Sarah Sutton saw Henry Harper packing his things over there. She frowned and looked at the fist marks Henry Harper had left on the giant tree, especially the last few. Suddenly, she said to Henry Harper, “Watch my sword.”

In a flash, a sword’s light shone like lightning. In Henry Harper’s eyes, he saw only that light. The next instant, everything returned to normal. It was still the same quiet, long-haired girl, still holding her sword at her side, the blade unsheathed, and she was still more than ten steps away from him.

“Just now... did you draw your sword?” Henry Harper asked in surprise.

Sarah Sutton didn’t answer, but looked at Henry Harper seriously and said, “During the time I’ve known you, every punch you throw is full of sincerity, as if you’re questioning your truest heart with each strike. That’s why I think highly of you. A person sincere in martial arts will have martial arts that are sincere to him. That’s what my grandmother, a master of inner strength, told me when I was very young as she guided me in martial arts. She wanted me to be sincere to my martial arts, to my sword, and to my heart. That’s why, even though I’m half a year younger than you, I’ve already trained a third-rate sword technique to its peak. That’s also why I supervise you and want you to learn martial arts with me. I believe you’re the same kind of person. But today, I’m very disappointed. I can’t see your sincerity. Are you... insulting the martial arts you’ve trained for nine years!?”

Sarah Sutton’s words were harsh, but Henry Harper remained silent. In fact, his actions and thoughts were completely different from what Sarah Sutton guessed. For one thing, if he wasn’t serious, or if he didn’t put his whole heart into shadowboxing as Sarah Sutton said, the system wouldn’t count the experience from it. He had verified this countless times over the past nine years. So how could he dare not to give his all?

Another reason was that he had no choice. After crossing over more than nine years ago to the orphanage, with no family, no prospects, and no future, his only option was the golden finger he brought with him. This system was his entire future. How could he not be sincere about it?

But what Sarah Sutton said was well-intentioned, and sincerity in martial arts truly is the most important attitude for a martial artist. Even though he had the system, it was by no means omnipotent—at least, his system wasn’t. So he needed to have that spirit as well. Today, he really was in the wrong.

“I accept your teaching,” Henry Harper said seriously, cupping his fists.

Sarah Sutton looked at Henry Harper’s earnest expression and nodded slightly. Then she turned and walked off into the distance, with Henry Harper naturally following behind her. The two of them walked together toward the dormitory. After a short while, Sarah Sutton suddenly asked, “Just now, what were you thinking about? Was it your nineteenth birthday?”

Henry Harper had once told Sarah Sutton that on his nineteenth birthday, the most important change would happen, and his future path in life would be decided on that day.

Sarah Sutton had actually already investigated Henry Harper’s family background thoroughly. After all, she was the direct descendant of a noble family, and not just any branch, but the main line. The Su family was one of the strongest families in the Qianshan Empire, and even in the Blue Shadow Republic, she could use many of the advantages her family brought, connections being one of them. So finding out the background of someone like Henry Harper, who had no connections, was a simple matter.

Although she didn’t intend to teach Henry Harper her family’s martial arts—she didn’t have the authority to do so anyway—she truly thought highly of Henry Harper as a person. He was a rare true martial artist. Even though he was only practicing a low-level boxing technique, if he switched to another martial art, with his temperament and talent, his future achievements would be limitless. There was a good chance he could become a master of inner strength, and she knew all too well what that meant for someone from a noble family like herself. So whether it was out of admiration or to form a good relationship, understanding Henry Harper’s character, background, and past was necessary.

Sarah Sutton naturally knew that Henry Harper was an orphan, with a perfectly normal background. And this kind of low-level, trashy boxing technique was indeed something only an orphan would practice for over nine years. However, he had an older sister, also an orphan, or rather, an adopted sister. That sister was currently the fiancée of Paul Thompson, the eldest legitimate son of the Li family in the capital of the Blue Shadow Republic.

Some things could be inferred from this. The intelligence reports mentioned that his sister Natalie Sawyer cared for him deeply, and there was indeed a sibling bond between them. She had always wanted him to join the military, specifically the unit under Paul Thompson’s command. Clearly, she wanted Henry Harper to get involved in Li family affairs as a member of the wife’s family. But Henry Harper had always refused.

Sarah Sutton even knew that just over a month ago, after Natalie Sawyer and Paul Thompson returned to the capital, Natalie Sawyer had come to the university to see Henry Harper—the very night she took the Jade Skin Pill. Henry Harper had even fought with Natalie Sawyer. These were all things Henry Harper had told her himself. So it was impossible to hide the fact that Henry Harper had trained a boxing technique to mastery. In this case, even if Natalie Sawyer was a commoner and didn’t understand these things, Paul Thompson certainly did. As long as he wasn’t an idiot, he would definitely try to recruit Henry Harper.