Getting Stronger By Fighting

This boss clearly looked like he was running a black-market shop. Most of the stuff inside was cheap junk, and he didn't care whether Wang Zhan understood anything or not.

He immediately pointed at Wang Zhan's nose and started cursing, his face flushing rapidly.

"Look at you! If you don't have money, what are you doing here, acting like a big shot!"

As the man spoke, a cold glint flashed in Wang Zhan's eyes. Just as the old fellow's finger was about to poke his nose, the seemingly stupefied Wang Zhan suddenly moved. So what if his expression changed quickly? Could it be faster than my hand? It all happened in a split second.

A swift arm, like a striking dragon, shot out in a blur, grabbing the boss by the neck and fiercely slamming him onto the table with a loud BANG.

The boss finally realized he'd been ambushed by this youngster who had appeared out of nowhere on his own turf. However, he knew no martial arts. The intense pain made his head buzz. He forgot to call for help, only managing a low moan as his face turned red and fresh blood dripped from his skull onto the table.

Wang Zhan then lowered his head, looking at the cunning man who had been arrogantly ranting at him. His voice was cold as he said,

"Damn your mother! Try cursing me again. Do you really take me for a pushover just because this tiger doesn't roar?"

In the next moment, the previously wide-open door of the shop slowly creaked shut, leaving only the lamp's oppressive heat and a sinister atmosphere, enough to terrify anyone present.

"S-Sir... I was blind! I didn't know my place... P-Please, please don't kill me!"

The boss struggled to raise his head, begging for mercy. "I really have elders and children at home! A family of over ten mouths depends on me. Please… please spare my worthless life…"

"Shut up!"

The boss was terrified; how could he dare utter another word? This young man was too ruthless. Although the previous slam hadn't killed him, he could clearly feel that angering Wang Zhan further would mean certain death.

But Wang Zhan was not a man prone to mercy. He had initially considered letting the old fellow off. After all, it was his first time here, and this small shop was his first stop; he didn't know any local rules. But who asked this fellow to push his luck when Wang Zhan had merely taken a small step back? Not only did he overstep, but he also tried to press his advantage relentlessly. This ignited a nameless fury in Wang Zhan, who hadn't been pointed at and cursed for a long time, his face turning as black as charcoal. At this point, letting him off was out of the question. If he didn't strip him clean, Wang Zhan would be betraying his former title as the Little Devil of Chu State.

Taking a step back, the more he thought, the more he felt he'd lost out; taking a step forward, the angrier he became. Thus, Wang Zhan's grip on the boss's neck tightened, hoisting the man completely off the ground until they were eye to eye. Then, he spoke coldly,

"Next, you answer what I ask. If you hide even the slightest thing, not even the Heavenly King can save you. I said it. Understand?"

"Understood, understood! Sir... Sir, please ask anything. This little one will tell you everything he knows, without reservation. I wouldn't dare deceive you, esteemed sir!"

The boss replied, trembling like a cicada in winter, wishing he could shrink his neck—if his neck even still belonged to him, that is.

All he could do now was continuously regret his greed. Why had he provoked such a fiend! This time, he had truly courted disaster of an epic proportion. These outsiders looked so amiable, but they all turned into vicious devils when provoked!

...

Unfortunately, Wang Zhan couldn't hear the shopkeeper's thoughts. Otherwise, from that alone, he could have inferred many things, including the answers to questions still troubling him: Why did *they* possess this city? And why would a race, so similar yet distinctly different from the Human Race, be willing to share this city with people from the Federation?

Of course, despite not knowing these inner workings, Wang Zhan still managed to extract much of the information he desired by interrogating the terrified old fellow. He also obtained the map he wanted and then quietly departed, leaving only a single sentence behind.

"You'd better keep this a secret. Don't tell anyone! Otherwise, the poison I administered earlier will be the instrument of your death!"

Left at the scene, the boss appeared unharmed externally, but his flesh and blood felt like jelly. He writhed in pain, trying to spit out the rag stuffed in his mouth. Though he didn't know what kind of poison Wang Zhan had used, he nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with terror. But… He really, really needed to use the restroom now! A certain part of his body felt like it was about to explode! What kind of poison did Wang Zhan use?!

...

「Outside」

At the alley entrance, when Wang Zhan emerged from the narrow passage, an expected figure had already been waiting quietly for some time.

Lin Hao watched Wang Zhan approach, a smile playing on his lips as he whispered,

"It seems your harvest wasn't bad. But you were still a bit too soft. He's still alive, isn't he? If a conflict arises with these local humans, it's best to ensure they die, just to be safe. The best secrets are kept by the dead."

