Of course, whether Ku Zhu could take it away was another matter. In any case, Snakehead was honoring his promise to deliver the object to him. He had backed down!

But how could Ku Zhu not know? TSK TSK TSK… Once that request was made, the consequences might be even more severe than asking for Snakehead's life outright. Even if Snakehead was a real underworld emperor, in the face of those factions that truly held the power of life and death, he was nothing more than a disposable pawn.

So, Ku Zhu, who was well aware of all this, simply shook his head slightly. As his palm was about to land on Snakehead, he whispered with a laugh, "Your sincerity is still lacking. How about this: I'll let you go for now, and you can hand the item over to me right here. How does that sound?"

As for leaking secrets? Heh heh. Ku Zhu wasn't worried about this issue at all. If this information was leaked, the first to die would certainly not be him, but the main culprit of the leak—Snakehead.

But Snakehead reacted quickly at this moment. Regardless of what Ku Zhu wanted, it's definitely something I'm unwilling to give up. Could he be targeting the powers behind me? Does he even realize what he's doing? Does he really think that a mere Martial King can defy the heavens and be invincible?

At the same time that undercurrents were surging between them, Tian Qi was completely stunned.

Ku Zhu is a Martial King?! How is this possible! He had already stretched his imagination to elevate Ku Zhu's status countless times. Yet, who would have thought that in the end, he was still the naive clown who had seen nothing of the world? What in the world has happened? Did we take a wrong turn? This isn't Quan State, this is some other lousy place!

But even though Tian Qi was shocked, he fundamentally did not doubt the fact that Ku Zhu was a Martial King. Leaving aside everything else, Snakehead's desperate and frantic evasion in the face of Ku Zhu was proof enough. Snakehead didn't even dare attempt to retaliate. This showed that the gap between them was even greater than the chasm between Tian Qi and Snakehead. And that was the terrifying presence a true Martial King possessed once they entered combat!

Even Tian Qi, an expert of the Grandmaster Realm, was stunned by the rapidly changing situation, standing by helplessly like a child watching adults fight, unable to intervene. So, what about those busybodies and ambitious individuals watching the battle? Although the battle itself seemed deceptively calm, like still waters, everyone present was utterly shocked.

"This is... a Martial King?"

"To think I'd live to see a Martial King in battle!"

"My heavens! The Martial King Realm… If he unleashed his full power, could he easily destroy our little Underground City?"

The question of what the Martial King realm truly entailed was enough to occupy their imaginations for a lifetime.

At the same time, these people naturally thought of Wang Zhan, who was clearly in a dominant position relative to Ku Zhu. Thus, every gaze directed at Wang Zhan now carried a touch of awe, and many sucked in a sharp breath.

"It turns out he has a Martial King Dao Protector! Isn't that young man a core figure of some big Family?"

"A core figure wouldn't typically have a Martial King as a Dao Protector unless he wasn't an ordinary person at all, but a prodigy with such incredible Talent that the entire Family would invest heavily in him!"

"It's truly enviable. Those damn big Families in the Federation... even a random member from one of them is someone we could never hope to associate with…"

They whispered among themselves, their minds awash with thoughts, like an endless succession of waves.

However, not everyone was completely deterred by Wang Zhan's seemingly unapproachable status from trying to strike up a conversation. At least one unremarkable-looking Martial General, under the watchful eyes of many, began to walk towards Wang Zhan, intending to speak with him.

This scene elicited scorn and ridicule from many onlookers.

"What's that kid trying to do? Curry favor with the powerful?"

"Heh heh, just a minor Martial General. Even if he has some talent, so what? In the great Families, individuals like him are a dime a dozen, no better than a lapdog. Does he think that after exchanging a few words, he'll be set for life?"

"Now, now, don't say that. Where there's a will, there's a way. Maybe that rich kid will toss him a few scraps, feed this overconfident whelp a mouthful?"

HAHAHAHA…

They felt Wang Zhan was unapproachable, both in terms of strength and disposition, concluding it was impossible to get close to such a figure. So, seeing that insignificant Martial General advance instead of retreating, attempting to curry favor with Wang Zhan with a smile, their ridicule and scorn were only natural. It was as if they themselves had suddenly become paragons of virtue and nobility. This was despite the fact that they themselves could barely glimpse the Martial General realm, their own Talent permanently capped at the threshold of the Martial Master Realm. Even though they knew everything about that young Martial General and had long recognized the gulf between them, this feeling of superiority still brought them a perverse sense of accomplishment.

