Jing State City, S3 area, the true core of Jing State.

A young man, looking dusty and disheveled, arrived in front of a grand and sprawling villa complex, carrying on his back a woman as delicate as a boneless, honey-soft creature.

Three-story villas were everywhere, each about a thousand square meters, complete with courtyards, swimming pools, flowers, and guards, yet hardly any people were seen on the streets.

Under Qin Ying's guidance, Wang Zhan finally arrived at one of the villas.

The house was as quiet and meticulously arranged as a princess's castle. Various Federation technologies and readily available luxurious furniture formed a striking yet logical dividing line in Wang Zhan's eyes.

Qin Ying gracefully slid off Wang Zhan's back, then handed him a set of men's clothing and said, "You wanted to go back, didn't you? Go take a bath. Afterward, you can leave from here and go back to assisting your Chu State Military Martial Academy Team."

Wang Zhan lowered his head slightly, glanced at the Martial Artist's training clothes she held, and shook his head. "No. I think I should stay here longer, if you agree."

"Heh, suit yourself. The bathroom is over there; help yourself. I'm also going to take a bath."

Wang Zhan approached the bathroom, which was at least twenty square meters.

Inside, there was a bathtub carved from a single piece of wood. Surrounding it, the decor resembled a starry sky, making one feel as if they were facing the vast Milky Way, naturally soothing them.

This must be the darkness of the Federation. Most people, I suppose, could never possess a bathroom like this in their entire lives,

Wang Zhan sarcastically pondered the soldier who, based on a mere misunderstanding, had mistaken him for a silk-pants dandy, a scion of a powerful noble family, considering him scum of the Federation. As for those standing high in the highest echelons of the Federation, with what kind of eyes do they look down upon the dazzling, decadent world beneath their feet?

He had some curiosity, but it was just curiosity.

Sinking himself into the bathtub and blocking out the pervasive, sweet scent that filled the bathroom, Wang Zhan's mind gradually grew hazy, then slowly cleared.

SPLASH. A delicate little hand quietly yet brazenly rested on Wang Zhan's chest, which already bore numerous scars.

SPLASH!

Wang Zhan sat up. To his surprise, Qin Ying, like an unpredictable sorceress, had slipped into the bathtub. She was wearing a sheer robe, her gaze flickering between hazy and lucid.

"I'll help you wash."

SMACK! Wang Zhan emotionlessly slapped Qin Ying across the face.

The disastrous end of the Chu State Military Martial Academy seemed to flash before his eyes, this mere Qin Ying becoming the true source of his rage. How could he possibly feel any pity?

In the next instant, a clear, distinct red palm print abruptly appeared on Qin Ying's face, even more swollen than the first time.

"I told you, you can have me locked up somewhere I can't see the Chu State Military Martial Academy. But I advise you not to touch my bottom line again."

Qin Ying was sent sprawling to the edge of the bathtub by the force of the slap, but when she turned back, she seemed completely unfazed.

Even though she couldn't see it, Wang Zhan's eyes held no trace of her captivating, ethereal beauty—only the image of a loathsome woman.

Yet, she stood up directly, the sheer robe clinging to her, presenting her entire figure to Wang Zhan's gaze.

Wang Zhan's gaze was icy, but Qin Ying merely chuckled softly. "You have a girlfriend? So what? Are you going to kill me and have the Chu State Military Martial Academy buried with me?"

Wang Zhan was silent for a moment, then laughed. He pulled Qin Ying into his arms. "Of course not. Actually, I'm a little tired. You can help me wash. I'd like that very much."

「After a long time.」

No one knew what had transpired in the S3 area of Jing State City.

Only in the bathroom, Qin Ying was gently dressing Wang Zhan in a Warrior suit that had belonged to who-knows-who, then adjusting his clothes and grooming him.

Looking at this heroic and dashing, tough and masculine man, she said, her eyes full of infatuation, "Go, take first place. I believe that with the "General Outline of the Supreme Pure Thunder" I gave you, no one will be able to discern your true power."

Wang Zhan's expression was complicated. He couldn't understand this woman, who was as complex as a tangled mess of hemp. Neither Wang Qi nor Yao Yao, nor even Sun Kelan, Chen Mengshu, and the others, were as moody and unpredictable as her. One moment they were enemies, the next she was in the bathtub like a maidservant attending to him. One moment she threatened to have the Chu State Military Martial Academy buried with her, the next she was like a concubine, submitting to him.

But what made Wang Zhan feel conflicted was that she clearly dared to reveal everything before him, yet was also capable of holding back at the last critical moment.

When Wang Zhan was about to leave the bathroom, Qin Ying, already cool and refreshed, suddenly called out to him. "Come back, give me a hug."