"Why?"

Wang Zhan looked at him, relaxed and casual, as they began to walk side by side.

"Experience. When our predecessors came here, it was much like today. However, there was no city back then, and their development wasn't as advanced. Yet, they were quite similar to humans and committed all sorts of atrocities, naturally offending many. Later, some of our seniors accidentally revealed their true identities during retaliations. This led to their exposure right at the first stop, preventing them from even reaching the battlefield. Based on my understanding of these locals, if word of what you did gets out, there will likely be a bounty on your head—not too high, not too low, probably around a hundred thousand Beast Coins. That's enough to tempt many."

Wang Zhan, now having a concept of Beast Coins, understood. A beast core could only be considered a Beast Coin if it came from a beast at the Martial General Realm or higher. One should know that a single Martial General-level beast core was worth one hundred Beast Coins, and a hundred was their smallest standard unit, similar to the 'yuan' in Human Race currency. While soldier-level beast cores might be traded occasionally, supplementing a small part of the Beast Coin market, they weren't officially recognized. In other words, Wang Zhan's current worth was equivalent to one thousand General-level beasts—a truly staggering sum.

With such a hefty reward, who wouldn't be tempted? Even Wang Zhan himself felt a slight urge to turn himself in for that hundred thousand Beast Coin bounty. If converted using the Federation's system, one General-level beast was worth ten to twenty million, meaning the bounty totaled at least 20 billion… Does morality really weigh that much?

Wang Zhan pondered. Over 20 billion… Are people in this world all that wealthy? Aren't they afraid of inflation? He immediately voiced his doubt.

Little did he know. Lin Hao said meaningfully, "Heh, as long as the market is large enough, and consumption can be continuously maintained with a degree of stability, what's inflation? In the final analysis, it's just that the Federation is too poor. Coming here makes us feel like country bumpkins visiting the big city."

Wang Zhan understood. Inflation was meaningless to these people. After all, the Human Race population in this world was too small; their main societal body was the Beast Clan. This was why the term 'Beast Coin' existed. However, one mustn't forget that for the Beast Clan, a beast core wasn't just currency. It was also a replenishable energy source, akin to a self-generating Spiritual Energy mine. They generated and consumed, reproduced and perished. Life and death were the core themes for the Beast Clan on the Star War Battlefield. They were more powerful than the Human Race, and naturally, their competition was far more intense. With such constant life-and-death struggles acting as a natural regulator, things like inflation or financial crises were mere passing clouds.

For a moment, Wang Zhan gazed down at the city below, his expression pensive and his eyes deep in thought. It seemed he had gained a slightly deeper understanding of "The Relationship between the Beast Clan and Federal Human Race."

...

「After a long silence」

Seeing Wang Zhan remain silent, Lin Hao assumed he was intimidated by the Beast Clan's circumstances, perhaps even mentally shaken. He chuckled and said,

"What? Scared already, just from catching a glimpse of their scales and armor?"

At this juncture, whether one spoke of the local human-like race or the Beast Clan, the underlying principle was much the same.

Wang Zhan's lips curved into a slight smile as he suddenly asked, "Heh, what I really want to know is the relationship between the Federation and these local humans. Why would they allow the Federation to establish an Air Base here?"

This couldn't possibly be a peaceful arrangement, Wang Zhan mused. He had suspected before that these circumstances were linked to some old figures within the Federation. However, no matter how hard he pressed the shopkeeper, the man remained tight-lipped on this topic. He only knew that the Air Base's existence was common knowledge, yet no one questioned its legitimacy here. In other words, there was no opposition, no support, not even much discussion about it, as if it were simply ignored. This in itself was highly suspicious.

Lin Hao, however, looked at Wang Zhan with a sly expression and said,

"Don't you think such matters are a bit too far removed for someone of your current standing?"

Wang Zhan was momentarily speechless. Indeed. He was just a mere student from the Federal Martial Arts Academy. How could matters of such high-level Human Race secrecy concern him?

I was getting sidetracked, he thought. His priority now wasn't to delve into these underlying secrets but to complete his mission as quickly as possible. Over the past two or three days, Wang Zhan had gathered some leads; it was time to prepare for action.

Perhaps due to Wei Daoming's prior instructions, Lin Hao became serious again. "Do you need my help? I believe you could use it. This is your first time on the Star War Battlefield, and you weren't dropped directly into the heart of the combat zone. Having an ally to depend on might make your mission considerably easier."

Wang Zhan suddenly turned his head, a sharp, soul-piercing glint flashing in his eyes.