Setting aside Zhou Wangqiao's own thoughts, Meng Zhao was still inclined to take him in.
The reason was simple. A Grandmaster-level combatant was an enormous boon at a time like this.
He would be of immense help to Meng Zhao and the forces under his command.
When a Grandmaster emerged, all heroes bowed their heads—he was the equivalent of nuclear deterrence.
There were certainly risks, but they did not come from the threat posed by the Pudu Cult. Even Zhou Wangqiao could see clearly that if the Pudu Cult caused trouble, it would sooner or later go to war with Meng Zhao and Great Yong.
The real threat lay in Zhou Wangqiao's backstabbing nature, and the possibility that, once he learned the truth behind his family's extermination, he might launch a frenzied retaliation against Meng Zhao.
After all, he had been toyed with too miserably by Meng Zhao—schemed against, yet still helping count the money for the man who had fooled him. That was truly hard to bear, especially for a Grandmaster like him.
But then again, if Zhou Wangqiao wanted to backstab Meng Zhao now, he would first need the means to do so. If Meng Zhao took this man in, he would certainly keep him well provided for but high above, never giving him the slightest chance to lay hands on authority. He would treat him purely as hired muscle.
At the same time, Meng Zhao believed he had arranged everything with the utmost secrecy. Very few knew the truth, and preparations had been made to silence them. It was basically impossible for Zhou Wangqiao to learn that Meng Zhao had been pulling the strings behind the scenes all along.
Having made his decision, Meng Zhao did not intend to state his position directly. Instead, he clasped his