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

Let's turn back time a little bit.

Qiqi and Zhao Lingling, the two little girls, were holding hands and swaying as they walked out of the school.

The setting sun cast long, warm shadows that felt wonderfully comfortable.

"Qiqi, let me tell you, the herb 'Ephemeral Flower' mentioned by the master in the 'Compendium of Herbs' today is amazing! It only blooms at midnight and withers as soon as it sees the moonlight. If we could use it as the main ingredient, combined with three auxiliary ingredients..."

Zhao Lingling's little mouth chattered away like a little chatterbox, her face flushed and her eyes shining like stars.

Qiqi listened attentively, nodding her little head and occasionally making an "Mmm" sound to indicate that she was listening.

Although most of the time she didn't actually hear Lingling clearly because Lingling spoke too fast, she liked listening to Lingling talk; her voice was crisp and clear, like a wind chime hanging under the eaves.

"Qiqi, look over there! A new candied hawthorn vendor has arrived!"

Zhao Lingling suddenly tugged at Qiqi's sleeve and pointed her little finger to the street corner.

Qiqi looked in that direction and sure enough, there was an old man standing there pushing a small cart with a glass display case, which was filled with bright red and shiny candied hawthorns.

Strangely, the candied hawthorns on the skewers were not ordinary mountain hawthorns, but small spiritual fruits exuding a spiritual aura, whose sweet fragrance could be smelled from afar.

"Their candied hawthorns are all strung with spirit fruits!"

Zhao Lingling's eyes lit up even more, and she shook Qiqi's hand, "Yesterday you treated me to that big peach, it was so sweet! Today my dad just gave me some pocket money, so I'll treat you to candied hawthorns!"

Qiqi tilted her head slightly, blinked her long eyelashes, seemingly processing the words for a moment, then slowly nodded, a barely perceptible smile appearing at the corner of her mouth:

"Candied hawthorn berries~ Delicious~ Thank you, Lingling."

Her voice was soft and sweet, each word uttered gently.

"You're welcome! Wait a minute! I'll be right back!"

Zhao Lingling smiled so broadly that her eyes disappeared. She let go of Qi Qi's hand and, like a happy little deer, skipped and hopped towards the candied hawthorn stall on the street corner.

The little backpack bounced on her back, and her ponytail swayed along with it.

Qiqi stood there quietly, waiting.

She looked up at the clouds on the horizon, dyed orange-red by the setting sun, and began to seriously consider things in her little head:

There are several candied hawthorns on a string.

The first one, the reddest and biggest one, is for my brother.

The second one is for Dog.

The third one is for Lingling.

Hmm... Lingling is treating, so I should give her an extra one. Let's give the fourth one to Lingling too.

The rest... if there are any left, eat them yourself.

If not... then I won't eat it.

She was carefully and fairly dividing the string of candied hawthorns that she hadn't yet received, counting on her fingers.

Just then—

"call--!"

A sudden gust of wind arose out of nowhere!

The wind carried a fishy smell, rustling the leaves on the trees along the street and sending dust swirling and flying towards people's faces.

Qiqi got wind in her eyes and instinctively raised her hand to shield them.

When she put her hand down and looked back at the candied hawthorn stall—

The person is gone.

Zhao Lingling, who was just jumping around a moment ago, is gone.

The stall was empty except for the straw bundle full of candied hawthorns swaying in the wind.

Several bright red candied hawthorns lay scattered on the ground, their sugar shells shattered and rolling all over the place.

There were three or four other people lying there, slumped over, motionless.

Qiqi knew them.

Those were Qi cultivators sent by Lingling's family to protect her on her way to and from school.

They usually keep a distance of about ten steps, following her at a moderate distance, but Lingling always finds them annoying, saying that she feels uncomfortable with someone watching her wherever she goes.

But now...

They all lay down.

Qiqi blinked.

Blinked again.

The blank expression on her little face slowly, slowly, cracked open, like a frozen sugar shell.

Lingling...

That's all?

Her little head, like a rusty gear, creaked and groaned, turning very slowly.

Lingling was just there a moment ago, saying she'd treat her to candied hawthorns.

How could it have happened in the blink of an eye...

What if the person just died?

Qiqi opened her mouth, wanting to shout, but it felt like her throat was blocked with cotton, and she couldn't make a sound.

She turned her head blankly and looked around.

The streets were deserted, except for a few Zhao family guards lying on the ground; there was no one else there.

