Chapter 269: 武 Elder

A thug led the way, ushering Li Banfeng into the headquarters. The so-called headquarters was actually just a factory building. The leader of the Green Fire Gang was drinking inside, while a photographer was taking pictures. Three young women, with beautiful faces and graceful figures, were naked, modeling for him. It turned out that the Green Fire Gang was also involved in this kind of business.

Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim and walked towards the leader. By the time the leader realized what was happening, Li Banfeng was already standing beside him. The leader's cultivation was insufficient, at most at the third level, and he could barely perceive the presence of a fifth-level 'Zhaixiu' (house cultivator). Not only could he not perceive it, but the photographer and models also didn't notice anything, still engrossed in their photoshoot.

The leader dared not even breathe loudly, and whispered, "'Friend, how may I help you?'"

Li Banfeng grazed the leader's cheek with his sickle. "'You're the leader, right? What's your name?'"

"'My name is Han Xianrong.'"

"'Leader Han, I've come to ask you to publish some news.'"

"'That's easy to arrange. Just give me a brief outline, and I'll find someone to write the articles.'"

"'You don't need to worry about the articles; I've already written them, and the photos are ready too.'"

"'I'll immediately have someone publish them in tomorrow's morning paper.'"

"'It's not enough for just your paper to publish it. Call all the newspapers in your territory and have them publish it together.'"

"'Consider it done.'"

"'Also, invite the leaders of the other gangs. I have something to discuss with them.'"

"'This... this is difficult for me to do. Our gang isn't very large, and we don't have much influence in Blackrock Slope.'"

"'I'm asking you to invite them. If you sincerely invite them, they surely won't refuse, will they?'"

"'This is really putting me in a difficult position. If I do this, I won't be able to establish myself in Blackrock Slope anymore...'"

"'Did I not make myself clear, or did you not understand?'" Li Banfeng cut a gash across Han Xianrong's face.

"Can't establish yourself?" The Green Fire Gang commits all sorts of evil deeds. Such a gang shouldn't be allowed to exist.

The sickle was coated with a potent poison, and Han Xianrong felt a wave of dizziness.

"'Alright, I'll send someone to fetch them...'" Han Xianrong flicked his sleeve, flinging a talisman from it. He clutched it in his hand.

Li Banfeng smiled. His movements were so slow; Li Banfeng felt anxious just watching him.

The talisman shattered, and over a dozen ghost servants swarmed and pounced on Li Banfeng. The master was slow, and the ghost servants weren't much faster. Li Banfeng pulled out the riding crop Prince Chun had given him from his pocket, and swung it twice at the ghost servants. Nearly half of the ghost servants were annihilated. The remaining ones froze before they even touched him, standing rooted to the spot, too scared to move. These low-level ghost servants, upon hearing the whip crack, essentially lost their ability to move.

It was only at this moment that the photographer and models noticed Li Banfeng. They then realized the leader was fighting someone.

Li Banfeng drew another cut on Han Xianrong's face. "'Can you understand this time?'"

Han Xianrong stammered, trembling, "'Sir, what should I call you?'"

"'My surname is Ye, as in the 'night' character.'"

Han Xianrong quickly ordered the photographer, "'Quick, call the brothers! Boss Ye, don't worry, I'm just having them come to work. I'll obey your commands.'"

Li Banfeng nodded. "'I'm not worried. Just tell them to be quick.'"

And indeed, Han Xianrong's subordinates were not slow. In just a short while, over a hundred people had arrived. Li Banfeng sat beside Han Xianrong, as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in years.

Han Xianrong dared not act impulsively. He relayed Li Banfeng's demands to his subordinates. His subordinates split into three groups, each with a specific task. The first group followed Li Banfeng's instructions, gathering workers, typesetting the newspapers, and immediately beginning to print. The second group notified all their affiliated newspapers to reprint their front pages for tomorrow's edition. The third group went to inform the leaders of the various gangs in Blackrock Slope to come to his territory for a discussion.

The factory building was empty, as everyone had gone to their tasks. Would any of the other gangs come?

Han Xianrong's standing was not as low as he made it out to be. In Blackrock Slope, while major gangs wouldn't bother with him, smaller ones would at least give him some face. Han Xianrong had a plan. As long as the gang leaders showed up, they would surely bring backup. He'd give them a signal, and with everyone's combined strength, he didn't believe they couldn't take down this madman.

The immediate priority was to quickly dispel the poison, lest the madman get agitated and strike first.

"'Sir, I'm feeling terribly dizzy; I don't think I can hold on much longer.'"

