Shi Jiawen's family background was indeed extraordinary. His father was the Great General of the Imperial Court, wielding immense influence within the military and boasting countless protégés—a faction unto itself. His mother was a princess of the imperial clan and a direct blood relative of Beitang Sheng.
Thus, Shi Jiawen was undoubtedly someone ordinary people would need to curry favor with.
Naturally, Meng Zhao was not currying favor with him. Giving him benefits was like offering a sweet date; if the other party refused to cooperate, then the big stick would come crashing down.
Shi Jiawen's earlier suspicions had not been without reason. The Nameless Mind Method Meng Zhao had taught him was indeed a demonic cultivation art, and it truly carried enormous hidden dangers—but all of that rested in Meng Zhao's palm.
If Meng Zhao wished it, Shi Jiawen would encounter no problems and would possess boundless prospects in the future. But if Meng Zhao did not wish it, or developed malicious intentions toward Shi Jiawen, then this noble young master of extraordinary status would most likely suffer qi deviation from cultivating the demonic art, becoming a madman and a cripple.
For the time being, there were no visible signs. Yet as the mind method advanced and was imparted layer by layer, Shi Jiawen would become like prey caught in a spiderweb—able only to struggle helplessly, all in vain.
Shi Jiawen did not know these hidden truths, but he also understood that what Meng Zhao wanted him to do would never be so simple, nor would Meng Zhao's benefits be so easily accepted.
Still, he believed in practicality: take the benefits into his own hands first, and speak of everything else later.
No matter how much trouble Meng Zhao might bring him in the future, at least for now,