The old man murmured the words again. "Thirty percent is too big an appetite?"
The old man with the cane glanced calmly at Lin Feng.
The child before him had an impeccable bearing and grace. She was a member of the Lin clan, but she also belonged to Shen Youli. He didn't know how much weight Lin Feng carried under Shen Tang, but he could still guess at the latter's thoughts. If Lin Feng said thirty percent was too big an appetite, Shen Youli likely thought the same. He said, "Seventy percent is no small amount either..."
Lin Feng said, "My lord won't agree."
Those dark eyes of hers seemed utterly harmless, making Lin Feng look gentle and composed. But the words that came from her lips were steeped in bloodshed. "If the great clans withdraw unscathed, my lord can take seventy percent. But if she kills some and supports others, who knows how much she could get?"
She spoke the words as if murmuring them unconsciously.
The old man with the cane said, "Your lord won't kill them. You said it yourself: six out of ten government offices in the territory have ground to a halt. Do you know how large a gap that leaves?"
Lin Feng fell silent.
Educational resources were heavily concentrated in one place—in the hands of the great clans. It was extremely difficult for ordinary commoners to find teachers and pursue their studies. The quality of their instructors varied, and those who managed to achieve anything were few and far between. Commoners with talent often had to seek shelter with a local great clan, wagering the rest of their lives for a chance to rise above their station. The local great clans were happy to raise such children from a young age to assist their