Among the Chixiao members who nearly tore the Chixiao Sect apart back then, Zhou Taihe was one of them.
In Gu Qingfeng's memory, this fellow usually kept a low profile, neither showing off his mountains nor revealing his waters, but when it came to scheming, he was absolutely ruthless and merciless. Not only was he unforgiving, but he also preferred to strike from the shadows. This was probably why he was called 'Blackhearted'.
"Is this Zhou Taihe playing a big game now?"
Gu Qingfeng's voice came through. Fei Kui responded, "Zhou Taihe has been living in seclusion behind the scenes for years. Since I arrived in Yanluo, I've never seen him. It's said that throughout the past hundred years of the Present-Ancient Era, even among the Crimson-Letter Sect members, few have laid eyes on him. However, his methods are highly sophisticated. Within Yanluo's borders, whether it's the Four Great Families, the Seven Great Sects, or even the Yanluo Royal Family, it seems he has his people everywhere."
"Is that so..." Gu Qingfeng nodded, rubbing his chin, and said casually, "This Zhou Taihe, though he has some skill and enjoys playing tricks... he should still fall short compared to Dong Laohu, shouldn't he? No matter how he plays, he can't outplay Dong Laohu, right?"
"From what I know, initially, Zhou Taihe was indeed no match for Lord Black Buddha. Lord Black Buddha is a man of great social finesse and controls the economic lifeline within Yanluo. Not to mention the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects, even the Immortal Court stationed in Yanluo has to give Lord Black Buddha some face. However, as Zhou Taihe grew closer and closer to the Yanluo Immortal Court... the Immortal Court has been suppressing Lord Black Buddha in every aspect these past years."
"Has Zhou Taihe openly defected to the Immortal Dynasty?"
"Not exactly."
Fei Kui shook his head. "It's said the Immortal Court has been trying to win him over, but he has never agreed, always dragging it out. And to win him over, the Immortal Court has given him no small amount of benefits over the years. Not only the Immortal Court, but the Yanluo Royal Family, the Four Great Families, and the Seven Great Sects have all been trying to win him over. Even Lord Black Buddha, to keep him within the Crimson-Letter Sect, once gave him significant benefits."
"Oh? There's such a thing?" Gu Qingfeng was quite surprised. "Is this Zhou Taihe really that sought after?"
"It's not Zhou Taihe himself who's sought after, but the people under him."
"What about the people under him?"
"Since the beginning of the Present-Ancient Era, the Old Scarlet Sky Seniors stationed at the Crimson-Letter Sect branch halls in Yanluo have all heeded the Old Master's words—some went into seclusion, some retired into reclusion—rarely managing the branch hall affairs. Over the years, Lord Black Buddha has also been busy with business and had no time to attend to them. In contrast, Zhou Taihe has been managing the branch hall affairs all along, ostensibly developing the Crimson-Letter Sect while secretly forming cliques. Now, within Yanluo, nearly fifty branch halls with a million people—more than half of them obey his commands."
"Nearly fifty branch halls, a million people..." Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng shook his head and smiled helplessly. "I must say, this Zhou Taihe is really a damn talent. What, from the sound of it, does Zhou Taihe want to take these fifty branch halls and million people and break away from the Crimson-Letter Sect to establish his own faction? Is that why the Immortal Court, the Yanluo Royal Family, and the other sects are trying to win him over?"
"Although Zhou Taihe hasn't stated it explicitly, I believe that's exactly the move he's playing. However..." "However what?" Gu Qingfeng sat back in his chair. Fei Kui quickly poured him a cup of wine and cautiously replied, "However, everyone trying to win him over isn't for the sake of the million-strong masses in the fifty branch halls."
"Then what is it for?"
"Young Master, you've just arrived in Yanluo, so you probably don't know the situation here yet. Although these fifty branch halls that obey Zhou Taihe only have a million people, they are teeming with talent. Over the past hundred years of the Present-Ancient Era, since the younger generation has grown up, it's been even more frenzied. Their reputation is so great that even the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects are particularly wary of them."
"How so?"
"Among the Crimson-Letter Sect's younger generation these years, quite a few prodigies have emerged. Among them, there are not only Edict Envoys but even Heaven-Chosen Ones."
The so-called Edict Envoys refer to those of the Great Dao's Imperial Edict. This is an opportunity, a creation, and a great opportunity and great creation at that. All Edict Envoys are favored by heaven, not something that Colored Spirit Roots, Precious Bodies, or Nascent Soul Dharma Forms can compare to.
These people are absolutely destined for greatness.
Others might not know, but Gu Qingfeng knew very clearly.
All Edict Envoys are people the Great Dao has taken a liking to. To put it bluntly, these people are the prodigies among prodigies, born with 'noble qi,' and are bound to have limitless futures.
The Three Thousand Great Daos have always been locked in open and covert struggles.
How could a one-in-ten-thousand prodigy willingly fall into the hands of another Great Dao?
Especially now, a hundred years into the Present-Ancient Era, a time when talent is emerging in abundance. Whenever a prodigy appears in this world, the Three Thousand Great Daos would bestow an Imperial Edict upon them, thereby declaring that this person already has an affiliation.
This kind of practice is something the Heavenly Dao and the Immortal Dao have always enjoyed doing, and they damn well relish it. Other Great Daos also want to bestow edicts and snatch up prodigies, but alas, within the billions of worlds across the heavens, most are dominated by the Heavenly Dao and the Immortal Dao. Other Great Daos simply can't get involved.
And that's just the Edict Envoys.
As for the Heaven-Chosen Ones.
This thing is an even rarer, one-in-ten-thousand creation.
If Edict Envoys are the objects of contention among the Three Thousand Great Daos, then the so-called Heaven-Chosen Ones are bestowed by heaven and earth, chosen by the momentum of heaven and earth, hence they are called Heaven-Chosen Ones. In a sense, these people have even more limitless futures than Edict Envoys.
Think about it, people chosen by the momentum of heaven and earth—how could they be ordinary?
These people conform to the momentum, are born as dragons among men, and are destined for great achievements.
Hearing Fei Kui say this, Gu Qingfeng finally understood why Zhou Taihe had such confidence. So it turned out he had both Edict Envoys and Heaven-Chosen Ones under his command, and from the sound of Fei Kui's words, it wasn't just one or two.
Whether it's Edict Envoys or Heaven-Chosen Ones, if any sect had one or two, it would be remarkable enough. If they had three or four, they would already have the qualifications to dominate a country like Yanluo. If they had even more...
It wouldn't be impossible for them to even dictate the world's structure in the future.
Especially the Heaven-Chosen Ones—who knows what momentum they are responding to? If they are responding to the momentum of a world hegemon... then...
things would get really big.
"The key is, among the million-strong masses in these fifty Crimson-Letter Sect branch halls that obey Zhou Taihe, there aren't just Edict Envoys and Heaven-Chosen Ones. There are also Major and Minor Heavenly Mandates."
Fei Kui's tone was serious and earnest, also carrying a complex emotion, as if marveling at Zhou Taihe's good fortune. Not just him—when Gu Qingfeng heard that besides Edict Envoys and Heaven-Chosen Ones, there were also Major and Minor Heavenly Mandates, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration too.