But who knew? Deep down, this Grandmaster was also cursing, feeling immense pressure. He had simply chosen a remote place to ensure his service in the Federation would be a smooth transition. Who could have guessed that a Martial King would suddenly appear? And a Grandmaster—one clearly propped up by external support—had died! Under such circumstances, how dared those bastards provoke the dignity of a Grandmaster? Who did they take him for, an outlet?

One should know that while the Internal Affairs Department possessed means to restrict powerful individuals at the Martial King realm and above, these measures were only applicable within its own jurisdiction. Therefore, if he, a Grandmaster, entertained such an idea, he would likely find that upon entering the Black market, his first encounter would be an unexpected meeting with a cruel and violent Martial King.

What's more, I'm just a Resource Martial Artist! Do these people think I'm not dying fast enough?!

Of course, when facing the turmoil in the Underground City—turmoil that could potentially affect the surface world—he, as a Grandmaster, was not without options. He had the authority to summon surface armies and experts at the Grandmaster level or higher for support at any time. However, after some consideration, the Grandmaster decided it was better to avoid trouble if possible. Let those people carry on with their ruckus, he thought. After all, it has nothing to do with me, and those who die are the ones who deserve their fate. In that case, why bother meddling? As for the innocent citizens of the Federation... if the Black market dared to target them, then it would no longer be my problem but an issue for the entire Federation.

So, at this critical moment, the Internal Affairs Department, one of the Federation's authoritative bodies, seemed to enter a state of complete hibernation under this Grandmaster's arrangement, turning a blind eye to the brazen actions of individuals like Tian Qi.

Naturally, this allowed more people to clearly recognize the current predicament: Tian Qi had become the uncrowned king of the Underground City! With the Federation not intervening, who else had the authority to speak out? Those in the Underground City either concealed their identities or lacked the strength; who would dare to challenge such a frenzied king?

Meanwhile, Wang Zhan, who had witnessed all of this, continued to maintain his silence, observing everything with a detached gaze, like a chess master quietly awaiting his pieces to make their move. By this point, his plan was half complete. Most people had already learned of Snakehead's death. Moreover, in the wake of this news, a team of unknown origin had appeared and bloodily wiped out the stronghold of an Underground City king, driving that king to madness. Thus, any suspicion on Wang Zhan was thoroughly cleared. Even if some felt something was amiss, after the erosion of time and the ensuing tempests, all attention would inevitably focus on the king known as Tian Qi, with people cursing him in their hearts.

Which bastard was responsible for this rotten business... This is undeniably making things difficult for us, isn't it?

As ill luck would have it, they were all witnesses to the upheaval in the Underground City led by Tian Qi and were directly caught in the crossfire. The entire Underground City was thrown into turmoil, with no hope of peace. Even though they were innocent, they seemingly had no choice but to endure Tian Qi's wrath. They could only grumble resentfully in private, desperately hoping not to discover who was truly responsible. Otherwise, these people, also simmering with rage, would surely teach those bastards a lesson they'd never forget!

But what they didn't know was that this 'group of bastards,' while perhaps a fitting label, consisted of only one person in reality: Wang Zhan!

It was a pity Wang Zhan wouldn't volunteer to reveal his 'heroic' deeds. For him, the current chaos provided the perfect cover to obscure the details. Perhaps various rumors would even spread, causing the original organization, upon receiving the news, to misjudge the situation. This was especially true for Snakehead's high-and-mighty father. Once he learned that such a valuable inheritance had been leaked, he would likely suspect his own inner circle immediately. Otherwise, who else could have known that he had passed such a thing to his son? And how coincidental that his son then died at the hands of a group that appeared to be unintentional but was, in fact, meticulously deliberate?

Moreover, for Wang Zhan, Snakehead's greatest significance, beyond that set of martial arts, lay in the fact that the people around Snakehead's father were highly likely to be members of the original organization. By then, Wang Zhan might not have to do anything at all; simply watching the fire from the other bank would suffice. These people would never know that Wang Zhan was lurking in the shadows, enjoying the spectacle. The only way they might discover the truth was if someone within the four major Martial Arts Academies who knew about Wang Zhan's mission was also a conspirator with the original organization.

As for Tian Qi, he was undoubtedly powerful, having achieved his current status through society's gradual and harsh tempering. His formidable reputation was inevitably stained with the color of blood. But to Wang Zhan, what did it matter? Before the mysterious and powerful Wang Zhan—who could directly command a Martial King and even possessed the strength of the Martial King Realm himself—even Tian Qi, who was no ignorant frog at the bottom of a well, had no choice. He could only be overwhelmed and caught in the crossfire by Wang Zhan, ultimately descending into anger, fear, and uncontrollable trembling.

This was an inescapable reality. Wang Zhan merely needed to hold fast to the rope in his hand—the one that pulled Ku Zhu, the Martial King—and he could effortlessly make Tian Qi concede defeat. Thus, once drawn into the scheme, one became a player within it. And in this instance, that player was the pitiful and unwitting Tian Qi.

