Gu Zhan squinted his eyes slightly,

although Beidou Bang was counted among the five major influences thanks to Mo Jingzhou, it was quite sizable and had accumulated decades of heritage, with two Grandmasters supporting it. Even without Mo Jingzhou, it remains amongst the best of the super first-class influences. If they were to consolidate their strength by giving up some territories, they could indeed survive.

"However," Gu Zhan asked, "the concept of an agreement is practically ineffective when power is insufficient; agreements have no impact."

Mo Jingzhou nodded and said, "I naturally understand this, which is why I selected some young disciples from the Mo Family to join the four major forces. Of course, I don’t expect them to influence those forces but rather bestowed upon them a grand purpose.

Whenever any force intervenes in Canglan Dao, regardless of the reason or whether their actions are justified, the other three factions hold absolute reason to restrain them. Trust among people is fragile; even brothers hesitate to trust each other, let alone multiple factions. Being renowned and righteous sects, they’re all cautious about being stabbed in the back and having their reputations ruined.

Unless these four factions can sit down with complete trust to divide Canglan Dao, no one dares to intervene; should anyone intervene, they will inevitably be doing it for someone else’s benefit."

Gu Zhan realized,

this was Mo Jingzhou’s fallback plan for Beidou Bang.

The four major forces, ostensibly united, were actually engaged in overt and covert struggles, yet they had all signed an alliance and were indeed hesitant to be the first to tear up the agreement.

For instance, if Qianyu Sect were to take the lead in intervening in Canglan Dao, after all their efforts, before they even settle in, the Golden Crow Sword Sect may take the agreement along with some from the Mo Family, openly use the pretext of sanctioning the Qianyu Sect to seize the rewards,

If Qianyu Sect opposes, it would be akin to admitting their lack of credibility, ruining a reputation built over centuries, and similarly, other factions could employ the same tactics.

Gu Zhan contemplated and said, "But relying on others for hope of survival seems misaligned. If the four major forces desire, they could support other factions to take action against Canglan Dao."

Mo Jingzhou chuckled, "But it would at least require time; ten, or even eight years, Beidou Bang could still endure. That’s precisely what I mentioned to you at the beginning – even after my death, I guarantee Beidou Bang ten years. If Beidou Bang doesn’t rise by then, it merely proves its destiny has run its course. What else can I do? Even a dynasty faces overthrow someday, let alone a gang?"

Gu Zhan chuckled lightly and said, "Under this model, Beidou Bang might face destruction, but Mo Family won’t; among the five major forces, excluding Beidou Bang, the four factions all have members from Mo Family, no matter who prevails, Mo Family stands invincible."

Mo Jingzhou candidly replied, "People, after all, have personal interests; isn’t that normal? While I leave a path for Beidou Bang, naturally, I first pave a way for Mo Family. In the future, should you establish a noble family, wouldn’t it be the same?"

Gu Zhan smiled slightly and said, "Makes sense."

He didn’t find anything wrong with Mo Jingzhou’s actions,

after all,

Mo Jingzhou could sacrifice even his son and wife for Mo Family,

why wouldn’t he prioritize Mo Family’s interests?

"Having discussed this, let’s move on to the next topic," Mo Jingzhou refilled Gu Zhan’s tea and said, "Recently, Yun Wei wrote to me stating you possess talents comparable to the likes of Qi Baiyu and Sword One. I originally didn’t believe this, but today I do."

Gu Zhan calmly replied, "Cloud Protector referred to martial arts talent, correct?"

Mo Jingzhou nodded, "Today, in your battle with Liu Zuifeng, I saw your Lingyun Soar and Mahayana One Slash had reached the realm of Dao, even though you only found these secret manuals a month ago in the Inheritance Pavilion.

Of course, what truly astonished me was your mastering of the Water Manipulation Skill, a talent that indeed evokes jealousy; maybe, you are like Qi Baiyu and Sword One, a prodigious talent.

I’ve mingled in the martial world all my life, aware that no matter the strategy, nor the number of schemes, in the face of absolute strength, everything is vulnerable. If indeed you possess the gift to disregard martial arts difficulties, ignore cultivation barriers, then under your leadership, Beidou Bang will certainly ascend to new heights. That’s the true reason behind my determination to let you succeed as Gang Leader."

Gu Zhan sipped some water and said slowly, "Some things I can’t elaborate on; all I can say is, so far, I haven’t encountered any secret manual I couldn’t cultivate."

Mo Jingzhou took a deep breath and said, "In my lifetime, I’ve seen all sorts of prodigies; someone like you is unheard of. Sadly, Beidou Bang, in the end, lacks significant foundation."

As he spoke, Mo Jingzhou slowly poured a cup of tea and said, "Martial artists emphasize compatibility in cultivation; many aren’t without talent but lack resources, failing to find a compatible cultivation technique or martial arts, wasting time and squandering talent.

That’s why forces with deep foundations become ever stronger; they possess various cultivation techniques and martial arts, guided by renowned masters, rarely wasting anyone’s talent. Over time, strong individuals multiply.

Take Beidou Bang, for example, even among the young generation, there are geniuses with excellent bone structures, yet they don’t grow as swiftly as those in major forces like Qianyu Sect or Golden Crow Sword Sect because many can’t find compatible cultivation techniques or martial arts. Among them, Xiao Chen is perhaps the most regrettable.