I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1765 - 198: The First Meeting

Chapter 1765: Chapter 198: The First Meeting

Seeing Du Ling frantically signaling at him, even though Meng Jiao was seething inside, he could only suppress his anger with resentment.

Many times, an adult martial artist’s concessions aren’t for themselves, but for others.

Red Cloud Mountain committed no wrong, but now all of Longzhou believed they did, and the leverage was willingly handed over to their opponents.

This made certain forces, originally hesitant observers, easily choose sides; the entrance of the Beast Taming Clan further amplified the momentum of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor.

Coupled with various sects re-entering the world, all eager to find a target, Unparalleled Academy at this moment inevitably became the perfect bullseye.

Meng Jiao wasn’t afraid of fighting, but to participate in a battle doomed to defeat with unjust blame hanging over them—this would make even the bravest warrior hesitate. At present, Du Ling’s suggestion to delay and maneuver seemed like a decent option.

The gazes of everyone in the council hall focused squarely on him. Meng Jiao understood—they were waiting for him to make a decision. And this decision weighed as heavy as ten thousand catties!

"May I ask if this is the council hall?"

Just as Meng Jiao moved slightly, about to speak, the sound of the door opening echoed. The guards opened the doors, and a pale-skinned, middle-aged scholar appeared at the doorway, drawing everyone’s attention.

Interrupted, Du Ling was thoroughly displeased. He glared sternly at two Du Family disciples serving as guards and shouted, "This is a vital council meeting, all of Unparalleled City’s top leaders are present. How dare you let someone in without notifying us first?! What kind of guards are you?"

The two young Du Family men hadn’t even managed a word before their own elder berated them furiously. His words were harsh, his demeanor wrathful, and the scolding petrified them—it left them speechless, their minds instantly blank.

Meanwhile, the person who had entered was left standing awkwardly at the side. Du Ling didn’t even spare him a single glance.

Those present exchanged looks, aware that the Du Family guards—no matter how negligent—would never rashly bring someone into an active council meeting without permission. Du Ling, more than anyone, would know this as well.

Yet, he still chastised the guards so fiercely, essentially using them to intimidate the newcomer as a show of power.

The sight of the scholar, equally frozen like the guards, tugged at the hearts of several kind-hearted elderly figures in Unparalleled City.

Mi Bai, however, didn’t seem to notice, and instead apologized to Du Ling, offering an explanation: "Please don’t blame them, sir. It was I who asked them to open the door."

"Ah, I see. Then I’ve wronged them. You both, leave now."

With the newcomer demonstrating humility, Du Ling felt he had achieved his goal. He switched to a kindly expression and asked warmly, "Meeting for the first time, may I inquire who this learned gentleman might be?"

"I dare not call myself learned. I am Mi Bai, merely a humble schoolteacher from Jiejiang City."

Mi Bai replied modestly.

Upon hearing this, the warmth in Du Ling’s demeanor significantly waned. Over the years, Unparalleled City had developed rapidly, resulting in a dire shortage of personnel for administrative work. Such tasks required patience—not something a martial artist could simply fill in for.

Thus, the recruitment orders in place offered unprecedented courtesy to scholars, and the municipal office required immediate allocation of work whenever such talent appeared.

But in the current situation—with Ten Thousand Beasts Manor prowling and the Beast Taming Clan joining forces—the council was essentially racing against an impending war. Who had the time to arrange positions for a mere schoolteacher?

Du Ling’s expression became visibly unpleasant. Yet none of this was anyone else’s fault—he should’ve made the stakes clear to the guards so they wouldn’t bring just anyone inside.

"We are currently deliberating critical wartime matters. Please, sir, seat yourself outside the hall. After the council concludes, I will personally seek you out."

Most would understand what to do upon hearing such words. Yet, the scholar seemed oblivious, nodding instead and stepping aside, apologetically stating, "Carry on, everyone. I shall merely listen and learn from a corner."

Such tactless behavior caused several people at the table to furrow their brows, while Du Ling’s expression turned cold. He pronounced each word slowly: "This is military intelligence. Sir, as a newcomer, do you not understand the principle of avoiding undue interference?"

By this point, anyone with even a shred of self-awareness would know to stop. Yet, the scholar truly seemed unable to read the room, merely nodding again, then standing silently as if he intended to involve himself in the council proceedings.

