CHAPTER 117: CHAPTER 117: AFTERMATH_1

Chang’an Martial Arts Academy.

Such precise control and formidable saber technique! Which academy taught him? Why have I never heard of this person before?

Shi Jingtian racked his brain, but he couldn’t fathom where in the Federation such a mysterious expert could have come from. Moreover, this individual was still a student, which was even more puzzling. The thought that news of his ignorance might leak, making him a laughingstock among those old geezers, was driving him mad.

The commentary in the video revealed much. To a discerning eye, it was clear the person of interest was one of the students who had already left to participate in an academy competition. If only I could contact Xin Xiaoyan, Shi Jingtian thought. She had fought alongside Wang Zhan before. Even if she didn’t know this specific person, Wang Zhan, with his outstanding combat power, should have encountered him.

Could it be a core expert deliberately hidden by the Four Major Martial Arts Academies? Hmph! Those wily old foxes, playing such sneaky games! Here I am, pouring my heart into teaching students, while they’re secretly grooming their own disciples behind everyone’s backs. Bah, they’re even more shameless than I am!

If this truly is a student from one of the Four Major Martial Arts Academies, then even Wang Zhan, whose reputation was soaring, would likely have to concede before such a dazzling display of skill...

「Royal Martial Arts Academy.」

William and Ally, eliminated by Wang Zhan and forced to begrudgingly accept last place, sat before their computer screen, utterly speechless.

Is this Wang Zhan’s master, or is it actually him? Ally wondered, a storm of emotions churning within her.

Truthfully, long after Wang Zhan had retaliated against them, she had realized that although he was young, he was not someone they could bully.

Unfortunately, William, consumed by his rage towards Wang Zhan, had acted stubbornly and ultimately reaped the bitter consequences of his own actions.

That was why William’s face was now grim, and he offered no response to Ally’s question.

They had witnessed the ’Fatal One Slash’ before; its initial stance was identical to Wang Zhan’s, though it hadn’t been as stunning nor possessed such immense power.

Yet, keywords from the commentary like ’talented youth’ and ’Death Forest’ easily led them to connect the figure to Wang Zhan.

It can’t be him. Impossible! Wang Zhan is just a level 1 Warrior; he definitely doesn’t have the strength to kill a Martial General!

William desperately tried to reassure himself.

But if he knew this was just a smokescreen Edward had created, deliberately keeping him in the dark for now, would he be so ashamed he’d want to die on the spot?

「In the Federation of Jing State, inside an antiquated villa that was simple and quaint.」

"Shu!" an elderly man with some white hair but remarkably well-preserved features called out.

Hearing his grandfather, Cheng Shu quickly trotted over.

Ever since Wang Zhan had left for the academy competition, the Martial Arts Academy had been dreadfully dull. Cheng Shu had seized the weekend opportunity to return home, attend to his grandfather, and perhaps snag some choice leftovers.

Once Cheng Shu was before him, Cheng Tao pointed to the screen and asked, "You’ve seen this video, haven’t you? I want to hear your thoughts. Was what he did right?"

The video quality was too blurry—whether an intentional obfuscation or not—preventing a clear view of the person’s face. Thus, even Cheng Shu, Wang Zhan’s devoted (and somewhat money-minded) young follower, couldn’t be sure who the saber master in the video was.

After a long moment of contemplation, he finally answered his grandfather.

"Grandpa, you’re asking if it was right for this mysterious person to accept a military order and, in a crisis, slaughter his own kin, correct?"

Cheng Tao nodded, and Cheng Shu continued slowly, his voice soft.

"Grandson believes it was the right thing to do. If I’m not mistaken, those men in black were from the original organization, weren’t they? As citizens of the Federation, not only did they fail to help, but they sought to leech off it. They deserved to die; it served them right."

"On the other hand, this saber master willingly accepted the daunting task amidst chaos. This demonstrates a strong sense of belonging to the Federation and makes him trustworthy. Although he slaughtered his own people, depleting strength, it’s better to endure short-term pain than long-term suffering. The matter of the original organization needs to be resolved sooner or later."

"Mm."

Cheng Tao nodded in satisfaction. He didn’t elaborate but instead asked, "By the way, didn’t you help out a classmate of yours some time ago? Let me think, the Zheng Family, was it? How come you haven’t invited him over? If he’s a friend, you should interact more."

"Oh, you mean Brother Zhan, Grandpa! He recently left for the academy competition. If you’d like to meet him, I’ll mention it to him when he gets back. He’s a pretty straightforward person, though, and might not understand all those complicated rules."

"Hehe, that doesn’t matter. Lively is good. The more young people visit, the livelier the house becomes."

Cheng Shu found his grandfather’s sudden inquiry rather odd and couldn’t help asking, "Grandpa, why are you suddenly asking about this? You never brought it up when I mentioned him before."

Cheng Tao shook his head, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "As politicians, we always need to cultivate more connections. Besides, with a saber strike that stunning, countless people will be vying to bring your classmate into their circles."

