This time, you were not as direct as you had been when speaking with Yuanshi. Instead, you softened your words somewhat. You could sense the fluctuations in Zhao Yuding's emotions; he was not very willing to hand Suiyu over to you. It was not merely because this item could enhance his Lifebound Dao Artifact and further increase his strength, but also because he harbored some grievances toward you.
From this, it was not hard to see that Zhao Yuding was a man of temperament, with a character of his own, rather than someone who only knew how to echo his Master.
Though Yuanshi believed Zhao Yuding's actions showed a lack of regard for the greater picture—that when he was needed, he disregarded the sect for his own benefit—you felt that Zhao Yuding was not all that bad. To have come this far yet still hold fast to his True Heart rather than drift with the current was something rare in your eyes.
After all, Zhao Yuding did not know what help you had rendered behind the scenes to the Dao Sect. From his perspective, he merely saw an Immortal Sect powerhouse who considered himself strong and now seemed likely to make a major move. Nor had he learned the layout of the world from his Master. He did not understand that the Dao Sect's so-called hegemonic position was no more than a sheet of paper that would shatter at a touch before people like Xuanqiong and Zuoju.
In truth, this child was merely doing what he believed to be right within the scope of what he knew. He could not be blamed for it; one could only say that a single leaf had blinded his eyes.
There was no intention of coercion in your slightly polished words. Instead, you returned