Qin Ying hugged Wang Zhan, who stood rigid and unmoving like a block of wood. Murmuring as she raised her head, she looked up at his rugged face. "Do you know, when we were young, I also bathed Qin Yuan, even changed his diapers. If it weren't for me, how could he have set foot on that deadly battlefield…"

Wang Zhan's heart tightened; he realized he was brushing against the truth again. He was even somewhat certain that Qin Ying must have carried a sense of guilt after Qin Yuan died, which caused her to lose her composure in front of him. But why did they both have the surname Qin, yet the relationship between them seemed far less simple than he had imagined?

Before Qin Ying could finish speaking, she grabbed Wang Zhan's face and kissed him fiercely for a full minute.

Then, unceremoniously, she pushed Wang Zhan away as if he were garbage, her face full of disdain. "You can go now. I hope you get what you wish for."

Wang Zhan, feeling the lingering sweet scent and moisture on his lips, looked at her deeply.

He turned and left without a word.

By the time he finally left the S3 District, a call from an unknown number reached Xu Shilang, who had suffered a bellyful of grievances that morning.

"Hello, this is Xu Shilang. Who am I speaking to?"

"Qin Ying."

PHUT. The phone slid from Xu Shilang's grasp, landing on the soft sofa. He quickly regained his composure, his voice trembling as he spoke into the phone. "Qin... Aunt Qin, do you… have any orders?"

"Kill Wang Zhan, and bring his head to me."

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP... Expressionlessly, Qin Ying hung up the phone.

She gently curled herself up, burying her head deep between her knees, her shoulders shaking.

「Wang Zhan, his expression grim, boarded the last tram back to his familiar, dilapidated neighborhood.」

He hadn't expected Qin Ying to give him such a precious thing as the "General Outline of the Supreme Pure Thunder". Although it was an incomplete scroll, it had seamlessly integrated with and completely overridden the Five Thunder Deity Refinement Method Wang Zhan originally practiced, without any complications. It was as if the rule that a high-level Warrior Spirit Secret Method, once chosen, could not be changed was nothing but hot air. He guessed that perhaps the origin of the Five Thunder Deity Refinement Method was the Supreme Clear Thunder Summary. Since they sprang from the same root, like branches and the mother tree, naturally, there was no rejection. At the same time, he could clearly sense that the Supreme Clear Thunder Summary also seemed to cultivate both Essence Energy and mental power simultaneously. As soon as he circulated it, the significant complications and the Essence Energy barrier remaining from taking the Blood Essence Pill collapsed in mere moments, like a bursting dam, transforming into boundless vital energy that surged through Wang Zhan's meridians.

BOOM!

Host: Wang Zhan

Power: 2,101

Agility: 2,101

Physique: 2,101

Charm: 60

Wisdom: 50

Mental power: 1,200

He had reached level 4 Warrior.

And his mental power had also surged again, allowing Wang Zhan, who knew the Limit of the Five Thunder Deity Refinement Method, to once again feel its immense benefits and potential.

Why did she help me like this...

Wang Zhan felt a whirlwind of emotions, unable to understand why. Was it to compensate for her guilt towards Qin Yuan?

Just as he had that thought, a light laugh snapped him back to reality.

"So, you've managed to connect with Aunt Qin. No wonder you were so arrogant when you saw me this morning. What a pity. Aunt Qin would never look at a bumpkin like you who crawled out from the slums. And you're audacious enough to anger Aunt Qin? Then don't blame me for coming to kill you under her orders."

Xu Shilang still maintained the appearance of a refined gentleman, wearing an expensive, well-fitted tuxedo that gave him the air of a young English lord.

But Wang Zhan, dressed in a fitted Warrior suit, not only didn't appear inferior but actually exuded a sharper, more competent aura than Xu Shilang.

However, Xu Shilang's arrival completely dispelled Wang Zhan's inner confusion. His initial guess was instantly overturned. Qin Ying was still an enigmatic woman to him, even if he had truly seen through her when she bared herself to him. But between them, their relationship was predominantly adversarial. Looking around, Wang Zhan noted that only Young Master Xu was present. For someone so arrogant, he shouldn't be alone. However, since his intuition hadn't sounded any alarms, there probably wasn't a major problem.

"So it's Young Master Xu. Since you want my head, feel free to come at me directly. Why waste time with idle chatter? Call out your mad dogs. Let me see if they'll be harder to handle than the ones this morning," Wang Zhan stated calmly, unshrinking.

Finally, he looked towards the streetlights that cast a red glow, the surrounding darkness, and the five burly figures emerging from the shadows.

He smiled faintly. "Of course, they'd better be somewhat useful. Otherwise, Young Master Xu, if you don't pay a price today, I doubt you'll be leaving here alive."

Wang Zhan spoke matter-of-factly. It had been a long time since he'd engaged in such dirty dealings. He wondered how that kid Deng Chaofan was doing these days.

Xu Shilang's face darkened. A stooped Old Man in formal attire, looking like a steward, quietly landed beside Xu Shilang and chuckled. "Student Wang Zhan, that which is too unyielding is easily broken. You'd best worry about yourself. Although I'm not of much use, I am a Grandmaster, after all. Protecting the Young Master is more than enough."

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