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

Despite the almost extravagant use of talismans, Liu Ming quickly reaped more than a dozen spirit peaches.

Crimson fire, verdant wood, azure water, golden metal, earthy yellow earth...

All five colors were present, a dazzling array, piled up at his feet like a small Five Elements array, with spiritual energy intertwined and shining brightly.

Of course, the price is—

Liu Ming had several thick stacks of talismans on him, but now not a single one remained.

"Phew..." Liu Ming patted non-existent dust off his hands, looked at the peaches at his feet, and then at his empty arms, seemingly still feeling a little unsatisfied.

The investigator who had been watching him the whole time finally felt a little better.

"Serves you right! Serves you right for showing off! Serves you right for using talismans like toilet paper!"

"Out of stock now, huh? Stunned? Less than a quarter of an hour has passed. Let's see how cocky you are now!"

"Just stay with us and work your ass off!"

He was even a little gloating, ready to enjoy Liu Ming's embarrassing situation of "going from a nouveau riche to a country bumpkin".

Then--

He then saw Liu Ming slowly and deliberately put his hand into his pocket again.

"Still taking out more?" The investigator was taken aback. "Didn't you use up all the talismans?"

This time, Liu Ming didn't take out stacks of talismans.

Instead, it was a stack of ordinary, white paper with neatly trimmed edges.

Look at the texture, look at that familiar style...

Isn't this the most common A4 printing paper in the office?!

"Huh?" The investigator was even more confused. "Why are you taking out A4 paper? To fold paper airplanes?"

Immediately afterwards, Liu Ming took out a pen from his pocket.

A pen that is entirely blue, with a plastic casing and teeth marks on the cap—

ballpoint pen!

"puff--!"

Several investigators who had been secretly watching the commotion couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"A4 paper? Ballpoint pen?"

"What is Liu Ming trying to do? Write a short essay on the spot?"

"We can't exactly have to draw a talisman on the spot, can we?!"

"What a joke! Drawing talismans doesn't require special talisman paper, pure cinnabar, or a divine pen; it doesn't require setting up an altar, burning incense, washing hands, or communicating with heaven and earth... You're just scribbling on an A4 sheet of paper with a broken ballpoint pen. That thing won't work! I'll wash my hair upside down!"

"Exactly! My third great-uncle's second great-uncle's disciple's neighbor is a legitimate Taoist priest ordained at Longhu Mountain. Even for the most basic purification talisman, he has to bathe and fast for three days! Can this thing be faked?"

Amidst stares that looked at him as if he were a fool and suppressed laughter.

Liu Ming remained expressionless, even yawning with a hint of boredom.

He casually pulled out an A4 sheet of paper and slapped it onto a slightly flattened mound of soil next to him.

Then, unscrew the cap of the ballpoint pen.

Bow down.

start……

画。

rustling...

The tip of the ballpoint pen glides across the A4 paper, making a soft, smooth friction sound.

Liu Ming's wrist is extremely stable, and his movements are so fast that they almost leave afterimages. The lines he draws are smooth and rounded, without the slightest hesitation.

An incredibly complex rune, imbued with Daoist principles, was appearing at an astonishing speed on that cheap, ordinary A4 sheet of paper.

"Holy crap... he... he actually drew it?!"

"Drawing symbols with a ballpoint pen?!"

"If this worked... I'd smash this peach right here and now!"

however.

Ten seconds later.

The final stroke of Liu Ming's brush is complete.

The rune drawn on A4 paper, made with ballpoint pen ink, suddenly—

It lit up briefly.

A faint but extremely pure spiritual energy emanated from the crumpled A4 paper.

Although it is not as radiant and naturally imbued with Taoist charm as a proper talisman made of yellow cinnabar.

But it was indeed activated.

It possesses the functions that a talisman should have.

Liu Ming picked up the A4 paper talisman that was still faintly glowing and casually stuck it on a water-elemental peach next to him.

"laugh--"

A flash of blue light.

The azure blue Five Elements Barrier was noticeably weakened.

Although the effect may not be as good as a proper talisman.

but……

it.

Really.

it works.

"Thump."

The investigator who had just sworn to smash the peach suddenly collapsed to his knees, his face ashen and his eyes vacant.

