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

The Empress was so charmed by Ji Zuodao's sweet words that she smiled broadly, her peach blossom eyes glistening with tears, and her gaze softened considerably when she looked at him.

"Little Ji is so thoughtful."

She stretched out her slender finger and poked Ji Zuodao's cheek, her tone gratified.

"This ward clearly shows a lot of thought and effort went into its design. Auntie will remember it."

This is true.

Of all the medical staff, only Little Fox was admitted to this top-tier intensive care ward, where he was given the bureau's best-kept secret medicines.

The Empress doesn't believe that Ji Zuodao didn't bribe his superiors, pester them, or even throw tantrums and act shamelessly.

Upon hearing this, Ji Zuodao immediately straightened his back, and the "well-behaved.JPG" expression on his face instantly transformed into "wholeheartedly serving his aunt.JPG".

His tone was incredibly sincere and earnest, with a touch of shyness as if to say, "This is what I should do."

"Auntie, you're being so formal!"

"The little fox is your cub, so isn't that like my younger brother? My brother is suffering, so as his older brother, isn't it only right that I help out?"

He paused, his eyes clear, his tone gentle, and began his "tea ceremony":

"Besides, wouldn't you be happy to see the little fox fully recovered and full of energy?"

"If you're happy, then my heart... feels lighter too, right?"

"All my little thoughts are tied to you."

He blinked his beautiful eyes, which reflected the empress's gorgeous face, as if they were filled with all the "filial piety" and "consideration" in the world.

The empress was so pleased with his sweet words, "It's all for the empress's sake," that she felt completely at ease.

The smile on his lips was impossible to suppress, and most of the anger that had been building up inside him because of the little fox's injury had dissipated.

Oh dear, this little rascal... he's really too good at it.

That mouth, that keen eye, that skill in making people happy...

She had no temper at all; on the contrary, she found this sly little rascal even more endearing.

"You're so sweet-talking," the Empress said with a laugh, her eyes practically overflowing with pleasure.

In high spirits, she reached out her hand, ready to push open the heavy door to the intensive care unit.

Then--

"Click."

The door opened.

The smile on the Empress's face froze instantly.

Ji Zuodao's "well-behaved.JPG" expression also cracked with a "snap".

In the ward, there was no scene of the little fox lying on the hospital bed fattening up, as I had imagined.

And on the floor...

There lay a bloody mess, its fur mostly stripped off, but the outline of a fox was still vaguely discernible!

Dark red bloodstains meandered across the floor, leaving chilling marks, and a faint, fresh smell of blood filled the air.

Ji Zuodao's mind went blank; his CPU almost overheated.

Holy crap?!

What's going on?!

Home invasion robbery? Revenge? Medical malpractice... No, this is clearly a murder scene!

What heinous crime has the little fox committed?

Ji Zuodao was still in a daze when he suddenly felt an undeniable gaze fall upon him.

He looked to his side.

It was clear that the Empress had stopped smiling at some point.

She stood there quietly, her captivating peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed, lost in thought, her gaze falling...

It was Ji Zuodao's face.

Ji Zuo said: "???"

no……

Auntie, why are you looking at me like that?

What the hell... what does this murder scene have to do with me?!

I just got in here too! I'm even more confused than you are!

"Auntie, it wasn't me!"

"Auntie knows, Auntie just wanted to see you."

"..."

Ji Zuodao felt extremely grief-stricken and indignant.

Again!

From childhood to adulthood!

It's always been like this since I was a child!

Whenever something bad happens, whenever something goes wrong, whenever there's this kind of mess that makes your scalp crawl...

Everyone's first reaction, everyone's gaze, will be unanimously, precisely, and without a doubt...

Lock onto Ji Zuodao!

Why should I?!

My reputation is a bit bad, my name is a bit tainted, and my methods are a bit wicked...

But you can't just throw all the blame on me!

Heaven and earth bear witness! The sun and moon are my witnesses!

He was probably the one who did most of those bad things! At most!

The remaining 20% ​​was clearly the result of those bastards' own actions, or it was simply a frame-up! A trap! It's dirty water being thrown on me!

It was those petty people who were jealous of my talent, feared my strength, and couldn't beat me who shamelessly slandered me!

Aunt! You must investigate this thoroughly!

Ji Zuodao was screaming inwardly, but he had to try his best to maintain the three-piece expression of "shock, confusion, and innocence" on his face, for fear that if he didn't manage his expression well, the Empress would judge him as "having a guilty conscience".

He took a deep breath, using all his acting skills to make his voice sound trembling with incredulity and a sense of being wronged:

"Auntie... this... I really didn't do this!"

"Look at this craftsmanship!"

Ji Zuodao pointed to the blood-soaked fox pelt on the ground, his tone even carrying a hint of professional disdain and heartache:

"Dirty! Absolutely disgusting!"

"Look at how I usually handle things... I mean, how I usually do things. I'm never this sloppy. I don't even trim the edges, and I don't clean up the bloodstains properly. There's just a mess of shreds..."

"This is utterly done by an amateur! It's an insult to my professional abilities!"

"Even if I'm going to do it... I have to do it beautifully! At least it has to be at the level of a work of art!"

Ji Zuodao spoke with sincerity, attempting to prove his innocence through "technical analysis."

The empress didn't speak, but continued to look at him with her beautiful peach blossom eyes, her red lips slightly pursed, making it impossible to tell whether she believed him or not.

Just then—

"Rustle and rustle..."

From the adjacent private bathroom, a very faint sound suddenly came from, as if something was carefully adjusting its position against the door.

The sound was very soft, but in the deathly silence of the ward, it was jarringly clear.

Ji Zuodao and the Empress's gazes instantly shot towards the frosted glass door of the bathroom, like two searchlights.

Ji Zuodao's eyes flashed with anger. He no longer cared about proving his innocence. He took a step forward and, without hesitation, pulled open the slightly ajar bathroom door!

Then--

He made eye contact with a small red fox behind the door, its rear end sticking out and its ear pressed against the door panel, clearly intently eavesdropping on the sounds outside.

The little fox seemed caught off guard by the sudden opening of the door. It remained frozen in place, its fox eyes wide open.

Eyes facing each other.

The air seemed to freeze.

Ji Zuodao looked at the little fox in front of him, its fur glossy and full of energy...

Then I slowly shifted my gaze to the pile of luggage in the bathtub behind it, which was neatly packed and just missing a "checked baggage" label.

Half a bloody piece of skin was sticking out of the luggage...

Ji Zuodao remained silent.

He got it.

I fucking understand now.

Holy crap, this bastard has some talent!

They moved so quickly?

You're using your new body quite well!

But you fucking...

If you've succeeded, why are you tearing off the skin of your old body?!

Ji Zuodao's gaze swept over the pile of luggage in the bathtub again, as well as several small bags next to the luggage that were clearly filled with valuables...

Oh.

Case solved.

Knowing they'd committed a grave offense and fearing the Empress's retribution, they prepared to pack their valuables and "run away with their buckets," fleeing to the farthest reaches of the world!

No wonder they had to skin them alive; fleeing requires funding. Skinning them and selling them provides some initial capital.

Ji Zuodao was speechless.

Damn it, what happened to the "trust between humans and foxes"?

I clearly promised you I wouldn't tell the Empress! How could you not believe my integrity and run away first?

Oh, wait a minute.

Ji Zuodao thought about it again.

It seems... I haven't been honest either?

I called the Empress Dowager as soon as I left the ward and told her about it.

That's fine.

We're both equally bad, so neither of us should complain about the other.