A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

There are rules in the world of alchemists.

Things that happen in the industry, stay in the industry.

Even if you're completely clueless, as long as you don't die or get completely wiped out, Bureau 749 won't bother with your petty affairs.

But if you dare to expose this to outsiders, affecting ordinary people, or even threatening the very foundation of the nation...

Hey, sorry.

Immediately, a smiling, amiable investigator, carrying a silver bracelet and an official document, will invite you back to the bureau for a cup of hot tea to discuss your life ideals and the laws of the country.

The world is not what it used to be.

Those scenic mountains and rivers, those blessed lands, have long been developed by the tourism bureau, fenced off and sold for admission.

Even ancient and prestigious sects like Longhu and Wudang have to reluctantly rent out half of their mountain gates for tourism revenue, euphemistically calling it "cultural tourism integration."

The smaller sects below are even more miserable.

Good spots are never available, and supplies run out early.

What era are we living in? Who's still foolish enough to give you offerings?

Do you have a big face?

If you want to survive, you have to find your own way.

So, each of them used their own methods to open up their "sects" in big cities, pretending to be something they'd never actually do, but instead developing industries and making money.

Yaoxiangu's chain of medicinal cuisine restaurants and Hehuanzong's high-end private clubs are among the best.

But when it comes to doing business and playing with capital, how can any sect be a match for those seasoned businessmen who have been navigating the commercial world for decades and are more cunning than honeycomb briquettes?

Many unlucky souls were swindled out of their last possessions, and their sects were on the verge of bankruptcy and dissolution.

In the past?

They should have stormed their door long ago, wiped out the entire family, and left not even a dog alive.

Now? Heh.

The big eyes of Bureau 749 are watching from above.

Murder? That's illegal.

Robbing property? That's against the rules.

Mastering the stick, but aiming for the yard.

If the main road is blocked, take the back road.

As a result, all sorts of underhanded and ridiculous underhanded tactics began to emerge.

Today you pour boiling water on your rival company's money tree, tomorrow you'll replace their Guan Gong statue with a Yama statue.

They'll secretly alter your company's feng shui, making you lose money on everything you sign; they'll quietly cast a nightmare curse on your boss, causing him to see ghosts every night.

The methods used were so childish, like elementary school students arguing.

However, these Qi practitioners revealed some genuine skills, and after a little practice, the effects were truly remarkable.

The rival company suddenly started having bad luck: projects fell through, employees left, and the boss was hospitalized.

Over time, this unhealthy trend quietly gained popularity within the circle.

Bureau 749 has repeatedly emphasized: It is forbidden! It is strictly prohibited! Absolutely no extraordinary means may be used to interfere with normal business competition! We must uphold martial ethics! We must abide by the rules!

The others nodded vigorously: Yes, yes, yes, the bureau is wise! We will definitely abide by the law and be practitioners of Qi in the new era!

Turn your head?

Water the trees when they need to, change the portraits when they need to, and work harder than anyone else.

They behave just like some companies trying to pass environmental inspections.

Bureau 749 was so angry he laughed.

You won't listen to me when I speak politely, huh?

Row.

Then don't blame the bureau for being ruthless.

Don't you own a company? Aren't you involved in industry?

very good.

Then let's follow the "company's" rules.

Starting today, Bureau 749 will have a new service:

Unannounced and unspecified "special compliance reviews" are conducted on registered Qi cultivation sects and their related businesses within the jurisdiction.

What are you checking?

They investigate everything.

Tax records, personnel qualifications, business scope, energy fluctuation records, registration ledger for extraordinary items, and the completeness of emergency plans...

In particular, whether or not one has used extraordinary abilities to engage in unfair competition, disrupt market order, or endanger economic security.

It's best to pray that you have a clean bottom, clear accounts, and proper conduct.

Because some things, you can't weigh them on a scale, they don't weigh four ounces.

But once you step onto the "national scale" of game 749...

Hey.

Even a thousand pounds wouldn't be enough to stop it.

The task assigned by Deputy Director Liu was, on the surface, to "establish rules, clarify matters, and make clear calculations."

But when Ji Zuodao heard these words, they were automatically translated into a different set of terms:

They come to your door, find fault, and make trouble.

To be fair, his understanding was pretty much correct, at least in terms of the result.

Which business owner doesn't have something on their hands? Especially these self-taught Qi practitioners who mostly don't understand the laws.

If you flip through the account books, you can always find some problems.

Every check is accurate.

This isn't setting rules; it's clearly letting him skim off the top.

Ji Zuodao suddenly understood.

Tsk tsk, Uncle Liu still treats me well.

This lucrative and desirable job, which he had just arrived at, was handed to him in no time.

Which of these ancient temples isn't thriving with incense and teeming with believers?

After all, he truly possessed real skills; the daily flow of water in the donation box was enviable.

You should keep some of that in your own pocket...

Hey, this is probably even more lucrative than the proceeds from confiscating ten properties belonging to the Hehuan Sect.

What? You're saying this isn't in accordance with the rules?

Outdated and pedantic!

Listen to everything your superiors say.

"The matter must be handled properly, and the accounts must be clear."

How to handle this "matter" and how to settle the "accounts"... the art lies in knowing the proper measure.

If you don't get involved, and I don't get involved, how can the leaders get involved?

If the leaders don't get involved, when will people like you and me, who are just ordinary people, ever be able to climb up the ladder?

Don't you think that makes sense?

However, Ji Zuodao did not intend to pay a visit immediately.

These things can't be rushed.

If the heat isn't right, the meat won't tenderize; if the wind doesn't penetrate, the wall won't collapse.

First, the wind needs to get out and blow over those upturned eaves, so that the monks in the hall can think about it and weigh it against their own judgment.

When they become suspicious and their nerves are on edge—

With that harmless, shy smile, he slowly went to knock on their mountain gate.

That would be the best effect.

Make the empty appear real, and the real appear empty.

Military strategy dictates that attacking a city is inferior to attacking a person's mind.

"hey-hey……"

Thinking of this, Ji Zuodao grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth.

He was laughing so hard...

That's utterly immoral.

Ji Zuodao weighed his human skin bag in his hand. Now that the matter was settled, he stopped thinking about it.

The most important thing right now is to find a place to satisfy my hunger.

While we're at it, let's take care of this bear too—

It would be a waste to use one's own limited skills to prepare such delicacies.

As for that girl Qiqi, there's no need to worry about her.

The medicinal cuisine in Yaoxian Valley is probably much more refined and elaborate than what he eats himself.

Just as I was deciding where to go, I turned my head and saw a head peeking out from not far away.

"Li Shuwen," he called out, "what are you staring at?"

"Hehe," Li Shuwen, whose hair was slightly curled from the flames, rubbed his hands together and leaned closer, grinning mischievously.

"Investigator Ji, I just had to keep an eye out for what happens next. If you win big, I'll applaud and cheer for you; if something goes wrong, I can rush to the station for backup, right?"

"defeat?"

Ji Zuodao raised an eyebrow, his voice filled with confidence and disdain.

"That old bald monk?"

He raised his chin in the direction where Deputy Director Liu had just left, his expression revealing a sense of pride and arrogance.

"Do you know who that gentleman was just now? Deputy Director Liu from Bureau 749."

He paused slightly, then spoke each word with utmost seriousness.

"I'm under his protection."

He said it so matter-of-factly, with such conviction, as if he were the one protecting others, not the other way around.