Chapter 270: Elder Wu

The thug led the way in front, bringing Li Banfeng into the hall.

The so-called hall was actually just a factory building.

The Green Fire Gang leader was drinking inside the factory, and a photographer was taking pictures.

Three young women, with pretty faces and slender figures, were posing as models, wearing nothing.

So the Green Fire Gang was also in this line of work.

Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat and walked toward the gang leader. By the time the leader reacted, Li Banfeng had already reached his side.

This leader's cultivation was insufficient, at most the third layer; he could barely perceive the existence of a fifth-layer residential cultivator.

Not only could he not perceive it, but the photographer and the models also didn't notice, still engrossed in taking pictures on the side.

The gang leader didn't even dare to breathe loudly, lowering his voice to say: "Friend, what is the matter?"

Li Banfeng used his sickle to graze the gang leader's cheek: "You're the leader, right? What should I call you?"

"My name is Han Xianrong."

"Leader Han, I came to find you because I want to ask you to publish a few news items."

"That's easy to say. You just mention a few words, and I'll find someone to write the draft."

"You don't need to worry about the draft; I've already written it, and the photos are already taken."

"I will immediately have someone publish it in tomorrow's morning paper."

"Publishing it from just your place isn't enough. Call all the newspaper offices in your territory and publish it together."

"Easy to say."

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

"This, this is hard for me to bring up. Our gang isn't considered big, and we have no weight in Black Stone Slope."

"I'm telling you to go invite them. If you speak sincerely, others shouldn't refuse to come."

"This is truly making things difficult for me. If I do this, I won't be able to gain a foothold in Black Stone Slope in the future..."

"Did I not speak clearly, or did you not hear clearly?" Li Banfeng opened a cut on Han Xianrong's face.

No way to gain a foothold?

The Green Fire Gang commits all kinds of evil; such a gang shouldn't have a foothold.

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

"Fine, I'll send people to call them..." Han Xianrong flicked his sleeve, shook out a talisman paper from it, and gripped it in his hand.

Li Banfeng smiled; his movements were truly too slow, and Li Banfeng felt anxious for him just watching.

The talisman paper shattered, and over a dozen ghost servants swarmed toward Li Banfeng.

The master's hands were slow, and the ghost servants' speed wasn't fast either.

Li Banfeng pulled out the horse whip given to him by Prince Chun from his bosom and swung it twice at the ghost servants.

Nearly half of the ghost servants had their souls scattered, and the remaining ones didn't dare to touch him, standing in place, terrified and unable to move.

These low-level ghost servants basically lost their ability to act the moment they heard the whip crack.

Only at this moment did the photographer and the models notice Li Banfeng; they finally realized the gang leader was fighting someone.

Li Banfeng slashed Han Xianrong's face again: "Can you hear clearly this time?"

Han Xianrong trembled and said: "Hero, what should I call you?"

"My surname is Ye, the Ye of night."

Han Xianrong hurriedly ordered the photographer: "Quick, call the brothers over. Boss Ye, don't worry, I'm having them come to work. I will listen to all your instructions."

Li Banfeng nodded: "I'm not worried. Tell them to hurry up."

It must be said, Han Xianrong's subordinates didn't move slowly; in just a short while, over a hundred people arrived one after another.

Li Banfeng sat beside Han Xianrong, looking like old friends who hadn't met in years.

Han Xianrong didn't dare to be impulsive and told his subordinates Li Banfeng's requirements.

The subordinates split into three groups, each going about their business.

The first group followed Li Banfeng's requirements, gathered workers, laid out the newspaper, and started printing immediately.

The second group notified all the newspaper offices under their control to reprint the front page for tomorrow's paper.

The third group went to inform the bosses of every gang in Black Stone Slope to come to his territory to discuss matters.

The factory was empty, and everyone had gone to get busy.

Would the gangs come over?

Han Xianrong's status wasn't as miserable as he claimed. In Black Stone Slope, big gangs wouldn't pay him any mind, but small gangs could give him some face.

Han Xianrong had his own plan. As long as the gang bosses were willing to come, they would definitely bring their own experts. When the time came, he would give them a secret signal, and with everyone working together, he didn't believe they couldn't slaughter this madman.

The urgent priority was to detoxify as soon as possible, lest this madman get anxious and strike first.

