The black-faced man was named Helian Shan, a retired veteran of the martial world and a close friend of Uncle Tuo.
By rights, I should have called Helian Shan "Uncle Shan," but he insisted I call him "Brother."
His reason was that he didn't want to be called old, and he wanted the legend of "Brother Shan" to live on in the martial world!
Uncle Tuo told me that when Helian Shan was young, he specialized in clearing up trouble for people on the streets. He had blood on his hands and was a ruthless individual of the highest order.
Regarding these old stories, I was initially very skeptical.
I always felt that considering his usual jovial demeanor, how truly ruthless could he be?
But today, as my last and only trump card, "Brother Shan's" appearance truly shook me to my core!
...
With Helian Shan pointing a gun at his head, Cao Jie's face instantly turned ashen, as if he had just eaten something foul. He glared at the other man, his lips parting and closing several times as if he wanted to say something.
But before he could speak, Cao Jie saw that Helian Shan wasn't even looking at him properly, and his anger flared.
From the look of things, he clearly wasn't taking himself seriously at all!
At this, Cao Jie could no longer hold back and directly roared at Helian Shan in a low voice, "Old Uncle, don't think that just because you have a damn broken gun I'll be afraid of you!"
"If you've got the guts, try pulling the trigger?!"
Hearing this, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Idiot, you've picked the wrong person to mess with!"
As expected, the moment Cao Jie finished speaking, he saw Helian Shan's eyes sweep towards him, and an awe-inspiring chill exploded outwards.
This chill was far more piercing than the frost and snow of deep winter!
Seeing this, Cao Jie's heart suddenly tightened for no reason, as if sensing some fatal threat. He inexplicably took a step back.
"You want me... to try pulling the trigger?" Helian Shan asked in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, although Cao Jie desperately wanted to retort defiantly, he saw Helian Shan's finger on the trigger tighten slightly. The words that were on the tip of his tongue were ultimately swallowed.
Seeing this, Helian Shan let out a dismissive laugh, then spoke in a low, calm voice, "You've only been in the martial world for a few days, and you've lost all sense of proportion?"
"When I was out there carving out my path, one knife stroke at a time, one gun shot at a time, where were you? Probably still a tadpole, weren't you?!"
Hearing this, Cao Jie's face instantly turned extremely ugly, filled with shame and indignation.
Just as he was contemplating whether to curse loudly to save face, he remembered that his life was in the other man's hands, so Cao Jie forcefully suppressed his urge.
But at this moment...
"Pfft!"
Among the few henchmen who had rushed in with Cao Jie, one of them seemed unable to hold back his laughter, amused by Helian Shan's "tadpole" remark.
In the hushed office, this insignificant chuckle instantly ignited the rage in Cao Jie's chest.
To Cao Jie, this laugh was undoubtedly a slap in his face.
If he endured it, how could he continue to be a leader, how could he teach his subordinates anything?
So... he became enraged!
His eyes instantly welled up with a furious crimson, and Cao Jie, no longer fearing the gun, hissed venomously, "Since you're so damn amazing, Old Uncle, go ahead and shoot me dead right now!"
"Today, either you kill me!"
"Or... I'll chop you to death!!!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire office fell into a deathly silence.
It was like the eerie calm before a storm, making one's scalp tingle.
The moment Cao Jie uttered those words, my expression froze.
Not good! Something big is about to happen!!!
A strong sense of unease washed over me. At that moment, I saw a genuine killing intent flicker in Helian Shan's eyes!
I remembered Uncle Tuo saying that Helian Shan was easily provoked when he was clearing up trouble.
It was because he couldn't stand others provoking him with words.
The more you provoked him, the fiercer he became!
"Heh heh."
With a noncommittal chuckle, Helian Shan directly withdrew the shotgun pointed at Cao Jie's head and handed it to me.
Before I could react, he snatched a cleaver from one of Cao Jie's henchmen standing behind him.
All these actions happened in the blink of an eye. By the time everyone present had registered what was happening, they saw Helian Shan pointing the cleaver at Cao Jie, coldly saying, "From what you just said, as long as I don't shoot you dead, you're prepared to chop me to death with a knife, is that right?"
Hearing this, Cao Jie's temple twitched violently, and his heart clenched inexplicably.
A deep look of apprehension appeared in his eyes, and Cao Jie stammered, "You, you... what do you mean?!"
"What do I mean?" Helian Shan asked with a cold smile, raising the gleaming cleaver in his hand. "Don't you understand what I mean?"
With that, Helian Shan's eyes fixed on Cao Jie with a chilling indifference, seemingly calm on the surface, but hiding a deadly intent.
At this moment, unable to withstand Helian Shan's direct gaze, Cao Jie began to intentionally or unintentionally avoid his eyes.
Seeing this, Helian Shan said with neither joy nor sorrow, "Don't say I'm bullying the young, or that I'm acting recklessly because I have a gun."
"Come! From now on, we'll take turns chopping each other with knives! One strike each, alternating!"
"You're the junior in the martial world, so I'll let you go first."
After speaking, Helian Shan straightened his chest and moved closer to Cao Jie, signaling him to raise his knife.
This scene made Cao Jie swallow hard in fear, and a cold sweat broke out all over his body.
The atmosphere became oppressive and silent. Cao Jie, who had been holding the cleaver with such swagger and arrogance moments ago, now hesitated to strike.
Seeing Cao Jie about to falter again, Helian Shan suddenly glared at him and roared, "What the hell are you waiting for? I told you to chop me!!!"
Hearing this, Cao Jie trembled all over, stepped back, and gritted his teeth, "Old Uncle, how about... you go first?"
Although Cao Jie was terrified deep down, he was still stubbornly trying to maintain his composure.
At the same time, he couldn't quite believe that in this era of peace and self-interest, someone would actually resort to knives and guns over a few wrong words.
Unfortunately, he was wrong!
"Coward! I was waiting for you to say that!"
"Stand still and don't move! I... I'm coming!!!"
The moment he finished speaking, Helian Shan grabbed the cleaver in his hand and swung it down fiercely towards Cao Jie's head!
The terrifying momentum was aimed at splitting his skull with a single blow!
Just as the blade descended rapidly and was about to touch his scalp...
"Helian Shan of Anhai South City, those who don't retreat are all cut down! The old blade is still sharp, Brother Shan!"
"Brother Shan, this matter was handled poorly by me, Yu Shuang. If you really must chop, then chop me instead!"