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

Ji Zhengdao's neck was a little stiff as he slowly turned around, his eyes wide open, looking at his older brother's shameless expression of "reminiscing about the glorious past".

"Holy crap?"

Ji Zhengdao's voice trembled slightly, his face filled with disbelief and shock at being betrayed.

"So... you were just watching the whole thing?! I was wondering why I always felt a chill down my spine whenever I got to the emotional part, when I was about to have a deep conversation with the female lead about her inner world, like there was a pair of eyes watching me! It was you!"

"Hey, what are you saying?"

Ji Zuodao waved his hand, his face serious as if to say, "You just don't understand art." "How can you call that watching a play? I'm appreciating! I'm learning!"

He paused, leaned closer, lowered his voice, and grinned slyly:

"But seriously, your scenes with those leading ladies... hehe, I didn't miss a single one. The emotion, the tension, the unspoken words in your eyes... bro, I didn't realize you were such a romantic at heart, your acting talent seems to have gone astray!"

Ji Zhengdao's face turned red at a visible speed, from the base of his neck all the way to the tips of his ears, and even the clear black and white tones could hardly suppress the layer of blood.

"Mom... damn it!"

He was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; he almost jumped up, pointed at Ji Zuodao's nose, and his fingers were trembling with anger.

"You... how dare you be so aggressive?! Peeping into other people's most shameful, most unspeakable secrets—isn't that our exclusive business, the Inner Demons?! This is malicious cross-industry competition! It's unethical!"

"Alright, alright, we're even, we're even."

Ji Zuodao smiled and took out a crumpled cigarette case from his pocket, shook out two cigarettes, put one in his mouth, and without saying a word, stuffed the other into Ji Zhengdao's mouth, which was slightly open due to excitement.

With a "click," the lighter shot out a flame. He lit his own cigarette first, took a deep drag, and then leaned over to light the cigarette in Ji Zhengdao's mouth as well.

The acrid smoke slowly drifted between the two, blurring their expressions.

"Anyway, now the two of us know each other inside and out, all those cringeworthy secrets, those embarrassing little dramas that can't be made public."

Ji Zuodao exhaled a smoke ring, his voice sounding somewhat ethereal in the smoke.

"We're even. Nobody owes anyone anything."

He turned his head and looked at Ji Zhengdao's eyes, which were slightly squinted by the smoke. The playful smile on his face slowly faded, revealing a rare, almost serious expression.

"From now on, we really won't be able to see them anymore."

"You are no longer my inner demon; those melodramatic scenes you acted out are no longer in my mind."

He raised the hand holding the cigarette, pointed to the gray world, and then pointed to Ji Zhengdao.

"This wretched place is yours. From now on, you're a proper person here."

"These days, it's not easy to be a human being."

Ji Zuodao's voice was not loud, and even a little hoarse, but every word was clear.

"There is the Heavenly Court watching over us, the Underworld governing us, and in between, a bunch of messy rules and unfathomable human nature."

"It's much harder than being a demon hiding in your mind, only needing to make up stories to amuse yourself."

"but……"

He paused, then took a deep drag on the rest of his cigarette, threw the butt on the ground, and crushed it out with his toe.

"At least, it's a way of life where you can stand up, walk around, and truly experience the joys, sorrows, bitterness, and saltiness of life."

"I no longer need to live in my own mind, I no longer need to live by replicating my thoughts."

"You have your own territory, your own body, and your own path."

He raised his hand and patted Ji Zhengdao's back hard, making a loud thud.

"From now on, whether it's wind or rain, fortune or misfortune, you'll have to bear it all yourself."

"I don't have any grand principles to give you, just one sentence—"

Ji Zuodao looked at Ji Zhengdao, tugged at the corners of his mouth, and revealed a somewhat rough but genuine smile.

"Since you've finally become a human again, then live well."

"Don't let this opportunity go to waste, and don't let yourself down."

"Let's cherish every moment as we go."

Ji Zhengdao, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, remained silent, his eyes fixed on Ji Zuodao.

Amidst the swirling smoke, the expression on his face, which always carried a hint of calculation, amusement, or sly mischief, slowly faded away.

After a long while, he finally raised his hand, took the cigarette out of his mouth, and his fingers seemed to tremble slightly, almost imperceptibly.

