Meng Zhao could not tell whether it was flattery or heartfelt praise, but it put him in quite a good mood. He continued questioning Zhao Rulíng about Beitang Sheng, the Beitang Imperial Clan, the court officials, the secrets of the realm, and the distribution of powerful experts. Zhao Rulíng answered every question, truly revealing quite a bit.
As time trickled by, the relationship between Meng Zhao and Zhao Rulíng grew increasingly harmonious. At last, Zhao Rulíng even took the initiative to raise a matter with Meng Zhao, giving him quite a surprise.
"From what I know, Beitang Sheng's ambitions are higher than the heavens. Back then, he conspired with the Heavenly Demon Palace Lord to use the heavenly fortune and earth veins of the Divine Continent to forge the Star Tribulation Demon Weapon. At the same time, he also left behind certain arrangements across the Divine Continent—perhaps formations, perhaps personnel. They are extremely strange, and I have never figured them out. You must be careful. Though the Northern Lands seem far removed from the Central Plains, Beitang Sheng's influence here is by no means nonexistent."
Meng Zhao had always believed that the imperial clan's forces were mainly concentrated in the Central Plains. Their control over the four outer regions was exceedingly weak. Though much of the military authority appeared to be held by the imperial clan, in truth, the influence of local powers still surpassed that of the imperial clan.
Zhao Rulíng's words served as a reminder. Old Daoist Liu, who had once followed the Twelfth Prince, had actually said something similar.
It was only that Old Daoist Liu's martial arts were ultimately lacking, and his relationship with the Beitang Imperial Clan was nowhere near as close as Zhao Rulíng's, so what he knew was limited.
Based on his own