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

Deputy Director Liu put down the communicator and rubbed his temples.

He turned his head to look at the obedient Ji Zuodao beside him, his tone softening:

"Little Princess—"

"Yes, Uncle Liu, what are your instructions?"

Ji Zuodao raised his head, his face showing a well-behaved and reliable expression.

"Hey, don't be so formal about giving orders."

Deputy Director Liu waved his hand, leaned slightly towards Ji Zuodao, and lowered his voice:

"When we get back to the station, your dog will probably have to work a bit harder."

"The Wang family is large and has many branches. We need to clean them up, but we can't wrong those who are truly unaware, but we also can't let anyone who deserves to die go free."

"Including those... who appear clean and pure, who have never touched cultivation, but whose blood runs through their veins and who enjoy the wealth and glory that the Wang family has gained through their sins."

"Who has clean hands, who has a guilty conscience, who deserves to live, and who should go down to join Wang Sihai..."

Deputy Director Liu looked at Ji Zuodao with a meaningful gaze:

"This matter needs to be clarified. We are enforcing the law, not committing massacres. But those who should be eliminated must not be left alive."

Upon hearing this, Ji Zuodao's lips slowly curled upwards, not with a feigned innocent smile, but with a genuine, heartfelt excitement, like a shark smelling blood.

He patted Dog, who was dozing off at his feet.

"Uncle Liu, you're being too polite."

He licked his slightly dry lips, his eyes shining.

"Distinguish between loyalty and treachery, decide life and death, listen to the voice of the heart, examine karma..."

"This job is a perfect fit for me, Dogman."

"By the way, Uncle Liu."

Ji Zuodao leaned closer and asked:

"What exactly is this 'Plan Three' you mentioned on the communicator? It sounds pretty intimidating."

"Contingency Plan Number Three..."

"Hehe, you'll find out when we get there. I guarantee you'll be so surprised your jaw will drop and you won't be able to close your mouth."

"Hey!"

Ji Zuodao raised his chin defiantly, his arrogant demeanor resurfacing.

"Uncle Liu, don't underestimate me. Although I, Ji Zuodao, am young, I've traveled all over the country with my master and seen all kinds of storms! What haven't I seen? You think you can scare me?"

"It's just a 'contingency plan,' at most it's sending a few more teams, better equipped, and making a bigger show of things. What else could it be?"

Deputy Director Liu smiled but remained silent, though the meaning in his eyes deepened.

……

On the outskirts of Jinghai City, outside a military exercise area under martial law.

Ji Zuodao stood on the armor of a main battle tank painted with jungle digital camouflage and with a frighteningly thick cannon barrel.

One hand was supporting the cold turret, while the other gripped his chin tightly.

His eyes were wide open like saucers, and his mouth was unconsciously agape, unable to close for a long time.

A cold wind swept across the wilderness, whipping sand and dust, making his bangs dance wildly on his forehead, but he was completely oblivious.

He just stared blankly at the vast area that had been temporarily requisitioned.

And on the field, that silent, steely expanse, reeking of heavy engine oil and gunpowder smoke...

forest.

Yes, the forest.

A forest of steel.

Dozens of new main battle tanks, like crouching behemoths, pointed menacingly into the unknown darkness ahead.

Further away, there were infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery, rocket launchers...

Various heavy equipment, some of which he had only seen in military magazines or whose names he could not recall, were arranged in an orderly offensive formation.

Soldiers dressed in all-terrain camouflage and armed with live ammunition moved swiftly and silently through the gaps in the steel behemoths, deploying defenses and checking equipment like a silent swarm of ants.

High in the sky, the low rumble of rotors cutting through the air could be faintly heard, as several armed helicopters circled in the warning airspace like patrolling night hawks.

The bright beams of searchlights swept across the night sky, illuminating every inch of the area as if it were daytime, leaving no place to hide.

The air was thick with a chilling, menacing atmosphere, like the impending storm or the clash of swords and the clash of armor, making it hard to breathe.

Ji Zuodao slowly, extremely slowly, twisted his neck, which seemed to be rusty, and looked at Deputy Director Liu, who was also wearing an army combat uniform and was observing the distance with binoculars.

He opened his mouth, his throat was dry, and his voice was distorted:

"Uncle Liu... this... this is what you meant by 'Plan Three'?"

He pointed at the steel torrent before him, his fingertips trembling slightly.

"This...is this a contingency plan? This...this looks like war is about to break out?!"

Deputy Director Liu put down his binoculars, turned his head, and looked at Ji Zuodao, who was staring blankly, like a country bumpkin visiting the city for the first time. He finally couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter:

"Hahaha! How about that, kid? Eyes opened, right?! You weren't bragging, were you? You can't stop grinning from ear to ear, can you?"

He patted the cold, hard tank armor beside him forcefully, his tone filled with a sense of pride and pride:

"You're really lucky, kid! These are all new equipment that the military region just received recently. The military region is taking advantage of this 'joint operation' to cooperate with us, put them out for a spin, and test them in real combat!"

He blinked, lowered his voice, and said with a knowing slyness:

"The official explanation is the same: codenamed 'Thunderbolt-Winter Training,' a large-scale military exercise. Understand?"

Ji Zuodao looked at the steel legion before him.

He remained silent for a full ten seconds.

"Uncle Liu."

"Um?"

"When Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace in Journey to the West... at the height of his troubles, the Jade Emperor sent people down to suppress him... was the scale of the operation ever this large?"

Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Liu was taken aback at first, then laughed even louder, almost laughing until tears streamed down his face.

He wiped his eyes, barely managing to stop laughing, patted Ji Zuodao on the shoulder, and his tone gradually turned serious:

"Little Ji, now you know why your master insisted you wear this official's coattails and secure this iron rice bowl, right?"

He raised his hand and pointed to the torrent of steel before him, his voice not loud, but carrying a metallic weight that struck Ji Zuodao's heart:

"Individual bravery and the supernatural abilities of cultivators are no match for the true will of a nation and its war machine..."

"As insignificant as an ant."

Ji Zuodao didn't speak, but took a deep breath of the cold air that smelled of rust and diesel, and then slowly exhaled.

He looked at those silent steel behemoths, and at the soldiers who moved like precise gears.

For the first time, I realized this so directly, so cruelly, yet so reassuringly—

The path his three masters chose for him was absolutely correct.

It's really nice to have a big tree to lean against and enjoy the shade.

No, this is more than just a big tree.

They're practically leaning against the Great Wall of Steel, enjoying the cool shade!

"Oh, right."

Deputy Director Liu suddenly remembered something, his smile faded, and he looked at Ji Zuodao with a serious and profound gaze:

"Little Ji, have your masters... mentioned anything to you about the 'Ascension Sect'?"

Ji Zuodao recovered from the shock before him, thought for a moment, and nodded:

"It was mentioned briefly. Not much, but it left a deep impression on me."

"How...did they evaluate it?"

Ji Zuodao pondered for a moment, recalling the few words his master had uttered while drunk, slamming his fist on the table and cursing. He carefully chose his words and slowly said:

"My master said..."

"All that is gold and jade on the outside is rotten inside; all that is dressed is fine, but inside there are festering sores."

"A face like a peach blossom, but a heart of a serpent; words like lotus flowers, but a belly full of filth."

"Beneath the skin lies a bunch of filthy, shameful things. They may look human, but inside they're rotten and stinking."