Li Banfeng nodded. "'It's nothing; dizziness is normal.'"

"'Sir, rest assured, I bear no ill will. I'll dutifully wait here with you, just give me a little...'"

Li Banfeng looked at Han Xianrong. "'It's quite late; you shouldn't wait with me anymore. Get some rest.'"

"'Alright then,' Han Xianrong nodded. 'Please excuse me.'"

"'Don't go alone. Look at you, you can barely stand steady. I'll escort you.'" Li Banfeng actually got up, and supported Han Xianrong.

Han Xianrong realized something was wrong, and reached into his pants pocket. Hidden in his pocket was his last talisman. As the talisman shattered, a ghost servant crouching in the factory's backyard rushed over. This was Han Xianrong's strongest ghost servant, and his final trump card. Spurred on by this ghost servant, the ghost servants who had been previously intimidated gained the courage to act. They all pounced on Li Banfeng together.

Li Banfeng softly sang a song titled "Drunken Bell," reciting the lines: "'Bamboo shadows sway red, body drifts, fragrant concubine's couch, remembering beloved, dreams hard to wake...'" All the ghost servants stood motionless beside Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng looked at Han Xianrong. "'The song is over; it's time to rest.'"

He opened the door, picked up Han Xianrong, and, taking all the ghost servants with him, entered his portable residence.

"'Oh, husband, you haven't bought vegetables in so many days, and now you bring back just these few stalks to fool your little servant?'"

"'My dear wife, just make do for now. I'll go out and gather some more.'"

Li Banfeng left.

Hong Ying's body trembled. She impaled a soul onto her spear tip, and consumed it completely.

The Gramophone angrily said, "'Oh, you wretch, you dare to sneak a bite!'"

Hong Ying savored the taste. "'What's the use of eating such common souls? I can't taste anything. Why do you enjoy this so tirelessly?'"

The Gramophone snorted coldly. "'My man brought it back; I just love this taste!'"

"'Vicious woman, what exactly have you experienced since your death? How much fighting strength do you have left now?'"

The Gramophone ignored her. It first arranged the ghost servants to one side. Then, it impaled Han Xianrong with its needle, sprinkled him with some machine oil, and slowly savored him.

Hong Ying caught a whiff of the scent, and sneered, "'Vicious woman, why are you consuming so much oil? Is it to make things easier for your man?'"

"'Is it any of your business!'" The Gramophone snorted coldly, and continued its meal.

Li Banfeng whistled, and Zuo Wugang walked in. The 'Yanxiu' (Nightmare Cultivators) had already been dealt with, and no one in the Green Fire Gang could pose a threat to Zuo Wugang.

"'The major gangs will send people over shortly; you talk to them first.'"

Zuo Wugang agreed. He had vast experience in the martial arts world, so dealing with these people posed no difficulty.

That night, six gang leaders arrived. Zuo Wugang asked them to publish the news in their respective territories, but everyone remained silent. They didn't want to offend the Pure Guardians Society.

Wei Jiangpeng, the leader of the White River Gang, asked, "'Leader Han called us here. Where is he?'"

Zuo Wugang replied, "'Leader Han is tired and has gone to rest. If any of you are concerned, I can take you to see him.'"

Wei Jiangpeng froze for a moment, then deliberately avoided Zuo Wugang's gaze. The others exchanged glances, then lowered their heads in silence. Those in the martial arts world understood what was implied: Leader Han was no more.

At this moment, Li Banfeng quietly entered the factory building. Not a single person present noticed him. Li Banfeng gestured to Zuo Wugang, indicating he could be tougher on them. Zuo Wugang turned around, and effortlessly twisted a lump of iron off a machine tool. The gang leaders all had their hearts in their throats, knowing that this person's cultivation was far beyond their own.

Wei Jiangpeng was the first to speak. "'Brother, if you'd be so kind as to reveal your identity, we'd know who we're serving.'"

Zuo Wugang shook his head. "'I won't reveal my affiliations, and you don't need to remember me. Our boss's surname is Ye, not the character for 'leaf,' but the one for 'night.' Make sure you remember that.'"

Wei Jiangpeng nodded. "'Alright, we remember. We'll proceed as instructed.'"

"'Saying you'll do it isn't enough; you must actually do it!'" Zuo Wugang waved his hand, and Cao Zhida brought over a stack of contracts. "'Everyone knows the rules of Puluo Prefecture. If anyone signs a contract and then doesn't keep their word, don't blame me for being ruthless and cruel.'"

