Wu Decheng wiped the filth from his face and silently watched Li Banfeng.

His aims today had been to kill Boss Ye and earn merit in front of Lu Maoxian. He would win back the Pure Conduct Society's reputation, which Tang Peigong had thrown away, and seize a higher position within the Pure Conduct Society.

Wu Decheng might have lost the match, but it would not be too late to achieve his aims if he killed Boss Ye now.

Yue Qingsong, a level-four Poison Cultivator, reminded him, "Master, the other disciples have arrived as well. We can strike at any moment."

Wu Decheng clenched his hands into fists. Nevertheless, he ultimately calmed down, had the injured disciples taken away, and left the venue.

He had just decided to kill Boss Ye, so why had he changed his mind so quickly?

Wu Decheng had roamed the jianghu long enough to read the situation clearly. He did not care about others pointing fingers at him. He understood this principle well: "The victor becomes king. The loser is branded a criminal." The problem was that it would be very difficult to kill Boss Ye now.

His earlier plan had been based on the assumption that Boss Ye would be careless. Now, it seemed that not only had Boss Ye not let his guard down, but he had even set a trap for him. The two skinny men on the stage were not easy opponents. Boss Ye appeared to have no support hooks, but they were likely hidden among the crowd.

There was nothing to be gained from continuing this standoff, so Wu Decheng withdrew decisively.

Seeing them leave in haste, Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat and revealed a faint smile.

Then a gust of wind blew past, and his smile vanished. He gathered his people and turned to leave. The stench here was too strong, and it was not friendly to him with his ability Hundred Scents at the Tip of the Nose.

The fighters had left, so the onlookers dispersed as well.

Only a few people remained to clean up, quietly muttering their worries.

"Do we even want to keep this stage?"

"Let it air out for a couple of days. It'll be fine after that."

***

After returning to the newspaper office, Bai Qiusheng busied himself rushing out articles, while Ma Wu focused on printing the newspapers.

Once the evening newspapers were sent out, Li Banfeng had people buy food and wine and set up several tables in the factory.

The factory canteen was quite spacious, and the atmosphere was good. However, today's gathering was mainly to celebrate the three who had taken the stage, so he wanted to do something special for them.

Wearing a guilty expression, Little Gen said, "I didn't do much. Most of the credit goes to Elder Sisters, the two of them."

Li Banfeng looked at him with approval. "Gen, put the bucket down first. Today, all three of you take the top merit for your contributions. Eat freely, drink freely, enjoy yourselves. You'll each get a red envelope later as well."

Qin glanced at Ma Wu and lowered her head. "I don't want a red envelope."

The Street-Cursing Crone spat and said, "Shameless girl, if you don't want money, what do you want? You think you can fill your stomach just by relying on a man's little thing?"

Qin snapped, "Old hag, can't you stop speaking so crudely? It's a good day today. I'm not in the mood to argue with you!"

It truly was a good day. Everyone ate and drank to their heart's content, only going to bed after 2 AM.

Another hour passed. When it was close to 4 AM, a scent drifted into Li Banfeng's room.

He's here. I just knew he would come tonight. There's no way he would just accept the loss. He lost too much face. There's no way he would just endure it.

The filth that Little Gen had dumped on Wu Decheng at the stage had been meant to guard against this very move!

Li Banfeng stood at the doorway and quietly opened his Pocket Dwelling.

Wu Decheng climbed the stairs without a sound. After scanning his surroundings, he arrived at Li Banfeng's door.

He pushed the door open. The room was pitch-black, and he even saw the faint form of steam.

Strange. Why would there be steam inside the room?

Wu Decheng's heart tensed. Just as he was about to retreat outside, a sharp pain shot through his lower leg as something hooked into his leg bone.

He tried to break free, but the other party was far stronger. As he struggled, he was dragged into the room.

Bam!

The door slammed shut.

Sizzle~

Li Banfeng struck a match and lit a cigarette. He casually lit the candle beside him as well.

Under the dim illumination of the candlelight, Wu Decheng saw the furnishings in the room clearly. It was a very small room, furnished with a bed and a gramophone.

The Gramophone's stylus had hooked into Wu Decheng's leg bone. It jerked back sharply, making him slam face-first onto the floor.

Li Banfeng sat on the bed and watched him quietly. "The match is already over. Why are you still coming after me?"

Wu Decheng gritted his teeth. "You broke your word and betrayed my trust. A shameless man like you deserves to die!"

"Tell me, how exactly did I break my word?"

"What was the agreement we settled on?"

"We made it clear from the start that we would have three matches on the stage. You would take the first win, I would win the second, and the third would end in a draw. I didn't agree. I said I had to take the first match, and you agreed to give it to me. That's how it went, right?!"

