After successfully drawing his first Cleanliness Talisman, Xu Qian's confidence soared. Although the success rate was still painfully low, and using the Sword Intent Seed for assistance left him exhausted as a dead dog every time, he had finally staggered his way to a solid first step on the path of talisman crafting.
Looking at the jailer's uniform that had been cleaned until it looked brand-new, a thought flashed through Xu Qian's mind like lightning—this thing seemed not only capable of improving personal hygiene, but could also be used to... farm favorability?
In a place like the Heavenly Prison, where sanitary conditions were abysmal, personal cleanliness was a major problem. The jailers dealt with filth and blood all day long, so they inevitably picked up all kinds of odors and stains, and sometimes even bred lice and fleas. Bathing? That was a luxury. Spare clothes? They only had one or two sets, and even when they got dirty, there was no way to wash them in time.
If he could solve this problem for them without anyone noticing...
Xu Qian's eyes lit up. This was practically a godsend—a zero-cost favor-farming divine tool, if he ignored the toll it took on his mind!
Once he decided to do it, he acted at once!
Taking advantage of the dead of night, he gritted his teeth and drew several more Cleanliness Talismans. This time, he was even more careful and tried his best to control the Sword Intent Seed's output. Although the success rate was still low, he at least managed to save three or five finished talismans.
The next day, an opportunity arrived.
Zhang Meng was patrolling at night with him. As they walked, Zhang Meng began scratching his back out of habit again, muttering, "What the hell? Why's my body been so itchy these past few days? Could I have grown 'Glorious Worms' again?" (The Heavenly Prison jailers' nickname for lice.)
Xu Qian chuckled inwardly, but maintained a solemn expression. "Maybe the weather's been damp. Brother Meng, stand right there and don't move. I'll pat the dust off you."
As he spoke, he casually took out a Cleanliness Talisman and hid it in his palm, pretending to pat the dust from Zhang Meng's back. The instant his palm touched the other man's clothes, a thread of true qi flowed imperceptibly into the talisman!
"Pff~"
With a sound too soft to hear, the talisman dissolved into nothingness in his palm.
A gentle, cleansing force swept over Zhang Meng's back and then his entire body.
Zhang Meng felt an indescribably refreshing coolness spread across his back. The irritating itch vanished in an instant! He narrowed his eyes in comfort, rolled his neck, and said, "Hey! Brother Qian, your slap is magical! One pat and the itching's gone! That feels great!"
Xu Qian gave him a guileless smile. "Maybe I happened to knock off a louse."
Zhang Meng did not suspect a thing. He only felt that even Brother Qian was amazing when it came to patting dust off clothes!
His first battle had ended in victory, and Xu Qian's confidence grew even stronger.
Over the next few days, he began his "secret cleaning operation."
Old Zhou was dozing in the Guard Room. Xu Qian "happened" to help him "straighten" the coat draped over the back of his chair, and a Cleanliness Talisman silently took effect upon it.
Several colleagues who had decent relations with one another gathered together to complain about the smell on their bodies. Xu Qian sidled over and "put his arm around their shoulders," quietly releasing the talisman's power through the contact.
He even found an opportunity, while Zhou Kang was lecturing them, to "accidentally" flick a bit of dust—actually talisman ash—onto Zhou Kang's trouser leg, taking the chance to activate the Cleanliness Talisman hidden at his fingertip.
The results were immediate.
Zhang Meng was the first to notice the change. He scratched his head far less often, and one day he even said to Xu Qian in astonishment, "Brother Qian, don't you think it's strange? I haven't felt itchy for days! Could those 'Glorious Worms' have moved house as a group?"
Xu Qian did not even blink. "Maybe your blood and qi have been especially vigorous lately, Brother Meng. The lice don't dare get near you."
Zhang Meng was deeply convinced and became even more certain that Brother Qian possessed some mysterious aura.
Then the other colleagues noticed as well. They found that their jailer uniforms, which had been greasy and stiff enough to stand upright, seemed less oily and caked with grime. They were also more comfortable to wear. There was still an odor, but it was no longer that dense, nauseating reek of sweat and blood.
"Huh? Old Li, you seem to smell a little less today."
"Really? You're the same, aren't you? Looks like the weather's been drier lately?"
"Could be..."
Everyone discussed it animatedly, all crediting the improvement to the better weather.
Even Zhou Kang vaguely felt that the coat he had worn for nearly half a month without changing seemed... not quite as filthy. He even unconsciously lifted his sleeve and sniffed it, his brows drawing together in confusion. But he did not think much of it, chalking it up to his imagination—or perhaps... his old wife had been washing clothes with more force lately? (Although his wife was not responsible for washing his jailer uniform.)
Xu Qian watched it all, keeping his contribution hidden.
His operation of "secretly delivering cleanliness" had worked astonishingly well. It had improved the small environment around him—at least the people nearby no longer smelled quite so strong—and had also imperceptibly brought him closer to his colleagues and Zhou Kang.
Zhang Meng became even more devoted to him, feeling that even the lice no longer bit him when he followed Brother Qian.
The other colleagues also found Xu Qian more pleasing to the eye. They felt that although the youngster was a little rigid—meaning he was overly enthusiastic about cleaning—he was not a bad person, and he even seemed to "bring prosperity" to his roommate—meaning Zhang Meng no longer got lice.
Although Zhou Kang did not understand why, seeing his subordinates looking a little more spirited put him in a good mood. He was even more satisfied with Xu Qian's "thoughtfulness" and "diligence."
[Heh heh, I never expected the Cleanliness Talisman to have such a wonderful use!] Xu Qian's heart was practically overflowing with delight. "Looks like once you max out your support skills, you can thrive anywhere!"
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