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

Ji Zuodao and Gouye went through a lot of trouble to separate.

As soon as they separated, they met several meaningful, hesitant gazes from those around them.

Dog felt uncomfortable being stared at so closely, and, in a fit of rage and embarrassment, glared at her:

"What are you looking at?! This brat was raised by me from scratch! By all accounts, he should call me 'Dad'! Isn't it normal for us to be so close?!"

"Pooh!"

Ji Zuodao, still caught up in that subtle feeling of being touched, instantly exploded upon hearing this, "Since I turned fifteen, haven't you been the one eagerly waiting for me to cook every meal for me? By that logic, you should call me 'Dad'!"

"You've gone too far!"

"So what if they've rebelled!"

The two immediately started fighting again, each slapping and punching the other, showing no signs of being masters of martial arts.

Both of them harbored a secret, unspoken emotion—

Hey, this is really embarrassing.

After arguing for a while, we broke up. How should I put it? It felt really awkward.

It's like a father suddenly saying "I love you" to his son. The feelings are real, but you just feel uncomfortable all over, and goosebumps all over.

"Alright, I'm starving. Hurry up and get me something to eat." Dog Master nudged Ji Zuo with his paw.

"Wait."

Ji Zuodao gave a perfunctory answer, but his hands moved swiftly.

He was willing. After all, when he was a kid, he often followed Dog-Grandpa around getting free meals.

Perfect timing! I still have quite a few mandrills left from the Ailao Mountains, so I might as well roast them all.

Paired with the fine aged liquor he'd smuggled from his third master, which he'd kept as his lifeblood—

Wow, this kind of life is something I wouldn't trade for even a god.

The meat sizzled and released its aroma over the fire. Just as the aroma wafted out, Old Li strolled over with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the jar of old wine sealed in mud, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably.

"Uh... Mr. Li, would you like some?" Ji Zuodao asked tentatively.

"Oh dear, how could I possibly accept this?"

Old Li was polite in words, but his actions were anything but hesitant. He picked up a tea-stained enamel cup next to him, poured out the blackened tea leaves inside with a "whoosh," and eagerly handed it to Ji Zuodao.

Ji Zuodao chuckled; this old man was interesting.

The old man was filled up, and he didn't stand on ceremony. He took a sip of wine and a bite of roasted mandrill brain, his mouth greasy and his eyes squinting with satisfaction.

"Hmm, good wine! And the mandrill brain is cooked just right!"

He smacked his lips, casually pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, and tossed it to Ji Zuodao, "Kid, this old man won't eat your food for nothing. Here, take this."

Ji Zuodao caught it, unfolded it, and saw that it was a hand-drawn map with complex lines and some incomprehensible markings.

"This is……?"

Old Li waved his hand, took a sip of wine, and said, "Don't ask. Just consider it as something you found yourself."

Got it, something good is coming.

Ji Zuodao understood instantly, deftly stuffing the map into his pocket with a natural and fluid motion.

"Hey, you're on the right track."

Old Li chuckled, even more satisfied.

The old man was indeed generous. He untied the precious red thread he had just used for testing and stuffed it into Qiqi's hand, saying it was a gift for her to play with.

Qiqi was very happy and carefully tied the red thread around her wrist. She wouldn't be afraid of getting separated from her brother anymore.

As time passed, more and more people entered the bluestone square.

They were all elites selected from various branches, young and ambitious, with arrogance in their eyes.

However, seeing the lively scene of barbecue and drinking in Jinghai, his pride was quickly dispelled by the aroma of meat.

Ji Zuodao wasn't stingy either. He took out the remaining mountain demon meat and a considerable amount of supplies he had brought with him, and called out, "Brothers, don't just stand there! Help yourselves! Plenty of food and drink!"

Those who come to the Grand Martial Arts Competition are not the shy type.

Without any hesitation, they gathered around, some skewering meat, others starting a fire.

Before long, the square was filled with the aroma of barbecue and the sounds of laughter and banter.

"Hey bro, from Liaodong? Your grilling technique is terrible, you've put too much salt in!"