Wu Decheng said, "I already gave you the first match!"

"Exactly. You gave me the first match. Then I'm supposed to take the second, and the third is a draw. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Bullshit! Since I gave you the first, the second should go to me!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "That's not how I see it. This is on you for not making it clear."

"It's so obvious, yet you need it spelled out for you?"

Li Banfeng's lips spread into a slow smile. "Well, you just like being ambiguous with things, don't you? Back in the first match, you deliberately left it unspecified as to whether it was a civil or martial one, taking advantage of me as an outsider who didn't know the rules. With Tang Peigong, you likely left out plenty of details as well. After he made a fool of himself at the cinema, he was desperate to save face, and you fed him half-truths to lure him into your trap. You used my hands to beat him senseless. His loss damaged the reputation of the Pure Conduct Society. Then you planned to improve it by winning the second match. That was the idea, wasn't it?"

Wu Decheng sneered. "So what if it was? You didn't suffer any losses!"

Li Banfeng continued, "Then the second match... Whether it was to the death or just to determine a winner, you didn't make that clear either.

You brought ruthless people with the full intention to kill, didn't you? You planned to catch me off guard, kill my men and me as well. That was your intention, wasn't it?"

Wu Decheng still refused to admit it. "That's slander!"

Li Banfeng smiled. "You've already come this far. You still can't speak honestly? Well, I'll tell you the truth, I was thinking the same thing. If you hadn't run fast enough today, your corpse would already be lying in the street."

Wu Decheng fell silent.

Li Banfeng walked over with a teapot. "Why so quiet? Throat dry? Want some tea?"

Wu Decheng sprang to his feet, intending to fight Li Banfeng to the death. However, the Gramophone's stylus was still hooked into his leg. He had no choice but to engage in close combat. Nonetheless, this was the home of a Homebound Cultivator. There was simply no chance for him to attack.

Li Banfeng did not even rise from the bed. He lifted his leg and kicked Wu Decheng straight back to the ground.

Wu Decheng struggled to his feet again. His right hand groped around the chest area of his robes, trying to reach for a weapon.

Li Banfeng drew his sickle and struck first, slashing open Wu Decheng's skin in several places. The poison covering the sickle blade seeped into the wounds, quickly rendering Wu Decheng paralyzed. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The Gramophone exclaimed in admiration, "My husband is truly formidable. You handled this old thing without even needing my help."

The Old Teapot said, "This bastard still won't behave. Let him have some hot tea to warm himself up."

Li Banfeng poured some tea over Wu Decheng. The old man immediately let out a cry. His cultivation level was quite high, yet he could not even withstand the tea on his skin for a little while.

Something feels off. It's not just a matter of cultivation level. The Old Teapot's tea seems hotter than before.

Is he still cultivating? I should have a proper talk with him about it another day.

Li Banfeng looked at Wu Decheng and said, "I'll ask you a few questions. Answer honestly, and you might keep your life. First, tell me, why is the Pure Conduct Society targeting The Legendary Bloodspear Detective? It's just a movie. How did it offend you?"

Wu Decheng panted for a while before answering, "Because that movie corrupts public morals—"

Before he could finish, Li Banfeng doused him with tea again. "Public morals? For that alone, you smashed up a cinema?"

Wu Decheng yelled, "I'm telling the truth! This was Elder Lu's order!"

"Elder Lu? Lu Maoxian? You're an elder. He's an elder. Tang Peigong is also an elder. What gives him the right to order you around?"

"Elders are not equal in rank. Elder Lu is a grand elder. His status is above ours. Tang Peigong ranks above me as well."

"How many elders does the Pure Conduct Society have?"

"I don't know the total number. Usually, each territory has two elders, one civil and one martial. The civil elder typically ranks above the martial one. Some smaller territories may only have one elder. A large territory like Greenwater City has three elders, and all of them are grand elders. Among them, Lu Maoxian holds the highest rank."

"So by that logic, Lu Maoxian is the leader of the Pure Conduct Society?"

Wu Decheng shook his head. "The leader of the Pure Conduct Society is the sage."

Li Banfeng wrinkled his nose, not just because of the stench coming off Wu Decheng but because the term "sage" left a foul taste in his mouth too.

"Which sage are you talking about? The one from Vilefolk Hillock?"

Wu Decheng said, "I've never seen the sage. I've been in the Pure Conduct Society for twenty-one years, and I've never once met him."

Despite his high rank within the Pure Conduct Society, he has never met the sage...

