Chapter 277: The Silent Daoist and the Prison Cell's Inexplicable Bond

Lu Yang heard that Daoist Bu Yu was imprisoned and blurted out, "Master's in jail again?"

Wait, why did I say "again"?

Yun Zhi sighed softly and nodded. "I really don't want to admit it, but that's the truth."

"Although I've told Master many times, 'If you cause trouble in the future, just don't mention your disciples.'"

"But after all, we are master and disciple. Even if Master disgraces himself out there, if we encounter him in the outside world, we must still call him 'Master.' We can't pretend not to know him."

"...So the emphasis just now was on the words 'Master,' not on why he's in jail?"

"Master wrote a letter, hoping we'd send someone to get him out of jail. According to past practice, it's always Fourth Elder who goes to bail him out. This time, I see Master is conveniently in Wild Goose Prefecture. After we finish up with the Immortal Remains, we can pay him a visit and see what he got himself imprisoned for this time."

"Does Master often go to jail?"

"Not often, but he spends more time in jail than most of the guards."

"Due to Master's unique experiences, he felt that one should leave something behind in life. So he wrote a book based on his personal experiences, which even received support from the imperial court."

Lu Yang asked curiously, "What did Master write?"

"'Two Thousand Years of Change in the Prison Environment of the Great Xia Dynasty'."

Yun Zhi casually listed a few examples: "I heard that during the era of the Nine Sons of the Dao-Seeking Sect, Master's most frequent offense was drunk flying with his sword, which constituted dangerous driving. Each time, he'd be locked up for several months."

Yun Zhi further explained, educating Lu Yang on the current state of law and order in the Great Xia Dynasty: "This is actually the most common criminal offense committed by cultivators. It's not just flying swords; it also includes driving gourds, jade flutes, and so on. Many cultivators, after drinking, don't want to use their spiritual power to dissipate the alcohol, so they just fly around drunkenly. The Great Xia Dynasty has tried repeatedly to ban it, but it persists."

"Master also once impersonated a fortune-teller, confidently telling a client they would be cheated out of money that day, and to avoid it, they needed to spend money to avert disaster. The client believed Master, paid spirit stones to ward off misfortune, and Master took the spirit stones, saying, 'See? I told you you'd be cheated today. Pretty accurate, right?'"

"And then he was locked up."

Daoist Bu Yu had done so many things that Yun Zhi couldn't finish listing them all at once, so she just picked a few random examples to show Lu Yang.

"I wonder, junior brother, have you heard that Master once created a spell called 'Size as You Wish (Partial Edition),' which is easy to learn?"

Lu Yang nodded. It was that peculiar spell that made men's lower parts change and women's upper parts change. He had certainly heard of it and even wanted to learn it, but he hadn't found the opportunity.

"Originally, the imperial court intended to charge Master with producing, reproducing, publishing, selling, and disseminating obscene materials for profit. However, Fourth Elder stepped forward and argued vehemently that Master's spell was a health-preserving technique and had no indecent implications. After much debate, the imperial court conceded, not finding Master guilty of a crime, but still requiring him to stop spreading the spell and to pay the back taxes on the books he sold."

"Fourth Elder is so righteous!" Lu Yang was surprised that Fourth Elder, who usually seemed annoyed with Master, would step up at a crucial moment to save him from imprisonment.

Yun Zhi glanced at Lu Yang and said blandly, "Because Fourth Elder was also involved in the selling. If Master were found guilty, he wouldn't escape either."

"Or rather, if Master were found guilty, all Nine Sons of the Dao-Seeking Sect would be implicated and go to jail together for a reunion."

"In any case, Master made a fortune that time; it was when he was richest. He spent spirit stones like water, not treating them as valuable at all."

"Master once imitated the Grand Elder and went to a brothel. At the time, Master was decked out in gold and silver, looking like a nouveau riche. The madam was overjoyed, thinking he was a big spender. Later, Master demanded an invoice from the brothel. The madam's face fell; she thought Master was there to cause trouble and refused to issue one."

"Master believed the brothel's actions constituted tax evasion, so he reported them to the authorities. Ultimately, the officials determined the brothel was evading taxes and imprisoned the madam, and they also determined Master had solicited prostitutes, so they imprisoned him as well."

After the era of the Nine Sons of the Dao-Seeking Sect ended, and the Grand Elder retired, Master and the other eight took control of the sect, but Master still didn't settle down.

"You should know that First Elder enjoys building tombs. Master accompanied him on an outing to build tombs everywhere. While digging a pit for a new tomb, the two accidentally unearthed a real tomb. They were mistaken for grave robbers and reported to the authorities. When officials arrived to arrest them, the two thought they were zombies and nearly got into a fight."

Inside Lu Yang's spiritual space, Immortal Fairy was amazed. It truly seemed the Dao-Seeking Sect had many extraordinary individuals. Staying in Lu Yang's spiritual space was indeed an eye-opening experience.

Lu Yang was speechless.

Lu Yang felt that with Immortal Fairy before him and Daoist Bu Yu behind him, it was truly remarkable that he had managed to maintain his core principles, work diligently, and live honestly despite the combined influence of these two.

"Isn't Master a Body Integration stage cultivator? How was he caught?"

As the Dao-Seeking Sect Master, a top-tier Body Integration stage cultivator, potentially even the strongest, he could easily defeat all the people in Wild Goose Prefecture even if they stacked up against him.

How could he possibly be captured?

"Master says imprisonment is part of his 'Red Dust Cultivation'."

"Then is escaping from prison part of 'Red Dust Cultivation'?"

Yun Zhi was silent for a long time, then gave Lu Yang a deep look. "Don't ask Master that question. I'm afraid he might actually consider it."

Lu Yang scratched his head and said, "Oh, I have another question."

"What is it?"

"Shouldn't we be visiting him in prison? Why are we eating now?"

At that moment, Lu Yang and Yun Zhi were seated in a small private room, with a dazzling array of delicious dishes before them.

After returning from the Immortal Remains, Yun Zhi didn't go straight to the prison. Instead, she took Lu Yang to the best restaurant in Wild Goose Prefecture and ordered all the local specialties, making Lu Yang's eye twitch.

He really wanted to ask, "Master is locked up nearby, isn't it a bit inappropriate for us to be feasting here?"

But considering the person sitting opposite him was his senior sister, he ultimately didn't dare to ask.

Yun Zhi took a bite of a steamed beef ball. The beef ball was springy and firm, and juice burst forth with each bite. She was very satisfied.

Yun Zhi put down her chopsticks and explained expressionlessly, "Junior brother, you must understand what Master is: he is our elder. What elders most wish to see is their juniors healthy and thriving. If we eat well and sleep well here, I'm sure Master will be beaming with joy when he hears about our well-being from inside the prison."

Lu Yang felt that his senior sister's words made a lot of sense, yet something still felt odd.

He felt his mind hadn't been working properly lately. Was it an aftereffect of practicing the Soybean Fist?