Seeing the newcomer act so absurdly, Du Ling truly became enraged. He spoke in a deep voice: "Who invited you here? Such lack of decorum—take out your recommendation token!"

Unparalleled City recruited talent in two ways. Some arrived voluntarily, such as Sutou Jihui, Palace Master of Demon Slaughter Palace, who himself sought out employment at Unparalleled City.

Others were invited by institutions like Marshal Star Pavilion and Wind Media Department, with the recommendation token representing identity and rank. Du Ling now suspected Mi Bai had ulterior motives and intended to investigate his credibility to the fullest.

The elder’s soul pressure locked onto the scholar, the faint surge of aura reflecting Du Ling’s current mood.

Any civilian facing such a presence would likely tremble and collapse, yet Mi Bai seemed utterly unaffected. Calmly, he retrieved a token from his chest and timidly inquired, "Sir, is this the recommendation token you meant?"

When the token in the scholar’s hand became clear, Du Ling’s imposing aura immediately dissipated, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

Unparalleled City’s recommendation tokens were categorized—Wind Media Department’s Yun Clan disciples mostly held black iron or silver tokens; Marshal Star Pavilion predominantly used silver or gold ones. Yet the token in the scholar’s hand was neither of these three; it was a plain wooden plaque engraved simply with three words: Unparalleled Order.

The faces of those present shifted dramatically as they grasped its significance and stood up quickly.

Du Ling finally understood why his two disciples had hurriedly opened the council doors without issuing any report.

This wasn’t a typical recommendation token—this was the president’s personal command token!

What had he just done? The Du Family elder felt dizzy. He wanted to smooth over the awkward situation but was at a loss for words.

Seeing everyone suddenly stand solemnly, Mi Bai finally realized the gravity of the token he had presented, hurriedly stowed the token back in his chest, and apologized: "Gentlemen, please resume the council meeting. I shall merely listen and learn."

Everyone exchanged looks, at a loss whether to sit or not—after all, allowing someone wielding the president’s token to merely "listen in" was absurd!

"Since this gentleman is a guest invited by the president, how could we possibly let him stand?"

Du Wei, sensing Du Ling’s embarrassment, stepped in to remedy the situation: "Please, sir, take a seat!"

Uncertain whether the president and his wife might join the meeting or not, the council chamber always kept two chairs reserved—one at the head seat and another at the secondary seat, while Unparalleled City’s high officials sat according to their rank.

Most of the time, the highest seats were occupied by Du Family elders, and this was largely accepted by all. But now, with someone holding the president’s command token present, the dynamics of the seating arrangement were bound to change. Shen Dafa and several old Xiling scholars exchanged glances, finding the middle-aged scholar far more affable than the Du Family trio, and also extended an invitation.

Unable to refuse the unanimous insistence, Mi Bai approached and seated himself—but instead of occupying the seat reserved for the president’s direct presence, he chose the secondary seat.

Only then did everyone else dare sit down. At this point, Mi Bai officially became part of Unparalleled City’s council meeting.

To bring the newcomer up to speed, several members of the municipal office briefly summarized the recent turn of events.

The municipal office’s report primarily detailed the formidable pressure from Ten Thousand Beasts Manor and Beast Taming Clan as well as the current grim situation facing Unparalleled City.

Marshal Star Pavilion and the Guard faction, on the other hand, focused more on the misdeeds of the Shi brothers within Unparalleled City, their indignation evident.

Both sides scrambled to argue their points, culminating in Du Ting’s summary: "Discussions of right or wrong are meaningless at this juncture. The focus of this meeting should be on how to minimize Unparalleled City’s losses amidst this storm!"

"Du Ling’s earlier suggestion wasn’t bad. It satisfies the demands of Beast Taming Clan while preserving Marshal Star Pavilion’s fighting strength. Commander Meng, if you cannot propose a better solution, then make your stance clear!"

After the interruption caused by the newcomer, the council slowly returned to the matter at hand. Meng Jiao, however, now wore a relaxed expression.

"Make my stance clear?"

The one-eyed, rough-featured warrior glanced at Du Ting, sneering: "I’m a fighter from Marshal Star Pavilion. Since the president has sent an envoy, I’ll simply follow his lead. What does this have to do with you?!"

With that, Meng Jiao turned to Mi Bai, cupping his fists as he declared, "That’s the situation, sir. Meng Jiao from Marshal Star Pavilion awaits your instructions!"