Of course, it was because of Wang Zhan. Due to him, everyone present would have to bid farewell to the Federation for a time. After all, the Federation's iron-willed resolve had never wavered in the slightest, regardless of any protection these individuals might have.

However, Ouyang Yue didn't understand why Wang Zhan had chosen to appear at this precise moment, or why he had shown up just as she was about to fall into the monster's clutches. Therefore, she truly wondered, did Wang Zhan do all this for me? How else could these coincidences be explained?

As she thought about it, she even felt an urge to say to Wang Zhan, "You're infuriating..." If you like me, just say it! You've slept in my bed, so I'm yours now... Of course, these thoughts remained unspoken.

Despite this, her face was filled with pleasant surprise, and she boldly cast aside any lingering shyness. Then, with wide eyes, her beautiful face—still cherubic with a touch of baby fat that made one's mouth water—she earnestly and excitedly asked Wang Zhan, "Wang... Zhan, are you here to save me?"

Huh? Wang Zhan was momentarily stunned. His gaze then settled on her, a strange expression in his eyes. Is there something wrong with this woman? Why does she always think there are so many damsel-in-distress scenarios in the world?

However, that wasn't the most shocking thing for the people present. What truly astounded them was that the man possessing the strength of a high-level Martial King was actually named Wang Zhan. This seemingly insignificant name, blurted out by Ouyang Yue, instantly stirred a tempest in everyone's heart.

"That expert... is named Wang Zhan?"

Aside from a few insiders who already knew Wang Zhan's identity, everyone else felt a sense of familiarity mixed with surprise.

"Wang Zhan? Who is this person? Do you know him?"

"I don't know him! But he seems vaguely familiar! Strange, how could I feel a sense of familiarity with such an important figure? And I just can't recall where I've seen his name before..."

In fact, news about Wang Zhan had indeed circulated throughout the Federation, but it was largely confined to online dissemination. Moreover, an unknown amount of time had passed, and the promotional efforts by certain opportunistic individuals within the Federal Military Department had been superficial at best, like a story without a beginning or end. Thus, it was natural that these people couldn't recall him.

However, to Lu Family Ninth Master and Lu Jade, this name was thunderously familiar. So much so that even the Ninth Master, a man accustomed to major events, was momentarily plunged into a long-unfelt state of astonishment and silence.

"Wang Zhan? Wang Zhan!"

So it was him!

In that instant, countless memories flooded the Ninth Master's mind. He had heard long ago that at the beginning of the year, a young man had suddenly risen to prominence in the Federation of Jing State. Wang Zhan!

First, he had gone on a killing spree in the Jing State slums. Although merely a Martial Artist at the time, he had slain an unknown number of Grandmasters, including even a Half-Step Grandmaster.

Then, he returned to the arena of the Federal Martial Arts Competition. He made the vast majority of this year's talented Martial Arts Academy students realize that there was always someone better, a wider world beyond their own. The only reason they thought they had no rivals was simply because they hadn't met them yet.

Consequently, in Wang Zhan's presence, their aspirations to covet the Federal Martial Arts Competition championship—a symbol of strength and honor—became nothing more than impractical talk and fanciful delusions.

Moreover, as one of the leading noble families in Jing State's second tier, the Lu Family possessed far more information about Wang Zhan than most.

At the very least, they knew Wang Zhan had offended the Royal Martial Arts Academy, because the Half-Step Grandmaster he had killed was a mentor from there. Yet, in the end, Wang Zhan had not only shown up but had also brazenly walked into the Royal Martial Arts Academy empty-handed. He met with and offered an apology to Headmaster Edward of the Royal Martial Arts Academy—one of the four powerful Martial Emperors of the Federal Martial Arts Academy—and then walked out completely unscathed.

During that time, he had even extorted one billion from a branch of the Jing State Tang Family and, incidentally, killed one of their Grandmasters! The reason was that the Grandmaster mentor from the Royal Martial Arts Academy whom Wang Zhan had killed was the intended son-in-law of this particular branch family.

Unexpectedly, Wang Zhan not only killed that Grandmaster but had even planned to send this member of the Tang family's branch to a brothel—an act of extreme arrogance and aggression. The final outcome, however, was stunning: the Tang Family conceded!

One should know, even for a mere branch family, while one billion might not have been an exorbitant sum given the Tang Family's power, what was truly at stake was their face. Yet, it was precisely this face that the Tang Family discarded without a second thought, even going as far as to help Wang Zhan metaphorically toss it into the trash.

As a result, many powerful noble families in Jing State finally registered the young man's name—Wang Zhan—for the first time. And they formed a clear understanding: this was not an easy young man to deal with; he was fearless and utterly ruthless in his actions.

