Chapter 32

Hall Master Li's approach is very much like parents who mentally control their children in modern times.

They are constantly saying, how hard it was for me to give birth to you and raise you; if you are not filial and don't listen to me, you are unfilial!

People who are mentally controlled for a long time have easily distorted personalities.

Just looking at Heibei Laoliu, one can tell his personality is already very withdrawn.

Not only that, but his psychology also affected his body!

The audience at Sanqing Garden had now entered the most tormenting time of listening to the story.

That is worrying for the protagonist of the story.

Although they knew Heibei Laoliu survived in the end, they still didn't want Heibei Laoliu to suffer any damage.

"At this time, Hall Master Li, hearing Heibei Laoliu's words, was very satisfied."

"In this room, only Hall Master Li and Heibei Laoliu remained now."

"Hall Master Li suddenly said to Heibei Laoliu: 'I want you to kill the Old Man!'"

"Heibei Laoliu, hearing this, looked at Hall Master Li fiercely."

"Terror and confusion were intertwined in his eyes."

"You know, during the great slaughter of the life-and-death duel, Heibei Laoliu didn't show any fear."

"But now, he felt afraid; this shows that the Old Man in Hall Master Li's mouth was extraordinary."

"This Old Man was the leader sent down by the Gelao Society headquarters!"

Hearing this, there was an uproar below.

Everyone was shocked that Hall Master Li's courage was so great?

Daring to commit treason, using assassination to kill the leader and take the position himself!

And Zhang Yueshan in the second-floor box frowned, feeling very puzzled.

"This Hall Master Li actually let Heibei Laoliu go assassinate the leader?! He's really tired of living!"

Heibei Laoliu himself had been dead for twenty or thirty years.

And when he was active by the Jinshajiang in his teens or twenties, it was even earlier.

Basically, no one listening to the story could know the situation of the Gelao Society at that time.

Unfortunately, there was a pervert Zhang Yueshan here, who was immortal because of his special bloodline.

And he had followed Zhang Dafo Ye of the Upper Three Gates to the Jinshajiang and had heard rumors about the Gelao Society.

Raising the question now shows that this leader was definitely not as easy to kill as people imagined.

Yin Yin Nanfeng asked curiously: "Heibei Laoliu's Falling Rain blade technique is already invincible."

"Could it be that the people around the leader are stronger than him?"

Zhang Yueshan shook his head: "This is what you call having too little jianghu experience."

"Heibei Laoliu went to the life-and-death duel with basically no other psychological burden."

"All he had to care about was the fifty-nine opponents; as long as he was focused, he could win by properly executing the Falling Rain blade technique."

"But who is this Gelao Society leader? He is the highest official of the Gelao Society here."

"Facing him, the problem is much more complicated! Plus, committing treason, this kind of psychological pressure is not something an ordinary person can bear."

"People in that era still had a strong sense of hierarchy."

"It's like an emperor killing a minister; some ministers clearly had troops and power, yet they still submitted to be killed."

"Not everyone is Wu Sangui, daring to raise an army to rebel."

"The leader's bodyguards are not only top-tier experts, but they are also equipped with guns!"

"No matter how good Heibei Laoliu's skills are, it is very difficult to retreat unscathed during an assassination."

Yin Yin Nanfeng nodded and then asked: "Then that means Heibei Laoliu either didn't go to assassinate and broke with this Hall Master Li."

"Or the assassination was successful, and Hall Master Li took the position."

"Of course, there is also the possibility of the assassination failing and being hunted by the Gelao Society."

Zhang Yueshan was lost in thought, as if he was trying hard to recall.

After a long while, he said: "This is wrong; back then, Li Tiansong, that is, Heibei Laoliu, had such a great reputation in the Sichuan-Shaanxi Gelao Society that almost everyone knew him."

"For example, this storyteller said Li Tiansong had a hidden illness and couldn't have children; if he dared to say that in the Sichuan-Shaanxi area back then, he would have been chopped into meat paste by the Gelao Society."

"So, if Heibei Laoliu really committed treason, there couldn't be no news in the jianghu."

Yin Yin Nanfeng, hearing this, said: "That means Heibei Laoliu didn't assassinate and didn't listen to this Hall Master Li!"

Zhang Yueshan nodded slowly, but only after a few seconds, his expression changed, and his whole body shook.

"I remember! When I first went to the Jinshajiang riverbank with Fo Ye, that leader's surname was Zhang."

"Later, I heard the leader changed, and his surname was Li! But after a few years, the leader with the surname Li was assassinated, and then it changed to a leader with the surname Song!"

Yin Yin Nanfeng, hearing this, widened her eyes.

After a long while, she said: "Changing to a leader with the surname Li, isn't that this Hall Master Li?"

"That means Heibei Laoliu succeeded! Otherwise, how could Hall Master Li take the position?"

"But why would this Hall Master Li be assassinated a few years later?"

"If he had the Rain-Falling Blade Technique of Hei Bei Lao Liu protecting him all that time, surely no one could have killed him?"

Zhang Yueshan also shook his head slowly, unable to fathom what had happened in between.

Having lived for so long, he had already lost interest in many things.

But today, because of a storyteller, he had developed an immense curiosity about the past events of the Gelao Society!

