This really was a very practical concern. Linghua Grand Scholar hadn't said those things to curry favor with him or win him over.
Jiang Yue gave an almost imperceptible nod.
That was true. He'd dealt with scions of powerful families before, and they really did have plenty of bad habits. Take Master Duo of the Treasure Tree Clan, for example. He wasn't even a top-tier genius anymore, but only one step below that, and yet he still had the air of someone completely out of touch with the world. If Qian hadn't been there to handle the mundane affairs for him back then, he truly wouldn't have been good at dealing with people.
"But you're different. You have a rare quality about you. In fact, we saw it in Tong Ye as well. He came from humble beginnings and spent many years as the leader of an adventuring party. He had the makings of a leader. But in the end, he was still too slick and calculating. That petty, mercenary streak ruined his prospects and kept him from reaching the heights we'd hoped for. The academy wouldn't have blamed him just because the special medicine project fell through. But his small-mindedness held him back from advancing further. So now, without the protection of the special medicine's prestige, Tong Ye is in an awkward position, despite holding the title of Purple Gold Ribbon Grand Scholar. Why? Because he doesn't deserve the position!"
Jiang Yue was naturally familiar with Tong Ye. Among those who had been able to go to Taiyi Academy, Tong Ye had made the greatest contribution. Jiang Yue had been behind his efforts to wreak havoc at Taiyi Academy and across the entire Underground World.
Of course, that wasn't tonight's main point. The people at Taiyi Academy, from top