Chapter 265: Qingshou Association

*Blood Gun Detective* premiered as scheduled, emptying the streets of Greenwater City as everyone flocked to see it.

In terms of story, visuals, subject matter, and impact, the film was unprecedented in Prolo State. The male lead, Song Chunjie, first unraveled layers of mystery in the city before moving on to new lands for a life-or-death struggle.

From Li Banfeng's perspective, even if released in other states, the film was bound to be a sensation and could even spark a new breakthrough in cinematic concepts, provided it premiered smoothly.

At the very least, the film had achieved a breakthrough in terms of species.

The film was a huge success, and it was time for Li Banfeng to fulfill his promise to Qiu Luoye.

During filming, Qiu Luoye provided significant assistance to the crew. Li Banfeng had promised to open up three new lands within Qiu Luoye's territory.

This was also a major breakthrough.

In Prolo State, developing new land typically involved only two options.

One was to fight head-on, defeating all the strange creatures that came to test them.

The second was to wear them down, avoiding direct confrontation with the strange creatures and using all means to buy enough time.

Qiu Luoye didn't want to make things difficult for Li Banfeng regarding the land development. He stated that it could just be a formality.

Li Banfeng was completely confident, but Qiu Luoye was worried about potential mishaps and specifically consulted Shui Yongquan about it.

"What methods are Li Qi and Ma Wu using? Are they fighting head-on or wearing them down? I'll tell my subordinates not to make it hard for them."

Shui Yongquan thought for a long time. It was indeed a difficult question to answer.

"Ma Wu is the tough type, and Li Qi is the wearing-down type." After much deliberation, Shui Yongquan could only offer this answer.

Qiu Luoye made serious preparations. Since Li Qi specialized in wearing opponents down, he decided not to send strange creatures with keen insight or overly strong combat abilities to test him.

After the test concluded, Qiu Luoye realized that all his prior preparations had been unnecessary. For three whole days, Li Banfeng didn't even show up.

This greatly displeased Qiu Luoye. Even if you're good at hiding, you should at least symbolically come out for a fight.

He went to ask Shui Yongquan: "Old Shui, is Li Qi such a shameless person?"

Shui Yongquan thought for a moment and asked, "Who's the next person to develop land?"

"Ma Wu."

Shui Yongquan replied with certainty, "Li Qi is a very dignified person, extremely dignified."

Ma Wu began developing the land. On the first day, Qiu Luoye watched carefully.

On the second day, Qiu Luoye didn't want to watch anymore. He wanted to stomp Ma Wu to death.

On the third day, he abandoned the idea of stomping Ma Wu to death. He didn't want to go near that plot of land anymore.

He warned all the female strange creatures in his territory not to approach that land and not to mention this matter to anyone.

Although Qiu Luoye didn't want to mention it, there were still many shameless female monsters who went to Ma Wu themselves.

Qiu Luoye lost his patience. He sent an elderly crone to Ma Wu's plot.

Ma Wu was busy. He was holding a hedgehog, and a pangolin was waiting behind him.

He looked at the old crone; her hair was white, and her body was hunched, suggesting she was over seventy.

"Elder, are you here for me too?" For the sake of developing the land, Ma Wu could make some sacrifices, but he had to clarify.

"Pah!" The old crone spat and cursed loudly, "All men in the world have 'it,' but I've never seen a scoundrel like you who uses 'it' to make a living. An eight-foot man with iron bones can't bear your nine-foot-thick hide. You female hedgehog underneath him, get out! You're truly shaming all women. And you pangolin next to him, get lost! You've been digging for half your life, and now you're just giving away your holes for free? Aren't you ashamed!"

This old lady was really good at cursing!

The pangolin and hedgehog both knew her. They whispered a warning: "Fifth Brother, don't let her human form fool you. She's actually a creature from the new land, called 'The Cursing Woman.' She's not someone you want to provoke. Don't fight her, Fifth Brother, just listen to her curse. Her words are nasty, but don't take them to heart."

The pangolin and hedgehog ran off in fear. The old crone cursed Ma Wu for an entire day and night.

The old crone's cursing was indeed vile, and she employed techniques in her insults that easily provoked anger.

But Ma Wu had a good temperament. He had been cursed his whole life and had heard every ugly insult imaginable.

Initially, he was quite angry, but Ma Wu managed to restrain himself. The Cursing Woman had a peculiar trait: anyone she cursed, if they could endure the first half, the latter half would be no problem.

The fear was that someone with too short a temper couldn't endure even three sentences, getting angrier with every word, which would lead to heavy losses.

Ma Wu successfully endured to the very end. No other female monsters on the new land dared to approach. And just like that, the land plot was developed.

The third person to develop land was Little Gengzi. Qiu Luoye let out a sigh of relief; finally, a decent person had arrived.

Little Gengzi didn't use the underhanded methods of Li Qi and Ma Wu. He always acted with integrity. Qiu Luoye promised again that as long as he developed the land openly and honestly, the test would simply be a formality and would not be difficult.

After signing the contract, Little Gengzi prepared to develop the land.

