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

"Brother, I'm still hungry. This stuff looks substantial, but it's not filling. How about we order a few more hamburgers to tide us over?"

The bald man touched his shiny forehead, rubbed his rumbling stomach, and spoke in a gruff voice:

The tall, thin man next to him, wearing an ill-fitting suit, throbbed with a vein on his forehead. He lowered his voice, his tone full of disappointment and frustration:

"Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is food! Why did you have to do this now? Once we've delivered this hot potato and got the money, you can eat whatever you want, lobster and abalone to your heart's content!"

"Brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but this little brat is already like this, how could she possibly fly? Yesterday, Wu Wen and his crew were just unlucky; they ran into the line of fire of Bureau 749..."

"Shut up! Do you want to end up like Wu Wen and his gang, disappearing without a trace?"

The man in the suit's face darkened further, and he forced out his voice through clenched teeth.

The bald man choked for a moment, then muttered:

"But...but I'm so hungry, and I feel anxious."

"grass!"

The man in the suit cursed under his breath, feeling his temples throbbing. In the end, he stood up with a dark face and gritted teeth.

"I must have owed you something in my past life! This is the last time! Get back to your car right now after you finish eating! Get this brat out of here."

After saying that, he glared at the bald man and turned to walk towards the ordering table, his back view exuding anxiety.

It's now!

A glint of light flashed in Ji Zuodao's eyes.

He quickly scanned his surroundings, making sure no one was paying attention to this corner, and then swiped his finger across the 749 phone a few times.

The built-in interference program quietly started, and the indicator lights on several surveillance cameras in the corner dimmed almost imperceptibly for a moment.

At the same time, he flicked his finger.

The tiny, rice-grain-sized drowsy bead in her palm landed lightly in the crease of the bald man's collar on the back of his neck.

The bald man was idly picking at the edge of the table when he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue wash over him.

My eyelids suddenly felt incredibly heavy, my mind felt like it was filled with mush, and my consciousness began to blur and dissipate.

Ji Zuodao transmitted his voice, "Dog Master, lend me half of your stomach."

Upon hearing this, Dog's ears drooped, and his face immediately showed reluctance.

"You little brat, trying that 'painted skin and stuffed filling' trick again? It's convenient for you, but I'm going to suffer terribly! Spitting that thing out and then stuffing it back in is awful!"

Despite saying that, Dog still curled his lip in disgust, then opened his mouth and made a soft "gurgling" sound in his throat.

It reluctantly spat out a dark red mass of flesh covered in slippery mucus and pulsating slightly.

Ji Zuodao reacted quickly, grabbing it in one swift motion. The skin was warm and smooth to the touch, but he didn't mind. He kneaded it a few times, shaping it into a roughly human-shaped cavity.

Then, he took out an eyeball and stuffed it into the lump of flesh.

Finally, he took out a piece of skin, covered it with the stuffed mass of flesh, and made minor adjustments as his spiritual energy circulated.

In the blink of an eye, a lifelike "stand-in" with slightly dull eyes but an appearance exactly like Zhao Lingling appeared in his hand.

"Hmm, that's enough."

Ji Zuodao weighed the newly created "work" in his hand with satisfaction.

At this moment, the bald man was completely overcome by sleepiness, his head nodding off almost to the table, his perception of the outside world reduced to a minimum.

Ji Zuodao carried "Zhao Lingling" with an air of nonchalance, just like any ordinary older brother carrying his younger sister.

Her steps were light and her movements fluid.

In the instant his seat overlapped with that of the real Zhao Lingling, he used extremely subtle body language to conceal himself, completing the silent switch.

With a flick of his finger, he retrieved the sleepy creature that had completed its task.

Then, without stopping, as if just passing by, he turned back to his booth with perfect ease.

He had just sat down when he settled Zhao Lingling in a spot further inside and covered her with his clothes.

Over there, the man in the suit returned carrying a tray piled high with hamburgers, grumbling and cursing.

"Damn, waiting in line is taking forever... huh?"

He immediately noticed the bald man's dazed and slumped appearance, his head practically buried in the fries basket, and his heart skipped a beat.

