No strange things are allowed to evolve!

"Because you triggered the magic-suppressing stone's lock twice, the assessment you need to complete is two levels more difficult than what you should have been asked for, a whole level of difficulty comparable to that of a blue-robed scholar."

Jiang Shu and Strawberry Milkshake exchanged a glance.

"What level of difficulty is that?"

Moore sighed and explained, "Normally, after becoming a first-tier Lie Poet, one can register as a Temple Poet. However, since first-tier Lie Poets are only beginners and their strength and experience are likely to be lacking, they can hardly pass the assessment. Therefore, most of those who can register are second-tier Lie Poets."

If we roughly correlate the ranks of the Mouth of God with the status of the Poets of Lies in the temple, then rank two corresponds to a white robe, rank three to a black robe, rank four to a blue robe, rank five to a purple robe, rank six to a yellow robe, and rank seven, the highest rank a Poets of Lies can reach, corresponds to a red robe. The most powerful among the red robes is the temple's archbishop, also known as the Grand Red Robe.

Da Hong Pao...

It sounds like the archbishop must really enjoy taking baths.

"So the blue robe is equivalent to your next rank?"

“That’s right.” Moore nodded.

Upon hearing this, Strawberry Milkshake silently calculated for a moment, but couldn't figure out how many more years she would have to keep throwing stones.

"That's it." Jiang Shu shrugged. "They're way ahead of me now."

After saying that, he waved to Moore with a carefree air: "Then we'll meet again in the fourth tier, and hopefully we'll meet at the top."

"No, wait a minute!"

Jiang Shu turned around: "Is there anything else?"

"Difficulty is difficulty, and rank is rank; there's no strong connection." Moore forcibly dragged Jiang Shu away, a strange light gleaming in his eyes: "If... I mean if, if we could possess micro-management skills, it wouldn't be impossible to achieve great things with limited resources!"

"Micro-management?" Jiang Shu thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't know how to do that. I'm used to big, sweeping maneuvers."

He was telling the truth.

But Moore took it as a way of hiding his true abilities.

He understood that those with great talent but whose strength was not yet up to par often resorted to this tactic during their early, less powerful phases.

Therefore, he did not point it out, but instead said: "In short, for a poet of lies, strength is certainly important, but the ability to acquire the power of lies is even more important. This is also what the temple's assessment values."

For example, someone who possesses the power of a god but never uses it, whose ability to lie is built up over time through endless repetition and only taking in words, would absolutely be unable to pass the temple's assessment.

"Oh, I understand." Jiang Shu nodded.

Even a top billionaire, burdened with debt, is still far superior to someone without debt but also lacking earning power—that's roughly the idea.

“So, although it’s difficult, I think you can give it a try first,” Moore advised. “After all, this is just a registration assessment, which is one less requirement than the promotion assessment in terms of rank. You don’t need to reach the fourth rank to participate.”

"Giving it a try is fine." Hearing this, Jiang Shu was a little puzzled: "But I mean... this is my registration assessment, and logically it has nothing to do with you. Why do you seem more nervous than me?"

"I..."

Seeing him stammering, Jiang Shu asked suspiciously, "Could it be that there's some kind of pyramid scheme involving recruiting people to develop a downline?"

“No,” Moore retorted sharply. “Isn’t that a crime?”

"Oh, so it's considered a crime here too?" Jiang Shu nodded. "Why is that?"

"this..."

Seeing that he couldn't fool her anymore, Moore had no choice but to admit:

“I think you have great potential and might become an amazing poet of lies, so I want to do everything I can to help you.”

"Because I triggered the anti-magic stone twice?"

“No.” Moore shook his head: “It’s because of your ability to acquire the power of lies. You said that every time you change reality, you always gain more than you lose. That alone is something that not all lie poets can do.”

"Just because of that?"

"Ah."

Jiang Shu looked at the anti-magic stone, lost in thought.

