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

Li Shuwen chuckled, scratching the back of his head. His smile even held a strange, inappropriate hint of shyness and pride.

"Hey, that's how it is... we come here often, to get to know each other better."

Ji Zuodao was so angry he laughed, and glanced at him sideways:

"You're pretty proud of yourself, aren't you? Tell me, how many times have you been arrested this month?"

"Not many, really not many," Li Shuwen counted on his fingers, looking very serious, "only... one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight times."

Ji Zuo said: "..."

Okay, you're really treating this like a job, are you clocking in here?

He simply stopped asking questions, crossed his arms, and followed behind, watching Li Shuwen go through the process with practiced ease, handing over slips of paper, signing documents, and affixing his fingerprint.

This guy acted like he was in his own living room.

Along the way, when we encountered a few figures in investigator uniforms, we would smile and greet them warmly with "Brother Zhang" or "Sister Li".

They acted like one of their own, even more so than many of the actual investigators.

Ji Zuodao followed behind him, looking like a greenhorn on his first day, finding everything new and exciting.

Once in the cafeteria, Li Shuwen felt right at home.

Without even looking at the menu, he rattled off a few dish names and even started chatting with the burly woman behind the food serving window.

She chatted about the new rapeseed oil in the cafeteria and her son's final exams, which made the older woman beam with joy.

Overjoyed, the woman generously agreed to help Ji Zuodao deal with the bear without charging a penny.

Ji Zuodao sat down with his tray, looking at Li Shuwen across from him who was enjoying his meal, and couldn't help but speak:

"No, I mean... with all your social skills and eloquence, why don't you do something more respectable? Why do you have to stay at home drawing... those kinds of booklets?"

After finishing the last bite of rice, Li Shuwen wiped his mouth, the greasy smile on his face faded, revealing a hint of helpless sincerity.

"Investigator Ji, it's easy for you to talk when you're not in the same boat. We cultivators of literature emphasize 'using literature to convey the Dao and spreading it far and wide.' No matter how well you write, if no one reads it or spreads it, it's all for nothing."

"Let me put it this way: which do you prefer to flip through in your spare time—Qian Xuesen's mechanics manuscripts or the illustrated tales of romance from the Sui and Tang dynasties?"

"The Romantic History of the Sui and Tang Dynasties"

Ji Zuodao didn't even think about it, nor did he hesitate.

"See that?"

Li Shuwen slapped his thigh.

"That makes sense! Highbrow literature doesn't fill an empty stomach! Things aren't like they used to be. I might want to write timeless classics, but if I did, nobody would read them. What good would it do? If literature doesn't spread, my talent won't grow, and my cultivation will be stagnant!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, tapping his finger on the table:

"You think literary cultivation doesn't cost money? The finest brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, classical references, printing and advertising—aren't all of those expenses? If I were to write a proper business and fail, I could starve to death on the streets! But drawing books is a different story..."

"Wide audience, fast dissemination, low cost. My slim copy of 'Howling Celestial Dog: Second Master, No!', a limited edition hardcover with a number, can sell for this price!"

He made a gesture.

Ji Zuodao's eyelids twitched:

"Hiss... making that much money? But if you rely on spreading this stuff for cultivation, your reputation..."

Li Shuwen leaned back, reverting to his usual carefree attitude.

"Reputation? What good is reputation? When my cultivation reaches the heavens and my writings are numerous... naturally great scholars will vie to 'debate' me, saying that my work is 'using the common to explain the refined, and teaching through entertainment'!"

Ji Zuodao silently poured him a glass of wine.

This kid looks slippery, but he's very shrewd and a ruthless character who's willing to go all out.

Li Shuwen quickly accepted the cup with both hands, toasted Ji Zuodao, and tried to steer the conversation away from this somewhat dangerous topic.

I chatted with this gentleman about my creative journey, especially while I was carrying his special collection of artwork with me...

That feeling is like secretly playing on your phone during class, and the homeroom teacher suddenly walks in, just as you've slipped your phone into your math book—

The next second, the homeroom teacher said with a smile, "This student, I forgot to bring my textbook today, can I borrow it for now?"

My heart was pounding in my throat!

Li Shuwen took a sip of wine to moisten his throat, smacked his lips, and steered the conversation back on track:

"Investigator Ji, as you know, during that catastrophe in China, these bald monks in Jinghai really put in their best efforts. Nine out of ten temples were empty, and they almost died out. They still haven't recovered from that."

"It's not that the country is ungrateful. But at that time... everyone was struggling, and although we wanted to make amends, we were powerless to do so. In the end, we had no choice but to make some exceptions for the Jinghai Buddhist community in terms of policy, as a token of our goodwill."

"And guess what happened?"

He scoffed, his eyes full of mockery:

"The monks outside, drawn by the scent of incense, all rushed in! They talked about 'being of the same ilk and helping each other,' but the way they ate... ha, like hyenas that hadn't eaten for three days smelling carrion!"

"They raked all the good meat and vegetables into their own donation boxes. The local temples? Tsk, they'd be considered kind if they even left a scrap of rotten soup or water!"

Ji Zuodao picked up a piece of braised pork and said, "Is Bureau 749 not going to do anything?"

"Manage? How?"

Li Shuwen shrugged.

"The squabbles between sects are, in the end, internal affairs. The bureau might at most send in a couple of warnings, but that's nothing serious. Those outside monks may bow and scrape on the surface, but they'll still swallow their pride and do what they're told, and their methods are even more subtle."

"But then, things took a turn for the better, didn't they?"

He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice:

"Some fools tried to use extraordinary methods to compete in the business world, and got caught. So Bureau 749 took the opportunity to establish the rules—'Special Compliance Review'! Qi cultivators doing business? Sure, but they have to abide by the law and pay taxes!"

"Especially Buddhist sects, why should the money they earn from consecrating statues and chanting scriptures be exempt from taxes? They should be the first to be investigated!"

"The first one will be a direct hit on the head of Buddhism!"

As he spoke, Li Shuwen slammed his hand on the table, his tone somewhat helpless.

"Hey, guess what happened to those monks? They all cried poverty! Their acting was so convincing, their robes were patched, their wooden fish drums were worn through, they were practically begging on the street with their canes and broken bowls!"

"749 sent people to investigate, and the accounts were spotless, as if a dog had licked them clean. The warehouse was so empty you could run a horse through it. They knew something was fishy, ​​but they just couldn't find any evidence! They could only grit their teeth and accept it."

"If you ask me, those old bald monks have been deliberately letting 749 investigate minor, insignificant problems over the years. They fine them a little, it looks good on the surface, they keep their finances intact, and everyone can laugh and joke around for another year."

"The investigator who went there was seething with anger, but he couldn't even get a chance to vent—the other party had a good attitude and readily accepted the punishment, what could he do?"

"But this time..." He looked at Ji Zuodao, a hint of admiration on his face, "Deputy Director Liu's decision to send you to 'establish the rules' was truly a brilliant move!"

"Last night, you wiped out the entire Hehuan Sect, slaughtering them from top to bottom. Your infamy is now burning hot!"

"The other sects are terrified, thinking the Bureau is going to get serious this year and pull off a bloodbath! Many are secretly packing their valuables, preparing to flee... If the Bureau hadn't issued a statement in time to reassure them, Jinghai would be at least half empty by now!"

He raised his wine cup, offered a toast to Ji Zuodao, and his eyes gleamed:

"If you come now, those monks will have to recalculate their accounts."

"The soft fear the hard, the hard fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the reckless."

"In their eyes now—"

"He's arrogant, stubborn, and damn well not that dangerous."

"Tell me, is this rule easy or difficult to establish?"