Since Beitang Sheng had been able to contact Dragon Tree Monk, who had left decades ago, there was no reason he would not know about the rather conspicuous Sifang City on the Arctic Ice Plains.
Meng Zhao and Zhao Rulíng had not known before because neither of them was, in the conventional sense, someone who lived on the Arctic Ice Plains. Having cultivated Heavenly Being Martial Dao, they were half-real, half-illusory, separated by a vast gulf from the people of the Arctic Ice Plains. Even when they had dealings with them, it was with the leaders of various tribes. Unless they had deliberately looked into Sifang City, they naturally would not have received any news concerning it.
Beitang Sheng was different. Since he had contacted Dragon Tree Monk, he must have possessed a certain understanding of the overall situation and distribution of forces throughout the Arctic Ice Plains. He surely knew Sifang City well too.
As the representative powers of Sifang City, the Zhou Family, Fu Family, and Zhang Family had most likely already had their backgrounds and origins investigated thoroughly by Beitang Sheng. It was merely possible that, constrained by some other consideration, he had not made any large-scale moves.
Zhou Jiankang did not believe that Sifang City would completely change its tune because of this and become Beitang Sheng's lackeys. Nor did he believe that, under Beitang Sheng's calculations, Sifang City would be left without even the slightest power to protect itself.
Still, if the other side truly had schemes and arrangements in place, then even exposing them would inflict tremendous damage upon Sifang City itself.
That damage and harm involved several aspects.
First, there was the damage to faith and stance.
If someone had defected to Beitang Sheng—especially if members of the Zhou Family, Fu Family, or