To the south of Great Xia's capital was Nanyuan. And to the south of Nanyuan was the Starfall Mountain. If one went further south, one would reach Great Ming. Great Ming was massive. It also had a large population. There were only 28 cities in Great Xia, but there were 76 cities in Great Ming.2

Unfortunately, Great Ming wasn't too strong. Of the 36 human prefectures, Great Ming wasn't the weakest, but it also wasn't the strongest. It was ranked middle in terms of strength.4

If one was too weak, one would be known for it.0

If one was too strong, one would also be known for it.0

If one was right in the middle, it would be very hard for one to catch any attention.0

A prefecture like this would not be the pick of geniuses. But they also weren't able to produce their own geniuses. Even the weaker prefectures had an easier time recruiting new talent. Some of the more regular geniuses wouldn’t be too special in Great Xia or even a place like Great Ming, but when they joined a weaker prefecture, they would be given the best treatment the prefecture could afford.2

And these...0