When it came to talent, he wouldn't even compare to that chubby kid, let alone the black-clad people around him; he was just average. So, he simply calmed down and decided to proceed gradually.

As for this process, even though Young Master Wang's displayed indifference and brutality made him feel increasingly distant from the person he remembered, there was no doubt. This young man, now known as Wang Zhan, had matured far more than before. At the very least, he knew how to win people's hearts, and hardly anyone could detect it—not even Wei Daoming. Maturity signified strength, and concealment signified boundaries. The cunningness that no one noticed would naturally become Wang Zhan's greatest asset for survival. Thinking about it this way, perhaps only the bloody, crazy, violent, cruel, and now power-concealing Wang Zhan was the truly powerful Wang Zhan of today.

「Meanwhile.」

With the moves Wang Zhan made and the accumulating, increasingly powerful bloody momentum, it was natural that this would cause some significant tremors. Even now, around the Quan State area, twenty-seven cities in a row had not received a single piece of news from the most powerful Underground City, the Ming State Underground City. Yet, a series of bloodbath incidents had occurred in the Underground Cities within their jurisdictions. This finally startled them!

Among them were Quan State, Guan Zhou, Huan State, Ying State, and many others—everywhere but Ming State. Almost all the State Governors and high-ranking officials had received news about incidents in their respective Underground Cities. So, all the State Governors began contacting each other privately.

"Underground City rebellion! Are there any problems on your end?"

"Everyone's dead! All the powerful Martial Generals are gone, leaving rivers of blood..."

"On my side, the Underground City is still fighting, and all exits have been thoroughly sealed! Apart from the blind Internal Affairs Department, nobody knows what's going on below..."

Naturally, some people were furious. "It's outrageous! Who on earth would dare to do such a treasonous thing? Don't they know that the existence of the Underground Cities is a measure taken by the Federation to preserve the strength of the Human Race?"

"This can't go on! I've checked; the affected area is just our Southwest region. Everything beyond the Southwest is fine, so it's clear they're targeting us! I demand troops—dispatch troops immediately! Send them into the Underground Cities!"

The problem was, some people had already gathered beforehand because of a certain matter. As a result, this sudden Underground City bloodbath incident, coupled with that prior issue, easily led to speculation.

"Could it be something caused by that old fellow, Jin Botao?"

"Impossible! He's just a minor figure; he doesn't have that kind of power, and no one pays him any mind. I'd rather believe the one who sells fake medicine did this!"

Someone stumbled upon an idea. To sell fake medicine, one would certainly need the agreement of the vast majority. A cautious person would seek cooperation; an overbearing one would act decisively and swiftly. In this way, it was possible to link the two. Therefore, it sparked some thoughts.

"If Jin Botao doesn't know about this, yet he came to us, does that mean he didn't coordinate with that person, which is why we were caught off guard?"

They didn't care whether the denizens of the Underground Cities lived or died. But if this trivial matter diminished their strength to face the future Beast Tide, it would be a grave sin. Although the Beast Clan had been much quieter recently, it didn't mean they had fallen into a deep slumber.

"You might be right; I suspect the same. We might have been kept in the dark."

"Why bother guessing? Go find Jin Botao! That old fellow must know something. Just ask him!"

"Correct. If it is him, we'll exercise restraint. If not, and if our stance at the upcoming Southwest States Conference ruins this matter, it would be a classic case of trying to gain an advantage only to suffer a greater loss."

One should know, they really didn't care about deaths. But if the promises Jin Botao made turned out to be empty, they could definitely dig up his ancestral graves and raise hell.

Thus, Jin Botao, who had felt something was off as soon as he received the news and was trying to find that rascal Wang Zhan, became the first line of defense for Wang Zhan.

「In the office.」

Calls were coming in non-stop, phones buzzing incessantly. His once aged but still composed face was now a mask of furrowed brows. Jin Botao looked at the telephone, then turned and instructed Guan Shan, the director of the Martial Management Bureau, "Keep looking! Today, you must find that kid's whereabouts for me!"

Jin Botao had already found an excuse to send his young secretary away. The young fellow is too inexperienced and overly ambitious; he needs to be tempered a bit more out in the world. Naturally, Guan Shan was temporarily roped in by Jin Botao; after all, he was also living off the Federation's dime.