Of course, Tian Qi also had no idea. The young man pulling his emotional strings had done so with such ease, merely by lightly plucking a metaphorical string. He had effortlessly turned Tian Qi, a Grandmaster, into a plaything in his palm, even though Wang Zhan himself was still just a humble Martial Master. Tian Qi could only be like those dogs that wag their tails and fawn for attention, or like livestock appraised and judged by their masters—a pet unable to escape its designated fate.

Naturally, this also made Wang Zhan more acutely aware of his own precarious position. In the eyes of powerful figures like Edward, who did not particularly favor him, what did it matter if he was a genius? What if he could fight above his realm, or had garnered countless honors and achievements? He was still just a marionette on their strings; they could make him live or die with a whim. Just as Wang Zhan had plucked Tian Qi's heartstrings, those figures only needed to lightly tug at the threads of Wang Zhan's supposedly fixed destiny. Then, Wang Zhan, too, would become like this pitiful wretch before him—filled with anger, terror, and trepidation, yet utterly helpless and forced to try and curry favor.

This was the shared fate of Wang Zhan and Tian Qi. What made it even more infuriating, yet utterly disempowering, was the knowledge that even if they had long been aware that these influential figures were toying with their destinies—turning every critical juncture into a diverging path—they still had no choice but to accept it.

Therefore, perhaps the Tian Qi of the future would, like Wang Zhan at this very moment, find his eyes slightly narrowed, his heart laden with a heavy burden. He would murmur to himself,

In the mortal world, one's fate is not one's own, is it?

Wang Zhan's eyes remained slightly narrowed as he quietly apologized to Tian Qi in his heart. ...If it were possible, I wouldn't choose this path. But from now on, just observe your future with a cold detachment. Then, feel the rage when you finally learn the truth. Perhaps that will be of greater use to you...

While Wang Zhan was engrossed in these thoughts, Ku Zhu, having smoothly accomplished his mission and witnessed the unfolding chaos in the Underground City, finally returned to his side. Though his face was a mask of indifference, his heart harbored a swirl of complex emotions. His posture was even more deferential as he spoke.

"Young Master..."

"Mm..."

Wang Zhan returned to his senses and offered a slight smile. "I got caught up watching and lost track of time. Heh, in just half a day, things have already descended into such chaos. What do you think—is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

Ku Zhu hadn't expected Wang Zhan to pose such a question to him. Is it good or bad? he pondered. For the innocent denizens of the Underground City, and for those already displaced and forced to live like rats, it's undoubtedly a terrible thing. But for the mastermind behind all this... Ku Zhu considered for a moment, a wry smile touching his lips internally. For this Young Master of mine, whom I've only known for a few short days, it's certainly a good thing. Regardless of his ultimate objective, he surely hopes for the situation to be as chaotic as possible; the greater the chaos, the more it benefits him.

Besides, Ku Zhu was no brawny, brainless character. He could discern that the current chaos in the Underground City was merely the beginning. Next, when Tian Qi's subordinates inevitably clashed with Snakehead's men, who were fleeing in all directions—that would be when true pandemonium erupted. Fatal encounters would become commonplace!

But Wang Zhan, seeing Ku Zhu lost in thought and silent for so long, assumed he was merely dazed and chuckled, "Why, is it that difficult to answer?"

Ku Zhu gave a wry smile. "No, Young Master. It's just that I fear my answer might cause offense, so Ku Zhu dares not reply rashly."

"No need to worry. Feel free to speak your mind."

After Wang Zhan spoke, Ku Zhu paused respectfully for a moment before stating seriously, "For you, Young Master, who intends to profit from the chaos, this is naturally a great boon. The more chaotic it becomes, the less likely anyone will detect any trace of our involvement. Even if they were to find some subtle clues, they would have to feign ignorance for fear of offending us. However, for the Federation, this is a grave disaster. It's akin to the current chaos in the Underground City, where the Internal Affairs Department hesitates to intervene due to concerns about Federation laws. Once widespread turmoil erupts, it will be exceedingly difficult to control. It might even breed other dangerous ambitions. If these ambitions materialize, it is ultimately the citizens of the Federation who will suffer the consequences..."

Wang Zhan looked at Ku Zhu, his expression thoughtful. He knew Ku Zhu was no simple character; otherwise, Shi Zhongming wouldn't have valued him so highly, nor would he have personally dispatched him to the side of the Qín Family's young lady's future husband. Now, seeing this display, it confirmed his assessment: Ku Zhu possessed remarkable insight.

Although the Underground City was rife with chaos, with the true culprit standing on the surface while everyone else appeared indifferent, in the final analysis, it all boiled down to profit. They were the ones who benefited, while the interests of the Federation's ordinary citizens were harmed...

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