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

Ji Zuodao stood at the entrance of "Bai Cao Tang Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant", patted his round belly, and let out a burp with the aroma of medicine.

Dog Grandpa lay at his feet, looking equally satisfied, licking his lips absently, savoring the lingering flavor of the century-old ginseng stewed with pheasant.

"It's comfortable, but we still have business to attend to."

Ji Zuodao took out the special mobile phone issued by Bureau 749, opened the internal APP, and checked the details of the patrol mission.

"A patrol investigator in the Moon Sea District... wow, they actually have some power."

He swiped the screen, his eyes slightly brightening.

During his patrols, he established cooperation with local public security authorities. The Yuehai District Public Security Bureau would assign a dedicated person as a liaison officer to notify him immediately in the event of any incidents involving supernatural factors.

More importantly, the local public security authorities will temporarily grant him the corresponding law enforcement authority.

In other words, within the limited territory of the Moon Sea District, Ji Zuodao could not only act as an investigator from Bureau 749, but also, when necessary, show his police ID and indulge in the fantasy of being a "people's policeman."

"That's interesting."

Ji Zuodao stroked his chin, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Entrapment... no, I mean lawful patrols, he's very good at that.

"Hey Dog, let's go check out the most 'lively' place in our area."

"Woof? Where?"

"Qi Cultivator Market".

……

On the east side of Yuehai District, there is a well-known secondhand flea market.

Every weekend, this place is packed with people, selling all sorts of things, from old items to secondhand clothes, from old books to antiques of dubious authenticity, it's as lively as a temple fair.

Ji Zuodao led Dog Ye through the bustling crowd, his eyes scanning the dazzling array of stalls on both sides.

According to the information on the app, the Qi Practitioner Market is located in a dead-end alley to the right at the end of this street.

With the array concealing it, even if ordinary people walk to the entrance of the alley, they will only think it is a dead end piled with clutter and will automatically ignore it and leave.

Only those who have embarked on the path of cultivation can "see" the entrance to the formation.

Ji Zuodao easily found the place.

He led Dog Master and seemingly casually turned into the alley. Their figures slightly distorted the moment they touched the array's light membrane, and then disappeared.

The view before me suddenly opened up.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of the flea market outside, the alleyway is a hidden gem.

The bluestone path is clean and tidy, with antique wooden shops on both sides, their eaves upturned and their signs hanging in various styles.

"Bai Lian Ge", "Ling Fu Zhai", "Dan Ding Lou", "Miao Yin Fang"...

The shop displays various magical artifacts, talismans, elixirs, and materials, all shimmering with spiritual light and exuding an aura of precious treasure.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street, just a few here and there, mostly dressed in modern clothes, and their conversations were mostly about "spiritual power," "cultivation techniques," and "materials."

The overall atmosphere was... quiet, orderly, and even a bit deserted.

Ji Zuodao strolled around the street, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Not right.

That's so right!

What happened to the saying "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish"?

What happened to the promised "historical issues"?

The market was so clean it looked like it had just been washed!

Every shop has clearly marked prices, and there's no deception of the young or old; even haggling is rare.

The street vendors were all quite law-abiding, and although the quality of their goods varied, at least none of them were blatantly illegal.

Occasionally, there would be disputes, but they would quickly be resolved with the mediation of others, and the two sides would even bow to each other, which was quite ancient.

Ji Zuodao squatted in front of a stall selling low-level talismans, pretending to pick and choose, but actually listening to the idle chatter of the people around him.

"Have you heard? That shady character from the West District got arrested by Investigator Li a while back, and he's still working at a sewing machine in a special prison!"

"That's right! Look at the situation now. Although Investigator Li has been transferred, his influence remains. Who would dare to defy the odds at this critical juncture?"

"Besides, didn't the new investigators from Bureau 749 take office just these past couple of days? Who knows who they are or what their temper is like? It's better to keep a low profile."

Ji Zuo said: "..."

Alright, the case is solved.

The previous investigator, Mr. Li, managed the area so well that he kept this "fishpond" so clean that the fish learned to obey the rules.

Ji Zuodao wanted to make a splash as a new official, achieve some "results," and incidentally, see if there were any suitable "reclamation stones"...

Now look what's happened, there's nowhere to burn the fire!

"well……"

Ji Zuodao sighed softly and stood up listlessly.

Looks like I didn't get anything today; it was a wasted trip.

He was about to tell Dog to leave and go wander around somewhere else.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

A gentle and clear voice sounded from behind.

Ji Zuodao turned around.

A young man wearing a light gray Chinese-style stand-up collar shirt and black casual pants was smiling at him.

This young man is extremely handsome.

With fair skin, delicate features, red lips and white teeth, and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, he exuded a refined and scholarly air.

Standing there, he looks like a schoolteacher who stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting from the Republican era, or a young master from a scholarly family.

"What is it?" Ji Zuodao raised an eyebrow.

"Fellow Daoist, you've been lingering here for quite some time; it seems... you haven't found anything you like?"

The young man took a few steps closer, his smile reserved, his voice lowered, carrying a hint of mystery:

"I have some... rather special 'good stuff' here. I wonder if you'd be interested in taking a look?"

"Oh? What good stuff?"

Ji Zuodao became somewhat interested.

Could there be undercurrents beneath this seemingly clean market? Has he finally run into an "industry insider"?

The young man looked around to make sure no one was watching before carefully taking out a square object, about the thickness of a palm, wrapped simply in kraft paper, from his canvas bag.

"Fellow Daoist, please take a look."

He lifted a corner of the parchment, revealing the contents inside—

It was a thread-bound book.

The cover is a simple light blue, without any text or patterns, and looks quite plain.

"Book?"

Ji Zuodao was taken aback.

"No, no."

The young man pushed up his glasses, and his eyes behind the lenses gleamed with a strange light. His tone was persuasive and persuasive:

"This isn't an ordinary book. This is... a notebook."

"book?"

Ji Zuodao was even more confused.

He was a child who grew up in the mountains. In his nineteen years of life, apart from learning evil magic from his master, being beaten by his master, and figuring out how to steal food and forge things, the entertainment he had the most contact with was probably mobile games.

What is a "book"?

A book for keeping accounts? A notebook for taking notes?

Seeing Ji Zuodao's innocent and bewildered expression, the young man couldn't believe that anyone could be so naive these days, but he still patiently explained.

"It's a kind of...artistic creation that combines text and images. The content is...well, close to life, reflecting the most authentic aesthetic needs and emotional desires of the people."

Ji Zuodao was completely confused, but the words "illustrated and written" and "artistic creation" made him subconsciously think that this must be some kind of secret manual, such as cultivation experience or spell illustrations.

Could this seemingly frail young man actually be a hidden master, peddling some kind of esoteric martial arts tradition?

He immediately became respectful, accepted the "notebook" with both hands, and solemnly said:

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. Shall I... take a look?"

"Please, please enjoy the music. But please be mindful of your volume and don't disturb others."

The young man smiled gently, stepped back half a step, and made a "please" gesture.

Filled with anticipation for the "secret manual," Ji Zuodao turned to the first page.