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

"Let's talk about the Zhou family, and your affairs as well."

Director Lin spoke calmly, but every word struck the hearts of the elders like nails.

He walked slowly in front of several dusty-faced old men, his hands behind his back, the hem of his black trench coat gently brushing against the gravel.

"The Zhou family's gambling den, Warm Fragrance Pavilion, Carefree Powder, Living Human Alchemy, War Slave Arena..."

"Don't tell me you don't know."

"In the past, I could talk to you about rules, about decency, and about sharing profits."

"But this matter has crossed a line; it won't do."

He stopped in his tracks, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across the seven old faces whose expressions shifted.

"Public opinion is boiling, and public sentiment is surging. All the Qi practitioners in the world are watching Caiyun, and watching you."

"Believe it or not, after today, who knows, someone might pop up out of nowhere shouting 'Acting on behalf of Heaven' and do the same to you..."

Director Lin paused, giving them enough time to imagine the scene.

He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood.

There is no shortage of people with a sense of justice in this world, or rather, hotheads.

"Fine, Lin, you're something else. Let's draw a line then. How does 749 plan to resolve this?"

Three requirements.

Director Lin held up three fingers.

"First, all of the Zhou family's assets, both overt and covert, will be taken over, investigated, and auctioned off by Bureau 749. Part of the proceeds will be used to compensate the victims, and the other part will be used as funding for our bureau."

"If any of you dare to interfere or secretly obstruct us..."

Director Lin glanced at the "cured meat" on the crooked old locust tree in the distance, swaying slightly in the wind.

"I don't mind hanging up a few more pieces of dried meat. In Caiyun, the wind is strong in winter, so it dries quickly."

The elders' Adam's apples bobbed, but no one uttered a sound.

"Secondly, within three days, you seven companies must voluntarily close down, stop, or hand over any of your shady businesses that should be shut down."

"Don't say there isn't any. I don't even need to go to your house to look through the accounts. Just looking through the Zhou family's accounts has already revealed quite a few problems."

"I can pretend I didn't know about those messy things from before. But from now on, in the Caiyun region, I will wipe out every instance of prostitution, gambling, drugs, and those evil practices of using living people for martial arts and alchemy. If I can't wipe them out, I will call in someone who can."

"Anyone who thinks their own standards are too high and is stubborn can give it a try."

"Third, starting today, a 'Special Audit Office' will be established within the Caiyun 749 Bureau. I will personally serve as its director."

"Each of your seven families will send one of their direct descendants to assist with the work, and also to study the laws and regulations in depth and raise their ideological awareness. Let's set the period at one year for now."

"boom--!"

These words shook the elders to their core even more than the seven great bastards they had just spoken of.

The first option is to cut off a piece of flesh; although painful, it is still acceptable.

The second option is to cut off one's source of income, which would be extremely damaging, but in order to save one's life, it's not something one can't grit one's teeth and endure.

But this third one...

This is hardly "assisting with work" or "learning the law" at all!

This is a proton!

It's kidnapping!

They're holding the future heirs of each family hostage at Bureau 749!

From then on, these seven families were essentially bound by reins, their lifelines held in their hands!

"Lin Wubing! You've gone too far!!"

The hot-tempered patriarch of the Zhao family could no longer contain himself, and his beard and hair stood on end.

"You want me to send your grandson to you as a hostage? Dream on! Believe me, I'll kill you right now!"

"I believe it, I believe it completely."

Instead of being annoyed, Director Lin's eyes lit up, and he leaned his head forward even further, his tone even carrying a hint of impatience:

"Come on, kill me, quick, quick!"

"If you don't kill me today, you're my grandson."

The Zhao family patriarch: "..."

The elders: "…………"

Damn it, not again?!

We've already used that trick! Can't you come up with something new?!

What the hell is this if not blatant dishonesty?!

Seeing that the Zhao family patriarch remained frozen in place, Director Lin, without saying a word, swung his arm and slapped him again—

However, this time the Zhao family patriarch had learned his lesson. Learning from the Li family patriarch's experience, he reacted quickly and grabbed Director Lin's wrist.

"Lin Wubing!"

The Zhao family patriarch gritted his teeth, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged.

"If you push everyone too far, no one will end up well!"

"It doesn't matter."

"If I get pushed too far, I'll activate my Dharma form and stroll around your doorstep to clear my head."

"Believe me, you can't catch up."

"We can take out two or three more of you then. As for the rest..."

He grinned, revealing a smile that sent chills down your spine:

"Hehehe, good luck to you."

Fuck you!

The Zhao family patriarch, known for his fiery temper, glared at him upon hearing this:

"I don't believe you dare to do that! Do you, Lin Wubing, really have the guts? Do you really think we wouldn't dare..."

The conversation abruptly ended.

The Zhao family patriarch's voice caught in his throat.

The other elders also fell silent, even their breathing became soft.

Even Ji Zuodao, who had been watching the show from afar while eating sunflower seeds, silently straightened up and his eyes became serious.