……. ===== CHAPTER 67 =====

"Seeing Hei Bei Lao Liu standing there stunned and not answering, Hall Master Li sneered: 'What, are you afraid? As long as you swing your blade, the Old Master will surely die!'"

"Hei Bei Lao Liu hesitated, saying: 'But... this...'"

"Seeing this, Hall Master Li said: 'You are afraid, you dare not? Forget it. Once you have a thought of fear, not only will you fail to kill him, but you will die by his hand. Let us pretend I never said anything.'"

"As Hall Master Li spoke, he waved his hand to dismiss Hei Bei Lao Liu."

"The lightness of Hei Bei Lao Liu's steps during the duel at the altar was now matched by the heaviness of his legs."

"While hesitating, Hei Bei Lao Liu turned his back to Hall Master Li and reached to open the door."

"But his hand suddenly stopped, for he realized he was in an extremely dangerous position."

At this moment, the audience listening below, even those with no experience in the underworld, understood the crisis Hei Bei Lao Liu was facing.

This conversation between only two people was, in reality, a conspiracy!

It was no different from a courtier plotting to usurp the throne in the old days.

Hei Bei Lao Liu knew this secret but was not a participant; could he walk out alive?

The crowd began to whisper, all worrying for Hei Bei Lao Liu.

"This Sixth Master Hei must absolutely not walk out just like that!"

"Indeed! Stepping out of that door means certain death!"

"I think he won't just die; he'll die a miserable death!"

Zhang Lin ignored the discussion below and continued his tale.

"Hei Bei Lao Liu had been training incessantly since childhood. After becoming a Golden Guide, his senses reached a realm unattainable by ordinary people."

"As a Golden Guide who killed without blinking and constantly walked on the edge of life and death, Hei Bei Lao Liu was most sensitive to murderous intent."

"At this moment, he knew that if he walked out of this door, he would not survive."

"Therefore, in an instant, he began to protect himself."

"He retreated, his voice calm as he asked: 'I shouldn't ask, but this matter is unusual. Hall Master, why must we eliminate the Old Master?'"

"This single question caused Hall Master Li's exposed murderous intent to immediately retract."

"He said in a deep voice: 'The Old Master is embezzling gold, ignoring orders, and planning to break away from the Gelao Society to form a new faction! The secret order from the Main Altar is to eliminate him!'"

Hearing this, Zhang Yueshan in the second-floor private room suddenly flew into a rage.

"Nonsense! If the Main Altar had a secret order to kill the Dragon Head, the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall would surely come in person. How could such a thing be handled in private?"

"This Hall Master Li is simply lying through his teeth to deceive Hei Bei Lao Liu!"

Yin Yin Nanfeng then said: "He is deceiving Hei Bei Lao Liu. Hei Bei Lao Liu should be able to see through it, right? He will likely find a way to refuse?"

Zhang Yueshan shook his head: "He will participate. If he doesn't, he is the one who will die!"

……

"Upon hearing Hall Master Li's words, Hei Bei Lao Liu did not react much; he only asked when they would strike."

"Hall Master Li said: 'Tomorrow the Old Master will go to inspect the new river section you seized for the faction. You can strike at any time on the road.'"

"Hei Bei Lao Liu remained silent, and Hall Master Li added: 'Only you and I can remain alive; everyone else must be silenced!'"

"Hearing this, Hei Bei Lao Liu could only nod."

"After finishing the important business, Hall Master Li chatted about domestic matters, asking: 'How is Run'er? She is the most beautiful of all the women! I don't know how many people envy you for taking her.'"

"This Run'er was the prostitute who had killed for gold."

"Hei Bei Lao Liu left Hall Master Li's room. At dusk, he watched the sunset by the river with Run'er."

"With a major task to perform the next day, Hei Bei Lao Liu's mind was long unable to find peace."

"He sat by the river, focused on sharpening his blade, while Run'er played with a reed flower."

"After a long while, seeing Hei Bei Lao Liu sharpening his blade and ignoring her, Run'er said: 'You, you spend more time touching your blade than touching me.'"

"Hei Bei Lao Liu did not even lift his head: 'The blade is more reliable than you. The blade is useful; you are useless.'"

"These words immediately angered Run'er, and she blurted out: 'The one who is useless is you...'"

Everyone hearing this broke into a cold sweat for Run'er.

To say such a thing to a man with a hidden ailment!

The man was still sharpening his blade; Run'er was too bold. Was she tired of living?

Even Yin Yin Nanfeng and Old Lady Huo clenched their fists, fearing this prostitute would anger Hei Bei Lao Liu.

Zhang Lin's expression remained unchanged, but his tone began to quicken.

This was a common technique for storytellers: when the scene was tense, use tone to stir the audience's emotions.

"The moment Run'er's words left her mouth, Hei Bei Lao Liu's entire body suddenly sprang up."

"As the blade was raised, a dark red light flashed—the reflection of the sunset on the blade's edge."

"In a flash of light, the blade was already above Run'er's head."

"She was stunned, the movement of the blade so sudden, descending upon her with fierce momentum."

"But in the blink of an eye, the blade froze, stopping exactly at the top of her head!"

"The sharp edge had split the wild flower Run'er had pinned in her hair into two halves."

"The petals slid down her hair and scattered onto the mud where she stood."

……. ===== CHAPTER 68 =====