Then, Guan Shan departed with a troubled expression.

Jin Botao answered the phone with a hearty laugh. "Old friend, what's up? We just chatted two days ago, and now you're missing me again?"

"Stop your damn nonsense!"

To his surprise, the person on the other end immediately started cursing furiously, and Jin Botao's face darkened.

"Jin Botao, you old scoundrel! You're always the 'harmless old fool' when things are quiet, but the 'wise old friend' when trouble brews! I hadn't even said anything yet, and your fox tail is already showing! I bet you're behind this! Couldn't you have given me a hint, even a subtle one? Do you realize that all twenty-eight cities in the Southwest are in an uproar? Everyone's clamoring for a Southwest States Conference and demanding troops be sent into the Underground Cities!"

Luckily, the person on the other end wasn't entirely unreasonable. As their tone softened, Jin Botao, though still grumbling, also began to calm down a bit.

However…

"Damn it all, I have no idea! I'm still looking for that brat! There's still no sign of him."

"Cut the crap! I just want to know, is there any trouble in *your* Underground City? What's the point of looking for him? If he doesn't want to be found, can you really tear the place apart looking? The urgent matter now is how we should respond!"

At this moment, Jin Botao was suddenly struck by a critical realization.

Damn it! Of course, my Underground City is fine for now! The problem is, as soon as that guy arrived, he turned it upside down!

The evidence was conclusive: the one wreaking havoc and bloodily cleansing the Underground Cities was indeed Wang Zhan. Being shrewd individuals, both of them realized this immediately. But subsequently, another pressing issue confronted them.

"Jin Botao, it's not just my faction demanding answers now; the others need them too! Not to mention those who are unwilling to deal with you. Now you tell me, with this huge mess, how the hell do we clean it up? Do we have to report it to the Federation?"

One or two cities would have been manageable. But twenty-eight cities all at once—even if they were just remote, small cities on the periphery—was a terrifying prospect. Almost no one was spared.

For this reason, the person on the other end continued to press, "Don't you know what that bastard is trying to achieve, making such a huge scene? So what if he sells fake medicine? If his fake medicine is cheap and effective, hell, I'd turn myself in to the Federation if it meant he could sell it throughout the Federation first! So, tell me now, can we still back out? Just how deeply are you involved?"

The other side had stated their bottom line: as long as Wang Zhan was selling fake medicine and it was effective, they could buy him some time. What they needed to know now was whether Jin Botao had any idea what Wang Zhan was planning.

However, Jin Botao, after furrowing his brows intensely for a moment, soon relaxed.

He had indeed gotten involved. The frequency of ordinary seeds of Martial Arts appearing in Quan State City had skyrocketed. Some students, not even in their senior year of high school yet, had already begun cultivating their internal energy thanks to Wang Zhan's fake medicine. Once they entered a Martial Arts Academy and obtained subsequent cultivation techniques and secret manuals, dozens of them could become courageous experts. Though dozens might seem few, for individuals who had almost lost all hope, it was practically a miracle. What's more, this was just the beginning! Since he was already at the table, it would be unprincipled to fold at the first sign of trouble. Therefore, Wang Zhan… he, Jin Botao, was betting on him!

So, after a long silence, Jin Botao finally said in a low voice, "I can't give you any answers, and you don't need to ask me. But I'm an old man who doesn't have many years left. This time, I've laid my chips on the table, and I don't intend to pull back. So, if you value our old friendship, help take care of my descendants after I'm gone."

Who would have thought the person on the other end would immediately roar, their fury seeming to burst from the receiver, "Screw you, Jin Botao! Are you insane? Risking everything without knowing a damn thing? Don't you realize that if even one of us pulls out of this gamble now, you'll die without a burial place!"

Jin Botao laughed. "I don't care; my conscience is clear. Fake medicine? Can it kill anyone? If the Federation has a problem, let them come to me!"

CLICK.

Jin Botao abruptly hung up the phone, his face dark as he cursed under his breath, "Damn it all! Where the hell has that little brat run off to now? Those freeloaders in the Internal Affairs Department are useless! At this rate, they won't find a single clue even if they search for years."

Besides the Internal Affairs Department, he had no other recourse. He could only wait anxiously for Guan Shan, who had many classmates and comrades in various places, hoping he might bring some good news.

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