After all, even if people, mired in endless disappointment and despair, manage to muster a do-or-die resolve and the confidence that comes with it, potentially leveraging it for greater future achievements, they are undoubtedly gambling with a slim, uncertain possibility for their future and their own prospects. Therefore, no one has the right to accuse the kid of wasting anything.

When this thought flashed through Wang Zhan's mind, he almost burst out laughing. Because no one would be that stupid! As a human being, the first thing one must learn is, in fact, to grasp the utilitarian aspects of the situation before them. Just as one must find food to eat, one must also have water nearby to drink. Perhaps if this utilitarianism were termed a 'bodily predatory instinct,' it might be more readily accepted. And that is human nature.

However, the kid's situation had triggered a line of thought in Wang Zhan's mind. Suddenly, he remembered. Hasn't the hour I agreed upon with the Old Man already passed? Who knows if that Old Man is furious about my unreliability, or perhaps gloating because I missed our appointment! After all, it might lead him to the mistaken conclusion that my recovery ability is merely average and nothing to worry about. Of course, as far as I'm concerned, whatever the Old Man thinks, so be it! He'll probably never understand my trump card. After all, people have their limits, the earth has its boundaries, and so does thought. It's not due to some innate Limit, but purely because they're unaware that other possibilities exist.

Moreover, Wang Zhan didn't believe the old fellow wouldn't have left some way to track him, to make finding him easier. He was an old fox, after all. Who knows, he might be hiding in some corner right now, spying on everything here! Of course, this was because the information about this child had genuinely taken Wang Zhan by surprise; otherwise, he would never have missed the appointment.

Therefore, Wang Zhan looked at the young boy before him and got straight to the point. "I know the information you told me isn't something you obtained yourself."

He glanced lightly at the spirit altar, squatting silently to one side, which had remained undisturbed throughout. Then he smiled faintly and said, "The information you shared... it must be something your brother left behind, right? So, bring it out. Let me take a look. Also, get ready to come with me; we need to leave!"

The boy didn't refuse. He carefully put away the small bottle in his hand and then asked calmly, without objection, "Where to?"

The corner of Wang Zhan's mouth tilted up in a cold smirk. Where to? To kill, of course… Oh, right, those things aren't human! Of course, this kid is still just a naive child; it's best not to expose him to too much. Otherwise, if he ends up like those two lunatics in my Origin Point—the mad man and the monster—and becomes unhinged, that wouldn't be good at all.

Therefore, Wang Zhan looked intently at the young boy before him and said softly, "You'll know when we get there. But I don't like answering too many questions. You'd better keep up when I leave, or our association ends here."

Thus, almost as soon as Wang Zhan stated this condition and made his resolute intention to leave perfectly clear, the boy didn't hesitate. Within five minutes, he was rapidly packing all his belongings. He packed everything he could take into the backpack he carried, even including his brother's spirit altar.

At this point, Wang Zhan naturally noticed the notebook in the little boy's hand, its cover adorned with a maple leaf. It looked somewhat old, but the cover was intact, showing how much its owner cherished it.

However, meeting Wang Zhan's gaze, the boy suddenly said, "I promised you that I'd fulfill my promise according to your conditions! But this notebook, I hope you can give it back to me, it's the only memento of my brother…"

It was also one of the few traces left in this world by the countless people who had departed from the Blue Sky White Clouds they loved.

As for whether Wang Zhan had any ill intentions, that was no longer within his scope of consideration! Even if it meant dealing with the terrifying original organization mentioned on the news and television, it would be fine. As long as he could become a Martial Artist, any sacrifice would be worth it!

Wang Zhan smiled and said nonchalantly, "I know, you have fulfilled your promise. At the same time, you have fulfilled what you promised me. So this notebook will always belong to you. But right now, I just want you to do me a favor: let me see the contents inside with my own eyes…"

The boy looked at him. After a brief moment, without any further hesitation, he handed the tightly gripped notebook to Wang Zhan.