“So, I think you have a chance of passing this test!” Moore showed great trust in Jiang Shu.

This surprised both Jiang Shu and the strawberry milkshake.

As a poet of lies, this sense of trust and mission...

Isn't this considered unorthodox practice? Shouldn't it be reported?

"So you want to deal with those black-robed figures who are targeting you after I gain power?" Jiang Shu asked calmly.

"You've noticed it all?" Moore chuckled self-deprecatingly. "At first, after discovering your talent, that's what I thought, but that idea has changed a bit now."

"What has it turned into?"

“I think,” Moore thought for a moment, “if you can really pass this test, maybe in the future... they won’t even be qualified to see me.”

"You've pinned your hopes on me, haven't you?" Jiang Shu smiled.

“That’s right, so whatever you need, I will do my best to help you, as long as…” Moore said earnestly, “you can complete this test and become the first white-robed person in history to pass the blue-robed test!”

......

Lies in Taikoo Li.

"What do you think?" Strawberry Milkshake asked Jiang Shu, who was trying on a cartoon Warcraft hat in front of the mirror, as she flipped through the assessment documents.

Taking off the hat and putting it back on the shelf, Jiang Shu said nonchalantly, "Let's give it a try. Anyway, I didn't realize he was lying. If it really works, it will be unprecedented. With fame, it will be beneficial no matter what the next task is."

"Yeah, but it does look really difficult."

Strawberry Milkshake closed the file, looking somewhat troubled, and said:

"According to him, the normal White Robe assessment only requires you to trick the designated wealthy merchants into giving you specific valuable items. Although these wealthy merchants are cunning and vigilant, they are still just ordinary people, so it should be very easy for you."

But our assessment...

"We're tasked with luring a monster-hunting team from an adventurer's guild that frequently deals with the Temple of Lies, then personally leading them to the monster's lair and successfully returning to Lies Town without being detected. That's a real challenge, isn't it?"

“Indeed.” Jiang Shu nodded. “But the good thing is that we haven’t joined the temple yet, so we’re not restricted by the anti-magic stone and can be a little more ruthless.”

"Even if we resort to any means necessary, and the team we pull out is ranked at the same level as a fourth-tier Lie Poet, it is already equivalent to the strongest human outside of Lie Poets, far stronger than us."

Strawberry Milkshake sighed:

"Even if we manage to lure out such a team, wouldn't we be exposed as soon as we encounter real monsters outside of Lies Town?"

"Well."

Jiang Shu didn't take it seriously and continued bending down to pick through the basket of small toys:

"Have I ever told you that I'm actually quite good at fighting?"

"You mean that red-haired guy?" Strawberry Milkshake was speechless. "If it's that one, I think you should be more grateful for gravity."

Jiang Shu didn't explain anything, but said confidently, "Anyway, don't worry, I feel that the difficulty level is acceptable."

Seeing his girlish expression, Strawberry Milkshake finally couldn't help but ask, "Speaking of which, I've had this feeling since the first day I came in. I always feel that you're a little different in the hatchery than you are outside."

"What's the difference?"

"It just feels like they're more active and talkative, and not as serious, especially in the last two days, it's been particularly noticeable."

"Oh, this?" Jiang Shu didn't even look up. "That's just how I am. I'm curious about new things, and that makes me more lively. Actually, I'm not a very serious person. It's just that most things don't interest me."

"Is that so..." Strawberry Milkshake didn't ask any more questions.

"Such a common excuse, do you really think I'd believe that?"... She thought to herself.

“Compared to that,” Jiang Shu suddenly said, “I saw some strange names in the registration hall. They seemed to be people who had just registered as temple poets. Their names were all marked.”

Strawberry Milkshake assumed Jiang Shu was just having another episode, so she casually replied, "What's your name?"

“Radish and cabbage,” Jiang Shu replied. “Although it could be a local’s name, I asked Moore, and he didn’t know what a radish was. Do you have any clues?”