Little did they know, just as the young man was preparing to make his move, Wang Zhan had already noticed his approach, as well as the hushed conversations of the weaker Martial Artists and Martial Masters. But he paid them no mind, merely squinting slightly. A faint, unconcerned smile played on his lips as he idly listened to Boss Chen, who stood before him, hesitating to speak.

Just moments before, when Snakehead had revealed the fact that Ku Zhu was actually a Martial King expert, Boss Chen's face had instantly become a kaleidoscope of colors, and he even gasped aloud. Then, he looked at Wang Zhan with a wry smile and said, "Little brother, what exactly is your identity? Can you give your old brother a straight answer? You claim to sell fake medicine, yet now you've conjured up a Martial King realm bodyguard. Who would believe such a story?"

In other words, who could he possibly complain to about this madness?!

It was at this moment that Wang Zhan saw Ku Zhu's hand press down on Snakehead's shoulder, and he knew everything was settled. Now, it all depended on whether Snakehead would cooperate and hand over the desired item.

So, he chuckled and responded to Boss Chen, "Brother Chen, why worry about all this? We're just doing business. What does it matter to us whether someone is a Martial King or not? I'm just an ordinary person, with no Essence Energy or mental energy, really just trying to earn a little extra cash. Surely you don't think I could cheat you? Besides, I did warn you before. Yes, we sell fake medicine, and our starting point might be a bit low-end, but that doesn't matter. We have connections up top!…"

Boss Chen felt even more helpless, opening his mouth but then closing it again. This wasn't just 'connections'; these connections practically reached the heavens!

He could only ask again for confirmation, "Little brother, can you tell your old brother just how much 'little extra cash' you're aiming to make? Give me a straight answer, please. If it's too much, your old brother is just an ordinary man. Three meals a day, basic necessities... I can't handle anything too big!"

Wang Zhan stroked his chin, nodding in agreement with Brother Chen's sentiment. "You're right. Brother Chen, you are our partner, after all. You have the right to know our future development plans and even participate… Since that's the case, Brother Chen, I won't beat around the bush. What I want to earn is truly just a little something. Not too much, not too little... just the business dealings of a few dozen cities, that's all."

Boss Chen's hand trembled. "H-how much?"

Wang Zhan looked at him in surprise and said, "Just the business of a few dozen cities. It shouldn't be a big deal. Other people's businesses are much larger than ours. Brother Chen, surely you don't lack even that little bit of ambition?"

Besides, I've already significantly downplayed it, and he's still this scared? Aren't the people in this Federation Underground City supposed to have strong nerves? How come he seems so easily rattled?

But at that moment, Boss Chen felt like roaring at Wang Zhan. Strong nerves? This is a death wish! It's not just that I lack confidence; I'm starting to think I won't even live to see the day we actually earn that kind of money! Does this kid have any idea how much business 'a few dozen cities' entails? Is that still 'a little something,' a 'small trade'? That's the kind of massive operation that would send the entire Federation into a frenzy!

If Wang Zhan actually pulled it off, this wouldn't just be hundreds of millions, or billions—it could easily be tens of billions, perhaps even hundreds of billions!

Of course, making it happen is impossible. It'll never happen in this lifetime. Because if it *did* happen, one only had to consider what Wang Zhan was involved in to predict the dire consequences. Selling fake medicine in any Black market would inevitably attract jealousy, and it was also a violation of Federation law.

In other words, they were currently sprinting headlong down the path from being wanted criminals in a single city to becoming wanted criminals across the entire Federation, come hell or high water!

Thinking about this, Boss Chen felt utter despair, didn't he? Or perhaps they should just discuss how to arrange a quicker, less painful death for themselves?

Fortunately, every cloud has a silver lining. Just then, Ku Zhu, who had already subdued Snakehead, and the young Martial General, who had endured a barrage of scornful and contemptuous gazes, both approached Wang Zhan's side, arriving one after the other.

So, when Boss Chen saw Snakehead's pained, struggling, yet utterly helpless expression, a feeling of schadenfreude welled up within him.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. Even though his own end was likely to be grim, seeing this formidable figure—someone who had once terrified him to the core, someone he wouldn't have dared approach—now being interrogated and forced to submit right before his eyes... a bud of solace quietly bloomed amidst his despair, giving rise to a peculiar sense of pride, an almost pleasant sensation.

At least someone else is in deeper trouble than I am right now!

Happiness is all relative, isn't it? Looked at this way, Boss Chen felt more than just a little vindicated.

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