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

Qiqi was quite happy about this.

Her brother took her to school and picked her up from school. When they went to the Qi Practitioner Market, they could also buy a candied hawthorn on the way, which made them very happy.

Speaking of the Qi cultivator market, Ji Zuodao felt a bit depressed.

Qiqi and Zhao Lingling, those two little girls, have recently become completely obsessed with that place.

Every day after school, the first thing I do is run to the Qi Practitioner Market.

Today I'll eat this shop's osmanthus cake, tomorrow I'll try that shop's roasted spirit beast meat, and the day after tomorrow I'll go buy that shop's new candied hawthorn.

The two little girls skipped and hopped ahead, chattering away, sometimes discussing which restaurant was good, sometimes arguing about which wasn't, as lively as two little sparrows.

Ji Zuodao followed behind, carrying large and small bags, looking like a walking shopping cart.

It's not that he can't lift it.

With his current cultivation level, let alone carrying a few bags of pastries, even carrying an elephant would be a piece of cake for him.

The problem is—it's embarrassing!

He was, after all, the head of the Demon Management Section of the 749 Bureau in Jinghai, a notorious scourge in the Yuehai District, a figure whose name alone could stop children from crying in the Qi Cultivator circle.

The results of it?

Now his daily job is to follow behind the two little girls, carrying osmanthus cakes, candied hawthorns, and grilled spirit beast meat skewers, just like a full-time nanny.

If those guys he used to deal with saw this, they'd probably laugh their heads off.

Moreover, those bosses were more enthusiastic about seeing Ji Zuodao than they were about seeing their own father.

How enthusiastic are they?

Ji Zuodao, unusually, wanted to act like a normal person today, so he took out his wallet and prepared to pay.

As soon as the shopkeeper saw him take out his wallet, his face changed instantly, as if he had seen a ghost. He grabbed Ji Zuodao's hand, and with his other hand, he quickly opened the cash register drawer, grabbed a handful of banknotes, and stuffed them into Ji Zuodao's pocket.

"No, no, no! Section Chief Ji, please don't! Your patronage of my humble shop is already a great honor! How could I possibly accept your money? Wouldn't that be humiliating?"

As the shopkeeper spoke, he stuffed money into Qiqi's pocket. Not satisfied with that, he turned around and grabbed a few boxes of the most expensive spiritual fruits from the shelf, forcing them into Qiqi's hands.

"Come, come, little girl, take this and eat! This is a gift from your uncle!"

Qi Qi held the boxes of spiritual fruits, blinked, looked at the boss, then at Ji Zuodao, unsure whether she should accept them.

Ji Zuodao was also stunned.

No.

He's here to pay today.

He really did come to pay.

Although Ji Zuodao is not a good person, he wouldn't be so desperate as to try to extort money from people just to buy some snacks, would he?

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the shop owner didn't give him a chance to speak, pushing him out: "Alright, alright, Section Chief Ji, you can go about your business now, don't delay my business!"

Then, with a "snap," the door slammed shut.

Ji Zuodao stood at the door, clutching the wad of banknotes that had been shoved into his hand, his face disheveled in the wind.

No, I'm fucking here to pay!

Qiqi tilted her little face up to look at him and asked earnestly, "Brother, is that boss afraid of you?"

Ji Zuodao was silent for a moment, then squatted down and looked intently into Qi Qi's eyes:

"Qiqi, you must remember one thing—in this world, sometimes, it is more useful for others to fear you than for them to love you."

Qiqi tilted her head and thought for a moment, then nodded as if she understood: "Oh... so Qiqi wants everyone to be afraid of Qiqi?"

"No need for that."

Ji Zuodao stood up, took her hand, and said, "You have your brother, that's enough. Make others fear your brother, make others love you, a perfect division of labor."

Qiqi thought about it and felt that it made a lot of sense, so she nodded and continued to gnaw on the spiritual fruit in her hand.

Passersby watched this scene and their lips twitched: This person's methods of raising a child are really damn wild.

Ji Zuodao originally thought that Zhu Cheng, having suffered that setback, would at least keep a low profile for a few days, keeping a low profile until things calmed down before making a ruckus again.

But to his utter surprise, that bastard reappeared just two days later.

And it's done openly and honestly.

That afternoon, Ji Zuodao had just picked up Qiqi from school and was walking home with her, holding her hand.

Qiqi hummed an unknown tune, holding a candied hawthorn in her other hand. Her mouth was covered in red sugar stains, and her little face was beaming with a happy smile.

Then, Zhu Cheng walked out of the coffee shop by the roadside.

Today he changed into a moon-white long robe and held a folding fan in his hand. He looked like he had stepped out of a TV drama and was completely out of place among the pedestrians around him who were wearing T-shirts and shorts.

He walked up to Qiqi, bent down, and gave her a gentle smile, his voice as soft as if he were coaxing a kitten:

"Qiqi, do you want to go play at your brother's place? There are lots of fun things there, and delicious food too, much better than candied hawthorns."

