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

Those three beams of light shooting into the sky were clearly visible even from a great distance.

"Holy crap?!"

Ji Zuodao, who was squatting at another resource point, digging in the dirt with his butt sticking out, suddenly looked up and his eyes lit up like two searchlights.

"Honey! This is some incredible treasure! Come on, come on! Go see it! First come, first served!"

He jumped up with a "whoosh," slapped the mud off his hands, and rubbed them together excitedly.

"Uh, boss. That looks like the place where we had hot pot earlier."

"Huh?" Ji Zuodao paused, squinted, and looked again carefully. "Hey! It really is!"

He scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Really? There are only trees and grass there, and a stone pot. I've looked for ages, and I can't find a place to hide treasure."

As he spoke, he quickly pulled out the crumpled map, brought it close to his eyes, and started pointing and tracing marks on it with his finger, muttering, "No... there are no marks here... that's strange..."

Ji Zuodao was completely confused.

Lu Jian, who had only been at the hot pot restaurant for a short while, was completely bewildered and full of questions.

Previously, those three guys from the Southwest Branch were secretly whispering together, saying something about "finding Ji Zuodao's whereabouts," and then they were acting like they were on steroids.

Especially that beautiful Miao girl, who was fine at first, suddenly turned bright red and started cursing, saying things like "scumbag" and "domestic abuser," using the most offensive language. She was also the one who got angry the fastest.

Lu Jian was listening nearby at the time, and wow, there was a lot of information to be had!

However, seeing the Miao girl's sullen yet slightly aggrieved expression, Lü Jian's heart was moved.

Hey, it wasn't the kind of attraction that made him fall in love; it was his desire to show off that was stirring within him!

The script was instantly written in his mind:

The three simpletons from the Southwest are no match for those beasts from Jinghai. Once they're in dire straits, I'll descend like a divine warrior, making a dashing entrance and turning the tide!

That guy, wow, just thinking about it makes me feel so cool!

As for whether or not they can defeat those guys from Jinghai...

This question didn't even linger in his mind, which was filled with protagonist scenarios, for more than a fraction of a second.

"Brothers, wait for me! I'll be right back!"

He uttered what he thought was a cool remark, turned around, and happily followed after them, ignoring his two teammates calling his name from behind.

His two teammates behind him were so angry they almost couldn't breathe, their eyes rolling so hard you could practically see the back of their heads.

Brother, have you forgotten that you are also a Dharma Aspect? The coveted prize that everyone wants to eliminate first?

Didn't you see how the people from other branches were looking at you like wolves eyeing meat?

What a disaster! How did I end up with such teammates this year? I thought I could just coast along, but they're a total disaster! I can't carry them, I simply can't!

In short, that's the situation.

When Lü Jian reached the spot, he saw three white lights shoot into the sky with a "whoosh," and the three people in the southwest disappeared instantly.

All that was left on site was a pot bubbling away.

Before Lü Jian could figure it out, the other investigators who had seen the commotion also arrived one after another.

They were all stunned when they saw this scene.

"Holy crap? What... what's going on? Those three guys from the Southwest got eliminated?"

"Who did this? Those bastards from Jinghai? It doesn't seem like it; there's not a single trace of a fight around here!"

"Exactly! Everyone here is at the Meridian Opening Realm. Those three in the southwest aren't made of clay either. No matter what, they couldn't have been sent away without even making a single move, could they?"

The crowd chattered and discussed amongst themselves, their gazes involuntarily falling on Lü Jian, who was present at the scene.

Lu Jian finally realized what was going on and his heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong.

broken!

At a crime scene, the first person to discover the evidence is most likely the culprit! That's how it's portrayed in Detective Conan!

This is incredibly suspicious!

He quickly waved his hand, his face displaying an earnest expression that said, "I'm a good person," and righteously clarified:

"Wait! Wait! Let me make this clear first, I didn't do it! It really wasn't me! I swear to God!"

His words only made things worse; the way he spoke instantly changed the way people looked at him, making them look strange.

"We...didn't say it was you." One of the investigators touched his nose.

"Exactly, why are you in such a hurry to clarify?" Another person crossed their arms and looked Lü Jian up and down. "Are you hiding something?"

"This is like trying to hide something obvious..."

Everyone looked at each other, their minds simultaneously conjuring up the same scenario:

There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, only a hot pot, indicating that the three from the southwest were ambushed while eating.

Why eat at this time? That's not important!

The key point is that it caught three people completely off guard, leaving them no chance to resist...

What does this show?

This means it was someone they knew who committed the crime! Someone they knew who made them lower their guard!

Then look at Lü Jian's "honest and simple" face, his "I don't know anything" foolish look...

Damn, he's definitely faking it! What a great actor!

"Whoosh—"

Almost simultaneously, everyone took a small step back, distancing themselves from Lü Jian, their eyes brimming with wariness and suspicion.

"It really wasn't me! You have to believe me! Believe me!" Lu Jian panicked; this damn scapegoating was too convincing!

"We believe, we believe." Everyone nodded vigorously, but in unison, they took a half-step back.

That expression, that look in their eyes, clearly said: Keep acting, we're all watching.

Not to mention them, even Lu Jian's two teammates, who arrived later, felt uneasy upon seeing this scene.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same shock and a hint of admiration in each other's eyes.

Holy crap?

Was Brother Lü's foolish act all an act?

Actually, he's a cunning old fox who hides his true colors? He quietly eliminated an entire team from the Southwest Branch?

Master! This is a true master! A perfect blend of acting skills and raw talent!

When Lu Jian saw the "Brother Lu is awesome!" look in his teammates' eyes, he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Damn it, I can't clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River!

Now, the anti-Jinghai alliance, which was already somewhat fragmented due to the previous beach landmine incident and the various factions within it, has been completely reduced to a scattered mess after this incident.

At best, only two or three police stations with particularly close relationships can manage to get together and look out for each other.

Even so, their eyes still held an undisguised suspicion and wariness when they looked at each other.

Nobody wants to be the next "Three Heroes of the Southwest"—

It's so unfair that you'd be eliminated suddenly while eating hot pot and singing!

I swam for half a day, got bombed, and went home empty-handed. It's heartbreaking to think about.

Seeing that the investigators around him were about to surround him, Lü Jian finally snapped out of his daze.

This is shit, even if it's not shit!

If we don't run now, are we just going to be chased out as "murderers" by these bloodthirsty guys?

"Um...you guys chat, you guys chat, I'm going first, I need to pee!"

Having uttered this utterly unconvincing excuse, Lü Jian, as if his feet were greased, turned and slipped into the dense forest beside him.

They ran incredibly fast, as if afraid of being "publicly tried" if they were even a step too late.

The crowd watched his hasty retreat, exchanging bewildered glances.

"See, you're feeling guilty now, aren't you?"

"It must be! I never expected that Lu Jian from the Jiangnan branch, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, would be so ruthless!"

"Tsk tsk, you can't judge a book by its cover..."

The sea breeze carried the lingering aroma of hot pot, but it also blew away what little trust existed between us.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Ji Zuodao was still staring at the map, completely baffled.

"That's weird, that's fucking weird... What the hell is that light?"