A neighbor who was all smiles and even dropped by from time to time with gifts was far too deceptive.
But Meng Zhao knew that the more this was the case, the more it showed how dangerous this band of rebels was. He asked,
"Other than their usual attempts at recruitment, what else have they done since coming to the clan?"
"Yes. Apart from a period in the middle when relations became somewhat strained, they have always been very polite and friendly. They even sent over a great deal of supplies. The items on this table were all selected from the gifts those people sent. Is there a problem with that?"
Ji Rulin pointed at the gold and jade articles piled on the table. They were all gifts that the more wealthy and influential members of the Dan Chi Clan had just given Meng Zhao, each one clearly worth a fortune. Yet this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Meng Zhao's expression turned solemn as he said gravely,
"There is a problem—a major one. I suspect they are laying out a smokescreen, using this method to lower the vigilance of the Ji Clan branch. Once the time is ripe, they may launch a thunderous strike and wipe you out completely."
At first, Ji Zhenyun thought Meng Zhao was speaking nonsense, making a groundless claim. But then his expression changed drastically, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had already realized that to kill prey, the necessary lurking and deception were things any excellent hunter had to master.
Why had Meng Zhao said this, and why did Ji Zhenyun believe him?
It was simple. The key lay in the change of attitude. Aside from that period of cold treatment in the middle, their attitude at the beginning and at the