His words were steady, without much emotion attached.
He seemed merely to be stating a fact.
Simply put, the Li Lineage offered the worst terms, but the brightest prospects. No one else could compare.
Jiang Man had no idea why he had reached that conclusion.
But he was surprised that someone from the Li Lineage had made a special trip to see him.
They clearly valued him the least, so why had they come in person?
Neither of the other two lineages had come.
As for agreeing, Jiang Man had never entertained the thought.
The same question remained: what made the Li Lineage worthy?
"A sect is a vast whirlpool. What you need to consider is whether you can find your footing once you enter," the middle-aged man said, looking at Jiang Man. "Perhaps no one has ever mentioned this to you, but you need to understand that entering a sect isn't the end. It's the beginning, and the most difficult beginning at that.
"The other lineages all have extremely shallow roots in the sects.
"Only the Li Lineage can help you find your footing fastest, then receive training a step ahead of everyone else.
"Only then will you have a chance to fight your way upstream."
Jiang Man thought for a moment, then asked, "What if I don't get into a sect?"
"We don't take useless people into consideration," the middle-aged man said.
After a pause, he continued, "The terms we're offering aren't poor. You'd best consider them.
"Once the results of the second competition come out, these terms might no longer be available.
"You should know that everyone is improving rapidly, constantly moving forward.
"You work hard, even going without sleep, but that pace isn't enough.
"Five thousand a month is enough for you to keep up with