He has been practicing the art of drawing talismans for seven or eight years, but his success rate is still only about 30%.

Each time a talisman is drawn, one must calm the mind and concentrate, bathe and burn incense, select the best yellow paper, the best cinnabar, and a consecrated brush, and at a specific time in a quiet room, communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and infuse each stroke with heart and soul before the talisman can be completed.

The slightest mistake and it becomes a piece of waste paper.

But in front of...

A4 paper.

Ballpoint pen.

Squat down anywhere.

Ten seconds.

A usable talisman is now complete.

His lips trembled, and his eyes went unfocused.

"Damn it, I learned a fake talisman-drawing technique..."

Liu Ming isn't the only one with weird traits!

Look over there again!

First, let's look at that little zombie girl, Qiqi.

Others toiled away trying to overcome the Five Elements barrier, working themselves to the bone like slaves.

She, on the other hand, was quietly squatting under a peach tree, holding a water-elemental peach as big as her face in her small hands, eating it with great relish.

Even though he was holding the peach with his bare hands, the Five Elements Barrier couldn't harm him in the slightest.

Moreover, the Five Elements Barrier was no different from the candy coating on a candied hawthorn in front of the little girl.

She stuck out her pink little tongue and licked it once.

That Five Elements Barrier, which drives so many Qi cultivators crazy, melted open with a "sizzle" like lard meeting a hot knife.

Lick it again, and the opening gets bigger.

After a few taps—

"Pop~"

Gone.

The entire Five Elements Barrier vanished without a trace.

All that's left is the juicy peach flesh inside, waiting to be enjoyed.

Several investigators who had cultivated special eye techniques squinted and strained their eyes to carefully examine Qi Qi's body.

In the dim light, one could almost see a faint yet noble and ancient aura surrounding the small figure, like a protective aura.

The outline of that phantom...

Like a dragon.

Let's take a look at Li Shuwen on the other side.

This gentleman, on the other hand, knows how to enjoy himself even more.

I found a spot with the most shade and the most poetic peach blossoms falling, and sat down comfortably.

Then, slowly, he took a book out of his pocket—

Ji Ping Mei!

He gently turned the pages of the book.

A soft white light suddenly shone on the pages of the book.

Immediately afterwards—

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!..."

The power of the five elements flew out from the pages of the book and landed, transforming into seven graceful, beautiful fairies dressed in ancient costumes!

Seven fairies, five picking peaches, and two serving.

Li Shuwen could simply lean comfortably against the peach tree trunk, holding "Ji Ping Mei" in one hand, reading with great interest, occasionally opening his mouth to receive a peach piece peeled by a fairy, squinting his eyes to savor the taste.

"I...I'm so pissed off..."

The investigator, who had been burning the peaches with Samadhi Fire until his face was red and his neck was thick with sweat, watched helplessly as Li Shuwen presented the "fairy picking peaches" scene, then looked down at the pitiful peach in his own hand, which hadn't even had half of its five elements' obstacles worn away, and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Comparing people is a recipe for disaster; comparing goods is enough to make them worthless!"

"I'm toiling away here like a fireman, while they're living like gods over there?! They even have goddesses serving them?!"

"What kind of treasure is that book?! How can it be used like this?!"

"Ji Ping Mei... I've read that book too! How come all I got was blushing and a racing heart, but I couldn't summon any fairies?! Did I read a pirated copy?!"

"Report! Someone here is cheating! And it's a harem cheat!"

For a time, cries of envy, jealousy, and hatred echoed faintly throughout the peach grove.

Liu Ming's "talisman bombardment," Qi Qi's "sugar-coated powder," Li Shuwen's "fairy substitute attack"...

These guys from the Jinghai branch are all incredibly eccentric and utterly inhuman.

They've practically rubbed the values ​​of the other branch investigators into the ground several times over.

however.

Compared to the next two...

That's beyond just being considered "evil".

That was simply "a bizarre grandfather leaning on a cane - bizarre on top of bizarre."

……

I used up all my raw image attempts and generated two pictures, one of Zhang Yucheng and the other of Deputy Director Liu. As usual, I posted them in the comments section of this sentence around 6:30 in the morning.