On his plot of land, he stacked thirty-six golden mountains, symbolizing abundant prosperity.

Qiu Luoye looked from afar. He turned to the strange creatures and asked, "Which of you will go through the motions?"

They all lowered their heads and remained silent.

Qiu Luoye looked at the treant: "You go, that's all good fertilizer."

The treant pondered for a moment, then said, "It's too potent, I can't consume it."

All three new lands were successfully developed. Ma Wu gathered his people to build houses and set up backdrops on the plots, preparing for the next film.

Li Banfeng told Ma Wu, "Don't just prepare for one film; prepare for several at once."

Ma Wu was surprised: "Do you mean to shoot the sequels to *Blood Gun Detective* all at once? I'm afraid that won't work. The actors won't be able to switch roles, and if we change the lead, it loses its appeal."

"I'm not asking you to prepare *Blood Gun Detective* sequels, but new films. We've fully grasped the film industry; it's time to plan our next move."

Only then did Ma Wu realize.

Recently, he had been so pressured by film matters that he had forgotten about long-term plans.

They were in this business to make a living. They couldn't rely on *Blood Gun Detective* forever.

Ma Wu immediately returned to Greenwater City. He invited several well-known writers to Happy-Go-Lucky Retreat. After arranging good food, drink, and girls, he began discussing scripts with them.

These writers were known for their down-to-earth appeal. Unlike the prominent literary figures of Prolo State, their works were more easily accepted by the public, but they were also labeled as vulgar.

Ma Wu wasn't afraid of vulgarity. The more vulgar something was, the more narrative potential it had.

The writers weren't pretentious. They presented good works for Ma Wu to choose from and quoted reasonable prices.

Ma Wu was close to finalizing the new scripts when he suddenly received some bad news.

The matter could be big or small, but he immediately informed Li Banfeng.

"Old Seven, two movie theaters in Blackrock Slope have been smashed."

Movie theaters being smashed, in principle, had nothing to do with them. The cinemas weren't owned by his family.

But if theaters were smashed while *Blood Gun Detective* was showing, then it concerned them.

If they didn't deal with this, no one would dare screen their films in the future.

Li Banfeng asked, "Who was behind this?"

"Not a hidden hand; they smashed them openly."

"They smashed theaters openly? Has Prolo State lost its rules?"

For internal matters, one looks at the banner; for external matters, one asks about the frontier defense. Prolo State was orderly.

Ma Wu said, "The ones who acted were from the Upstanding Guardians Association. They are very special people. They've put out word that if any other theater dares to show *Blood Gun Detective*, they will face severe punishment."

"Severe punishment? What arrogance! What is the Upstanding Guardians Association?"

"Integrity and guardianship define the Upstanding Guardians. They are an organization founded by highly respected and virtuous individuals."

"Are they considered a gang?"

"No!" Ma Wu replied without hesitation. "The Upstanding Guardians Association is on a much higher level than gangs, and their prestige is far greater. They claim our film is morally corrupting and a disgrace to Prolo State for the past century. This matter is difficult to handle. I need to go to Blackrock Slope and find a way to speak with them."

Li Banfeng's eyebrow twitched: "You need a connection just to talk to them?"

Ma Wu sighed: "Without a connection, I probably won't even get to see them. Truth be told, I should have prepared for this long ago; these Upstanding Guardians were bound to cause trouble sooner or later."

Li Banfeng didn't know much about the Upstanding Guardians. He was more concerned about something else: "Is the Upstanding Guardians Association unique to Blackrock Slope?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "No, they have branches throughout Prolo State, in the front, middle, and rear regions."

"Then why aren't they causing trouble in Greenwater City? Greenwater City is the largest city in Prolo State."

"They probably don't want to offend the Lu family. Perhaps they don't know yet that the Lu family has withdrawn from our company," Ma Wu said, rubbing his forehead. "Since the incident happened in Blackrock Slope, there's still room for reconciliation. If it were in Greenwater City, the trouble would be much bigger. We wouldn't even be able to meet anyone from the Greenwater City branch of the Upstanding Guardians. Years ago, when Zhang Xiuling first became the head of the Hundred Flowers Sect, the Upstanding Guardians deemed her unvirtuous and labeled the Hundred Flowers Sect as a low-tier gang. Zhang Xiuling, along with over a dozen subordinates, went door-to-door to apologize, traveling for half a year just to calm things down. The Hundred Flowers Sect, once considered a first-tier gang, was consequently relegated to second-tier status."

Li Banfeng frowned: "The Upstanding Guardians decide what's first-tier? Are their cultivation levels high? Are they all strong fighters?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "It's not about fighting; it's about status. Many elders in the Upstanding Guardians Association have no cultivation. But they are the upright scholars of Prolo State, role models of morality and integrity. The Hundred Flowers Sect cannot act against the Upstanding Guardians. Anyone who acts against them will become an enemy of all Prolo State. Lu Maoxian is one of the elders of the Upstanding Guardians. Monkey Qiu and the two young masters of the Lu family have constantly been targeted by him. Yet, to this day, Monkey Qiu dares not touch him, precisely because he fears the Upstanding Guardians Association behind him."