What did he mean, a saber strike that stunning?

Cheng Shu chuckled, still somewhat bewildered. But as his eyes flicked back to the video on the screen, a shiver suddenly ran down his spine, and his hands began to tremble.

Holy... crap! No way! Brother Zhan actually pulled off something this big?

A Martial General! That was a Martial General, not some worthless cabbage sold on the street! And Brother Zhan just... cut him down so easily?

Of course, Cheng Shu didn’t pay much heed to his grandfather’s political maneuvering.

Wang Zhan isn’t the type to enjoy scheming and plotting in that filthy circle. Compared to that, only resources could truly tempt him. But if it ever came to that point, whether they could remain friends would be highly questionable.

「At the same time.」

Scenes almost identical to the ones described were unfolding in circles large and small throughout the Federation. Wang Zhan had officially stepped from the school stage into the line of sight of the Federation’s core circles.

Naturally, many instinctively attributed this breathtaking, almost miraculous saber strike to Wang Zhan’s father, Wang Yidao. After all, this was hardly a secret within the core circles.

In particular, the declaration, "Today’s Martial Artists are all walking the wrong path," evoked memories of Wang Yidao—that prodigy of astounding talent and flair who had broken through to the Martial King Realm at the mere age of thirty.

However, one person’s reaction was starkly different from the rest of the Federation.

While others felt anticipation, uncertainty, or curiosity, he was consumed by terror, panic, and a constant, unbearable dread.

He was the portly, balding, middle-aged man who had initially ordered Yuan Shisan to lead thirteen Martial Generals to the Oceania Death Battlefield to retrieve the map.

「Original organization, unknown location.」

At this moment, the man sat in his newly redecorated office, the chair beneath him not yet warmed by use. He chain-smoked, one cigarette after another, until the large ashtray overflowed with stubs. The acrid smell of tobacco permeated the air.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

The sound of knocking echoed. The portly, balding man, his expression dazed, responded, "Come in."

He turned to see his secretary, a young woman with an alluring figure, standing tentatively before him.

"Are you... alright, sir?"

"What is it?"

"I... It’s nothing important. I just thought you might... need some company..."

The portly, balding man abruptly lifted his head, his eyes fixing on hers with a gaze so cold it was unnerving. "Who sent you?"

As the primary person in charge of the operation, the fact that the entire Federation seemed to know what had happened while he alone was kept in the dark filled him with a growing sense of foreboding; he braced himself for the worst.

THUMP!

The secretary suddenly dropped to her knees, her face a mask of terror, shaking her head desperately. "No one! No one sent me! It’s just... my husband... he’s been useless lately, so... so I came to find you..."

Looking at the terrified secretary, the portly, balding man sneered, cutting through her pretense. "You can drop the act. I was the one who brought you here. Did you think I wouldn’t see through your little tricks?"

The atmosphere tensed.

The secretary slowly raised her head, all traces of her earlier subservience and fear gone. Instead, her expression became one of pity mixed with an alluring charm, her eyes filled with a soft confidence and an irresistible coldness.

"I knew you’d see through me. But I still wanted to serve you one last time."

She stood up, walked over to the middle-aged man, and began to straighten his disheveled clothes and tie, her voice soft as she spoke. "The higher-ups have ordered that you must take responsibility for this. The so-called original organization was your undertaking from start to finish. After you... go, the higher-ups will ensure your family is well taken care of..."

Upon hearing "after you... go," the immense pressure and the fear of impending death caused the man’s eyes to glaze over with terror. A large patch on his trousers instantly darkened with moisture.

But the secretary paid it no mind. She calmly produced a small vial of azure liquid and slowly poured it into his mouth. Only after it had taken effect did she whisper, "You took care of me for so long. From now on, let me take care of you!"

「Three hours later.」

"AH!"

The secretary, her clothes in disarray, stumbled out of the office. Trembling, she pointed back at the room. "He... he... he tried to rape me! Someone, quick, someone help! Help me..."

In the Eastern Camp, Wang Zhan, of course, had no idea that a small disc had unleashed such a tempest across the Federation.

He still looked half-dead, paralyzed in his wheelchair—like a man in a vegetative state who could, nonetheless, still speak.

Fortunately, the old soldiers hadn’t abandoned him, and the attentive nurses were happy to help. Otherwise, it’s doubtful he could have endured that week alone.

Until someone arrived.

"Are you planning to stay here forever?"

A tall, beautiful woman in military uniform quietly approached Wang Zhan, who was currently admiring the moon in the sky.

Wang Zhan himself didn’t know why he had developed such a fondness for moon-gazing lately. Perhaps he missed the ’white moonlight’ of his heart, who had recently departed, or perhaps he was simply lamenting the capricious nature of fate.

With difficulty, Wang Zhan turned his head, his expression puzzled as he looked at the woman whose tone was so cold. "Who are you? Do we know each other?"

"Captain..."

Another slender figure, following behind the woman, stared in disbelief at the incapacitated young man in the wheelchair before her.