It was precisely because of these two points, especially the second, that the Plainclothes Alliance was certain to be quite hostile toward the Pudu Cult.
Though this was Meng Zhao's speculation, it made sense both emotionally and logically, and carried a degree of credibility.
Beyond the Plainclothes Alliance, the Demonic Path factions were not particularly fond of the Pudu Cult either. Friction even broke out frequently between them. At least within Yanzhou, Demonic Path forces had been squeezed to a certain extent.
This, too, stemmed from conflicts of interest. Those of the Demonic Path acted ruthlessly, savagely, and violently. They relied on martial arts to oppress the common people, even slaughtering living beings to temper their martial skills—such things were commonplace. Thus, they had always been suppressed by the Imperial Court and the righteous path of the martial world.
As for the Pudu Cult, so long as it had not openly rebelled, it was in fact considered part of the Buddhist faith. By classification, it was also a member of the righteous path of the martial world. Coupled with its Buddhist identity, it stood irreconcilably opposed to the Demonic Path, so friction between them naturally abounded.
On the other hand, those oppressed and slaughtered by the Demonic Path were often precisely the believers the Pudu Cult wished to draw in. This was another aspect of their conflict of interests, so it was only natural that they did not get along.
As Meng Zhao gathered this information, he found it rather wondrous.
The Plainclothes Alliance, the Pudu Cult, and the Demonic Path—none of them were considered proper factions in the eyes of aristocratic clans, great families, sects, gangs, or the righteous path of the martial world. Even though the Pudu Cult wore a layer of Buddhist skin, it could not conceal