"Hero, I'm feeling very dizzy; I'm afraid I can't hold on."

Li Banfeng nodded: "It's fine, dizziness is normal."

"Hero, don't worry, I have no ill intentions. I'll honestly accompany you here and wait, just give me some..."

Li Banfeng looked at Han Xianrong: "It's so late, don't accompany me waiting. Rest early."

"That works too," Han Xianrong nodded, "I'll excuse myself first."

"Don't leave alone. Look at you, you can't even stand steady. I'll see you off." Li Banfeng actually stood up and supported Han Xianrong.

Han Xianrong realized the situation was wrong and reached his hand into his pants pocket.

Hidden in his pocket was the last talisman paper. The talisman shattered, and a ghost servant lurking in the factory's backyard rushed over.

This was Han Xianrong's most ferocious ghost servant and his final trump card.

Driven by this ghost servant, the previously intimidated ghost servants gained the courage to strike and swarmed toward Li Banfeng together.

"Bamboo shadows sway red, the body drifts, on the Consort Xiang's couch, the dream of the beloved is hard to wake from..." Li Banfeng softly sang a tune of "Drunken Bell Sounds," and all the ghost servants stood beside Li Banfeng, motionless.

Li Banfeng looked at Han Xianrong: "The song is finished, it's time to rest."

He opened the door, dragged Han Xianrong, and brought the crowd of ghost servants into the Suishenju.

"Hey, husband, you haven't bought any vegetables back for so many days, and now you just bought these few vegetable scraps to fool your little slave?"

"Wife, make do with this to fill your stomach for now. I'll go out and scavenge some more."

Li Banfeng left.

Xiang Xiang Hongying's body trembled as she picked a soul onto the tip of her spear and sucked it clean.

The phonograph said angrily: "Hey, you slut, you dare to steal a bite!"

Xiang Xiang Hongying savored the taste: "What use is there in eating these ordinary souls? I can't taste anything; why are you so tireless in doing this?"

The phonograph snorted coldly: "My man bought them back, so I love to eat this!"

"Vile woman, after you died, what exactly did you experience? How much combat power do you have left now?"

The phonograph couldn't be bothered to pay her any mind, first setting the ghost servants aside, then using a stylus to fork Han Xianrong over, sprinkling some machine oil on him, and slowly savoring him.

Xiang Xiang Hongying smelled something and mocked: "Vile woman, why are you eating so much grease? Is it to make things convenient for your man?"

"That's none of your business!" The phonograph snorted coldly and continued eating.

Li Banfeng whistled, and Zuo Wugang walked in. The nightmare cultivator had already been dealt with; no one in the Green Fire Gang could pose a threat to Zuo Wugang.

"In a while, the major gangs will send people over. You talk to them first."

Zuo Wugang agreed. He had crawled through the underworld and found it not difficult to deal with these people.

That night, a total of six bosses came. Zuo Wugang told them to publish the news in their respective territories. Everyone remained silent; they didn't want to offend the Qing Shou Society.

The White River Gang boss, Wei Jiangpeng, asked: "Leader Han invited us here, where is he?"

Zuo Wugang said: "Leader Han is tired and has gone to rest. If any of you are worried, I'll take you to see him."

Wei Jiangpeng froze for a moment and took the initiative to avoid Zuo Wugang's gaze.

The others looked at each other and then lowered their heads in silence.

People of the underworld understood underworld talk; Leader Han was already gone.

At this moment, Li Banfeng quietly walked into the factory; not a single person present noticed him.

Li Banfeng signaled to Zuo Wugang that he could be a bit more ruthless with these people.

Zuo Wugang turned around and easily unscrewed a lump of iron from a machine tool.

The group of gang leaders all felt their hearts hang in their throats, knowing this person's level was far above theirs.

Wei Jiangpeng was the first to speak: "Brother, please give us a sign, so we know who we are working for."

Zuo Wugang shook his head: "I won't give a sign, and you don't need to remember me. Our boss's surname is Ye, not the Ye of green branches, but the Ye of night. You must remember that."

Wei Jiangpeng nodded: "Fine, we'll remember. We will carry this out as instructed."

