Chapter 77: Report Truthfully

“Long time no see, I've brought you food.” Lu Yang’s friendly demeanor was honed from his time at the barbecue restaurant.

After more than a month of practice, Lu Yang’s fake smile had become remarkably convincing. Even Meng Jingzhou praised Lu Yang’s smile, saying it looked as genuine as his own.

Hearing Lu Yang’s voice, Chi Xulong, who had been pouting, spun his head around, his eyes flashing with ferocity. He silently fumed, "If it weren't for you bringing the constables here to eat, would I be in this mess now?"

“Why are you here?” Chi Xulong’s tone was hostile. Ever since they first met, this guy had impersonated an examiner to trick him. Two days ago, he’d set traps during their meal—he was utterly full of evil schemes. And now, he was pretending to deliver food; he definitely had ill intentions! Compared to himself, a countless-murdering executioner, Chi Xulong felt Lu Yang was even more despicable!

Lu Yang had no intention of playing tricks on Chi Xulong in prison. They would need to help each other in the future, so there was no need to make their relationship so tense. This was also the Branch Master’s instruction.

However, Lu Yang had poor hearing and misheard Chi Xulong’s words as a question about whether he had become a deacon. “What? How did you know I’ve been promoted to deacon? But don’t get too excited; if you perform well, you can also become a deacon.” He was surprised at how well-informed Chi Xulong was, even in prison.

After speaking, Lu Yang even pulled out his waist token to show off; the two characters for “Deacon” were very prominent. Chi Xulong was so enraged he nearly exploded. “Heaven must be blind!” he fumed.

Lu Yang then comforted him, “Don’t be angry. The leader also asked me to relay a message to you.”

Hearing it was a message from Branch Master Chu, Chi Xulong calmed down somewhat. He thought the Branch Master still valued him highly, sending someone specifically to convey words. “What did he say?”

“He said you’d best foster a good relationship with me.”

Chi Xulong exploded in fury. The Branch Master truly valued this kid! “I’d rather die than get along with you!”

Seeing that Chi Xulong refused to listen to the leader, Lu Yang sighed. He left some food and then departed.

The other prisoners, smelling the aroma of the food, began to drool. They couldn’t get such delicious food in prison.

Towards the other prisoners, Lu Yang’s attitude was much better. He encouraged them to reform themselves well in prison, to strive to become new people after release, and to benefit the Central Continent. His words, both direct and implied, conveyed genuine concern. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought they were serving ten or eight-year sentences.

After leaving the prison, Lu Yang truthfully reported the situation to Branch Master Chu: “I took food to the prison to visit Chi Xulong and told him there were some misunderstandings between us, that we are all on the same path and will inevitably interact in the future, and that building a good relationship would facilitate future work. I specifically emphasized that this was your instruction, Branch Master, and also told him that if he performed well, he could become a deacon just like me.”

“Who knew Chi Xulong would get furious and start cursing? He said that whoever made me a deacon must be blind, and that he would rather die than get along with me. I don’t remember his exact words, but that was the gist of it.”

Branch Master Chu’s gaze immediately turned cold. “He said *who* was blind?!”

Lu Yang quickly bowed, then cautiously looked up at Branch Master Chu. He replied, trembling with fear, “That person’s status is too high; it would be highly disrespectful for me to say.”

Branch Master Chu already had his answer. “Alright, I understand. You may go.”

Lu Yang sighed, thinking to himself that Chi Xulong truly had no filter, daring to say anything. “Please, Branch Master, don’t say that these words came from me. Perhaps I misremembered them, or I might have gotten confused.”

Branch Master Chu impatiently waved his hand. Of course, he knew such things.

After Lu Yang left, Branch Master Chu tapped his jade chair and snorted coldly. “What a Chi Xulong, daring to say *I* am blind!”

During the day, everything was as usual: Meng Jingzhou went shopping, Man Gu exercised in the backyard, Chang Gui Datang threaded skewers, and Lu Yang did laundry.

Lu Yang’s clothes were ordinary items and couldn’t stay spotless.

“Confound it, why can’t I learn the Cleanse Garment Charm?” Lu Yang grumbled, vigorously scrubbing his clothes. Among the three of them, he was the only one who had to wash clothes. “Once I’m rich, I’ll definitely buy clothes that don’t need washing.”

A while ago, he had asked Meng Jingzhou to teach him the Cleanse Garment Charm. Meng Jingzhou didn’t know the charm himself, but he had a book called *Minor Everyday Spells*, which his sister had secretly given him before he left. The book contained the spell known as the Cleanse Garment Charm.

The Cleanse Garment Charm, as its name suggests, was a spell to make clothes clean; it was simple and easy to learn.

The three of them gathered to learn, with Meng Jingzhou and Man Gu mastering it first. As a refreshing burst of spiritual energy descended from the sky, their dirty clothes instantly turned pristine white, as if brand new.

Meng Jingzhou and Man Gu were delighted. Working at the barbecue restaurant, their clothes got dirty easily, which was very troublesome. Given Meng Jingzhou’s status, he naturally possessed refined clothing, an artifact that required no washing and automatically stayed clean. However, this garment was of too high a quality; one look would reveal his profound background, making it unsuitable for covert operations within the demonic sect.

Lu Yang’s high talent in magic was obvious to all, and he also learned the spell. However, the effect was somewhat unexpected. After he cast the Cleanse Garment Charm, space warped, and a brand-new garment appeared out of thin air.

Lu Yang remained silent for a long time, wanting to curse but not knowing where to begin. In terms of sequence, this was the first space-type spell Lu Yang had learned, making it highly significant. In terms of innovation, this was an innovation on the Cleanse Garment Charm, equivalent to creating a new spatial spell. In terms of logic, it made no sense.

Lu Yang saw the label on the collar, which read “For [Name]”, and knew that the clothes were most likely tailor-made garments. The person who ordered them hadn’t arrived yet, but they had been summoned by his spatial spell.

“Why does my Cleanse Garment Charm directly summon a new piece of clothing?! What would happen if I cast a Cleanse Body Charm?!” Lu Yang fumed. He felt that the heavens thought he was too talented and were deliberately restricting his magical abilities.

Of course, he couldn’t wear such clothes; they belonged to someone else. However, Lu Yang didn’t know who the owner was, so he couldn’t return them.

Meng Jingzhou enthusiastically offered to cast the true Cleanse Garment Charm to help Lu Yang wash his clothes. After a period of attempts, it ended in failure. The Cleanse Garment Charm could only clean the clothes one was currently wearing. Lu Yang couldn’t possibly take off his clothes for Meng Jingzhou to wear just to wash them, and then have Meng Jingzhou take them off and give them back.

There was no other way; he had to dutifully wash his own clothes.

After washing his clothes, Lu Yang wanted to hang them outside the window. Carelessly, the drying pole slipped. It was about to hit a passerby on the head.

“Look out!”

Unexpectedly, the passerby was incredibly agile, sidestepping the drying pole.

Lu Yang quickly went downstairs and discovered the passerby was a new acquaintance. It was Lan Ting, the disciple from the Osmanthus Palace who had helped him fight the tiger in Songshan. More than a month had passed; why was she still here? Lu Yang wondered.

Lan Ting looked down, silently observing the drying pole lying on the ground. Her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if she were contemplating something.

Lu Yang asked curiously, “What are you thinking about?”

Lan Ting blurted out, “I’m wondering why this drying pole fell to the ground instead of flying up into the sky. Is it possible there’s an invisible force pulling everything in the world?”

Lu Yang was speechless.