23rd Chapter: Breakaway

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The trio followed Jiang Lu and the messenger to the archive room.

All the way there, hindered by the presence of the messenger, Ghostface Fox, despite having many doubts, ultimately found no suitable opportunity to ask.

Upon arriving at the archive room, the messenger asked, "Who are you planning to fish out?"

"Don't rush me, I want to take a look first." Jiang Lu said as he flipped through the records, comparing them with the archives, and pointed out sixteen individuals they thought most likely: "Start with these."

"Okay." The messenger nodded and directly entered the prison from the stone stele.

Seeing the messenger leave, Ghostface Fox finally seized the opportunity to ask, "What exactly did you do all night, how come..."

"I can only tell you that you were able to successfully conquer this Spirit Realm because I've been bearing the burden ahead."

Jiang Lu recalled the wildness hidden beneath Yixina's aura with a sense of helplessness.

Just when he was so exhausted he thought it was almost over, she turned around and healed him—how could anybody withstand that?

Even though his body could still take it, the mental exhaustion was indeed tangible, and he was still sleepy.

The three, oblivious to the truth, felt like they had been a burden on Jiang Lu, their faces showing a sense of guilt.

Ghostface Fox felt even less at ease to continue asking questions.

You say you can't help with anything and keep asking questions, isn't that just annoying?

"However, there's something I should remind you," Ghostface Fox changed the subject, speaking earnestly, "I thought about it all night yesterday, and I feel that this Spirit Realm is a bit too special, I even suspect that it could be a real world.

So you must be careful not to incur the wrath of the messenger or the God of Redemption."

"Ah? Oh, okay, got it."

Bear a grudge? Jiang Lu suddenly felt like laughing.

As they were speaking, the messenger had already returned to the archive room with the people.

Ghostface Fox also fell silent, no longer speaking.

Jiang Lu squinted his eyes as he examined the sixteen people before him, all with clueless and dumbfounded expressions.

He had been trying to figure out how to determine whether they had been jailers or not, but as soon as they were brought out, he immediately felt at ease.

The distinguishing features were simply too obvious.

Because they had been placed in the prison as substitutes for the prisoners, they hadn't actually committed any sins, so they hadn't suffered any torture. There wasn't a single wound or even a trace of punishment on their bodies—they looked remarkably healthy.

"You see, I told you they're like they've lived an extra ten years." Jiang Lu said, still bearing a grudge over the doubts from the day before as he looked towards Heavy Cannon.

"Don't worry." Ghostface Fox suddenly came closer to Jiang Lu and whispered a reminder, "It might not necessarily be them; better to verify first."

"How do we do that?" Jiang Lu asked.

"Ask them something that's common knowledge for us, those who can answer are the ones we're looking for."

"I understand." Jiang Lu nodded, and then addressed the people before him sternly, "I'm going to ask questions, and you all will answer honestly. No lying, got it?"

Unsure of the situation, these individuals hesitated and looked fearfully towards the messenger.

The latter commanded coldly, "Don't look at me, listen to him."

The fear was evident on their faces, for they all knew the terror of the messenger, and now the messenger was telling them to listen to someone else?

Could it be...

"Are you the God of Redemption?" someone asked Jiang Lu timidly.

"Close enough." Jiang Lu shrugged.

Not only did they gasp, but even Ghostface Fox was shocked. He had just advised Jiang Lu to stay low-key, and now he was impersonating the God of Redemption? And in front of the messenger, no less!

Huh? Thinking about it, it seems that the messenger didn't even object... What's going on?

Ghostface Fox, clueless, silently started a brainstorm.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lu asked the first question, "The next line of 'Imperial Court Jade Liquor'!"

"....."

Jiang Lu looked in disbelief at the people who were either silent or showed difficulty, "None of you knows it? And you call yourselves Chinese?"

Seeing no one dared to speak, he turned around abruptly, "Heavy Cannon, tell them the answer!"

"..."

"Damn! You don't know it either?" Jiang Lu, unconvinced, demanded, "Heavy Cannon, you say it!"

"..."

"Are you guys kidding me?!" Jiang Lu held back his anger, "Then tell me, who sang 'Unforgettable Tonight'?"

"..."

"Alright, alright, you've all never seen it," Jiang Lu scoffed.

It was then that Ghostface Fox tugged at his sleeve.

"What?"

"That..." Ghostface Fox looked at Jiang Lu with a strange expression, "Where did you hear about these things?"

"Spring Festival Gala."

"Where did you watch it?"

"My old man played me videotapes of them; he said that back in his day, they used it to identify spies, called it a romance that only we understand."

"Uh... did your old man not tell you that over half a century ago, nobody watched the Spring Festival Gala anymore?"

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"Huh? I don't get it, why?"

"That's because starting from that year, there's no holiday for New Year's Eve. Everyone's working overtime during the Spring Festival Gala, so who has time to watch it?"

