Little did he know.

"AH!!"

SPLASH!

A mist of water was about to drench Wang Zhan from head to toe.

But soon, Ouyang Yue realized the scene she had imagined in her panic-stricken eyes did not occur.

Because Wang Zhan fearlessly displayed his mental energy in front of her, resembling a cluster of twinkling stars.

In a split moment, the water Ouyang Yue had splashed was drawn back into her cup.

Only after everything returned to normal did Wang Zhan look at her with clear, sincere eyes and say, "Uh, I didn't see anything just now! Besides, even if you let me see, I'm not interested, really!"

Ouyang Yue was consumed by fury, her eyes round with rage. Did I eat your family's rice, or did I dress up begging you to look? Interested? My ass! This bastard, doesn't he know what respect for women means?

"Get lost!"

Wang Zhan readily accepted her command and left without hesitation. Then, gracefully, he once again passed by the Bar, leisurely drifting away from the lively corner of red lights and wine, which now seemed remarkably peaceful and serene.

"Young Master!"

Ku Zhu had resumed his cold and indifferent demeanor, as if yesterday's indulgence had merely been a casual break.

Wang Zhan nodded and instructed, "Go find a car and buy some breakfast. Later, we need to pick someone up from the district."

"Alright!"

「Not long after.」

Wang Zhan, who had returned with breakfast, earnestly expressed his gratitude to Ouyang Yue and Ouyang Win, and they exchanged contact information.

However, Wang Zhan noticed something peculiar during this process.

Ouyang Win's aura seemed to intensify as he sobered up.

This made Wang Zhan's gaze deepen, heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Even after leaving the small home and getting into the sedan Ku Zhu had hailed, Wang Zhan was still pondering this matter, unable to grasp its source.

Those siblings... Something is definitely off!

Moreover, what Wang Zhan found concerning was that last night, he had truly been tempted to open that Pandora's box.

Fortunately, he came to his senses. He indeed wanted to explore the truth behind them, but that didn't mean he was willing to compromise his original aspirations.

His primary goal was to continuously grow stronger; otherwise, if he strayed onto the wrong path, his immense mental energy would undoubtedly become a ticking time bomb.

That would mean compromising in the face of weakness, a misstep when faced with a crucial decision.

Wang Zhan felt that in such an environment, his mind had been unconsciously affected, and this influence seemed capable of swaying his decisions and beliefs.

If not for his sudden awakening and his efforts to resist it through meditation, the Wang Zhan of today might appear outwardly normal, but his martial arts journey would have undeniably lost a crucial foundation stone.

However, unbeknownst to Wang Zhan, as soon as he left, Ouyang Yue immediately rushed back to her room and began ransacking the place.

Muttering to herself, she said, "Hmph! I knew that brat had ulterior motives the moment I saw him. He definitely touched my things last night! If I find any proof, I'll make him pay!"

Behind Ouyang Yue, her brother Ouyang Win, rosy-lipped and pearly-toothed yet with a strangely mature and solemn air, scanned the surroundings, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

After a long moment, when his sister had even unscrupulously dumped the alluring underwear she had deliberately hidden in the bedside cabinet onto the floor in front of him, Ouyang Win finally withdrew his line of sight and spoke, "Sis, he did inspect this room. But… he stopped when he got to this area. He controlled himself and sat here upright all night."

Then, Ouyang Win pointed to the edge of the bed.

It was unclear what ability allowed him to detect the traces of Wang Zhan's earlier exploration.

Ouyang Yue's face turned cold, and she huffed, "Hmph, I don't care if he saw anything or not. My room isn't 'clean' anymore, so he has to pay! That bastard! I was just teasing him a little, and he actually came all the way here to flirt with me!"

Ouyang Win shook his head. "Sis, stop fooling around. We don't know his identity, but his terrifying mental energy alone is frightening enough. Honestly, if he had wanted to inspect my room last night, neither of us could have stopped him. But I can sense he's merely interested in us, without many other intentions."

Ouyang Yue retorted indignantly, "Bullshit! That's only because you were here! Otherwise, who knows how much I would have suffered yesterday! And you don't know this, but he looked at me *again* this morning and even said he wasn't interested! Hmph! Is he some kind of domineering CEO? That pervert, hooligan, idiot…"

Ouyang Win chuckled. "Sis, you know very well that anyone who gets close to us is affected by our influence. Even though we don't do it intentionally, it's an undeniable, albeit strange, fact. Actually, I'm rather impressed he managed to snap out of it so quickly."

Ouyang Yue rolled her eyes; in short, she was thoroughly displeased. "I don't care! That brat took advantage of me! As my brother, shouldn't you be figuring out how to get justice for your sister?"

