in his hand and automatically returned to its folded state.
Weng Ping Ran was almost dumbfounded, but quickly regained his senses and continued to care about Nan Deng’s condition, “How do you feel now? After expending your divine power these days, you must rest more.”
Nan Deng nodded in response. The rabbit head stared eagerly at the bamboo umbrella. Nan Deng shrank it again and placed it back on the rabbit head’s head.
Normally, the bamboo umbrella couldn’t be opened at its normal size casually. Besides the rainwater for nourishment and purification, Nan Deng wondered if it had any other abilities.
Weng Ping Ran quickly finished reporting all the tasks and watched as Nan Deng left.
Lian Yi walked ahead, holding Nan Deng’s hand, with the rabbit head clinging to his shoulder.
The rabbit head seemed inseparable from the small umbrella, waving its ears and the wrapped umbrella handle. It slid down Nan Deng’s arm, intentionally poking Lian Yi.
In an instant, Nan Deng’s mind flashed with many unfamiliar images.
Moonlit: Imagining Xiao Tu holding an umbrella with its ear is just soooo cute…
