First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!
Chapter 344: The Old Man Reads Fortune, Raises Thunder Command, Annihilates Heavenly Perception

......

After collecting all the signed talisman papers one by one, the Crooked-Mouth Old Man examined each carefully.

When he saw the name written by Qi Wudao,

He sneered coldly: "Qi Wudao, your name isn't very auspicious. 'Wudao' (without dao/path) means without rules. While we're establishing order, your 'without rules' means disobedience."

"The 'walking radical' beneath your 'dao' character stretches outward..."

The Crooked-Mouth Old Man's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "Heh... This old daoist excels in divination, and character analysis happens to be part of it!!"

His voice rose!!

The bronze mirror lifted high!!

"Evil-hearted scum, offer up your life!!"

The celestial dog devouring the sun descended with the light pillar, shaking heaven and earth with its roar.

Qi Wudao shifted positions, escaping the attack range.

The light beam shattered a section of earth.

Before he could counterattack,

The Crooked-Mouth Old Man turned and pulled out a thunder command token from his robe.

"Let's see you dodge this!!!"

Raising it skyward, he gave it a shake!

Instantly, winds shifted and clouds churned as a sea of thunder gathered, with lightning dragons darting and electric sparks flashing.

Making a hand seal: "Thunder Sea, open!!!"

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM...

Thunder fell like rain, lightning connecting into a sea.

Against single powerful strikes, Qi Wudao could evade.

But this continuous, instantaneous, amplified carpet bombing? Try dodging this!

When the old daoist withstands heavenly thunder, that's his formidable skill.

Anyone else want to try?

Withstand heavenly lightning?

It'll fry you alive!!

Though this summoned thunder's power couldn't compare to when the heavens struck the old man, it still surpassed what ordinary Heavenly Perception cultivators could endure.

The thunder sea rampaged downward,

Directly enveloping the entire area.

Within it, Qi Wudao initially managed a couple dodges—but only a couple—before screams erupted.

"AHHHHH!!!!!"

One piercing shriek rose high, then abruptly ceased.

The figure within turned to charcoal, then ashes, dissipating into dust.

No trace remained between heaven and earth.

Understand now the worth of several centuries at Heavenly Perception's ninth layer?

This is it!

The old man glanced sideways at the others present: "Hmph!! At least you lot had sense not to scheme, or you'd be ashes with him."

Just as he was about to say "scram,"

Someone appeared mid-air, Heavenly Perception pressure sweeping the area: "Wait!"

All looked up.

It was Chu Gexiao, director of Yunhai's 749 Bureau.

Seeing him, the Crooked-Mouth Old Man's mouth twisted further, teeth grinding.

Lu Ding called out: "Director."

Chu Gexiao nodded, then addressed the old man: "Elder brother, thank you for your assistance."

"Who's joking with you?"

The old man turned away, ignoring him.

Unfazed, Chu Gexiao told the other Qi Refiners present: "Everyone, come with me to Yunhai 749. We need to discuss this fish demon situation at headquarters."

As everyone knew,

749 directors could be reasoned with.

And since they could be reasoned with,

These people felt emboldened to stand their ground.

"Director Chu, this seems inappropriate, we—"

Before they finished, the old man's turned-away head swiveled back: "Inappropriate?! By the Infinite Heavenly Lord, is it inappropriate or not?!!"

Bronze mirror in one hand, thunder command in the other.

Killing intent radiated, menace palpable.

Well then!

With reasonable authorities present, they'd forgotten the unreasonable one hadn't left.

The speaker retreated two steps, hands raised defensively: "Appropriate appropriate! We'll go! Cooperating with 749 investigations is only proper!!"

With Chu Gexiao, they could debate.

Cite this regulation, that clause about cooperating with 749.

Even if conflict arose, there'd be warnings—first, second, third strikes before action.

At least some buffer time existed.

But this crooked-mouthed, squinty-eyed elder? No such niceties.

He'd attack over fortune-telling discrepancies.

Who dared say "inappropriate" now?

Only hearing this did the old man snort and retract his aura.

Turning,

He formed seals toward the Drowned Corpse Cave's direction.

His wide sleeves swept forth a gentle breeze.

The earth trembled.

Mountains severed by Lu Ding's accumulated force slowly reformed.

The collapsed Drowned Corpse Cave peak restacked itself.

Escaping mercury

Coalesced into a silver pearl resting in the old man's palm.

The ravaged environment restored to its former picturesque scenery.

Otherwise,

Beyond environmental damage,

The spilled mercury lake alone would've caused untold disasters.

With everything settled,

The group returned to 749.

Wutian accompanied them as a involved party.

Lu Ding also located Feifan.

...

Inside 749's interrogation room.

Others were handled separately.

The priority now was addressing the Crooked-Mouth Old Man's matters.

First, those tomb issues.

Documents piled before him.

"Elder brother, review these details—any additions or corrections needed."

The old man examined the materials.

Lu Ding observed both.

They knew each other?

The old man had such connections?

Even the director showed him such respect.

As these thoughts circulated,

The old man began.

Pointing at the General's Tomb documents: "First, regarding the General's Tomb—some additions."

"One, this site's feng shui was assessed by me when uninhabited—a treasure location. The general's secret techniques came from me. All correct."

"But crucially, this land originally belonged to him."

"Burying him on his own property—no issue, right? I've preserved copied deeds."

"His ghostly soldiers weren't summoned by me—they were his own contingency."

"Moreover, 749 didn't exist then—none of today's prohibitions applied."

Chu Gexiao nodded: "As they say, the current dynasty's sword cannot judge past officials."

749 valued reason.

Everything required logical discussion.

"But casualties occurred, intentional or not—that's fact."

"Given temporal differences across centuries, compensation is needed. Any objections, elder brother?"

Official matters demanded official approaches.

The old man wasn't unreasonable.

Facts were facts.

Like civilian law—

Sometimes even without fault,

Humanitarian compensation applied.

Between civilians and Qi Refiners, 749 prioritized civilians.

The old man understood.

He agreed: "Acceptable to provide compensation."

Next were Jinshan's Kou Family Tomb and Minshan's Charitable Cemetery.

"The Kou Tomb—I buried there, but didn't raise corpses. Back then, this was wilderness. The Kous buried later, stacking corpses—can't blame me."

"Logically, they occupied my site—I should claim compensation from them."

"Moreover, my burial stabilized fortunes, didn't drain them. I don't harm nations—the Kous drained fortunes. Without their interference,"

"My burial would've prospered Jinshan."

This held truth.

When Lu Ding encountered the soul-corpse ghost, he'd noted its murderous fortune-stabilizing nature.

The explosion's scattered bones belonged to the Kou ancestors.