Ouyang Win gave a bitter smile. How am I supposed to do that? Unless I get my senior martial brothers to give that brat a severe beating, how else can I get justice for her? The problem is, apart from his contact information, we don't even know his name…

Of course, Wang Zhan was completely oblivious to these events unfolding after his departure. He merely felt a lingering trepidation from the perilous encounter.

This concern wasn't directed at the siblings, but rather at his own martial arts.

His journey had been too smooth, and because of this mission, he had relaxed his guard once more, allowing hidden dangers to surface.

As he mulled this over, he found himself frowning.

Currently, there are no easy solutions. The only way is to suppress my impulses and keep myself constantly occupied. Relying on frenzied slaughter to advance, as I did in the past, is no longer an option. One misstep, and I'll be the first to lose control.

Fortunately, just then, Ku Zhu announced, "Young Master! We've arrived!"

They were outside Quan State City, before a wide, continuous highway where some traces of recent passage still remained.

Wang Zhan alighted from the car, his gaze sweeping into the distance.

Tian Qi waited calmly, not questioning, not contending, not moving, not speaking—a silent fixture.

Finally, a line of vehicles slowly came into view, approaching Wang Zhan and Ku Zhu.

Presumably spotting the two waiting figures, the convoy decelerated.

From the leading sedan, a girl in a white dress emerged, ethereal as a celestial maiden. Gracefully, she adjusted her long hair, then stood by the car and offered Wang Zhan a sweet smile.

Wang Zhan stepped forward and gently embraced her.

The familiar scent, the familiar sensation—the turmoil he had felt from last night until this moment finally subsided a little.

"You're here," he said.

"Mhm, I was just missing you!" Yao Yao smiled sweetly, unabashedly revealing her most bashfully charming side to Wang Zhan.

Of course, any chance for the two to share heartfelt words was impossible at this moment. Right behind Yao Yao were over a dozen sedans. Though discreet, they clearly belonged to people of considerable status. This inner group was further encircled by a convoy of several dozen assorted vehicles, large and small. The license plates varied, but a glance at the car models was enough to indicate that their owners were undoubtedly influential.

Just then, one of the heavily guarded sedans slowly halted in front of Wang Zhan.

A young man with an effeminate appearance emerged, stood by the car door, and offered Wang Zhan a hearty smile. "Wang Zhan, we're here!"

It was Yang Zecheng. He had parted ways with Wang Zhan long ago but had rushed to the scene the moment Wang Zhan returned to the Federation.

After all, he was one of Wang Zhan's investors and had staked a considerable sum on him.

How could Wang Zhan not reciprocate such support? Knowing this was a rare opportunity, he naturally had to include Yang Zecheng.

Simultaneously, the vehicles behind Yang Zecheng also pulled over to the side of the road.

They were all filled with young scions from various families, major and minor, each accompanied by at least a few Grandmaster Realm retainers. All told, each of these young individuals represented a force capable of easily conquering an Underground City.

Soon after, Yang Zecheng approached Wang Zhan and began introducing them in a low voice. "These are some of my friends. Don't underestimate them; although they aren't favored within their families and have been marginalized, even the smallest ant has its meat—every bit of support counts.

"Following your intentions, I've specially gathered them. If you can show them sufficiently rich returns this time, perhaps even helping one or two of them regain a central position in their family's line of succession, it will be immensely beneficial for both of us!"

Wang Zhan gave him a light hug, an unspoken greeting often shared between men.

"Thank you!"

"Hahaha! I told you long ago that investing in you would surely bring me great and abundant returns. Honestly, I didn't expect this day to arrive so quickly. So, no need for thanks! Come, let me introduce you!"

Following that, under Yang Zecheng's guidance, Wang Zhan truly witnessed the kind of resources and influence that even so-called third-rate families in Jing State could possess.

"This one's from the Chen Family," Yang Zecheng began. "The Chen Family possesses the Iron Arm Martial Arts. Although their heritage is a bit shallow, having only risen to prominence in ancient times, their family has produced a level 9 Martial King whose fame is widespread."

"This group is from the Lu Family. The Lu Family specializes in close-quarters martial arts. Their true heritage is well-concealed, unknown to most. However, they are eclectic, dabbling in everything. In Jing State, their reputation among various martial arts traditions is top-tier, especially for their ability in close-combat assaults."

"And this is the Ding Family! Honestly, if their old ancestor hadn't passed away a few years ago, their family's status would likely rival ours. Even so, they still have seven level 9 Martial Kings. It's just a matter of who among them can break through to the Martial Emperor Realm first..."

Unquestionably, after listening to Yang Zecheng's introductions, Wang Zhan immediately understood.

These are all top-tier individuals!

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