Chapter 272: Say it!

The arena battle between "Night Fragrance" and the Qing Shou Society caused a great sensation in Black Stone Slope.

Before the battle, Tang Peigong held a banner, brought reporters, and led over a hundred disciples to come and accept the challenge in a grand manner.

When they returned, the disciples found stretchers, called doctors, and ran back to the mansion crying and howling all the way.

Tang Peigong was seriously injured.

The Qing Shou Society was seriously injured.

The disciples cried and complained everywhere, saying that "Night Fragrance" didn't follow the rules and used force in the literary arena.

The Qing Shou Society had close ties with major gangs, and the major gangs controlled large newspaper offices. In terms of propaganda, the Qing Shou Society had more advantages than "Night Fragrance."

But in terms of the propaganda angle, the Qing Shou Society suffered a big loss.

No matter how they explained it, they lost, and they lost very ugly.

Moreover, the martial elder Wu Decheng never expressed his stance. He didn't clarify whether the two sides agreed on a literary or martial arena, only saying that there might be some misunderstanding.

The few famous scholars who acted as witnesses also couldn't speak up; they hadn't figured out what the rules of this arena battle were either.

Three days later, the whole of Black Stone Slope only remembered one thing: "Night Fragrance" won against the Qing Shou Society in the arena, and the Qing Shou Society's elder was beaten to the ground, almost beaten to death.

Cinemas everywhere started showing "Blood Gun Detective." People treated the warnings previously given by the Qing Shou Society as farts.

"Night Fragrance" sold better and better, and the printing workload became heavier and heavier. To print extra magazines, Ma Wu stayed up until three in the morning. He had just slept for two hours when he suddenly heard a loud noise.

"What happened!" Ma Wu was startled and hurriedly climbed out of bed.

Going out to look, except for Li Banfeng, everyone was startled awake. The sound came from the roof.

There was a whistle on the roof, used by the factory to remind people to start work, eat, and sleep.

The boiler was broken, and there was no steam; how did this whistle make a sound?

Ma Wu was pondering the reason when Xiao Chuanzi ran over with a face full of coal dust: "Fifth Master, the boiler is fixed!"

"Which boiler?"

"The boiler in the courtyard!"

Ma Wu said angrily: "Why did you fix it?"

Xiao Chuanzi lowered his head and didn't speak. He hadn't closed his eyes for three days and three nights, and it was only with great difficulty that he fixed the boiler.

Ma Wu calmed down for a moment and said: "Since the boiler is fixed, go buy a proper printing press, so we don't have to work so hard."

Xiao Chuanzi was happy and went to buy a printing press.

Li Banfeng slept until noon, walked out of the Suishenju feeling refreshed, circled the factory twice, and was just about to go into the city to look around when someone reported that the Qing Shou Society elder, Wu Decheng, had come again.

Li Banfeng had someone clean out a factory building, and the two sat face to face.

"Elder Wu, the tea is being brewed and will be ready in a moment. The poison added this time is unusual; it's neither bitter nor astringent, with no strange taste. Taste it in a moment."

Wu Decheng smiled and shook his head: "Boss Ye, your strike was too heavy. I'm afraid Elder Tang won't be able to get out of bed for a year or a half."

Li Banfeng was quite helpless: "Elder Wu, why did you let him come to fight in the arena? Isn't this just sending himself to death? It's already his good fortune that my subordinates left him a life."

Wu Decheng nodded: "That is the truth. The next arena battle is arranged for tomorrow night. Don't forget our previous agreement."

Li Banfeng smiled: "Rest assured, isn't it just sending a few people to go through the motions? I definitely won't forget!"

Wu Decheng stood up to say goodbye, and Li Banfeng saw him to the door.

Watching his departing back, Li Banfeng touched the pendulum at his waist: "This time I have to rely on you to put in some effort."

"Master, if you have any instructions, just say them."

Wu Decheng left the "Night Fragrance" newspaper office and returned to his mansion.

Sitting in the study were four disciples: a fifth-layer martial cultivator named Wu Rongjin, a fifth-layer literary cultivator named Rao Shaofeng, a fourth-layer body cultivator named Cheng Ziyan, and a fourth-layer poison cultivator named Yue Qingsong.

These four disciples were the four most capable people under Wu Decheng.

Wu Decheng poured a glass of wine for each of them: "Everyone, you have followed me for many years and suffered many grievances, especially under Tang Peigong, where you suffered many bullying incidents."

The four held their wine glasses and said in unison: "The disciples are willing!"