The Pure Conduct Society's sage was so difficult to meet that it reminded Li Banfeng of the scene at the Sage's Peak, where a group of people knelt on the ground waiting for an audience with the Sage.

Li Banfeng asked more questions about Blackstone Slope and the Pure Conduct Society, and Wu Decheng answered everything truthfully.

The Pure Conduct Society and Blackstone Slope were Lu Maoxian's most important assets. In particular, nearly half the factories and mines in Blackstone Slope were under his control. This was also the main reason he could stand against the two young masters of the Lu Family.

However, the residents of Blackstone Slope were unusual. According to Wu Decheng, these people were unruly and uneducated, making it one of the most fiercely tempered regions in Puluo Province.

There were also capable cultivators hidden among the residents. If pushed too far, matters could spiral out of control. Because of this, when resolving disputes in Blackstone Slope, the Pure Conduct Society usually resorted to open methods like public duels. Underhanded tactics like Wu Decheng's were actually rare.

Wu Decheng looked at Li Banfeng and said, "A man's word is as good as a whip to a fast horse. I've answered everything you asked, now let me go. Tang Peigong is already crippled. From now on, I'll be in charge of Blackstone City. Screen whatever movies you want. Print whatever newspapers you want. The entire book and newspaper trade in Blackstone City will be yours. What do you say?!"

Hearing that, Li Banfeng seemed genuinely tempted. He sat back down on the bed, the corners of his lips lifting into a smile.

The truth was... Wu Decheng had used an ability.

The Gramophone flew into a rage, and scalding steam burst forth, blistering Wu Decheng all over.

Li Banfeng stopped the Gramophone. "I think this old man isn't too bad. Let's just let him go.

"Exactly. He already said the book and newspaper business in Blackstone City would be ours. That's a profitable deal.

"When you can show mercy, you should. Let him go. You like Blackstone Slope anyway. Wouldn't it be pretty good to stay here in the future with an extra ally?"

Li Banfeng was having a deep discussion with himself. The sight of it left Wu Decheng completely dumbfounded.

The Gramophone panicked and looked at him. "My dear, what's wrong with you? Did this old bastard hurt you?"

Li Banfeng continued the discussion with himself while giving the Gramophone a brief reply. "No!"

After reaching a conclusion with himself, Li Banfeng walked over to Wu Decheng. "I've thought it through. I've decided not to let you go. Blackstone Slope really is a good place. Without scum like you, it'll become even better! Wifey, time to eat!"

The Gramophone let out a sinister laugh and began devouring Wu Decheng's soul.

Wu Decheng screamed for a while before his voice gradually faded into silence.

After his soul was devoured, the Gramophone asked Li Banfeng whether he wanted to keep Wu Decheng's spirit essence.

Li Banfeng felt disgusted just looking at members of the Pure Conduct Society. He originally had no intention of keeping it, but the Blood-Drinking Pendulum spoke up right then.

"Master, he's still a high-level Mentalism Cultivator. It would be a waste to throw it away. Why not give it to me?"

Li Banfeng was taken aback. He knew the Blood-Drinking Pendulum could absorb blood, but since when had she learned to devour spirit essence as well?

The Gramophone smiled. "You little sly thing, has your cultivation improved after following my husband?"

The Blood-Drinking Pendulum replied respectfully, "I won't hide it from you, Madam. It is indeed quite different from before. It seems I've recovered a few abilities. I hope to receive your guidance another day."

The Blood-Drinking Pendulum spoke pleasantly, and the Gramophone took a liking to her. With a puff of steam, the Gramophone sent the spirit essence over. "You lowly wench, consider yourself lucky!"

Wu Decheng's corpse could not be wasted, so Li Banfeng brought the Crimson Lotus over to consume it.

The Crimson Lotus had waited for a long time for her meal. Layers of dew were already forming on her petals.

However, when she caught the stench still lingering on Wu Decheng, she recoiled in disgust and hesitated to open her petals.

The Gramophone grew annoyed. "You ungrateful thing, are you getting picky now? This man's cultivation level is quite high. You don't get such good nourishment every day."

Li Banfeng snorted. "If you don't want to eat, then stay hungry."

After a brief moment of hesitation, the Crimson Lotus consumed the corpse.

Layers of light rippled as the Crimson Lotus worked on turning it into a pill. Wanting some time alone with his wife, Li Banfeng found the Crimson Lotus an eyesore and casually tossed her into the second room.

Inside the second room, the Crimson Lotus sprayed out a couple of dew drops before continuing to consume the corpse.

After a while, the Crimson Lotus trembled.

There seemed to be the faint presence of someone's thoughts lingering in the second room, though their nature could not be discerned.