Lin Xuan wore an arrogant expression, as if victory were already in his grasp. He wasn't worried that Zhang Guangmu might turn the tables.
"After you kill me, you'll become the true Fort Master of Wolf Fortress."
"What will you do then?"
Lin Xuan froze when he heard Zhang Guangmu's question.
That was the one thing he hadn't expected him to ask.
What did he want to do after becoming Fort Master?
Wasn't that a completely pointless question?
What else could he do as Fort Master?
Consolidate his power, enjoy life, and prosper those who obeyed him while destroying those who opposed him, of course!
Although people often said that Wolf Fortress was surrounded by enemies, with many hostile forces watching it like tigers eyeing their prey, as long as he consolidated his power base and everyone remained wary of one another, they probably wouldn't actually go to war.
However, Lin Xuan noticed that many Wolf Riders present had focused their gazes on him. They seemed very interested in his answer.
After pondering for a moment, he spoke loudly and righteously. "Naturally, I'll restore everything to its proper course and recreate Wolf Fortress's glory!"
It sounded like empty rhetoric, but in reality, it amounted to a hidden promise.
The hidden meaning of "recreating its glory" and "returning to the proper course" was that the leakage of Flame Artifacts would be strictly restricted, ensuring the class interests of the Wolf Riders.
Zhang Guangmu smiled when he heard this.
His method of stirring up class conflict was rather immature, but it did possess a hint of an upper-class ruler's bearing.
Originally, Zhang Guangmu had freeloaded information from the audience and heard many people say that Yang Chi, the Actor playing Plot Protagonist Lin Xuan, had suffered a collapse of his Character Setting. He had never paid it much attention.
After all, fame brought controversy. On top of that, everyone had different tastes. Even people who had once liked a certain Actor might quietly stop following him as time passed and they grew older. They might stop enjoying that Actor's old routine and develop a taste for someone else.
Now, it seemed those people hadn't been wrong.
Yang Chi's Character Setting and subconscious had indeed come into enormous conflict.
Before joining "Wolf Fortress," Yang Chi's acting path had always been very stable. His style and Character Setting of a Hot-blooded youth making a comeback and soaring to success had won him many fans. Quite a few people liked that unyielding spirit of refusing to submit to fate and wanting to seize control of their own lives. They found it inspiring.
To some people, watching Yang Chi's performances was like drinking chicken soup for the soul. They would immerse themselves in it, fantasizing about making one comeback after another, rising smoothly through the ranks, and becoming superior to others.
But...
People changed.
Yang Chi had been in the industry for over a year and was approaching two years. Although he hadn't managed to join the Seven Stars Club and hadn't made a name for himself in the nationwide event "The Path of the Great Emperor," compared to the vast majority of Subconscious Actors, he could already be considered successful.
So he began pursuing some "higher-level" things.
For example, higher social status and greater power.
That was why the Plot Protagonist Lin Xuan gave the audience such an odd feeling!
It should have been a commercial power fantasy about a Hot-blooded youth who was oppressed and scorned before making a comeback. Yet as filming progressed, it vaguely gave people the feeling that the Dragon Slayer had become an evil dragon.
No!
Strictly speaking, the Dragon Slayer wasn't Young Fortress Lord Lin Xuan, but Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang.
From the very beginning, Lin Xuan had been a beneficiary. He was a member of the ruling class.
Throughout the entire progression of the plot, the Production Team had arranged many scenes to give him a rich Character Setting, but he had rejected them all without hesitation.
He had never shown the slightest mercy, pity, or sympathy toward the common people of Wolf Fortress. He naturally enjoyed treatment superior to others, considered himself one of the elite, harmed his allies, treated his subordinates as expendable tools, and bullied commoners at will. Even the Script Hint had failed to turn him around.
How did this Young Fortress Lord resemble a Hot-blooded youth with a comeback script?
From the very beginning, he had clearly stood on the opposite side of the people!
Yang Chi himself had certainly failed to notice the subtle changes in his subconscious. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have accepted the role of Lin Xuan. Instead, he might have taken the initiative to change his acting path like Chu Fan, chosen to break through his own limits, and tried playing the role of a Big Villain.
As Zhang Guangmu watched the Lin Xuan played by Yang Chi, he couldn't help sighing inwardly.
Heroes who slew dragons becoming evil dragons was common in every era. Yang Chi was merely one of them, and not even a particularly representative example.
Now, looking at the Plot Protagonist Lin Xuan played by Yang Chi and his lofty, superior attitude, Zhang Guangmu even felt like making a belated remark: the life photos Yang Chi had recently posted online all showed him dressed in suits, looking like a successful elite. They gave off the feeling of a mini Chu Fan.
To be honest, although Zhang Guangmu couldn't say why, he thought Chu Fan was a little better than Yang Chi.
"I've answered your question."
Lin Xuan slightly raised his swordlike brows and looked down at Zhang Guangmu. "Now, you can die in peace."
As he spoke, he suddenly waved his hand.
"Take them out!"
Zhang Guangmu curled his lips, looking completely at ease, while the Wolf Riders beside him began screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Don't attack! Everyone in Wolf Fortress has been poisoned! Only Vice Fortress Lord has the antidote!"
