Huang Tian had been recommended to the Guard Academy by Xia Hong, so he had naturally come to be associated with him. That was why Chief Instructor Liu had reported to Xia Hong at the first opportunity.
"Huang Manor, Huang Tian..."
Ten days earlier, Xia Hong had already learned that Huang Tian and Huang Manor could hardly be considered one and the same. Huang Tian was merely a concubine-born son, and a deeply neglected one at that, bullied by several of his older brothers. His interests could almost be said to run counter to Huang Manor's.
Now that Huang Tian had suddenly displayed prodigious talent and given Huang Rui a sound beating, the rift between them had only grown deeper. For a moment, Xia Hong truly wasn't sure which side to choose. After all, though he had recommended Huang Tian, he also had a good relationship with Huang Manor.
"No, there's no need to overthink it. I'll maintain my ties with Huang Manor, but I'll also invest in Huang Tian!"
Xia Hong quickly made up his mind. In his view, though Huang Manor wielded considerable influence in the prefectural city, its only true pillar was Huang Xunjiu, a sixth-rank Martial Path expert. At most, Huang Qian, a seventh-rank expert, could be added to the count.
But in this world, what mattered most was never a web of tangled connections. It was strength, the power of one's fists!
Huang Tian had a very good chance of becoming a middle-three-rank martial artist—and not merely a sixth-rank one, but a fourth-rank one!
A genius like that was worth far more than the mere Huang Manor!
Xia Hong looked at Liu Kuo and said slowly, "You were right to report this so promptly. Huang Tian has excellent talent, and I do intend to cultivate