As the sheath left the blade, Chu Ge's eyes were fixed intently on the part of the dagger where the blade was swallowed; something was clearly engraved there.

At first glance, Chu Ge was uncertain, but upon a closer look, he realized he was not mistaken. There was a vaguely discernible Chinese character, "Ping."

The tiger-skin sheath might be a coincidence, and so might be the "Ping" character at the blade-swallowing position. But when these two come together, then... it is absolutely not a coincidence anymore.

No mistake! Definitely no mistake! It's this knife!

Hah... who would have thought that in my lifetime, I could witness this knife with my own eyes. Does this mean that this old man from the Liang Family...

"Chu Ge, if you can't bring yourself to do it, it's not too late to regret it now. My elder brother is compassionate and will surely give you a chance to change your mind."

Uncontrollably, Chu Ge recalled many past events, but at this moment, Liang Yongzhong's chilly and unwilling voice resounded in the meeting hall, interrupting his memories and abruptly pulling his thoughts back to reality.

"No need. Perhaps this, too, is a kind of honor for me."

Chu Ge smiled, his gaze fixed on the dagger in his hand, and said in a somewhat complicated tone. He raised his left hand holding the knife steadily and thrust it mercilessly toward his right shoulder without hesitation.

"Psst!" After the light sound of the knife tip piercing flesh, bright red blood flowed from Chu Ge's shoulder.

Chu Ge frowned, not because of the pain from his shoulder, but because his wrist was unexpectedly grabbed by someone. Despite using his full strength, the dagger did not penetrate his right shoulder and stopped at less than a centimeter of piercing his skin.

So fast! It seems... as expected, it is him!

Chu Ge glanced at the skeletal hand on his wrist, and then turned his head to meet Liang Yongping's gaze. The old man from the Liang Family furrowed his brows deeply, his deep eyes suddenly showing a hint of astonishment.

Chu Ge smiled slightly, but Liang Yongping's brows furrowed even tighter.

Seeing this scene, everyone in the meeting hall was stunned, unable to comprehend why Liang Yongping would intervene at such a moment.

"Elder brother?"

Liang Yongzhong looked blankly at Liang Yongping. Although he wished nothing more than for Chu Ge to be shredded to pieces in front of him, he understood the principle that "a word spoken is like an arrow released."

As the Clan Leader and in the presence of everyone, could it be that Liang Yongping would go back on his word and insist on putting Chu Ge to death?

But this... this is entirely inconsistent with his character and status, isn't it?

Forget it, to hell with it, everyone present is from the Liang Family anyway. Even if there's Chen Zhihao, that kid is practically half a member, and no one will leak this matter. Elder brother is doing the right thing, we can't leave this little bastard alive, how can we let go of this grudge without killing him?

Hah! Hah! Hah! Elder brother is wise! Elder brother is mighty! Elder brother is awesome!

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Liang Yongzhong's face.

Liang Yong'an sighed. Even with his knowledge of Liang Yongping, he didn't think his elder brother was someone who would go back on his word. But given the situation, it seemed there was no other explanation.

After waiting a few seconds without hearing Liang Yongping speak, Chu Ge smiled again and called out, "Old Master Liang?"

"Put the knife down first," Liang Yongping said blandly. Perhaps others found nothing wrong, but Chu Ge could feel the complexity contained within those words.

Chu Ge nodded and placed the dagger back on the table.

It seemed as if, while he saw something in the knife, this old man from the Liang Family also saw something in him.

Earlier, he had to make a decision, and stabbing himself was the wisest choice. Now that new developments had emerged, persisting in that would not be boldness but rather outright foolishness.

With a bitter smile, Chu Ge couldn't help but feel some frustration in his heart. This affair was truly lively enough—what a hassle!

Liang Yongping looked at the dagger placed on the table by Chu Ge, then turned to the people in the meeting hall, "All of you, get out."

"Elder brother?"

"Elder brother..."

Liang Yong'an and Liang Yongzhong spoke in unison, yet the same word "elder brother" carried two completely opposite meanings—one hoped to stay and watch the show, while the other hoped Liang Yongping would be merciful.

"If I don't call you, none of you are to come in," Liang Yongping added blandly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

The people in the meeting hall were quite resigned. It was like this in the morning, and astonishingly the same in the afternoon. But in the Liang Family, Liang Yongping's words were absolute, and nobody said more, gradually leaving. The last person to exit sealed the door tightly.

With the door shut, the sunlight cast into the meeting hall vanished, leaving the room rather dim. Amidst the silence, Liang Yongping did not look at Chu Ge but picked up the dagger called "Nightmare" and gently fondled it.