"We're really not lying to you! Everything I said is true! The poison we've been given is called the Ten-Day Death Potion. Vice Fortress Lord developed it!"
"That's right! This poison is colorless and odorless. Anyone who takes it will definitely die on the tenth day!"
"Exactly! Most importantly, the antidote hasn't even been completed yet. Only Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang knows how to prepare it!"
"Don't act rashly! Stop! I'm talking to you! You son of a—still moving?! Kill us and you'll all be buried with us!"
These people might not sincerely have wanted to stand on the same side as Zhang Guangmu and die for him. If their relationship was based solely on shared interests, then when surrounded by enemies and facing an absolute disadvantage in manpower, they might have simply knelt down and begged for mercy.
But now, they had no choice but to back Zhang Guangmu.
At least until they obtained the antidote, they absolutely didn't want the Young Vice Fortress Lord to die easily!
Their eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on their foreheads bulged.
Sweat covered their heads as they roared at the top of their voices.
Driven by an overwhelming desire to survive, the group unleashed ear-splitting cries. Layered together, they were surprisingly imposing, and the Wolf Riders under Lin Xuan were stunned for a moment.
That brief pause allowed most of them to barely hear what the group was trying to say.
Thus...
For a time, the people under Young Fortress Lord Lin Xuan found themselves caught between advancing and retreating. Most wore complicated expressions, unsure what they should do.
After all, in matters like this, it was better to believe it than not.
Poisoning everyone in Wolf Fortress—and using a delayed poison at that? Did they think poison was some kind of mechanism that could be set to go off at a certain time?
It sounded ridiculous. A normal person wouldn't instinctively believe it after hearing such a thing.
But...
What if it was true?
Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang had originally been an orphan without a father or mother. Even after passing the Water Prison Trial, he had merely been a nameless Wolf Rider. The greatest achievement he could have hoped for in his entire life might have been becoming a Death Warrior lurking in the shadow behind the Fort Master.
Yet such a person had risen at lightning speed in an extremely short time. Not only had he invented the Flame Artifact, he had also won Fort Master Lin Yan's recognition and leaped into the position of Vice Fortress Lord of Wolf Fortress, with countless honors resting upon him.
Such an outstanding young man had originally existed only in the stories told by storytellers. Yet Young Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang had appeared before everyone in the flesh.
The capable could do anything!
The strong only grew stronger!
Deep within the human genes lurked an instinctive worship of the strong. After seeing someone accomplish with ease what they themselves could never achieve in a lifetime of struggle, people would naturally sanctify that person in the depths of their hearts!
Therefore...
Other people producing the Ten-Day Death Potion and poisoning everyone in Wolf Fortress? Impossible!
Young Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang doing the same thing? Possible!
Taking this into consideration...
Whether other people lived or died didn't matter. Their own lives were the most precious things of all!
"Poison?"
Lin Xuan's eyes flickered, and a trace of suspicion appeared on his face.
If only one person had said it, he would have treated it as nonsense and not even bothered listening.
After all, some people were born wearing several masks. They were exceptionally skilled at deceiving others through their words, expressions, and body language.
Young Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang was obviously one of those people.
Ever since their last meeting in the street, Lin Xuan had been deeply impressed by the words "Don't bully the poor young man." He often recalled them, pondering them repeatedly in his mind and grasping their essence.
But...
Now that so many people were saying the same thing, surely they couldn't all be born deceivers?
Their expressions, gazes, emotions...
Lin Xuan couldn't find the slightest flaw. He became hesitant.
The next moment, his gaze focused on Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang, and he suddenly remembered how, shortly after rising to power, that man had distributed food to everyone in Wolf Fortress for free...
He had originally thought Tian Guang was merely buying people's loyalty. He had never expected that the man had begun laying out his plan so early!
At such a young age, he was already this ruthless!
What kind of heartless, cold-blooded nature was this?
Looking at Zhang Guangmu's calm and composed appearance, Lin Xuan began to panic and could no longer maintain his airs.
Because...
Although he was the exalted Young Fortress Lord, he was still made of flesh and blood. He wasn't some immortal living in the heavens. He needed to eat and drink just like everyone else.
Before today, he had considered the possibility of being assassinated and arranged many personal guards around himself.
Unfortunately, Lin Xuan hadn't considered poisoning.
They hadn't completely fallen out yet. Who could have imagined that a Young Vice Fortress Lord who had just risen to power would go this far?
Sensing Zhang Guangmu's complete lack of concern, Lin Xuan concluded that he had most likely also been poisoned by the so-called "Ten-Day Death Potion."
Otherwise, Zhang Guangmu couldn't possibly be acting this way!
Lin Xuan's teeth ground together with a clacking sound. He wished he could tear Zhang Guangmu's flesh apart with his teeth, and his voice revealed a hint of viciousness. "Hand over the formula for preparing the antidote, and I'll spare your life!"
Zhang Guangmu burst into laughter when he heard this.
His laughter was full of carefree abandon, emphasizing his complete lack of fear and restraint!
It was six thousand words again today!
Mm!
Hehe~
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