The Sect Leader Has Taken in a New Female Disciple

"Win me over?" Zhou Qing was puzzled.

The Second Uncle nodded. "That’s right. Didn’t you say that with your thirty thousand Spirit Seals, you inadvertently perceived that that head of the First Branch was a Level 4 Array Master?"

Zhou Qing nodded. "Yes. It’s just that I don’t know exactly how many Spirit Seals he has condensed."

After all, condensing anywhere from ten thousand Spirit Seals up to forty-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Spirit Seals all falls under the category of a Level 4 Array Master; the gap between them is like heaven and earth.

The Second Uncle stroked his chin. "Since he deliberately sabotaged it but didn’t damage the foundation, that shows he doesn’t want this matter blown up either."

"On one hand, he fears he won’t be able to repair it himself; on the other hand, he doesn’t want to harm his own interests, or be noticed by that old master of the Shen Family who is in seclusion attempting a breakthrough to Supreme Realm Perfection."

"Yet he didn’t leave any hidden tricks in it," the Second Uncle let out a cold laugh. "By the look of it, it’s indeed to let you repair it—there’s the possibility he wants to test your craftsmanship—but more than that, it should be to win you over."

Then the Second Uncle continued speculating. "The Shen Family is currently ranked fifth among the Eight Great Families. To be honest, I’d guess they’re not confident in themselves and are afraid you’ll run off."

"So, what do you think is the best way to make an Array Master with tremendous potential develop a sense of belonging to this clan and not run away halfway?"

Zhou Qing fell silent, faintly seeming to have guessed something.

The Second Uncle said meaningfully, "What we call ’loyalty’ only exists because the price for betrayal has not yet been met."

As he spoke, he casually grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table and began cracking them slowly.

"Don’t think that just because you’ve accepted their gifts, you’re bound. If better benefits are laid out before you, you can completely return those things to them."

"But what if you’ve paid a price for this family?" The Second Uncle’s voice suddenly deepened.

He stood up, paced over to the window, and looked at the lights of the Shen Family below.

"When you pour your effort into a clan, repair their Clan Protection Array, and resolve their immediate crisis, that ’effort’ will invisibly become a bond."

"It’s like someone who plants a tree will, without realizing it, keep paying attention to its growth." Saying this, the Second Uncle quietly turned around to look at Zhou Qing.

"Even if that tree doesn’t belong to him at all."

"The human heart is this strange." The Second Uncle sat down again and grabbed another handful of melon seeds. "Compared to gifts received, people usually cherish more what they themselves have given."

He suddenly grinned. "The Shen Family wants you to ’invest’ in them. The more you put in, the harder it will be for you to pull out easily."

After listening to the Second Uncle’s analysis, Zhou Qing felt his scalp go numb.

The Shen Family’s way of playing with people’s hearts was simply... chilling.

Zhou Qing slowly let out a stuffy breath and then sat down on the sandalwood chair.

Scenes from this period of time flashed back through his mind:

The seemingly sincere gaze of Shen Tianhong, head of the First Branch, behind which he concealed his true identity as a Level 4 Array Master.

The respectful posture of Shen Yunlan of the Second Branch, with unknown schemes hidden beneath it.

The hearty smile of Shen Lieyang of the Third Branch, concealing who knew how many secrets.

And the First Madam, Lin Jingtang—kind and gentle on the surface, yet able to effortlessly mobilize all the Divinity Transformation Realm and Spirit Severing Realm experts of the Shen Family as she pleased.

The Second Madam, Su Yurou—seductive and charming, capable of putting people off their guard amid casual conversation.

The Third Madam, Liu Rushuang—cold as ice on the outside, yet meticulous to the finest hair.

Among these people, what is real, and what is false?

Behind every smiling face, what kind of blade is hidden?

For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit of heartache for Shen Hanyi.

He truly couldn’t imagine how, in such an environment, she had managed to make it step by step to where she was today.