"We miscalculated. That young man was exceedingly cautious."
Inside the empty Heaven Hall...
After repeatedly declining, Zhou You politely clasped his fists in farewell and departed.
Eastern Hall Master Han Yushou watched his retreating figure in silence for a long while. A moment later, three figures emerged from the shadows of Heaven Hall and stood beside him.
They were, astonishingly, the other three Hall Masters.
The four Hall Masters of the God of Release Cult, the upper echelon jointly responsible for deliberations and governance, had gathered here.
Clearly, inviting Zhou You had been a major affair for the God of Release Cult, though only Han Yushou had shown himself.
He had played the emotional card based on their past friendship, attempting to draw Zhou You into the cult. He had even been willing to offer such peerless treasures as the Martial Sage Human Skin and the secret seal of Heaven Hall, yet he had still failed in the end.
"How can someone who governs one of the Eight Direct Prefectures be regarded as a mere junior?"
"This man's status is no lower than ours. Across the land, he is a rare phoenix among feathers, an outstanding talent seen once in a blue moon. What a pity..."
The Southern Hall Master spoke with undisguised regret. If Zhou You joined the cult, not only would Qingchu Prefecture become an ironclad stronghold of the God of Release Cult, they could even use this to influence Lian Feihong, one of the candidates for Sealed Lord.
If their plan succeeded, the God of Release Cult might well become the mainstream state religion in the future, spreading throughout all Fifty Provinces.
For such a grand ambition, what treasure could they bear to withhold? What rule could they not break?
Yet Zhou You had remained vigilant even