"Saying you'll carry it out means you must actually do it!" Zuo Wugang waved his hand, and Cao Zhida brought over a stack of contracts. "The rules of Puluo Prefecture, everyone understands. If anyone signs a contract and then doesn't keep their word, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Contracts had a special significance in Puluo Prefecture, and no one knew if what Zuo Wugang was using was a real contract paper.

These people really didn't want to sign, but Zuo Wugang's aura made them afraid.

After signing the contracts, everyone returned to do their work. By the next day, the fierce battle in front of the cinema had spread throughout Black Stone Slope.

These few small gangs controlled over thirty percent of the newspapers in Black Stone Slope, all of which were low-end tabloids.

But this matter was special.

First, the news was very authentic, with photos—not just one. The photo of Ai Chixiang pulling the old lady's hair and the photo of Tang Peigong just having taken off the bucket were especially conspicuous.

Second, there were eyewitnesses. People who went to the cinema to watch the movie yesterday all saw this scene. When chatting after tea and meals, they all brought up this matter, becoming eyewitnesses.

Since the news was true, the commentary on the second page must also be true!

Could the stories on the third and fourth pages be fake?

They were all true!

"The person playing Song Chunjie entered Tang Peigong's house?"

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

"How did your neighbor know about this?"

"My neighbor's nephew has a sworn brother who does odd jobs in Tang Peigong's house. This matter is exactly the same as what the newspaper said."

"I was wondering why Tang Peigong was so angry that he had to smash someone's cinema. So he suffered such a big loss."

"Actually, he didn't need to get so angry. Didn't you read what the newspaper said? He's completely impotent; marrying so many concubines is just for show."

"Otherwise, why say this person is immoral? He's impotent, yet he won't let us watch movies? We're capable!"

Someone next to him said: "Where did you see all this? Why don't I have it here?"

"I'm reading 'Night Fragrance'; the stuff here is the most complete!"

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 started showing "Blood Gun Detective." Li Banfeng had people go to the cinemas to watch; if anyone from the Qing Shou Society dared to come out and find trouble, they would be dealt with!

Tang Peigong didn't come out to find trouble; he was sick.

Having been doused with a bucket of night soil, and the smell wouldn't wash off, Tang Peigong fell ill that very night.

When he saw the newspaper, Tang Peigong fell at the foot of the porch and lay in bed for several days.

"Reckless insults! Spouting nonsense! For a villain to be so rampant, is this tolerable?"

Tang Peigong roared hoarsely, and the servants trembled on the side.

It wasn't from fear; it was from the stench.

Logically, so many days had passed, and the servants should have gotten used to it. When Tang Peigong wasn't speaking, they could barely hold on.

But once Tang Peigong opened his mouth, it was as if a ladle of night soil had been boiled in his mouth. Smelling it once could make people vomit on the spot.

Even at this point, his legal wife and twenty-six concubines still had to listen to his lectures by the bed, studying the profound teachings of the sages.

Today, just after the morning lecture, dozens of his disciples brought an old man into Tang Peigong's mansion.

Seeing that old man, Tang Peigong cried. He grabbed the old man's hand and said with a trembling voice: "Elder Wu, you've finally come. Tang has been humiliated by villains and now has no face to live in this world. If you had come a step later, I'm afraid you wouldn't have seen me."

Elder Wu comforted him: "Peigong, don't cry, I already know about the matter."

"A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. Tang is not a person who clings to life. Having suffered such a great humiliation, I am willing to die to prove my ambition."

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

Hearing this, Elder Wu's tears also fell: "All of you, stop crying. This smell, it's truly killing me..."

Tang Peigong picked up the newspaper on the table and waved it incessantly in his hand: "It's this villain. I am irreconcilable with him!"

Elder Wu grabbed the newspaper: "Stop fanning it. The more you fan, the bigger the smell. The light in your room is a bit dim; I'll take it out to look at it."

After going out, Elder Wu took a deep breath and picked up the newspaper to look. The name of the newspaper was "Night Fragrance."

"Is this the newspaper office causing trouble?"

Tang Peigong cried: "I am with this villain..."

Elder Wu said impatiently: "I'm asking you if it is?"

"Yes."

Elder Wu held the newspaper and said: "I'll go meet them."

PS: Elders are divided into literary and martial; this one has real skills.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 271 =====