He sniffed, his voice a little muffled, but very clear.

"Big brother."

Thanks.

Thank you for not truly regarding me as a monstrous thought that should be eradicated when I was in the spirit realm.

Thank you for later, in that gray stone house, under the pressure from Director Zhang, risking your life to vouch for me.

Thank you for remembering to pave the way for me even though you were almost burned to ashes.

Thank you... for treating me like a human being.

This "thank you" is both light and heavy.

It contains too many things that are neither suitable for outsiders to know, nor need to be known by outsiders.

Ji Zhengdao paused, then added in an even lower voice, but with a hint of relieved smile:

"By the way..."

"Please thank those three old Dengs for me as well."

Although their methods were ruthless back then, they ultimately didn't completely erase me.

I thank them for passing on the story of "Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream" to me, which at least gave me something to think about during my long imprisonment and prevented me from truly going mad.

I thank them... Through a series of unexpected events, I have become who I am today.

Ji Zuodao was stunned for a moment, then laughed, revealing a set of white teeth.

"become."

He agreed readily.

"I'll definitely deliver the message. I reckon those three old guys will be so smug they'll be shaking their beards to the heavens when they hear it."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

There's no need to say more.

We understand each other about many things.

The cigarette was almost burned out.

The distant clamor gradually subsided, and people began to help each other, converging on the "road" they had come from.

The time for parting has come.

Ji Zhengdao threw down the last cigarette butt, stomped it out, and his familiar, slightly cynical smile returned to his face.

He waved to Ji Zuodao.

"Big brother!"

"From now on, I'm in charge of this lousy place! Come visit sometime!"

The voice was loud, with a deliberate air of arrogance and nonchalance.

Then, he turned around, waved to the crowd with his back to them, and slowly blended into the gray-white light of the sky, walking into the depths of this desolate land that had just become his and would be dominated by him in the future.

There wasn't much sentimental farewell.

Just like most of the time between them—decisive, straightforward, and even a little carefree.

Ji Zuodao stood there, watching the guy's figure completely disappear, before touching his nose and muttering a curse under his breath:

"You brat..."

Then he turned around and walked toward the crowd waiting for him.

His steps were slow, but steady.

Behind me, the gray and white landscape resembled a bizarre dream that had finally come to an end.

Ahead, there is smoke from cooking fires, the sound of people, and the approaching, noisy yet warm New Year.

Two cigarette butts lay quietly on the gray-white ground.

They were very close together.

The smoke had long since dissipated.

The warmth still lingers.

……

Bonus Time:

Ji Zhengdao strolled around this newly acquired, still-warm territory with his hands behind his back, like a wealthy old man inspecting his new house.

Looking left, it's a stone; looking right, it's still a stone.

It's nice, clean, and bright, but a bit too...simple.

Just as he was pondering where to begin his grand "Epang Palace" project, a gray stone house not far ahead suddenly flickered a few times, like a light bulb with a faulty connection.

As the light and shadow shifted, the outline of the stone house seemed to melt away, twisting and deforming.

Upon closer inspection—

Good heavens, the stone house is gone, and in its place stands a small restaurant with a dilapidated facade and a greasy sign that's almost illegible.

"Reminiscing about home-style dishes".

Ji Zhengdao raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

Well, the rules of this place were just being established, and it's already starting to go crazy on its own? And it even comes with thoughtful delivery of living facilities?

He clicked his tongue, and without thinking, with a thought, the authority that belonged to the ruler of this land silently spread out, like an invisible hand, and "slapped" the small restaurant that was still flickering slightly and seemed unstable.

It's fixed here; this will be the fixed-point refresh unit from now on.

He strolled over to the greasy, twisted glass window and squinted inside.

Beside the stove, a figure wearing a dirty apron and sporting a shiny, greasy pig's head was vigorously stirring a ladle.

Flames leaped high, sizzling in the pot, and a strange smell, indistinguishable between fragrant and burnt, wafted out from under the door.

Ji Zhengdao rubbed his stomach; he'd been up all day and his chest was practically touching his back.

Fine, whatever, as long as it can cook.

Try the salty flavor!

He pushed open the creaking, dilapidated door and swaggered inside.

"Boss, bring me a plate of braised pig's head, hurry up, I'm starving! If it's not good... this Taoist priest will flip the table."