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

Jinding Temple made a fortune from this "warmth-giving" donation, but Li Shuwen's heart was still pounding with anxiety.

Although Ji Zuodao's profound statement that day, "It's better to suffer misfortune together than to suffer alone," sounded quite plausible, it clearly exposed the dirty and stinking things in people's hearts.

But Li Shuwen always felt that things were going too smoothly, too idealistically?

People's hearts are hidden behind their bellies; they are the most difficult things to fathom.

What if that old monk Jinchi is so heartbroken that he disregards everything and risks self-destruction to send a message to his fellow monks?

What if some monk, with a conscience, secretly gives a heads-up to his friend's temple?

Wouldn't their "extermination production line" then come to a standstill?

But what happened in the next few days gave Li Shuwen a vivid and chilling lesson in human nature.

One, two, three...

They visited each of the well-known, bloated, and overly prosperous temples on the list.

The process was incredibly smooth!

Each company was more cooperative and more "open" than the last.

Upon entering, the abbots and other abbots all displayed the same well-trained, austere demeanor, their acting skills no less impressive than Jin Chi's, their sincerity practically overflowing.

Leading the registration process, they bowed and scraped, practically pointing out every last bad apple in the temple to prove they were the epitome of detachment from worldly desires.

After they had amassed a bountiful harvest, they slipped away under the cover of night, concealing their accomplishments and leaving without a trace...

The next day, when the monks from the neighboring temple came to drop by and inquire about the situation, they always heard the same story:

"Pshaw, false alarm! He's just a clueless newbie going through the motions, easy to deal with! As usual, keep quiet, keep up the act, no big deal!"

That mouth was sealed shut, as if it had been welded shut with a welding torch.

The main theme is "standing together through thick and thin, overcoming difficulties together"—

Although the boat is leaky, the hardships were created for them by others.

Not to mention sending out messages, they all wished they could personally help Ji Zuodao pry open the gates of the next mountain!

It truly proves Ji Zuodao's saying—it's better to suffer misfortune together than to suffer it alone.

They eagerly hope that everyone will come down and squat in the pit of poverty together, because that would be fair, and that would give them peace of mind.

Seeing my peers still looking glamorous is worse than eating shit myself.

But what if you knew your competitors were about to suffer a terrible fate too—

Hey, that feeling... was even more refreshing than drinking iced plum juice on a sweltering summer day!

After a few days, Li Shuwen was completely convinced and utterly numb.

After finishing work, he couldn't resist and went over to Ji Zuodao, who was counting gold bricks, rubbing his hands together, his face full of pious sincerity, as if asking a top student to highlight the key points:

"Brother, I'm impressed, truly impressed. Your ability to manipulate people's hearts... how did you train? It's so accurate!"

"If you say they're secretly plotting to see their competitors fail, they really are; if you say they can't tip off their rivals, they really are like mutes. This...this is just too amazing!"

Ji Zuodao was weighing a gold brick in his hand when he heard this, and exchanged a glance with Dog, who was licking his paws next to him.

The man and the dog both chuckled at the same time.

The laughter came from two sources: one a nonchalant smugness, the other a look of utter disdain, as if to say, "You silly boy."

"Are people's hearts hard to fathom?"

Ji Zuodao tossed the gold brick into the human skin bag, clapped his hands, glanced sideways at Li Shuwen, and the smile on his lips had an indescribable quality.

"It's hard to guess what ordinary people are thinking. Their minds are full of complexities, and they value dignity, relationships, and bottom lines. It really takes a lot of brainpower."

"But these bald monks..."

"That heart, it's so filthy, it's like it was carved from the same mold! From the inside out, from the skin to the core, it's soaked in the stuff of 'greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt'..."

"They can't stand seeing others do well, but when they're down on their luck, they want the whole world to go down with them—it's always the same few things, as monotonous as a dog's diet!"

"You can see right through it; it's really boring."

Li Shuwen blinked, still not quite understanding.

Ji Zuodao turned his head and gestured with his chin towards Dog Master beside him: "Dog Master, tell me, why can I read their minds?"

