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

In the past, Ji Zuodao would definitely have been unable to avoid this "education of love," and he would have been lucky to escape with a spanking.

But things are different now.

Has Ji Zuodao been wasting his time outside for the past two months?

Did you just get a year-end bonus of 1.8 million for nothing?

"master!"

As the fist, the size of a clay pot, hurtled towards his face with a whoosh, Ji Zuodao neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he raised his voice, using every ounce of his genuine emotion:

"Don't fight! We're on the same side! I brought gifts! Good cigarettes! Good wine!"

The fist was abruptly stopped in mid-air.

The three masters paused in unison, their overwhelming ferocity momentarily halted.

Ji Zuodao quickly seized the opportunity, reaching into the human skin bag and, as if by magic, performing the following:

He pulled out a cigarette with his left hand—Fuchun Mountain Residence. The packaging and the quality of the cigarettes exuded understated luxury.

With my right hand, I hold up a bottle of Guojiao 1573. The porcelain bottle is warm and smooth, and even before I open it, the aroma of aged wine seems to waft out.

Sunlight shone on the tobacco and alcohol packaging, giving it an alluring, money-like sheen.

Time seemed to stand still for three seconds.

The fist that was about to punch him in the face drew a soft arc in the air and finally landed gently on his shoulder, patting him in a very affectionate way.

"Slap, slap, slap."

The third master was filming the most enthusiastically, his sinister grin seamlessly switching to a look of immense satisfaction, his voice booming:

"Oh! Good child! You're such a good disciple! You've made something of yourself! You know how to be filial to your master!"

The head chef took the wine, his fingers tracing the smooth porcelain bottle. He took a deep breath, his stern face softening, and nodded.

"Well, at least you have some conscience."

The second master was even more direct. He tore open the cigarette box, took out a cigarette, held it to his nose, smelled it, squinted his eyes, and looked completely intoxicated.

"That's the taste! Perfect!"

The mountaintop, which was just moments before tense and on the verge of a full-blown fight, instantly transformed into a scene of fatherly love and filial piety, filled with joy and harmony.

Ji Zuodao felt completely at ease.

Stable.

He knew this trick would definitely work.

His three masters were highly skilled and had eccentric temperaments, but they shared a pure and unwavering love for tobacco and alcohol.

The head chef loves wine, the second chef loves cigarettes, the third chef... cough cough, they accept all comers.

Of course, Qiqi deserves much credit for this harmonious atmosphere.

The little girl was quiet and well-behaved, being led by Ji Zuodao, and called out "Grandpa" to each of them in a clear and crisp voice.

The three old men, who had just been exuding demonic aura and looking terrifying, were instantly beaming with joy after being called out.

One person patted his head, another stuffed him with a piece of candy brimming with spiritual energy; he was incredibly excited.

There's no way to resist a cute, adorable baby who keeps calling him "Grandpa." Besides, this baby looks extraordinary.

So, on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

At the summit of Lion Camel Ridge, at an altitude of 3,700 meters, the scenery completely went astray.

There was no lawless confrontation, no chaos or commotion.

Only the four of them, master and disciples, sat around. Qiqi sat next to Ji Zuodao, while Gouye sat with his legs crossed. They ate a few dishes of wild mountain vegetables, dismantled Guojiao liquor, and opened Fuchun Mountain Residence.

The wine has a rich aroma and wisps of smoke rising from it.

The three old men sipped their wine, squinting as they listened to Ji Zuodao's slightly exaggerated account of his "experiences" outside.

Of course, omissions should be made where appropriate, and artistic processing should be done where necessary.

He would occasionally offer a comment, or jokingly remark, "That little brat is lucky."

The atmosphere was so peaceful it was almost unbelievable, as if the fierce battle between the Dharma beings that had nearly upended the mountain was just an illusion.

However, just as the atmosphere of filial piety and the festive spirit of the New Year were growing stronger on Lion Camel Ridge, the scene was filled with the love between teachers and students.

Beyond the mountains, in the human world.

In Yunnan, the scene inside the 749th Bureau branch building is quite different.

A cloud of gloom, a truly gloomy cloud, hung over the faces of every staff member on duty.

The branch director stared at the meager list of available field personnel, took a deep drag on his cigarette that had burned down to the filter, but felt no relief whatsoever.