Naturally, they also learned that the reason this young man had risen to prominence so quickly was that he had offended the original organization. In an unexpected turn, the original organization had suffered a major setback at his hands, an incident that even implicated some influential figures in the Military Department.

It was conceivable then that Wang Zhan's backing likely emerged and began supporting him from that point onward.

Subsequently, Wang Zhan became a hero of the Federation. Videos of him killing members of the original organization began to circulate widely on the Federation's internet. Later, these became part of the collective memory, submerged like the bulk of an iceberg beneath the surface of online discourse.

Of course, during this period, the Federal Military Department offered its most fitting and ostensibly "true" assessment of Wang Zhan: "The Federation's Young Hero!" Yet, everyone knew this was merely a charade, a double act the Federal Military Department was performing with some unknown party.

The noble families paid little heed to Wang Zhan. Perhaps he temporarily represented the Military Department, possessing the title and status of one under its protection. But everyone knew that, given Wang Zhan's strength, if placed in any noble family with a profound heritage, he would at best be considered a descendant with decent talent. How could he possibly bear such a grand title? It was nothing more than a laughable farce, something to be scoffed at.

Even though he could kill a Half-Step Grandmaster, as long as an enemy wasn't a Martial King, killing any other Grandmaster was, in reality, an exceedingly simple matter for them.

While they couldn't replicate Wang Zhan's clean, lethal efficiency, where every strike was fatal, if a Grandmaster fell into the hands of the descendants of these powerful noble families, even if those descendants were complete losers who could only win by attrition, they could absolutely wear that Grandmaster down to nothing.

And that was the true foundation of any noble family that dared to call itself powerful. The problem, however, was that at that time, Wang Zhan had been merely an insignificant Martial Artist. He didn't even qualify as a Martial Master!

How much time had passed since then? Not even two months! So why had Wang Zhan's strength advanced so rapidly, leaping to the level of a high-level Martial King? Had these noble families completely misjudged him, or was Wang Zhan still that dark horse from before?

As for Lu Jade, his reaction was even simpler. "Grandpa, Grandpa! Is he the Federation's young hero? I remember his name! That big brother is also called Wang Zhan! He's so amazing!"

Children speak without inhibition. Lu Jade naturally couldn't comprehend the immense threat Wang Zhan's existence posed to the noble families.

The only thing he cared about was that he had actually met the hero he idolized—the big brother from the videos on his phone who could fell a martial arts expert with a single strike! And this big brother was even more powerful now.

If before, he could at most kill a Martial General and had to fight desperately to eliminate a Grandmaster, now, killing a Grandmaster was as easy for him as slaughtering a chicken.

And so, the mere thought that he, Lu Jade, might one day have the chance to become the disciple of the heroic big brother he idolized... that seemed like the coolest thing ever!

However, when Lu Jade called out to him, the Lu Family Ninth Master reacted instantly, his expression changing.

"That's right! If he is Wang Zhan, and also the Federation's young hero, then where on earth did those techniques come from? Could it be that the Federation truly intends to move against us noble families, to start suppressing our power?"

As an elder of a noble family, he was well aware that every noble family hidden within the Federation was like a malignant tumor within its body, sucking its blood and devouring its flesh. They had long ago become tenacious, chronic afflictions.

But if events were truly unfolding as the Ninth Master now suspected, how should the Lu Family position itself? Should they submit to the Federation's arrangements? Or should they launch a desperate counterattack, choosing even death over allowing their legacy to be destroyed at the Federation's hands?

This was the fundamental conflict between the noble families, each acting in its own interest, and the ruling Federation. On one side lay individual gains; on the other, the will of the Federation! Unquestionably, the situation was growing increasingly complex.

Of course, if Wang Zhan knew of the Ninth Master's thoughts, he might have responded with an innocent look, "What ulterior motives could I possibly have? I have no such ideas at all! I'm simply working for the good of the Federation. If the Federation thrives, that's what truly matters!"

Though these thoughts and realizations were complex, the atmosphere in the clearing was rapidly shifting. In an instant, due to Wang Zhan's identity being exposed, the expressions of many people present turned strange.

Even Ouyang Yue, who was usually oblivious, instantly sensed the shift in the others, and her expression soured. She looked at Wang Zhan in bewilderment, then at the crowd with their inscrutable expressions. She really wanted to tell them...

"I... I... I really didn't say anything! Why are you all looking at Wang Zhan like that? How about... you just pretend none of this ever happened, okay?"

She was on the verge of tears. What was wrong with today? Why did every word she uttered lead to some unfavorable outcome? Had her mouth been blessed—or cursed—to make things come true? The thing is, she hadn't lit any incense or prayed to any Buddha before leaving home today. Did it have to be *this* effective?!

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