Strawberry Milkshake was taken aback, and subconsciously said, "Besides us, there are other evolved beings?!"

Is this the reaction given that he knows he possesses the "Scales of Truth"? He probably genuinely doesn't know... Jiang Shu thought.

"Well, but there's no rush. We can talk about it later."

Jiang Shu finally straightened up:

"Boss! I want this!"

In his hand was a toy shaped like a radish, but segmented, somewhat like a candied hawthorn skewer.

Strawberry Milkshake paused, then asked, "Didn't you say there were no radishes here?"

“Uh, I just said Moore didn’t know what a radish was, not that there aren’t any radishes here,” Jiang Shu explained. “They seem to call them white melons here.”

"Then why did you buy this?"

"I am useful."

Is it related to the assessment?

Jiang Shu smiled but remained silent.

"So mysterious," Strawberry Milkshake muttered. "Where to now?"

"Go find Windsor."

Chapter 105 Understanding, Acceptance, Becoming

Jiang Shu hadn't actually thought she would go to Windsor so soon.

Following the traditional formula of isekai (another world) anime, after becoming a registered lie poet at the Temple of Lies, the story should develop in the direction of the school fantasy genre.

There's no need to study every day; instead, you encounter all sorts of unique companions within the academy. When disaster strikes, the teacher seems to be dead, and you lead your companions to fight against a powerful enemy.

Or perhaps it's a more epic, faith-based salvation school of thought, where, upon entering the temple, the Grand Master says, "You are the savior I've been waiting for," and then reveals the final secrets or dogmas of the lying poet to you.

It could also be a comedic road trip story, where unconventional people are paired with unconventional professions, and then embark on an unconventional legend.

But it definitely shouldn't be the current style of humorous realism—

To get an interview, you have to take a written test first.

What? The assessment is too difficult?

Anyway, that's the rule. If you don't do it, plenty of others will.

It was so welcoming, so enjoyable.

In short, the first step of the registration process failed.

So not only did the expected storyline not happen, Jiang Shu doesn't even know where to stay tonight.

There are many poets who lie in Lie Town. Although Jiang Shu felt that no one could deceive him yet, and he also had the [Truth-Seeking Balance], it was not difficult for him to distinguish whether what others said was true or false.

But as the saying goes, you can only be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days.

Maintaining constant vigilance and wariness of others is actually quite tiring.

This highlights the advantage of having a trustworthy local guide.

The most suitable person to be the guide is Windsor, who frequently visits Liestown, knows the local situation very well, and is very familiar with the area.

Furthermore, after seeing the assessment requirements, Jiang Shu already had an idea: perhaps Windsor could be of help.

Everything was going according to plan, however, Jiang Shu overlooked one problem.

That means there is no means of communication in this world that can directly contact the person in question...

"How long have we been waiting here?" Strawberry Milkshake asked.

"It's been quite a while, hasn't it?" Jiang Shu replied.

The two were sitting in the Travellers' Inn, the same inn Windsor had told them about before they parted. It took them a while to find a window seat.

Strawberry Milkshake watched the people coming and going outside the window, resting her chin on her hands, feeling utterly bored. Jiang Shu simply slammed her head on the table, as if she had fallen asleep.

The two had been waiting here for a long time, but had not seen Windsor.

In fact, they weren't just waiting idly. As soon as they entered the hotel, they asked the owner if Windsor had been there. But after hearing their description of his appearance, the owner said that he hadn't been there.

The two then asked where she usually went when she came to Lies Town, since she always stayed there. The owner replied that he received many guests every day and didn't remember everyone, so he didn't actually recall that this person existed.

With no other option, the two could only wait there.

At this moment, two large cups were placed in front of them.

Strawberry Milkshake picked up one of the drinks and was about to drink some when she realized something was wrong. She finally looked away from the street and said to Jiang Shu, "The water's gone."

Jiang Shu didn't even look up, his head still banging on the table, then he raised his hand: "Boss, refill!"