Chu Ge said nothing either, finding a chair nearby to sit on as he pondered his own matters. It wasn't that he was intentionally trying to compete with Liang Yongping for patience; he just genuinely had nothing more to say at the moment.

After several minutes of silence, Liang Yongping finally broke it first.

"Kid, do you recognize this knife?"

Chu Ge knew Liang Yongping would ask this, and at this point, there was no need to play dumb. He simply replied, "Yes."

Liang Yongping waited a few seconds, seeing that Chu Ge had no intention of saying more. He squinted his eyes, "Kid, to be honest, I do admire you, but if you're just being mysterious, even if I..."

Before Liang Yongping could finish, Chu Ge rolled his eyes, "I say, old man, do you really find it amusing to scare me? If I were timid, do you think I'd have traveled all the way here?"

Liang Yongping was momentarily stunned, then shook his head, both annoyed and amused.

"You kid... alright, I won't say anything useless. As long as you're not being mysterious, you surely know what I mean, and you know what I want to ask. Go on, speak."

Chu Ge grinned, "Then can I make a request first?"

"Bargaining with me again?"

Liang Yongping's gaze turned cold, but Chu Ge wasn't fazed at all, maintaining an expression of indifference. The coldness in Liang Yongping's eyes quickly turned to helplessness and amusement.

"Alright, what's the request?"

"I hope Mr. Liang can keep my matters confidential. No matter who I was before, I'm just an ordinary person now. Is that okay?"

Liang Yongping nodded, "Okay."

"Mr. Liang, if I'm not mistaken, this knife is called 'Yǎn', right? Maybe, I should address you as 'Xiāo', senior?"

"'Xiāo'... hehe, it's been a long time since someone called me that." Liang Yongping murmured, a wistful expression appearing on his weathered face, "Continue."

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the council hall, Chen Zhihao and the Liang Family members stared at the closed doors, harboring similar suspicions but with varying emotions.

"Old Six, what do you think... what does Big Brother mean by having us wait outside?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

"Sigh... actually, I think what Chu Ge said might be true. Making him injure himself is already enough. If Big Brother really goes that far, it seems a bit excessive."

Hearing such conversation, Liang Yongzhong seemed displeased, casting a sidelong glance and frowning, snorting through his nose.

"If your grandson was nearly beaten to death, could you still say something like that? Even if Big Brother tore Chu Ge apart, it would be justified."

"Yongzhong." Liang Yong'an also frowned, "Things might not be as you imagine. Maybe Big Brother has other plans, let's just wait quietly and not jump to conclusions."

"Other plans?" Liang Yongzhong laughed, "Second Brother, everything is clear as day. What other plans could there be?"

"Perhaps... Big Brother just wants to ask Chu Ge something alone." After Liang Yong'an said this, even he didn't believe it, sighing slightly.

"Ask questions? Second Brother, do you really think that?" Liang Yongzhong asked knowingly, and seeing Liang Yong'an not answer, the smile on his face grew more triumphant.

"Second Brother, how about we make a bet? Let's bet on whether Chu Ge will be alive or dead when that door opens?"

Liang Yong'an remained silent as Liang Yongzhong grew more enthusiastic, "Second Brother, not saying anything means you agree. I'll bet he's dead, and you bet he's alive? As for the wager, it's to fulfill any one request from the other, how about it?"

Liang Yong'an nodded irritably, "Fine, I trust Big Brother wouldn't do that."

"Haha, you said it! I'll have to think about what to make you do. I've never won a bet against you since we were kids! Don't worry, since you've always looked out for me, I won't make things too difficult for you."

As soon as Liang Yongzhong finished speaking, a sudden noise came from inside the council hall, sounding like a chair being overturned.

Liang Yong'an's frown deepened, while Liang Yongzhong laughed heartily, "Second Brother, looks like I'm going to win. Want to bet how long Chu Ge can hold out?"

Liang Yong'an didn't respond, sighing softly again. Is Big Brother really going to push it this far despite his age?

"Bang!"

"Crash!"

"Snap!"

Loud noises continuously erupted from the council hall, occasionally accompanied by groans of pain. Hearing these sounds, Liang Yongzhong was overjoyed, each wrinkle on his face expressing utter excitement.

But after a minute of these noises, Liang Yongzhong's smile gained a hint of bewilderment.

Are you kidding? It's been so long, and Chu Ge still isn't down? Even his groans sound so full of energy?

This... how is this possible?

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