"Tomorrow's battle concerns the honor and disgrace of our lives. If we win, Black Stone Slope will be our world in the future. If we lose, we won't be able to gain a foothold in Black Stone Slope in the future.

Before going to the arena tomorrow, watch clearly. If the one surnamed Ye goes to the arena, I will also go to the arena. If the one surnamed Ye doesn't go to the arena, I will watch from below.

I have an agreement with him. This battle is aimed at him admitting defeat. He will definitely send some trash to go through the motions in the arena.

Don't be soft-hearted. No matter who he sends, strike to kill directly. If the one surnamed Ye goes to the arena, kill him together. If he doesn't go to the arena, kill everyone in the arena, rush down, and kill him!

Don't worry about the experts around him; I will strike with you when the time comes!"

The matter was settled. The eldest disciple, the fifth-layer martial cultivator Wu Rongjin, was a bit worried: "Master, if we kill the one surnamed Ye directly, will it cause criticism?"

"Criticism about what?" Wu Decheng smiled. "Saying we were too ruthless? But who told them to go to the arena? How can we care about so much in the arena?

Tang Peigong was beaten into that state; who pitied him? Even if there were a few people discussing it at the time, after three or five days, they would forget about it.

People in this world only remember the winner. No matter how pitiful the loser makes their words sound, it's just a joke for others.

Remember, bring back the head of the one surnamed Ye, and Black Stone Slope will be ours!"

The next day, at 5:30 in the evening, both sides arrived at the arena on time.

The workers had just finished work and didn't even have time to eat, all coming to watch the fight.

"Who do you think will win this time?"

"I heard this time it's a proper martial arena. Elder Wu is taking action personally; Boss Ye is in for more misfortune than luck."

"Last time you said more misfortune than luck, didn't Boss Ye still win?"

"Last time was different..."

"Stop talking nonsense. One hundred Huan currency, I bet on Boss Ye. Do you dare to bet?"

The onlookers had already opened a gambling pool.

Li Banfeng looked sleepy, came to the side of the arena, and greeted Wu Decheng: "Elder Wu, should I admit defeat as soon as I go up, or should I fight for a while?"

Wu Decheng frowned: "Boss Ye, don't tell such jokes. Once in the arena, we each rely on our own abilities."

"Fine, rely on abilities. You're taking the acting seriously..." Li Banfeng yawned and called three people to go up.

Just as Wu Decheng expected, this one surnamed Ye was aiming to admit defeat, and his attitude was extremely unserious.

The few capable ones from before didn't come, and the three people who went up were truly hard to look at.

One was a burly man, quite tall, but his figure was very bloated, and he didn't look like someone who practiced martial arts.

The other two were short and thin, as if they hadn't eaten enough, and couldn't even walk steadily.

Looking at their attire, they all wore coarse cloth clothes, covered in oil stains, and their faces were covered in coal dust.

This was too perfunctory.

The one surnamed Ye probably hired a few workers who had just finished work from the factory, wanting to fool around and be done with it.

Wu Decheng lowered his voice: "Boss Ye, these are your people?"

Li Banfeng snorted: "What's wrong? Disgusted? The few people you brought to the arena aren't much better!"

Wu Decheng looked around Li Banfeng; he didn't even bring an expert.

Fine, young man, you are arrogant enough.

Don't cry in a while!

A whistle sounded, and both sides prepared for battle.

Wu Decheng's four disciples went up to the arena.

Li Banfeng frowned: "What do you mean? I only have three people, and you send four. Bullying the few with the many, right?"

This sentence was quite loud, and the people around started discussing.

Wu Decheng didn't speak. His subordinate disciple, the fifth-layer literary cultivator Rao Shaofeng, stepped forward: "Boss Ye, didn't you come too? Why not come up and exchange pointers?"

Li Banfeng frowned: "What would I go up for? I'll lose anyway, going up to lose face?"

Wu Decheng hurriedly stopped the topic. If this continued, the matter would be leaked by the one surnamed Ye: "Three on three is fine. Qing Song, don't go up."

The fourth-layer poison cultivator Yue Qingsong walked off the arena and stood beside Wu Decheng.

The second whistle sounded, and both sides confirmed their personnel; no one could go back on it.

The third whistle sounded, and both sides started the battle.

The fifth-layer martial cultivator Wu Rongjin rushed toward the burly man first.

Among these three, it seemed only this burly man could handle a few moves.

The burly man didn't dare to fight and retreated rapidly.