She was all alone, standing in the middle of the street, her shadow stretched long by the setting sun.

What should I do?

What should she do?

Looking for my brother?

But my brother isn't here today. He said he had to handle some case and wouldn't be back until very late.

Looking for Dog Master?

Dog Master wasn't there either. He said he was going to the City God Temple to play chess with his old friend when he left this morning.

They're all gone.

She was all alone.

Qiqi crouched down, holding her little head in her hands.

Her mind was a jumbled mess, like a tangled mess that she couldn't sort out no matter what she did.

I don't think I've ever encountered anything like this before.

Ever since her brother pulled her out of that dark tomb and brought her to this bright and bustling world, she has never encountered any difficulties.

If I can't do my homework, my older brother will teach me.

If you get tired from walking, Grandpa Dog will carry you.

When you're hungry, someone will feed you; when you're sleepy, someone will soothe you.

Aside from those convoluted math problems, and those texts that I've memorized but then forgotten...

It seems there's really nothing she needs to think about, worry about, or solve herself.

This is the first time.

For the first time, neither my brother nor Dog Grandpa were there.

For the first time, someone died right under her nose.

She has to do something herself.

But what should she do?

Qiqi buried her face in her knees, her small body curled up like a frightened little animal.

The wind was still blowing, carrying the chill of the evening, and it brushed against the back of her neck, making her feel cold.

Suddenly, the image of Dog Lord's furry face, always carrying a slightly impatient expression, flashed through her mind.

That afternoon, the sun was warm and pleasant, making people feel sleepy.

Qiqi was lying on the stone table in the yard, with an exercise book spread out in front of her and a pencil in her hand, her little eyebrows furrowed tightly.

Dog was nestled in the rattan chair next to him, legs crossed, swinging back and forth idly.

"Dog Master, Dog Master."

"Um?"

"Qiqi wants to learn tracking skills."

Qiqi spoke very seriously, emphasizing each word.

Dog chuckled, his tail swishing behind the chair: "Hey, little guy, why are you learning this? Have you finished your homework before you start thinking about this?"

"If Qiqi learns this, she won't lose her brother and Dog Master anymore."

"From now on, we can all be together and never be separated."

Qiqi spoke slowly, but with great determination.

Dog-Grandpa's swaying legs stopped for a moment.

He turned his head and stared at Qiqi for a long time, making Qiqi a little embarrassed. She lowered her head and picked at the edge of her notebook with her fingers.

After a while, Dog Master clicked his tongue, stretched out his big paw, and rubbed her little head.

"Alright then. You little rascal, you know how to talk."

"I, Doggy, do have a real knack for tracking. Once you finish this assignment, I'll teach you."

He leaned back, squinted, as if he had remembered something funny, and grinned, revealing his gleaming white canine teeth.

"Let me tell you, your brother was such a rascal when he was little! He would run all over the mountains and fields, sometimes climbing trees to steal bird nests, sometimes crawling into holes to catch rabbits, he was never still."

"Whenever I can't find him, it's always me, Doggy, who steps in. No matter where he hides in the world, I can drag him out of his rat hole!"

……

The wind seems to have stopped.

Qiqi slowly raised her head.

Her face was still a little dusty, and her eyes were a little red, but the panic in her eyes gradually faded away.

She took a deep breath.

Then he slowly vomited it out.

"Qiqi can do it."

She spoke softly, as if talking to herself.

Then, she walked over to the scattered candied hawthorns, squatted down, and carefully picked one up with her little hand.

The sugar coating was mostly broken, but the hawthorn inside was still intact, bright red, and gleaming in the setting sun.

Qiqi held the candied hawthorn stick in her hand, brought it to her nose, and gently sniffed it.

The unique sweetness of the spirit fruit, mixed with the caramel aroma of syrup, and...

A very faint, almost imperceptible fragrance emanating from Lingling.

Since Lingling successfully awakened her senses, her body has become increasingly fragrant, even more so than her brother's blood.

Qiqi closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, she opened her eyes.

For the first time, a calm and determined light shone in those eyes that were always dull and unfocused.

She turned around, facing a certain direction.

That was the direction from which the demonic wind had disappeared, and the wind carried a faint, ethereal scent.

"Found it."

Qiqi gripped the candied hawthorn in her hand tightly and repeated it softly once more.

"Lingling, wait for Qiqi."

"Qiqi will take you home."