Dog Lord didn't even lift his eyelids, and snorted, "Nonsense, we're all foxes from the same mountain, who doesn't recognize the other's stench?"

"Did you hear me?"

Ji Zuodao turned around, faced Li Shuwen, spread his hands, and gave a sincere, innocent, and self-righteous look.

"Isn't the answer obvious?"

"Because of me, Daoist Master—"

He grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth that looked strangely eerie in the dim light.

"They're basically the same kind of people as them."

"The wicked schemes they harbor, the selfish and underhanded calculations in their minds..."

"It's all because of your older brother..."

"They've been using this for ages, and they still complain about how uncomfortable it is."

Li Shuwen: "..."

understood.

So this isn't about understanding people's hearts.

This is an industry leader delivering a devastating blow to newcomers in the field.

Well, I doubt he can handle this.

He was still focused on figuring out how to sell the few antiques he had just acquired through almsgiving for a good price.

The hearts of people in the cultivation world are too deep, too dirty, and too murky.

He's better suited to working in the cultural field and earning some clean... well, relatively clean money.

Deputy Director Liu had originally spent almost a month working on this task of "setting rules," and it was only necessary to get it done before the Chinese New Year.

Who would have thought that Ji Zuodao, along with Dog Master and Li Shuwen, this unscrupulous trio, would resort to such unorthodox methods, and that their opponents would be so cooperative?

The temples on the list are like people lining up for charity, each one more "sensible" than the last.

As a result, the task that was originally planned to be finished before the end of the year was completed by him in just one week.

After delivering warmth to the last family, Ji Zuodao carried several bulging, heavy human skin bags in his arms, on his waist, and in his hands.

Behind them followed Dog, his belly round and swaying with every step, and Li Shuwen, who, despite his considerable gains, seemed somewhat dazed, as they swaggered back to the 749th inning.

Once inside the building, he had a clear goal and headed straight for the deputy director's office.

Upon reaching the door, without even a greeting, he lifted his leg—

"Clang!"

With a loud bang, the thick solid wood door of the office was kicked open with a solid kick, the door panel slamming against the wall, the echo reverberating in the corridor.

In the office, Deputy Director Liu was holding an enamel mug, blowing on the tea leaves, and happily preparing to drink his first sip of hot tea that day.

Startled by the sudden kick, his hand trembled, and the scalding tea almost splashed all over his face.

"I……"

Before Deputy Director Liu could even utter the word "fuck," Ji Zuodao's figure flashed and he was already in front of him.

Without saying a word, he snatched the cup of tea from his hand, tilted his head back and gulped it down in one go, then wiped his mouth and slammed the empty cup onto the table.

Then, he slumped down on the sofa next to him with an air of nonchalance, crossing his legs.

He seemed more comfortable than when he was back at home on his own kang (heated brick bed).

He was exactly like a rogue old soldier who had just returned from a victorious battle and was waiting to be rewarded for his merits.

Li Shuwen, who followed behind, was stunned when he saw this scene as soon as he stepped over the threshold. His eyes widened and his mouth was agape.

Oh my god!

Is this guy really this arrogant in front of Deputy Director Liu?!

This doesn't look like a subordinate coming to report on work.

These are clearly street thugs coming to collect protection money!

Deputy Director Liu looked at his empty teacup, then at the "old man" sprawled out on the sofa with no manners, and a vein throbbed on his forehead, his lips twitching violently.

He put down his teacup, cracked his knuckles, the sound squeezing out from between his teeth, carrying a calm that seemed to precede a storm:

"Kid, you'd better make sure what you're about to say is worth the price of admission."

"Otherwise, it directly determines whether you'll go out horizontally or vertically later—no, never mind."

Deputy Director Liu suddenly changed his mind, stood up, and began to unbutton his trench coat, looking as if he was preparing to personally clean up the mess.

"Alright, I want to stretch my muscles first. You hold back for now, I'll talk to you after I've had my fill of beating you up."