A thin man hunched over, came to Wu Rongjin's side, stretched out a foot, and tripped Wu Rongjin, making him stagger.

Wu Rongjin backhanded a punch to hit this man.

The man dodged easily and smiled: "Can't hit me, right? Why are you so stupid?"

Wu Rongjin lifted his foot to kick this man again. The man dodged again: "Are you blind? Where are you kicking? I'm here!"

This person's words were truly infuriating. Wu Rongjin chased the man to hit him. The man dodged while laughing and cursing:

"I don't know how your mother gave birth to such a piece of trash. You're such a big person, yet you don't even know how to walk.

Look at your two feet, they're so stupid they can't even split. With your conduct, you're still fighting in the arena? You can't even catch a hot meal if you were eating shit."

Wu Rongjin was furious. He didn't measure his moves, his footsteps were wide open, and he was seized by the man, who kicked him in the calf.

This kick didn't have much force, but the position was precise. Wu Rongjin's legs tripped over each other, and he fell flat on his face.

The thin man laughed: "Otherwise why say you can't even catch a hot meal if you were eating shit."

The bloated burly man behind him advised: "Don't say that, there is hot stuff."

He took a bucket out of his clothes and slammed it onto Wu Rongjin's head.

Wu Rongjin felt a wave of nausea. Before he could take the bucket off, his leg bone was kicked broken, his arm was stepped on and snapped, and he was kicked off the arena.

Who is this man? How can he be so capable of fighting?

This isn't a man; this is the scolding woman.

The pendulum has a knack for makeup, having disguised the scolding woman as a man.

It must be said, the pendulum's makeup skills have improved a lot; even Li Banfeng didn't recognize her at first.

The appearance could be disguised, but the figure couldn't. The old lady was just that thin, and disguised as a man, she looked even thinner.

Wu Rongjin lay on the ground, cursing: "What are you waiting for? Why don't you come and help me!"

He was cursing his two junior brothers. Three on three, and they just watched him get beaten.

His two junior brothers wanted to come up to help him, but they couldn't free their hands, being entangled by another thin man.

Fighting two with one, this thin man didn't fall into a disadvantage at all.

This is Ah Qin, a sixth-layer body cultivator.

Wu Rongjin had already been beaten off the arena and couldn't go back up according to the rules. Now it became two against three.

Two against one and they couldn't take advantage; how could they fight two against three?

The fifth-layer literary cultivator Rao Shaofeng shouted angrily: "You cannot bully the few with the many!"

The skill of "Same Text, Same Rules."

The bloated burly man holding the bucket said: "Then I won't fight."

This burly man is Xiao Genzi, who only has second-layer cultivation. If you say don't fight, then don't fight; anyway, he couldn't win either.

The remaining four people, two against two, stood in a stalemate for a moment. The literary cultivator Rao Shaofeng shouted: "Soaring ninety thousand miles!"

He jumped up, preparing to take action from the air.

Ninety thousand miles is impossible, but the skill of "One Word Becomes Truth" did indeed let him fly quite high, at least seven or eight meters.

Ah Qin's original form was a cricket. She spread her wings, leaped up, grabbed Rao Shaofeng's ankle with one hand, pulled him in mid-air, spun him around, and slammed him heavily onto the arena.

Ah Qin landed immediately, stepped on Rao Shaofeng's chest, and Rao Shaofeng vomited blood on the spot.

There was still one fourth-layer Cheng Ziyan left. He had left himself a backup plan, but seeing Ah Qin and the scolding woman walking over together, Cheng Ziyan suddenly turned around and released a cloud of smoke.

Ah Qin covered her nose.

The scolding woman spat: "Damn it, it's a yellow weasel. That kid releases night soil, and you release stinky farts. Who can handle this!"

The two of them kicked Cheng Ziyan off the arena with one kick each.

Woo-woo!

The whistle sounded, and the arena battle ended.

The crowd covered their noses and mouths, silent.

This battle was quite good to watch, but it didn't smell very good.

Wu Decheng shouted angrily: "The one surnamed Ye, you cheated!"

Li Banfeng replied: "How did I cheat!"

"You dared to lie to me!"

Li Banfeng shouted: "What did I lie to you about? Say it, say it loudly!"

"I say..."

How could he say it?

Wu Decheng was so angry he trembled. Taking advantage of his attention being entirely on Li Banfeng, Xiao Genzi took a ladle and splashed it all over Wu Decheng's face.

"Why don't you say it!"

PS: This ladle is very critical.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 273 =====