"Get lost! You people from Jiangnan only know how to eat sweets, what do you know about barbecue!"

"Brothers from Caiyun, try our local specialty chili peppers, I guarantee they're really potent!"

"Holy crap!!! Water! Give me water!!!"

After a few bites of meat and a few drinks, the subtle competitive barriers that had just existed quickly melted away.

They were all young people and belonged to the same system, so they quickly became close friends, putting their arms around each other's shoulders and calling each other brothers.

They chatted about the bizarre regulations of their respective branches, complained about their bosses' nitpicking, and exchanged strange encounters while handling cases...

The atmosphere was more like a gathering of old friends than a sports competition.

Old Li squatted beside the rocking chair, holding an enamel mug, squinting at the group of boisterous young people, a smile playing on his lips, muttering to himself:

"It's lively, that's great."

He took a sip of his drink, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, lingering especially on the Jinghai trio for a moment, a barely perceptible hint of emotion flickering deep in his eyes.

This batch of kids is interesting.

Especially those three from Jinghai... tsk, that old bastard Zhang Yucheng still has such a sharp eye.

Ji Zuodao, carrying a wine jar, swayed as he walked to the corner and gently nudged Li Shuwen, who was huddled there, with his toe.

"Hey, no, Shuwen, drink up! What are you huddled up for?"

He found it strange.

Logically speaking, in such an occasion where there is food and drink and one can chat and boast, Li Shuwen should be thriving.

Back in the 749 canteen at Jinghai, this guy could chat with the lady serving food about everything from food prices to life ideals, making her beam with joy and almost making her adopt him as her godson on the spot.

Why are you acting like a quail today, as if you want to bury your face in the cracks between the floor tiles?

Liu Ming, who was standing next to him, let out a malicious laugh, leaned closer, and whispered the tidbit, his tone full of schadenfreude:

"Hehe, you have no idea. This kid broke through to the Dharma Aspect realm a while ago, and with no one keeping him in check, he got really cocky—completely cocky!"

"He put on a lousy celebration livestream, got really drunk in his excitement, and blurted out the pen name he used for his sketchbooks!"

Liu Ming winked and nudged Ji Zuodao with his elbow:

"You know how audacious this kid is. Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, Mazu, Guan Yu… there's no one he wouldn't dare write about! He used to be able to get away with hiding behind a facade, but now he's really gone all out, revealing himself completely!"

"Now, in those coastal areas where offerings are plentiful, bounty posters have been put up! And the prices offered are..."

Liu Ming held up a few fingers and waved them in front of Ji Zuodao, swallowing hard. "Even a proper talisman cultivator like me is tempted! I wish I could tie him up right now and claim the reward!"

Ji Zuodao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was going on. He slapped Li Shuwen on the shoulder, making the other man shudder.

"Pshaw! What's the big deal?"

"Shuwen, don't worry! With me here, I'll make sure they don't lay a finger on you!"

Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of Liu Ming still gesturing out specific numbers out of the corner of his eye.

Ji Zuodao's eyes widened instantly.

There are a lot of zeros following that number.

So much so that his newly formed sense of brotherhood couldn't hold back anymore.

"Slurp..."

Ji Zuodao's tone remained firm, but the content had undergone a subtle and irreversible shift:

"I'll try my best... I'll try my best to prevent them from harming you!"

He crouched down, put his arm around Li Shuwen's shoulder, his expression incredibly sincere, but his eyes involuntarily darted towards the other's neck, as if assessing where to make the cut for maximum profit.

"Hey Shuwen, where are you living now? Is it safe? Why don't you move in with me? My place is big and lively!"

"Nothing else! Just brotherly concern! Let's find some time to catch up and have a deep conversation... about life planning, yes, life planning!"

Li Shuwen: "..."

He silently pulled his mask up even higher.

Liu Ming, standing next to him, was laughing so hard he was almost passing out, pounding the ground with his fist and laughing hysterically.

This brotherhood is so superficially fake, it's almost too fragile.