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

Taking advantage of the break, Liu Ming also shared the most telling parts of Kunpeng's origins with Ji Zuodao.

After all, with a bureau chief as his father, he could always hear rumors about some minor, non-confidential matters in the old almanac.

"Even if it means death, shall we still patrol the mountains and rivers of the Han Dynasty day and night...?"

After listening, Ji Zuodao leaned against the edge of the square, gazing at the endless sea of ​​clouds churning below, and murmured the same sentence repeatedly.

He admired this kind of person from the bottom of his heart.

But as much as I admire him, I'd rather he did it himself...

Ji Zuodao shuddered and quickly banished the terrifying thought from his mind.

No, I really wouldn't dare.

Ji Zuodao cherished his life and feared death. The stronger his cultivation of life force, the deeper this fear of death penetrated.

The last time I had the thought of "maybe I should just die" was when I was a kid, so hungry that my stomach was practically sticking to my back and my eyes were practically glowing green.

He has a clear understanding of himself—

With his bloodstained hands and wicked schemes, once he descends to the eighteen levels of hell, it will be like a yearly VIP suite, starting with the ultimate package of being fried in oil and wandering through mountains of knives.

But it's okay.

Ji Zuodao had already begun making arrangements for his affairs after his death.

He even used his connections and influence to bribe the famous ghosts and gods in the underworld beforehand.

They burn three sticks of incense morning and evening, and offer double the amount on festivals, with the main theme being "If you don't accumulate virtue in life, you'll burn a lot of paper money after you die."

Is it easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings? No problem, we'll even prepare a share for the gatekeeper underlings!

Roll it up, roll it really up! Roll it up as hard as you can!

It was precisely because he was so afraid of death that he calculated even the welfare benefits and reincarnation quotas after death so clearly that he admired the man beneath him so much.

They sacrificed everything they had—their physical body, their soul, their life's cultivation, and even their chance for reincarnation.

All for the sake of transforming into a Kunpeng that inherited this obsession, patrolling the mountains and rivers day and night.

This sacrifice is too heavy.

Just thinking about Ji Zuodao, that selfish, opportunistic, and ruthless senior evil cultivator who believes in taking advantage of every opportunity, makes one feel suffocated and unable to breathe.

He is willing to protect this land beneath his feet, and to protect the people and things he cares about.

But to ask him to go to such lengths...

Ji Zuodao silently hugged his arms tighter.

Can't do it.

This price was far too heavy for him.

"Smack."

A soft sound.

Old Li wandered over unnoticed and lightly tapped Ji Zuodao on the back of the head with his tattered palm-leaf fan.

"Ouch!" Ji Zuodao clutched his head, wincing in pain. "Master Li, that fan of yours really hurts!"

"It's good that it hurts, so you won't get stuck on it."

Old Li, hands tucked into his pockets, squinted at the sea of ​​clouds, his voice slow and muffled by the wind:

"Kid, don't overthink it. That old man... isn't as tragic or as deeply resentful as you think."

"He's just a show-off, he cares about his image, and he likes to pretend."

"He pretended his whole life, and in the end he felt that an ordinary death was not worthy of his magnificent and awesome life."

"Perfect timing. He has the ability, the passion, and the heart to protect the land he's dedicated his life to..."

"Alright, let's just pretend to be something big—transform into a Kunpeng and float in the sky even after we die, so that when the little brats of the future look up, they can see his unprecedented and probably unparalleled prestige."

As Old Li spoke, he chuckled to himself and shook his head:

"So, don't think of him as too lofty or too heavy. He just carried out his life motto of 'If you're going to live, live an extraordinary life; if you're going to die, die an extraordinary death' in the most outrageous way."

"He also did some things that he felt he should do and wanted to do."

"Protecting the land is true. But if you say he didn't harbor a bit of smugness, like 'I'm cooler than you living people even when I'm dead'... well, this old man will eat this fan."

Ji Zuodao was stunned.

I carefully considered the meaning behind the old man's words...

It seems that this is indeed true?

That kind of reckless attitude—"I'll pretend even if I die, and I'll pretend to be remembered in history and remembered for generations to come"...

It really suits Jinghai... no, it really suits the temperament of such a top-tier expert.

Is it tragic? Yes, it is.

Is it great? Yes, it is.

But at its core, it seems to actually contain a childlike boastfulness and mischievousness that knows no bounds.

So—

Old Li stretched, his joints cracking, and his tone became lazy again.

"Admire those who deserve respect, learn from those who deserve learning... but don't imitate them exactly. You walk your own path, you choose your own way."

"That old man chose his path and took it to its extreme."

"You've got your own path to walk too."

"Being a little selfish and afraid of death isn't necessarily a bad thing. Knowing what you want, knowing what you're willing to sacrifice for, and holding onto the line in your heart... that's enough."

He patted Ji Zuodao on the shoulder, not too hard:

"The world needs a sun that burns everything and becomes a legend."

"We also need stars like you, who may be a bit gray or dark, but can step up in crucial moments and can also live a comfortable and fulfilling life in ordinary times."

"If everything is lit up, this sky won't be dark."

After saying that, without waiting for Ji Zuodao's reaction, he put his hands behind his back, swayed back to his broken rocking chair, nestled inside, and covered his face with a tattered palm-leaf fan.

It was as if those words were just casual conversation.

Ji Zuodao stood there, rubbing his still slightly sore back of the head, looking at the old man's "don't bother me while I'm sunbathing" attitude, and then looking down at the boundless "earth" that supported them.

The heavy feeling in my heart suddenly eased considerably.

Yes.

Ji Zuodao is a selfish, cowardly, vulgar man, a heretical cultivator, a bandit, greedy for money and lustful, and vindictive.

Should he learn from that old master and burn his body and soul to become eternal? Kill him, no way.

but……

If that day ever comes, and the people he cares about on this land beneath his feet need his strength…

He'd probably grit his teeth, curse his mother, and while calculating, "This is a huge loss, I have to get Uncle Zhang to reimburse me when I get back," he'd also pull out all the money he could from his savings and go all out to get revenge.

Selfish people use selfish methods to protect what they selfishly care about.

It doesn't seem too bad?

Just then—

"Hey——!"

Beneath their feet, the colossal being once again let out a clear, melodious cry.

This time, the chirping seemed to have lost some of its divine majesty and gained an indescribable gentleness and satisfaction.

As if to say:

"Kid, that's right."

A strong wind swept by, and the sea of ​​clouds churned.

Ji Zuodao faced the wind, took a deep breath, and suddenly grinned.

"Okay, you're awesome, you'll always be awesome, keep pretending."

"I will try my best to be that star that won't be too badly overshadowed by you."

He turned and walked towards the barbecue area, muttering to himself:

"The meat must be getting cold...tsk, did that kid Li Shuwen steal the kidneys I grilled while I was away again?"

His figure blended into the noisy crowd, and soon laughter, shouts, and scrambling filled the air.

Old Li peeked through the gap in his tattered palm-leaf fan at the lively young man who had suddenly become energetic again, and a smile curved his lips.

From beneath the fan, a barely audible humming came:

"This little rascal...not bad."