His brows furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "川" (river).

This year is probably not going to be peaceful.

Is the news confirmed?

Director Lin shoved the cigarette butt, which had burned out, into the ashtray with a sharp screech. The embers hissed faintly at the bottom of the ceramic ashtray.

The office was filled with smoke, and the air was so thick you could wring water out of it.

"The last piece of news that the old gunman risked his life to bring back."

An investigator's voice was hoarse, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "At least... 90% of it is true."

"grass!"

Director Lin slammed his hand on the table, the solid wood surface groaning under the weight.

The veins on his neck were bulging, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Openly holding a killing contest on our Caiyun territory? What do these lawless scumbags take Caiyun 749 for? What do they take the laws of the Great Han for?!"

"Compete for the leadership of the heretical cultivators? Fight for their damn leadership! How dare they!"

The office was deathly silent, save for Director Lin's heavy breathing.

He wiped his face, forcing himself to calm down, and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Is there anyone else in the old man's family? Regarding the compensation, please try your best..."

"That's all."

The middle-aged investigator lowered his head and spoke even softer.

"Parents, wife, children... all gone a few years ago. It was all the work of evil cultivators. Old Pao volunteered to go undercover, just so that one day he could eliminate them."

"..."

Director Lin opened his mouth, but ultimately only managed to squeeze out a deeper "Damn it!" from his throat.

Those sons of bitches.

"Chief!"

Another, slightly younger investigator stepped forward, speaking very quickly.

"The most important thing now is intelligence. We must send more people in; we need to find out exactly when their competition is, where it's held, and how many lunatics are participating!"

Director Lin irritably ruffled his hair and shook his head:

"It's difficult. Our people are upright, but they lack that filthy, heretical air of cultivation deep down. If you force it in, it'll be too easy for them to detect. Old Pao is an exception, he..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.

The old gunman went there with a blood feud; the hatred and coldness that seeped from within him was perhaps the most perfect disguise, but still…

Just then, Sun Zhigang, who had been standing silently by the door—

The person who received Ji Zuodao during the day and was almost taken away for a "heart-to-heart talk" suddenly had a "ding" in his mind.

Does it smell like heretical cultivation?

The sly, mischievous, smiling face from earlier that day flashed through his mind, and he remembered how casually the kid talked about raiding the house, as if it were just copying homework…

That reckless, unconventional spirit, coupled with the air of an official from the 749 Bureau...

Sun Zhigang's eyes lit up, and he abruptly looked up: "Director!"

Several pairs of eyes in the office immediately focused on him.

"I... I just remembered someone."

Sun Zhigang licked his slightly dry lips and quickened his pace:

"The person is currently in our Caiyun area, and is also an investigator of our 749 team, a legitimate staff member."

"Who?" Director Lin asked immediately.

"His name is Ji Zuodao. He's from Jinghai 749. He just came here this morning to give a statement."

Sun Zhigang paused, organized his thoughts, and tried to describe the feeling precisely.

"That kid... his skills are definitely top-notch. The key is his demeanor, his style..."

He tried hard to recall:

"I don't know if it's evil or not, but it's definitely not right. When they talk about being corrupt but not having stolen goods, they do it as casually as if they're just going downstairs to pick up a package."

Sun Zhigang recalled the sparkling eyes of Ji Zuodao when he was imparting his "experience" during the day, and added:

"In short, he's clearly not the type to follow the rules. He exudes a sinister aura."

"Didn't you say you wanted something with the flavor of unorthodox cultivation? I think... he might be close to it. At least, he's more like it than us brothers who are too upright and pure."

The office fell silent again.

The investigators looked at each other in bewilderment.

Jinghai 749?

I had seen Jinghai's investigators before during the 749 Martial Arts Exercise.

How to put it... those investigators always gave them the feeling of being bandits who had come down from the mountains.

Director Lin stroked the stubble on his chin, his eyes sharp as he pondered.

The people of Jinghai are undoubtedly capable, and Zhang Yucheng has no weak soldiers under his command.

"I'm here to contact Zhang Yucheng of the Jinghai 749 Bureau."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the gloomy sky outside:

"Go and get me all the information you can about Ji Zuodao. Especially the records and results of the cases he handled."

"yes!"

Sun Zhigang and the other investigators perked up and immediately accepted the order.