"Holy crap... no way?"

At that moment, everyone saw it clearly—

A strange, ominous purple hue slowly crept into Director Lin's once calm eyes.

This is fucking a sign of impending madness!

The seven patriarchs felt a chill run down their spines simultaneously, and cold sweat poured down their backs.

If a Qi cultivator becomes possessed by a demon, they are essentially no different from someone with a mental illness.

No, it's even more terrifying than mental illness. Mentally ill people don't have three heads and six arms, yet they can spread plagues!

Previously, they thought Director Lin was just making threats and trying to scare people.

just now……

I'm not sure anymore.

What can a mentally ill person... no, a madman on the verge of madness do? Who can guarantee it?

If this madman really blocked my doorstep with his Dharma image, causing my family to be destroyed and my bloodline to be cut off...

How incredibly wronged must that be?!

The hand that Zhao's patriarch was holding onto Director Lin's wrist unconsciously loosened its grip, and his fingertips even began to tremble slightly.

A faint purple glint flickered in Director Lin's eyes as his gaze swept over the seven pale old faces before him, his voice so calm it sent chills down one's spine:

"Now--"

"Can we continue discussing those three demands?"

"Alright, alright... let's talk, let's talk!"

The Zhao family patriarch released his grip almost as if he'd been electrocuted, even instinctively taking a small step back, his voice trembling:

"Director Lin, calm down, please calm down! We're having a discussion right now!"

"Yeah, it's no big deal, not worth it."

The other elders also instantly adopted a "let's talk this out" expression.

The resentment and frustration he felt earlier were instantly replaced by a chill, and cold sweat trickled down his temples.

Becoming a demon is a joke.

There's a saying that goes something like this.

A whitewashed person is three parts weaker, a blackened person is ten times stronger.

If this were applied to a Qi cultivator, the effect would be doubled.

To this day, no one has figured out the specific principle behind it.

But the results speak for themselves: if a Qi cultivator truly "turns evil," their combat power can really "skyrocket," and there's no stopping them.

Putting everything else aside, if Lin Wubing were to truly become completely possessed by a demon...

One against seven, that's probably no joke.

It's not that those old folks are afraid of death.

Those who can cultivate to the Divine Power Realm, weren't they all chosen ones who climbed up over piles of corpses and faced countless dangers?

Who hasn't brushed with death a few times?

But the problem is—

He was beaten to death by the director of Bureau 749, following the rules, procedures, and a public execution...

和

He was beaten to death in the most insane and irrational way by a madman who had lost his mind and blocked his doorstep with a dharma statue...

How can they be the same?!

It's like being hit and killed by an out-of-control heavy truck while walking on the road, versus being hit and killed by a bratty kid riding a tricycle with the bell ringing.

Completely different in nature!

The latter, even after he dies, will be laughed at for hundreds of years!

What should descendants say when they worship their ancestors?

Our ancestor was incredibly powerful in his youth, but unfortunately, he met with misfortune in his later years. He was casually destroyed by a mentally ill person who was driving around in his Dharma image.

Does this guy have no shame?!

The elders were quickly calculating their own gains and losses, weighing the pros and cons in an instant.

To live in humiliation and to die in a ridiculous manner.

They chose the former without hesitation.

After all, the living can still figure out how to get revenge later.

Dead people are truly just a joke.

"Director Lin, you said those three requests, we...we agree to them in principle!"

The Li family patriarch reacted the fastest, immediately adopting the most sincere cooperative attitude, and even tried to force a friendly smile, although that smile was uglier than a grimace.

"Yes, yes, yes, the Zhou family's businesses should rightfully be taken over by 749! We'll shut down those shady businesses as soon as we get back! Immediately!"

"Sending children to the bureau for training? That's great! A fantastic thing! Young people should receive more organizational education to raise their ideological awareness!"

"Director Lin is truly visionary and has put in a lot of effort!"

In an instant, flattery and cold sweat flew together, and old faces were covered in dust.

The faint purple hue in Director Lin's eyes seemed to have faded slightly.

He straightened his trench coat collar and regained his calm and scholarly demeanor.

It was as if the madman with purple eyes who was shouting "Come and kill me!" was a different person.

"Since you fellow Daoists are so understanding, then things will be much easier."

He put his hands behind his back and glanced at the seven old faces that were filled with "sincerity".

"I'll have someone draft the document later and send it to your residence. Everyone, just sign it and stamp it, and that'll be the end of it."

"Okay, okay! I'll sign! I'll definitely sign!"

"Don't worry, Director Lin, we will absolutely cooperate!"

The seven patriarchs nodded vigorously, inwardly relieved, yet inexplicably feeling a surge of anger.

In the distance, Ji Zuodao pulled out a new handful of melon seeds from somewhere, cracking them open with a "crunch, crunch" sound, and muttered his comments while shaking his head:

"See that? That's called..."

"The soft fear the hard, the hard fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the reckless..."

"Those who are reckless... those who are afraid of the mentally ill."