But That Was Also a Last Hope, Only to Be Chosen When There Was No Other Choice.

But that was absolutely a final hope he would only choose after being driven into a corner. So when she saw the list that represented the sponsorship records under his name...

The noblewoman immediately knew that there was nothing simple about this matter at all.

Without a doubt, this was definitely another trap aimed at her son!

Her son had never been well liked in the Bao Family to begin with.

But relying on that layer of bloodline on him, as long as he did not flaunt himself in daily life, it was never difficult for him to live in comfort within the Bao Family.

But now, if they added on the crime of lacking judgment, of using the family's last resources to sponsor an Outer City disciple with no potential whatsoever, then the meaning represented within it would be completely different!

If the master were to learn of this matter too, then there would surely be another bout of thunderous rage!

After all, the reason Bao Tianhua had been expelled from the Inner City before and sent to the Outer City to practice martial arts

was not only because he had lacked judgment and caused the family's finances to suffer losses.

Although those losses were nothing to the Bao Family, what the Bao Family truly cared about was face.

It was the dignity of a great clan!

Some petty thief from who knew where had actually made a house of great merchants suffer a loss!

If this matter spread, it would surely bring no small impact to the entire Bao Family!

Even now, the head of the Bao Family, who was also Bao Tianhua's father, had yet to calm his anger.

If this matter reached the master's ears as well, she did not even dare imagine how furious the master would be when the time came!

Perhaps, in a fit of rage, he would even disregard the last shred of bloodline affection entirely.

Looking at Bao Tianhua's face, the noblewoman once again said anxiously, "Tianhua, tell Mother, what level was the sponsorship you gave that Outer City disciple back then?"

Seeing the expression on his mother's face, Bao Tianhua immediately did not hesitate at all, and directly recounted the entire process of what had happened at the time.

Naturally, this also included the matter of the steward suddenly raising the sponsorship level for him that morning.

Hearing this, the noblewoman's heart abruptly sank.

Clearly, this was almost exactly as she had thought.

It really was that son from the second branch playing tricks.

At this moment, the noblewoman looked at her son's face, and her heart was filled with hardship.

She knew that her son did not have those filthy thoughts and schemes in his heart.

So naturally, he had not thought too much about the things the steward had delivered.

Of course, at this moment, she also knew that even if her son had refused back then, those people would not have stopped there.

After all, the accounts office was in their hands. If they wanted to change some numbers in the ledgers, it would simply be too easy.

It could only be said that perhaps back then, she should not have agreed to let her son sponsor that Outer City disciple...

But now, everything was too late...

"Mother, what is it?"

"Could that sponsorship of mine have brought trouble to the family again?"

As he said this, Bao Tianhua's eyes once again became somewhat downcast.

"But... but I think this sponsorship was right?"

"After all, Senior Brother Lin Tian has broken through to Dark Force now."

"What?!!"

After hearing Bao Tianhua's words, a trace of astonishment and shock immediately appeared on the noblewoman's face.

"Tianhua, what did you just say... say? What Dark Force? Who reached Dark Force?"

The noblewoman's emotions were somewhat stirred at this moment, and even her speech became a little incoherent.

And naturally, she had clearly heard what her son had just said.

It was just that the content contained in those words had brought her too much surprise.

If it was true.

Everything she had worried about before would cease to exist.

The noblewoman had also secretly looked into the young man named Lin Tian.

So she knew when Lin Tian had broken through to Bright Force.

If one calculated it according to the time...

Would that not mean he had broken through to Dark Force after only four months of martial training?

This... this would count as an absolute genius even in their county town!

So her son's sponsorship had not been some act of blind foolishness, but a discerning eye that had recognized a pearl!

"Mother? What's wrong?"

"Why is your expression so strange today?"

Bao Tianhua asked, somewhat puzzled.

But the next moment, he remembered the question his mother had just asked.

He immediately spoke again. "Mother, you absolutely wouldn't have guessed it. That Senior Brother Lin Tian I sponsored before really was just as I thought. He has already broken through to Dark Force now!"

"I told you, back when I saw Senior Brother Lin Tian, I felt the radiance in his eyes was completely different from everyone else's."

"A person like that is someone you can tell at a glance will achieve great things in the future!"

"And that's not all. Senior Brother Lin Tian is also someone who knows gratitude."

"Today, after breaking through to Dark Force, not only did he put on no airs at all, he came to tell me at the first opportunity that if there was anything he could help with in the future, I should just ask him."

When the noblewoman heard this, her already delighted face immediately flashed once more with a trace of contemplation.

Especially that last sentence Bao Tianhua had said.

Then, as if she had made some sort of decision, she took out a silver note worth one hundred taels from on her person.

She said to Bao Tianhua before her, "Tianhua, help Mother give these things to that Senior Brother Lin Tian of yours. Tell him that after you brought news of his breakthrough to Dark Force back to the Bao Family, this is the reward the family is giving him."

"And starting today, for the Blood-Qi Pills he receives from the Bao Family every month, you also helped him apply to have the amount raised from the original ten pills to fifteen."

"Huh?"

Hearing his mother's words, Bao Tianhua froze on the spot.

Clearly, he did not understand why his mother was doing this.

"Mother, are you trying to..."

Bao Tianhua felt somewhat resistant at this moment.

After all, he could see it too.

His mother wanted to make Lin Tian owe them a favor.

After all, back then, his sponsorship of Lin Tian had merely been a casual act.

Now that Lin Tian could rise up, he was naturally happy.

But... if he saw that the other party had benefits to offer and then rushed to add more investment to him, the purpose behind it would be too strong, and that would instead make things ugly.

After seeing her son's expression, the noblewoman knew her son was stubborn as a single tendon.

But afterward, she still patiently explained, "Tianhua, right now you are restricted at every turn within the Bao Family. With Mother here now, you can still protect yourself."

"But Mother can't possibly be able to help you at every moment."

"Just like this time..."

The noblewoman said this sentence in her heart.

After all, she also did not want Bao Tianhua to know

that because of one kind deed of his, harm had been brought to both him and herself.

"So you need more safeguards. That Senior Brother Lin Tian of yours—I can also see that he is someone who knows how to repay kindness."

"Although a Dark Force martial artist may not be of much help to you, at the very least, he is still a fallback path."

"And you don't need to worry on Lin Tian's behalf either."

"He comes from a poor household. Being able to obtain more cultivation resources will only bring him benefits and no harm!"

"This time, you have to listen to Mother. You cannot act willfully."

At this moment, seeing the solemn expression on his mother's face, Bao Tianhua ultimately had no choice but to nod.

And after finishing these matters, the noblewoman once again left Bao Tianhua's residence in a hurry.

After all, by now she already knew that the second branch wanted to wipe out her son to the last.

Naturally, she also had to take some precautions.

As for Lin Tian...

In her eyes, it was truly just as she had said before.

She had never placed too much hope on a Dark Force martial artist from the Outer City.

So although she treated Lin Tian as Bao Tianhua's fallback path.