His gaze swept quickly across the room, and seeing "Zhao Lingling" still sitting quietly and meekly in the same spot, his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

Immediately, a surge of evil fire erupted up.

He put down the tray, and without saying a word, swung his hand and slapped the bald man hard on the back of the head!

"Snapped!"

It was crisp and clear.

"Damn it! Are you going to fall asleep like a log?! Open your eyes wide! If this girl gets lost, I'll skin you alive!"

The man in the suit roared in a low voice, then warily glanced around at his surroundings.

The fast food restaurant was noisy, and no one paid any special attention to this corner.

"Eat, eat, eat! Eat my foot! Here! Get in the car and eat!"

He roughly shoved a hamburger into the bald man's hand as he groggily woke up, then pulled up the quiet "Zhao Lingling."

"Get out of here! We can't stay here!"

He roughly grabbed "Zhao Lingling," called over the bald man who was still rubbing the back of his head and looked bewildered, and hurriedly walked towards the door, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

In the booth, Ji Zuodao slowly took a sip of his iced cola, the cool sweetness sliding down his throat.

His gaze swept across the window, watching the two men drag "Zhao Lingling" into an inconspicuous gray van, which sped away.

A cold, predatory smile slowly curved his lips, revealing that his prey was already in his trap.

Ji Zuodao lifted the coat covering Zhao Lingling, revealing the little girl's pale and dazed face.

He made no unnecessary movements, simply extending his index finger, the tip of which held a gentle, peaceful aura—

It was not his usual unorthodox methods, but rather a legitimate method for calming the mind and securing the soul.

With a light touch of his fingertips, he placed one finger on Zhao Lingling's slightly cool forehead and another on her slender shoulder.

hum...

It was as if invisible ripples were spreading out.

The three embers on Zhao Lingling's body, which were originally flickering and weak like candles in the wind, seemed to have been infused with lamp oil and a gentle breeze.

It trembled suddenly, then "whoosh," it stabilized and became bright again.

In the empty, bewildered pupils, the focus gradually sharpened.

Her long eyelashes trembled violently a few times, like a butterfly breaking free from an invisible spider web.

"Big...big brother..."

A call, thick with nasal tone and trembling slightly, escaped from her pale lips.

Almost the instant she saw Ji Zuodao's face clearly, the fear, grievances, and helplessness that had been building up for who knows how long burst forth like a flood, overwhelmed the last bit of composure she had been maintaining.

Large tears rolled down without warning.

She stretched out her cold little hand and gripped Ji Zuodao's sleeve tightly until her knuckles turned white.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, her voice broken and choked with the sobs of someone who had survived a catastrophe:

"I just... couldn't move... and couldn't speak..."

But I can see and hear... They... They're grabbing me again... I... I'm so scared...

Ji Zuodao let her hold his sleeve, neither pulling away nor offering any words of comfort.

That wasn't something he was good at.

He just listened, his face showing no particular expression.

Then, he picked up the largest, still-warm fried chicken leg from the plate, and without even looking at it, stuffed it directly into Zhao Lingling's still-muttering mouth.

The chicken leg silenced the subsequent sobs and also brought the texture and aroma of the food.

Zhao Lingling was taken aback by the sudden "feeding". She subconsciously bit into the chicken leg, blinked her big, wet eyes in a daze, and looked at Ji Zuodao.

"Stop howling."

Ji Zuodao used a napkin to haphazardly wipe her tear-streaked face a couple of times. The action wasn't exactly gentle, but it wasn't rough either.

"Your soul has just settled down; crying too much will upset your spirit. Have a few bites while it's still warm to calm your nerves."

"After you finish eating, I'll take you back to 749."

After saying that, he ignored Zhao Lingling, leaned back in his chair, and turned his gaze to the window.

Zhao Lingling, with a chicken leg stuffed in her mouth, glanced at Ji Zuodao's expressionless profile, then felt the real hunger rising in her stomach, aroused by the aroma of food...

She lowered her head and began to carefully gnaw on the chicken leg that had been forced onto her.

Her tears hadn't completely dried, but her little hands were still tightly gripping Ji Zuodao's sleeve.