Chapter 1617: Chapter 70: Clear the Field

Martial arts have prospered for a thousand years, the sacred lands remain aloof and superior, sects dominate the immortal mountains, and noble families establish cities and occupy land, clearly demarcating their territories.

Perhaps there are rises and falls, but the overall structure of the upper class remains the same as it was a thousand years ago.

The root cause is naturally the many generations of hard work and bravery of the Sacred Land Sects, but more so, the monopoly caused by rigid class divisions.

For ordinary people, Fierce Realm is both a desired and unreachable barrier, and the biggest problem with not crossing this barrier is a short lifespan.

Even in places as affluent as Xiling, there are scarce elderly people among the commoners.

When the average lifespan is low, responsibility for supporting families falls at a young age; children from poor families have to start cooking by themselves at the age of five or six, and must start earning their livelihoods by the age of ten.

Under such perilous circumstances, devoting oneself to martial arts is but a fanciful dream.

Tang Luo does not have the ability to support the cultivation of the entire Longzhou, but he can focus his energy on the generation most likely to change the world.

“Unparalleled City will commence a clearance today; non-native residents and those above ten years of bone age are to be expelled. Those below ten years of bone age, willing to join the academy, will have food and lodging provided!”

“Those with special skills can contact the city hall to explain their situation; retention will be determined based on skills.”

The latest announcement by Unparalleled City caused much resentment among the new refugees in the city; they couldn’t tolerate the harsh governance of the Lingjiang Seven Cities and believed that one day the Void Grandmaster would return to reclaim the lost territories, thus they gathered in Unparalleled City.

Initially indeed as they thought, Unparalleled City showed enough enthusiasm for these refugees, offering generous treatment.

But once the news spread, countless refugees from the Lingjiang Seven Cities gathered, and Unparalleled City fell into a semi-paralyzed state.

At this stage, any clear-headed person saw that leaving was the best choice, but no one was willing to be the first to go.

Some felt that since they arrived first, they shouldn’t have to leave; others hoped to outlast everyone else.

With many harboring such thoughts, the situation became deadlocked.

And when the weak gathered overwhelmingly, they demanded their rights as if it was only natural, as though it was Heaven’s law and Earth’s principle for Unparalleled City to support them.

Logically, such issues should be quite easy to handle, but it’s difficult given that Red Cloud Mountain had set a precedent of accepting refugees from Xiling, and even among the current high-ranking officials, many had pledged themselves to Tang Luo during times of great peril.

With internal opinions divided and no one capable of making a definitive decision, the council hall of Unparalleled City was filled with nothing but disputes.

Fortunately, Yun Xiu has arrived; as the Lord’s wife, managing the territory in Tang Luo’s retreat is naturally her responsibility.

The endlessly disputing council was quickly unified; although the nobles were not entirely satisfied with the outcome, hearing that Yun Xiu was willing to shelter children below ten years of age, they had no further luxury to demand.

After all, with sparse vegetation and scarce farmland on Red Cloud Mountain, relying solely on purchasing supplies wasn’t enough to sustain so many people; saving some was a win.

As the old saying goes, if the ship runs fast, it all depends on the head leading.

Once a decision-maker was in place, all departments of Unparalleled City mobilized without delay, and in just two days, they expelled all the refugees who had come for asylum, leaving only a few thousand children under ten years old, both boys and girls.

…

Longzhou Calendar, May 7, 1792

Lanshan City Council Hall

“Unparalleled City has started expelling people.”

The strategist reported the news returned by Wind Media to the city lord, He Changzai: “This morning, hundreds of rafts and several barges left the dock of Red Cloud Mountain, moving up and down Lingjiang!”

“Good, cutting off their hopes of pledging to Tang, allows them to leave with a settled heart.”

He Changzai nodded, smiling.

“What about the disposal of these fleeing people?”

The strategist asked again.

“Lanshan City is not a place where they can come and go as they please; treat the fleeing people as criminals, three years as bonded farmers or slave laborers.”

“Why do you think Unparalleled City retained thousands of young boys and girls?”

“It’s merely fostering some servants and maids; such tactics are common among nobles, nothing surprising.”

He Changzai sighed, “The Void Grandmaster is not an ordinary person, it’s better to step back when possible.”

“Should we give a heads-up to Liu Clan in Chaochang?”

“Since Unparalleled City is letting people go, we shouldn’t hold back the grain ships. After all, for the sake of the spectacle of Lingjiang, given in respect to the Void Grandmaster, handle it according to the food standard for two hundred thousand people, placing the order with Du Family.”

“I will send someone to convey the message immediately.”

After receiving the order, the strategist hurriedly departed.

…

Marshal Star Pavilion Headquarters

Tang Luo secretly summoned Ou Yu and three elders of the Du Family.

As a grandmaster who had been confined by the Langhuan Sword Master, yet able to appear within his territory, the four could only marvel at their Lord’s extraordinary reach.

Upon hearing Tang Luo’s plans to establish a school atop Red Cloud Mountain, the four showed signs of confusion.

Building a clan and founding a city they understood, but running a school… it was not just them, barely any of the sacred lands understood such matters.

“Hey, running a school isn’t that complicated.”

Tang Luo said to Ou Yu, “Firstly, the teaching buildings; partition the Crystal Palace, dividing it into lecture halls, cultivation rooms, body training rooms, and divide further into the four class types of Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow; then build a kitchen and two dormitory buildings, and that should more or less cover it.”

“But turning the master’s dojo into teaching buildings… that might be troublesome?”

“How long can the City of Crystals shine?”

Tang Luo replied calmly, “If it remains just a dojo, one hundred years, two hundred years, that’s the most it will last; but turning it into an academy might truly allow it to pass down for a thousand, ten thousand years. Such a spectacle, doesn’t Master Ou want to design it with his own hands?”

“…..Ou Yu, understood.”

After discussing the academy, they next addressed the students.

Tang Luo turned to the three Du Family elders, “These thousands of young children left behind can serve as the academy’s first batch of students; but before they start cultivating, I’ll need the three elders to arrange for teachers to teach them literacy and recognize acupoints, retrieve Spiritual Food from the stores to dilute, and nurse their bodies back to health.”

Using Spiritual Food to nurse these unrelated young boys and girls?

Such an endeavor, even by the standards of the Sacred Land Sects hadn’t been heard of; the three Du Family elders were surprised and ended up nodding hesitantly.

“Alright, please arrange this as soon as possible.”

Tang Luo nodded, “Lastly, do not publicize my return.”

“Yes, my Lord!”

That night, Yun Xiu, after surveying Unparalleled City inside and out once, returned to the Lord’s palace to discuss further work with Tang Luo.

“The Longxi Alliance has lost its influence, Unparalleled City lacks support from other cities; currently lacking food, materials, industry, and only enough reserves to last a hundred thousand people for three months; Chaochang has driven the grain prices extremely high, we must seek alternatives.”

Yun Xiu spoke earnestly, “Unparalleled City can no longer live off boat taxes and the pier as before; we must first stabilize the fishing industry to steady food consumption. I want to organize a trade group, to see if we can open a trade route for Unparalleled City. Husband, how is the school going?”