Contracts held special significance in Puluo Prefecture, and no one knew if Zuo Wugang was using genuine contract paper. These people truly didn't want to sign, but Zuo Wugang's intimidating aura frightened them.

After signing the contracts, everyone returned to their respective tasks. By the next day, news of the fierce battle in front of the cinema had spread throughout Blackrock Slope. These small gangs controlled over thirty percent of Blackrock Slope's newspapers, all of which were disreputable tabloids.

But this matter was special. Firstly, the news was very real. It came with photos, more than just one; the photo of Ai Chixiang pulling the old woman's hair, and the one of Tang Peigong having just removed the bucket, were particularly striking. Secondly, there were eyewitnesses. Everyone who went to the cinema yesterday had seen the scene. During their leisure chats, they all brought up the incident, becoming accidental witnesses. Since the news was real, the comments in the second section must certainly be true! Could the stories in the third and fourth sections possibly be false? They were all true!

"'The actor who played Song Chunjie, entered Tang Peigong's house?'"

"'Isn't that right? I heard from our neighbor that the actor playing Song Chunjie disguised himself as a laborer and entered their house. Of the twenty-six concubines, he slept with at least half of them.'"

"'How did your neighbor know about this?'"

"'My neighbor's nephew has a sworn brother who does odd jobs at Tang Peigong's house. What he said is exactly the same as what the newspaper reported.'"

"'No wonder Tang Peigong was so angry that he had to smash up that cinema. So he suffered such a huge loss.'"

"'Actually, he got worked up for nothing. Didn't the newspaper say he's completely impotent, and all those concubines he married are just for show?'"

"'That's why people say he's morally bankrupt. The bastard is impotent, but he won't let us watch movies? We're perfectly capable!'"

A person nearby said, "'Where did you read all this? Why don't I have that?'"

"'I'm reading 'Night Fragrance.' It has the most complete information!'"

That day, 'Night Fragrance' sold out again. Ma Wu raised the price to fifty cents a copy, but it still sold out.

By the next morning, two more cinemas began showing 'Blood Gun Detective.' Li Banfeng sent people to monitor the cinemas. If anyone from the Pure Guardians Society dared to cause trouble, they would be dealt with immediately!

Tang Peigong didn't come out to cause trouble. He was sick. Having a bucket of 'golden liquid' poured over his head, and with the stench clinging to him, Tang Peigong fell ill that very night. When he saw the newspaper, Tang Peigong stumbled and fell on the porch, and remained bedridden for several days.

"'Wanton slander! Baseless fabrication! How can such rampant evildoers be tolerated?'"

Tang Peigong roared hoarsely. The servants nearby trembled incessantly. Not from fear, but from the stench. Logically, after so many days, the servants should have gotten used to it. When Tang Peigong was silent, they could still barely endure. But the moment Tang Peigong opened his mouth, it was as if a spoonful of 'golden liquid' had been boiled in his mouth. One whiff could make anyone vomit on the spot.

Even at this point, his lawful wife and twenty-six concubines still had to sit by his bed and listen to his lessons, studying the profound teachings of the sages. Just after his morning lesson ended today, dozens of his disciples, accompanied by an old man, entered Tang Peigong's mansion.

Upon seeing the old man, Tang Peigong wept. He grabbed the old man's hand, and said with a trembling voice, "'Elder Wu, you've finally arrived! I, Tang, have been humiliated by scoundrels, and I am now too ashamed to live in this world. Had you arrived a moment later, you might not have seen me.'"

Elder Wu consoled him. "'Peigong, don't cry. I already know what happened.'"

"'A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. I, Tang, am not one to cling to life. Having suffered such an outrageous humiliation, I am willing to die to show my resolve.'"

The disciples knelt by the bed, one after another, crying, "'We are willing to follow our master!'"

Upon hearing this, Elder Wu also teared up. "'Stop crying, all of you. This smell, it's truly unbearable...'"

Tang Peigong picked up the newspaper from the table, and waved it frantically in his hand. "'It's this scoundrel! I cannot live under the same sky as him!'"

Elder Wu snatched the newspaper. "'Don't fan it! The more you fan, the stronger the smell gets. The light in your room is a bit dim; I'll take it outside to read it.'"

Stepping out the door, Elder Wu took a deep breath, and picked up the newspaper to examine it. The newspaper was called 'Night Fragrance.'

"'This newspaper is the one causing trouble?'"

Tang Peigong cried, "'I and this scoundrel...'"

Elder Wu impatiently said, "'I'm asking if it is!'"

"'Yes.'"

Holding the newspaper, Elder Wu said, "'I'll go meet them.'"