"Okay! I believe you."

Wang Zhan couldn't help but laugh. "Hahahaha…"

He suddenly understood. At this moment, any verbal reply he could offer would seem somewhat redundant. This was because the root of it all stemmed from the trust and determination this little boy held towards him. The boy believed Wang Zhan was a Martial Artist and could help him; thus, he had taken another step closer to the Martial Arts Path! He believed Wang Zhan was no ordinary person, someone who could save his life, which was why he had kowtowed, thereby earning Wang Zhan's acknowledgment. Therefore, he believed Wang Zhan wouldn't covet his notebook. Consequently, he trusted that all of Wang Zhan's requests would lead to new gains for him. Otherwise, even if, on the surface, neither party suffered any loss and no issues arose, the boy's trust in Wang Zhan would slowly diminish.

This, in my view, is an exceptionally pragmatic child, one who clearly understands the situation, Wang Zhan thought. Of course, I'm not maliciously speculating. It's because I need this incident to remind myself: when dealing with a child whose disposition might be immature but whose mind has already endured much, it's best to afford them sufficient respect. Because they are no longer simple children, like blank sheets of paper!

So, they left. They departed quite decisively, without any hesitation whatsoever.

On the way back, from the kid's perspective, Wang Zhan seemed to pay no attention to his surroundings. Instead, he was completely engrossed, all his focus on the notebook before him. What the kid found increasingly baffling and astonishing, however, was the fact that even though Wang Zhan kept his gaze fixed ahead, he seemed to have a perfect grasp of the path, as if he held it all in his heart. For instance, when they needed to make way, he would seem to predict it, pulling Three Seven aside. For example, if a situation suddenly became dangerous, he would, without waiting for Three Seven's consent, simply grab him by the scruff of his neck and steer him around the peril. And sure enough, a moment later, a minor crisis would erupt in that very spot, involving either the Human Race or a beast.

It was as if a living Deity had appeared before the kid's very eyes. So much so that at this moment, his eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions: envy, desire, reverence, and more. It was... awe for the kind of power only such a Deity could possess, and a deep yearning in his heart for that same power.

Thus, after nearly half an hour, when the kid realized Wang Zhan was leading the two of them into a residential building, with their destination still unknown, the kid finally came to his senses, stopped Wang Zhan, and asked, "Sir...where are we going?"

Wang Zhan glanced at the decreasing number of words in the notebook and replied indifferently, "We'll be there soon, be patient!"

Then, DING. The elevator arrived.

Just as Wang Zhan stepped out of the elevator, he finished reading all the content in the notebook. Immediately after, with a solemn expression, he returned the notebook to Three Seven, handling it as if it were a precious treasure.

Then, Wang Zhan finally spoke in a deep voice, "Thank your brother for me. His observations over these past days have been a great help to me..."

Before the kid could react, a voice, seemingly drifting from nowhere, interrupted the conversation between the two at the elevator entrance.

"What help?"

So, Three Seven turned his head and looked. Then, he was utterly stunned, his expression one of dumbfounded, slack-jawed bewilderment, his mouth agape.

At that moment, the kid's mind went completely blank, save for a single, vivid thought he couldn't shake: Is... is this the Deity our Federation worships? Otherwise, besides a Deity performing such a miracle, what else could explain this semi-transparent, shimmering blue mirror that had suddenly appeared before him? Not only did it show the real face of a white-haired Old Man, but it could also emit a human-like voice as it flickered and shifted! Or could it be some new Black Technology developed by the Federation, designed merely to deceive an ignorant kid like him?

The more Three Seven thought about it, the more impossible it seemed—surely just a wild figment of his imagination! After all, he and his brother weren't important figures; they had always been obscure, like unnoticed ants. When had they ever become worthy of such attention and importance? Besides, his brother had died just recently! It was a tragedy that could never be undone...

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