Ran Ryuuren

Ran Jyuusan Ran Ryuuren (藍 龍蓮 Ran Ryūren) is the youngest brother of Ran Shuuei and Ran Setsuna and a known wanderer.

Appearance
Ryuuren prefers flashy clothing with flashy accessories to match. These accessories may include vegetables and fruits such as pears and cabbages and other items he picks up from the side of the road like feathers. However, when he dresses in "normal"clothes, he is considered very handsome. Shuurei enforced this fact after she sees Ryuuren in a normal outfit on the day of the Imperial Exam. She described his appearance as that of a normal handsome young man and was unable to recognize him.

When the Blue Immortal takes over, Ryuuren has a much calmer and colder expression.

Personality & Characteristics
Ryuuren is described as an eccentric individual both inside and out but this eccentricity is matched by his intelligence. Shouka comments that geniuses are often lonely people which is why he was unable to make friends until he met Shuurei (who treats him like she does anyone else). He shares his body with the Blue Immortal, similar to the relationship between To Eigetsu and Byakuya.

When the Blue Immortal takes control, his personality drastically changes. The Blue Immortal, unlike the other Immortals, is comparatively easy-going and has a sense of humor. He is seen to be fond of cute things namely Uu Uu, who he thinks resembles a doll. He is also very daring as he openly teased Shi Shou, who was extremely short tempered among them and even spoke lightly of the Black Immortal.

Although Ryuuren is the youngest of the Ran brothers, he was bestowed with the name, Ryuuren, at the age of four. Ryuuren was not the name he was given at birth; the name is only given by the clan to a genius and worthy individual of each generation. The kanji for is composed of one half of the kanji for Twin Dragon Lotus Spring" (Souryuurensen), the Ran Clan Seal, and serves a title to prove his hidden identity as the host of the 'Blue Immortal'.

Plot
Ryuuren earned the nickname Dragon Flute Gambling Master (龍笛賭博師 Ryuuteki tobaku-shi) while wandering around the country and playing cards, which his family allowed on the condition that Ryuuren would take one of the top three places in the Official Exams. When he comes to the capital just before the exams, his dormitory becomes known as the "Cursed 13th Building" because instead of studying, Ryuuren prefers to play his flute, driving other examinees insane. Seven officials resign after having incomprehensible conversations with him. The only person who can cope with his behavior is Kou Shuurei, whom he promptly dubs his "Soul Friend #1". To Eigetsu becomes his "Soul Friend #2", and Eigetsu's alter-ego, Yogetsu, is eventually counted as "Soul Friend #2.5".

Ryuuren takes the Official Exams with Shuurei and Eigetsu and passes with the second highest score, taking the "Bougen" spot, but then skips out on the Shinshi Ceremony that inducts the examinees as new officials. He claims that the wind called to him to start a new voyage - that is, he would resume wandering because he has now fulfilled his promise to excel in the exams.

While Eigetsu obtains the "Jougen" spot, the highest rank of all the examinees, it is believed that Ryuuren could have actually gotten the title instead of Bougen. It seemed that one question in the exam was "Why do you want to serve the Emperor?" As an individual who does not want to get "involved" in politics, Ryuuren just answered that he simply did not wish to serve the Emperor. Though Ryuuren claims to have no interest in becoming an Imperial official or the head of the Ran clan, Kou Kurou seriously weighs a proposal from the Ran clan to marry Ryuuren to Shuurei.

When Ryuuren wanders back to the capital, Ryuuki gives him the important task of delivering the governor's seal to Shuurei and Eigetsu in Sa province. Shuurei tells Ryuuren to stay clear of their dangerous political situation, but Ryuuren says that the danger is why he wanted to stay involved, and that his "Soul Friends" are the only people who can take advantage of him.

The novel later reveals that the individuals of the Ran Clan bestowed with the name "Ryuuren" are designed to be the living hosts of the Blue Immortal  Due to the Immortal's ability to control the present, past, and future, only a person with the capacity to retain such knowledge can serve as the host. Like Yougetsu (or Byakuya) and Eigetsu, Ryuuren seems to share a completely different personality with the Blue Immortal. The Blue Immortal first shows up in the Cave of Immortals when Ran Shuuei and Shiba Jin were trying to go to the Hyou Clan. Shuuei thought it was Ryuuren, however the Blue Immortal ignored him and sent them both to the Hyou domain. He then teased Uu Uu for resembling a doll and asked him to become his toy. He later thanked him for helping the Red Immortal back when she was imprisoned and left.

Shuuei remarks, on the occasion that he met the Blue Immortal in Ryuuren's body, that "Ryuuren's usual eccentric aura" disappears completely and is replaced by an inhuman and emotionless one". Only when an individual such as Ryuuren appears can the Blue Immortal descend to the human world. Shuuei does not seem to realize than the Blue Immortal and Ryuuren share the same body.

The Blue Immortal reveals to Shuuei that Ryuuren is someone that must watch from the background only. Hyou Riou Jr. seems to affirm this statement as he criticizes Ren of causing even Ran Ryuuren to act when he was supposed to only watch.

It is said that even though there are the clan heads, when the individual that was bestowed the name of "Ran Ryuuren", his orders will be carried out over the wishes of the head. The Ran triplets, Ryuuren's elder brothers, may know that Ryuuren is the vessel of the Blue Immortal. The Blue Immortal is the 'Lord of Time' who knows the past, present and future of many worlds thus only a genius who can process the vast amount of information can act as his host. The Blue Immortal's actual name might be Ran Ryuuren as each of his hosts are named Ran Ryuuren when they become his host.

Prophecy
The Blue Immortal has the powers to see the future. He sometimes releases prophecies for the Immortals. The story of the Rose Princess was one of his prophecies about the Red Immortal. Ryuuren can also predict everything that happens around the country due to his powers causing him to be aware of everything happening around him without even being present at the site.

Martial Arts

A lover of art and nature, Ryuuren is also highly skilled in martial arts. He began studying martial arts because he says that he admires nature's power and might and later becomes quite skilled at them.

Physical Strength
He also seems to have great strength, as he is portrayed to be able to throw a door off its hinges.

Yokobue Flute
He plays the yokobue flute in a cacophonous style that can alter people's mental health and cause birds to fall from the sky. In the novels, Ryuuren is actually very good at playing other musical instruments, so it surprised his brothers that he chose to play yokobue instead.

The Immortals
The Blue Immortal appears to be on good terms with the Red Immortal as he returned Uu Uu the favor by opening a portal to the Hyou Clan for freeing Red in the past. He likes to tease the Purple Immortal as he has a very short temper. He is shown to be unnerved regarding the Black Immortal as well.

Ran Shuuei
Ryuuren's nickname for Shuuei is "foolish elder brother #4". He never liked Shuuei much until he came to know Shuurei.

Kou Shuurei and To Eigetsu
They are the only people who can tolerate Ryuuren's eccentricity and thus considers them as his 'Kindred Spirits'. In spite of his job to silently observe the world as the Blue Immortal's host, he took action readily to save Eigetsu's life. He is also very fond of Shuurei's cooking as he proposed to her to become his personal chef should she decide to remain unmarried.

Ran Jyuusan
Ryuuren appears to really care for Jyuusan as he tried to 'comfort' her by playing his flute when she was depressed. However, the same cannot be said for Jyuusan as she has a very poor opinion of him and even compared him to horse dung once.