Qiqi stopped moving.

She hadn't swallowed the candied hawthorn in her mouth yet, and her cheeks were bulging like a little hamster.

She glanced at Zhu Cheng, then at Ji Zuodao, and silently took a step back, hiding behind Ji Zuodao.

She reached out her small hand and grabbed the hem of Ji Zuodao's trench coat, gripping it tightly until her knuckles turned white.

Then, she peeked half her head out from behind Ji Zuodao, looked at Zhu Cheng, shook her head, and said in a soft but firm voice, "I'm not going."

Zhu Cheng's smile froze for a moment when he saw Qi Qi's reaction, but he quickly returned to normal.

He stood up, looked at Ji Zuodao, and still had that gentle and refined smile on his face.

"It seems she trusts you more."

Ji Zuodao stood there looking at Zhu Cheng, his face expressionless.

He was seriously considering a question—how many years would he be sentenced to if he killed this bastard in the street?

The answer is: if handled properly, it can probably be considered legitimate self-defense.

After all, he was a section chief in Bureau 749, and in the course of his official duties, he encountered suspicious individuals attempting to approach underage zombies.

If warnings are ineffective, take necessary measures to stop the crime.

This logic makes perfect sense.

As for what exactly the "necessary measures" include, that depends on how things are handled on the spot.

It definitely includes, but is not limited to, cramping, skinning, bone removal, flesh cutting, and soul refining...

Zhu Cheng seemed to sense the murderous intent in his eyes, took a step back, and slightly raised his hands, making a "I surrender" gesture: "Don't be nervous, I was just passing by and saying hello."

Ji Zuodao thought for a moment and decided not to make a move yet.

At least, I won't make a move in front of Qiqi.

He lowered his head and said to Qiqi, "Let's go home."

Qiqi nodded obediently, took his hand, and followed him forward.

As she passed Zhu Cheng, Qi Qi looked up at him, then quickly looked down and gripped Ji Zuodao's hand tightly.

Zhu Cheng stood there, watching the two figures, one big and one small, gradually disappear into the distance and vanish around the street corner.

He sighed softly.

"It seems that it will take some time before she accepts me."

He put away his folding fan, turned around, and walked in the opposite direction.

"But it's okay."

"I have plenty of time."

"You fucking don't have time!"

That night, Ji Zuodao, along with Su Xiaoxiao, Xiong Meng, Jin Xiaoman, and a few other reliable monsters, sneaked into Chengguzhai.

On a dark and windy night, people are killing people and setting fires.

Ji Zuodao keeps his word.

I said I'd kill you if you got too close to Qiqi, so here I am.

He has no other redeeming qualities, except that he keeps his word.

The four of them, under the cover of night, quietly made their way to the depths of Wutong Lane.

The old wooden door of Chengguzhai gleamed with a dull luster under the moonlight.

The two antique-style lanterns still hung on the door, unlit, just hanging there, swaying in the wind, looking like a scene from a horror movie.

Ji Zuodao made a hand gesture.

Xiong Meng immediately took out a bamboo tube from his pocket, about the thickness of a chopstick, sharpened one end, carefully poked a hole in the window paper, and blew a puff of sleeping powder inside.

The sleeping gas was colorless and odorless, specially made by Ji Zuodao. Not to mention humans, even a demon king would fall asleep until noon the next day after smelling it.

The medicine is highly effective and of the highest quality.

Essential items for robbery and plunder.

After waiting for a few moments, there was still no movement inside.

Ji Zuodao waved his hand again.

Jin Xiaoman immediately stepped forward, took out two thin wires from her pocket, and poked them into the keyhole. With her ear pressed against the door, she held her breath, her fingers slightly twirling—

"Click".

With a soft click, the lock opened.

The entire process was smooth and seamless, taking no more than ten seconds.

Jin Xiaoman turned around, and Chong Ji Zuodao gave her a "done" gesture with a smug look on her face.

Ji Zuodao nodded and gently pushed open the wooden door.

The door hinges creaked softly, a sound that was particularly jarring in the quiet night.

He paused, waited a few seconds, and made sure there was no movement inside before slipping inside.

Su Xiaoxiao, Xiong Meng, and Jin Xiaoman followed closely behind, entering in single file.

Chengguzhai is not large, but it is decorated quite elegantly.

Upon entering, there is a mahogany cabinet with several pieces of porcelain on it and a small incense burner next to it, the ashes of which have already cooled.

Behind the counter was a row of display shelves, filled with all sorts of antiques—

Porcelain, jade, bronze, wood carvings—the dazzling array of items is overwhelming.

Several paintings and calligraphies, all landscapes, hung on the wall. The brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful, and they looked like works by famous artists.

In the corner sat a potted asparagus fern, which was already somewhat withered, its leaves yellowing and drooping listlessly.