Lu Maoxian.

Li Banfeng had an impression of this person.

"Back then, Monkey Qiu told us to do business in Blackrock Slope to contain Lu Maoxian, right? But I was ambushed by Ling Miaoying at the train station, never made it to Blackrock Slope, and the business was delayed."

Ma Wu nodded: "Blackrock Slope is Lu Maoxian's territory. I suspect this incident might be related to him. I'll go to Blackrock Slope first to find a connection. If I can't find a clear one, I'll return to Greenwater City and plead with Lu Maoxian. Old Seven, *Blood Gun Detective* probably can't continue filming. Once the Blackrock Slope branch of the Upstanding Guardians acts, other regions will follow suit. I can only try my best to ensure the third film is broadcast. Whether other films can be made will depend on the Upstanding Guardians' mood."

Upon hearing this, Li Banfeng suddenly sniffed: "I smell something."

Ma Wu was startled: "What do you smell?"

"This Upstanding Guardians Association you're talking about, it smells."

"What kind of smell?" Ma Wu still didn't understand.

"You go to their door, and they won't see you. Even if they do, things might not get resolved. And even if they are, you'll have to cater to their whims forever. This smell, I've encountered it before: the stench of a scoundrel!"

Ma Wu advised: "Old Seven, this isn't the time for angry words. The Upstanding Guardians have their rules. It was only a matter of time before they took notice of us making such films. We've made enough money; it might be best to stop now. You don't need to do anything humiliating; I'll go myself."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "You can't do this alone. This isn't just about humiliation. If we don't handle this properly, we'll lose both our dignity and reputation. We'll go together, and call everyone we trust. We also need to invite a few helpers to come along. Everyone who comes with us must have backbone, and absolutely cannot be a scoundrel."

Ma Wu was startled: "Old Seven, you don't understand the Upstanding Guardians. We're not going for a gang fight; we need to find a way to talk things through."

Li Banfeng smiled: "I think I should understand the Upstanding Guardians. I just lost to a bunch of scoundrels, and I can't lose again this time!"

On the train, Li Banfeng, Ma Wu, and a group of over thirty people traveled to Blackrock Slope.

Ma Wu booked an entire train car. He paid a hefty sum as hush money to the security officials, train conductor, station master, train attendants, and station staff, ensuring their journey would remain completely discreet.

Inside the train car, several writers sat together, discussing strategies.

A writer named Yuwen Qi spoke first. "Blackrock Slope has many newspapers. I used to publish many articles in them, but they were all in obscure tabloids."

Another writer named Bai Qiusheng said, "Blackrock Slope doesn't just have many newspapers; it also has many magazines. I also worked as a magazine writer, and I brought two copies, but I'm a bit embarrassed to show them..."

Li Banfeng was puzzled: "What's there to be embarrassed about?"

Bai Qiusheng hesitated for a moment, then took out the magazines.

Everyone gathered around to look. It turned out that the magazine's selling point wasn't its articles, but its photographs.

Bai Qiusheng said, "Seventh Master, look, the lighting in these photos is good, isn't it?"

Li Banfeng nodded: "Yes, the lighting is good; they're all naked."

Why did Blackrock Slope have so many newspapers and magazines?

Ma Wu said, "Blackrock Slope is a unique place; its publishing industry is even more developed than Greenwater City's, the reason being..."

He didn't finish his sentence. The old crone saw the magazines and couldn't help but start cursing: "Shameless women, sticking out your rear for photos!"

A'Qin sneered: "What? Does that anger you? Those girls' peaches are pretty; they're in their prime, after all!"

"Pah! You're shameless too; why don't you stick yours out for everyone to see..."

The Cursing Woman and A'Qin were about to start a fight. Ma Wu quickly stepped in to mediate.

Li Banfeng had put a lot of effort into bringing these two along.

They were Qiu Luoye's subordinates, so he first had to get Qiu Luoye's permission. Qiu Luoye was in a somewhat bad mood because of the land development, and it took a lot of persuasion before he agreed.

Moreover, both of them were strange creatures, and by rights, they absolutely couldn't leave the new land. Otherwise, it would be seen as a provocation to the local deity of the righteous land.

This was thanks to Shui Yongquan, who found an expert to disguise them both. All their strange creature aura was concealed, making them look like ordinary people, which was how they managed to bring them out of the new land.

For this, Li Banfeng also signed a contract with Shui Yongquan. In two months, a movie theater had to be built in Righteous Village.

The Cursing Woman and A'Qin argued more and more fiercely. They were about to come to blows, but then suddenly fell silent.

Little Gengzi walked between them, carrying a spoon and a bucket.

Both of them covered their noses and returned to their seats.

Little Gengzi approached Li Banfeng: "Seventh Master, this train place is too strange. The toilet directly connects to the railway tracks; how am I supposed to cultivate here!"

Li Banfeng nodded approvingly: "Gengzi, first put down your bucket. Brothers and sisters, when we reach Blackrock Slope, we must first win the first battle."