At this point, Ghostface Fox sighed:

"Especially after the supernatural resurgence, there are even fewer ways to entertain oneself, and those in harsh conditions, let alone watching a recording, don't even have a radio.

Now, except for those with elderly at home or who are well-off enough to access these things, everyone is just trying to survive. Who cares about that stuff? You are... a bit out of touch."

"So that's what it is..." Jiang Lu suddenly realized.

Before his reincarnation, he always liked to indulge in the little songs of the living world, and after reincarnation, he would often relive the classics through the dean's collection. Who knew about this stuff?

"Then you ask," he said to Ghostface Fox.

Ghostface Fox nodded, "So, tell me, who is the most famous former president of the Exorcist Guild?"

"Xin Yuanxing!"

Everyone said in unison, including Heavy Cannon and Willow Blade.

Jiang Lu looked embarrassed because he didn't know.

Damn, I'm out of the loop!

Ghostface Fox didn't notice Jiang Lu's awkwardness and singled out a few who clearly didn't belong: "These few aren't, please Messenger, return them later."

The Messenger was unmoved until Jiang Lu repeated the instruction, then she acknowledged it.

Then, using that method, they screened again and again, and finally identified the Exorcists among the supervisors.

Watching Jiang Lu wave his hand and the Messenger leaving without a second word, the sixteen Exorcists by now had realized something, and looked at the four of them with excitement, especially Jiang Lu as the leader.

"Are you... also Exorcists?" someone cautiously asked.

"You lot are lucky," Jiang Lu confirmed and then used the rescue button on the panel to teleport all of them out of the Dark Tower.

Within the beams of light, their faces showed wild joy or tears as if awakened from a dream, and some knelt down to kowtow to Jiang Lu, their bitterness too profound to articulate.

As the sixteen beams of light slowly faded, the mission objectives updated once more.

[Mission Objective One: Discover the secret of the Dark Tower][Completed]

[Mission Objective Two: Rescue the Exorcists trapped in the Dark Tower][16/16]

["Infinite Prison" has been conquered. You can calculate your rewards and leave at any time.]

Not just Jiang Lu, everyone's panel was updated, and their faces showed pleasure.

"We can finally leave," Heavy Cannon sighed with relief.

He earnestly said to Jiang Lu the words he had been wanting to say but held back so as not to jinx it: "Bro, I owe you one this time. If there's a chance to enter the Spirit Realm again, as long as fighting is needed, I've got your back!"

"You'd better," Jiang Lu replied with a feigned provocative laugh.

Willow Blade simply said: "I won't say my thanks – it's all in my heart. Remember to add me as a friend once we're out."

"Ok, ok."

Once the two of them had left, Ghostface Fox then asked: "Brother Jiang, although it's a bit irregular to do this, I still want to know, which safe zone are you in and do you have any plans to join the Exorcist Guild?"

"Oh? How do you know I'm not with the Guild?"

Ghostface Fox chuckled: "If you were, I would have definitely heard of your name already. The Guild wouldn't miss any talent."

"That said... you must be a big deal, knowing all this," Jiang Lu hinted.

Even a talented new member wouldn't be known by every member before making a name for themselves, but Ghostface Fox was confident he would know, indicating he had access to extraordinary channels of information.

"My identity... haha, it's decent," Ghostface Fox laughed it off: "But if Brother Jiang ever plans on visiting the headquarters, you can contact me anytime."

"Such a wide network, a young achiever indeed," Jiang Lu praised.

"Then, I'll be leaving too. Let's chat and add each other as friends afterward."

"Alright."

As he watched Ghostface Fox also leave the Spirit Realm, Jiang Lu didn't rush to leave. Instead, he walked out of the archives room and found the Messenger crouched outside, staring at the parrot.

Jiang Lu sighed and went forward, gently rubbing her head.

"Still upset?"

"I'm just a Puppet created by my master who by chance developed emotions... unlike you all..."

With no one else around, the Messenger revealed her vulnerable side in front of Jiang Lu without restraint.

"What's the big deal? I am an orphan too," comforted Jiang Lu: "And I turned out just fine, right?"

The Messenger was silent, and Jiang Lu stood by her side, keeping her company in silence.

After a while, the Messenger suddenly asked: "Didn't you tell your master that you were leaving? Why haven't you gone?"

"There's no rush," Jiang Lu smiled tenderly: "Last night, I talked to your master about you, and with my persuasion, she also realized how unfair this situation is for you."

Upon hearing this, the Messenger shook her head in panic: "No... no, I didn't think so."

Jiang Lu patted her shoulder soothingly: "To make up for it, we've decided to treat you as family too."

"Family..."

The Messenger's wings fluttered uncontrollably, and finally, she broke down and hugged Jiang Lu tightly, burying her head in his chest.

"So it means," Jiang Lu kneaded her wings: "we have decided to invite you to play some three-person games."

"Ah..." the Messenger lifted her head: "Three-person games? What are they?"

"You'll find out once you come," he said.