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

"Let's do something different for this first intellectual battle of the year."

Old Zhang, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, stood on the stage, smiling broadly.

"I honestly think that the written exams in previous years were incredibly boring. You guys were scratching your heads while writing, and we were watching from above, our eyelids were drooping. It was torture for each other. It was so boring, really boring."

"We need to keep up with the times, right? So, for this first round of literary debate today, we won't be using pen and paper—"

He drew out the word, successfully piquing everyone's curiosity, before slowly saying:

"We can do it with just words."

As soon as he finished speaking, without any visible movement from him, all the young investigators participating in the competition felt a blur before their eyes, and the surrounding scenery rippled out like water, shifting and changing their positions in an instant!

Upon closer inspection, I realized that I and all my fellow contestants had formed a large circle.

In the center of the circle stood a middle-aged man with unusually large ears and a kind face. Beside him stood a smooth jade plate, which appeared to be used for scoring.

The rules are simple: there are 300 questions in total, and it's a first-come, first-served format. One point is awarded for each correct answer, and one point is deducted for each incorrect answer.

"Oh ho?" Ji Zuodao raised an eyebrow, secretly amused. "This format is quite interesting. It's similar to those kinds of shows I used to see on TV."

Not only him, but many young investigators also showed interest, rubbing their hands together, eager to answer. It turns out that in addition to knowledge reserves, one must also compete in reaction speed.

The eyes of the branch bureau chiefs lit up immediately!

It's standing tall!

It's finally standing up again!

This is one of the few times they can stand tall and proud in front of the Jinghai branch!

Who doesn't know that the Jinghai branch, from top to bottom, is all perpetually "bandit-like"?

Director Zhang Yucheng is a notorious bandit, and the men he's trained are just a bunch of petty bandits. They're great at charging into battle and capturing monsters, but when it comes to academic knowledge and theoretical assessments...

Ha ha.

It's not that I'm targeting Jinghai, but at least in terms of intellectual competition, all of you from various branches feel that you can go toe-to-toe with Jinghai, or even have the upper hand.

Director Li of the Jiangnan Branch, his face crinkling with a broad smile, strolled over to Zhang Yucheng with a teacup in hand, his voice booming as if afraid no one would hear him:

"Hey Lao Zhang, it seems our Jiangnan branch is more than qualified to claim the first prize in this year's literary contest!"

"See that? Lü Jian! Our little Lü! Before becoming a Qi cultivator, he was a genuine top student from a prestigious 985 university! He's got a sharp mind, and his memory is just amazing—"

He gave a thumbs up.

"He's only been in our bureau for a short time, but he's already practically read through all those dusty old files, ancient books, and secret records in the bureau's archives! He has a photographic memory and can read through inscriptions in a flash! That's the kind of talent we're talking about!"

As soon as he started speaking, the other branch directors couldn't hold back any longer and gathered around, each chiming in with their own words, "casually" showing off in front of Zhang Yucheng.

"We also have a promising child in our family this year, who has done considerable research on the history of ancient talismans..."

"That young lady in our department knows the genealogies and weaknesses of monsters from all over the country by heart..."

"us……"

For a time, Zhang Yucheng's surroundings seemed to have become a showcase of the outstanding achievements of "other people's children".

Surrounded by the crowd, Director Zhang now wore a bitter expression, sighing and lamenting, his tone filled with self-deprecation—a stark contrast to his earlier boastful declaration of wanting to take everything.

"Oh my, listen to this! Each and every one of them is a literary genius descended from heaven, a pillar of society! Compared to these great talents under your command, our few..."

"They're just utterly illiterate! They can't even recognize a handful of characters. They might be able to fight, but when it comes to verbal battles... sigh, it looks like this round is going to be tough. Let's just focus on the participation, that's all."

As soon as he said this, the voices of the bureau chiefs who had been boasting and showing off just moments before immediately fell silent, and they all looked at Zhang Yucheng with suspicion and uncertainty in their eyes.

wrong.

This reaction is very wrong.

Based on their understanding of Zhang Yucheng, that old fox, in all these years of confrontation, when has this bastard ever truly yielded or shown weakness? That would be a rare occurrence.

If he ever offers his face up for you to hit, there's no doubt he's hiding an even thicker brick in his pocket, just waiting to give you a good beating when you reach out!

Sure enough, Zhang Yucheng's face, which had just been gloomy, suddenly melted away like spring snow, instantly transforming into a warm, gentle smile that made people want to punch him.

"However..."

He rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming slightly, like a fox spotting a fat sheep.

"We're just killing time anyway, and watching the game is so boring. Guys, how about we place a small bet to liven things up?"

He patted his chest, looking righteous: "I'll be the bookmaker, the odds will be fair!"

bet?

Several branch bureau chiefs felt a chill run down their spines when they looked at Zhang Yucheng's smiling face.

Gambling? Even a dog wouldn't gamble with him!

This is definitely a trap! A huge trap!

The group exchanged a knowing glance, and their earlier boasting vanished instantly.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized; they silently returned to their seats, sat upright, and kept their eyes straight ahead, as if they weren't the ones who had just surrounded them and gloated.

Watching the group instantly transform from "peacocks with their tails spread" back into "quails," Zhang Yucheng sighed in disappointment and muttered under his breath, "Tsk, they've all become cunning... still trying to fleece us."

So, I advise everyone to think calmly before gambling. Why should others dare to gamble with you?

The scene of the literary competition.

Lu Jian was originally considering whether he should say a few more harsh words to the Jinghai branch.

Damn it, if I can't beat you guys in martial arts, I refuse to believe you can be so awesome in academics.

As soon as his gaze swept over, he froze.

The competition area of ​​the Jinghai Branch had a unique and unusual style.

Ji Zuodao, Liu Ming, and Li Shuwen each pulled out a small stool from somewhere and sat down in a neat row.

Their hands weren't idle either; each of them held a cup of iced drink with a straw, which looked sweet and delicious, and were sipping it happily.

Their relaxed expressions made it seem as if they weren't there to participate in a tense and exciting national martial arts competition, but rather to enjoy a sunbathing vacation at the beach.

Even Qiqi was sitting steadily on Ji Zuodao's lap, holding a big coconut and drinking it happily.

The little girl has been particularly fond of imitating Ji Zuodao these past few days, even mimicking his lazy sitting posture, and she's quite enjoying herself by herself.

On the contrary, Dog King stood upright on its hind legs, with one front paw clasped to its chest like a human, while the tip of its other paw was idly picking at its ear.

That furry dog ​​face could clearly convey a mixture of laziness, disdain, and the feeling that everyone present was trash.

Lü Jian: "???"

All other participating investigators: "???"

Wait... guys, what do you mean?

This is a nationwide martial arts demonstration! Can't you be serious?!

Ji Zuodao seemed to sense the gazes coming from all directions, a mixture of bewilderment, confusion, and a hint of disdain and anger. He slowly finished the last sip of sweet water, put down the empty cup, and then raised his head, giving everyone an incredibly kind, even slightly apologetic, smile.

"Everyone, please don't misunderstand, please don't misunderstand."

He spoke sincerely, pointed to his two equally relaxed teammates beside him, and then patted Qiqi's head on his lap.

"Nothing else. It's just that... if the few of us attack together..."

He paused, then his smile widened, revealing a set of white teeth.

"That would be too unfair to you. It would be an dishonest and meaningless victory."

"So, for this first battle of wits, my dog ​​will take the lead and play with you all."

Everyone: "??!?!"

I rely on! ! !

Arrogant!

That's fucking arrogant!

Are you going to put a dog in a literary contest? To compete against these elites from various departments?

This is no longer a slight; it's like shoving their faces into the ground and grinding them back and forth with the sole of a shoe!

This is an utter disgrace! It's simply outrageous!

Even Old Zhang, who had been smiling all along on stage, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids as he looked with great interest at the black dog below the stage, which was crossing its arms and practically dangling into the sky.

Just as everyone's anger was about to erupt.

The dog slowly lowered its paw from cleaning its ear, its mouth twitching, its voice still carrying a lazy, smoky quality, the disdain in its tone almost tangible:

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a cultured dog before?"

It stood on its hind legs, its front paws folded behind its back like a human, took a step, raised its head, and, with its chin raised, addressed all the young investigators present, declaring in a firm and resounding voice:

"I, Doggy, knew a thousand characters by the age of three, could recite Tang poems by five, was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics by seven, and was knowledgeable about both ancient and modern times by eight!"

"Trying to compare knowledge with me, Dog Lord?"

It sneered, its dog eyes filled with a sense of superiority, as if it were "mere mortals."

"You guys are still too green."