I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1828 - 259: Put Yourself in Other’s Shoes

Chapter 1828: Chapter 259: Put Yourself in Other’s Shoes

If Tang Luo returned to Unparalleled City a few days later, he would find that the artisans who had taken refuge in Red Cloud Mountain to avoid disaster had already fled in large numbers.

This was not a mistake in Mi Bai’s work but rather because the group itself had too little, along with some historical reasons.

Xiehe is a world that never respects creators and those who live seriously.

Farmers and artisans are at the bottom of the food chain, serving this world but never receiving respect.

Even if their skills reach perfection, it only invites intrigue. When the Human Race overcame the Dark Ages, the Dao Soldiers and the Divine Artifacts were indispensable, but everyone knew the names and users of the Divine Artifacts, yet no one remembered the names of the blacksmiths.

This is a tragedy of the entire era, and it was precisely seeing this point that Mi Bai wanted to improve the living conditions of these artisans through Unparalleled City.

And the reason for doing this is that he knows that what can make the world better is not warriors, but those who live earnestly.

However, the first attempt was apparently a bit of a failure because as soon as Tang Luo returned, there were many petitions from the city hall impeaching Mi Bai for acting arbitrarily.

"It seems the charitable endeavor is not going smoothly?"

Tang Luo swept the piles of petitions into a bamboo basket with a wave, asking with a smile, "What difficulties have you encountered? Is there anything I can help with?"

Mi Bai, who hadn’t rested well for days, looked very haggard, but more fatigued than his face were his eyes.

"Did Mi Bai do something wrong?"

The haggard scholar asked this.

"The matter itself is not wrong."

Tang Luo comforted, "If it can be accomplished, it will truly allow Red Cloud Mountain to achieve immortality. You’ve done better than I imagined."

"But after the announcement, most craftsmen in the outer city fled, and even within the inner city, people are restless."

Mi Bai smiled bitterly, "If they weren’t all followers of the Lord, they might have packed up like those free artisans and run away."

"You can’t blame them either. Artisans are just artisans; you can’t expect them to uphold the standards of a noble-minded gentleman."

Tang Luo shook his head and said, "Hearing about giving lectures and establishing themselves in speech and action, I’m afraid only those families like the Ou Family, who have reached the pinnacle of craftsmanship, can understand the favorable implications within."

"Although you’re not in Red Cloud, it seems everything happening here is under your watchful eye."

Mi Bai sighed, "Master Ou might be the only one supporting this decision in the turmoil, but he still has concerns. He wants to know if this announcement is merely Mi Bai’s whim or has your implicit support."

"He has doubts but doesn’t dare to ask face-to-face; after all, with age, one becomes tactful."

Tang Luo shook his head and sighed, "You can tell him this is my intention."

"Phew!"

Mi Bai breathed a long sigh of relief, "With someone as esteemed as Master Ou stepping forward, I believe it should stabilize the emotions of the city’s artisans."

"They won’t trust Master Ou on this matter."

Tang Luo waved his hand with a smile, "Artisans are an unfortunate bunch. From the moment they become apprentices, they’re exploited by their masters. When they finally qualify, they’re exploited by their employers. When they finally manage to make a name for themselves amid the struggles, they’re requisitioned by noble families under the guise of invitations, becoming long-term laborers as the best outcome. Most, after having their ancestral skills hollowed out, become slaves."

"Those who have three to five skills, then drag their families to become free artisans, are already seasoned people. They won’t believe there’s much goodwill in Unparalleled City’s announcement. Do you know why Master Ou chose to settle on Red Cloud Mountain?"

The sudden question left Mi Bai a bit puzzled, and after shaking his head, he honestly replied, "This... Mi Bai isn’t sure."

"Because the construction of Unparalleled City might be the only project that Master Ou was not delayed or humiliated in, so even if Red Cloud Mountain is a bit barren, he’s willing to stay here."

Tang Luo laughed heartily, "But for other artisans, Unparalleled City doesn’t have such a big reputation, so we need another way to attract them."

Establishing oneself in speech and action, making a name known across the world, is the noble pursuit of scholars, but artisans do not care for these ephemeral glories. They want something simpler and more direct.

Mi Bai wasn’t stupid, so after hearing Tang Luo’s words, he immediately realized why the action was not going smoothly.

"Does the Dean mean we can entice the artisans with benefits?"

Realizing the correct method, Mi Bai’s eyes lit up, and he regained his vitality.

"That’s right."

Tang Luo nodded with a smile and said, "These artisans’ skills have never been non-negotiable; they just don’t want to be discarded worthlessly after selling them cheaply. Thus, glory is not what they seek; safety and prosperity are what they truly desire."

"In that case, Mi Bai knows what to do!"

Mi Bai nodded and then looked at Tang Luo, "But to do it well, I may have to borrow the Dean’s identity and reputation, along with assistance from the Wind Media Department."

"Looks like you’re planning quite a stir."

Tang Luo waved his big hand with a full smile, "Feel free to use the Dean’s title. As for needing coordination with the Marshal Star Pavilion and the Wind Media Department, you can approach Mr. Du Sha for the former and my wife for the latter. Go boldly, if this succeeds, Red Cloud Mountain will have endless merit!"

With eyes filled with the fire of certain victory, Mi Bai departed, no longer weary as when he came.

Most of the things that can’t be done in the world are merely because the right method hasn’t been found.

Unparalleled City soon released a second announcement stating that the Dean of the Unparalleled Institute had recently become infatuated with the ingenious skills of the artisans, and if any artisan could present a splendid artifact, they would become a distinguished guest of the Unparalleled Academy, with a monthly stipend of a thousand gold.

Upon seeing this notice, all the artisans in Unparalleled City went crazy.

...

With the release of the second notice, internal dissent within the city hall and Mi Bai rapidly ceased, and many artisans who caught wind of the news rushed into the city without delay.

However, now in Unparalleled City, it is easier to leave but hard to enter. Just observing how the Longzhou emissaries of all clans show their respects by standing at mid-mountain reveals that Unparalleled City will not receive foreign guests now, and many artisans who left overnight were found wailing bitterly outside the city gates.

The scene of desperately begging in vain was produced by merely throwing out a few baits, surpassing Mi Bai’s expectations.

Moreover, with Master Ou’s involvement in the inner city, the pressure on the city hall was greatly reduced, making it much easier to distinguish between the real and the fake.

After all, in the eyes of the craftsmen from the Ou Family, who is genuinely skilled and who is taking advantage of the situation is clear at a glance.

Embodying a public spirit, Master Ou, with a resolve to establish himself in speech and action, tightly held onto the standards.

Watching the bustling scene in the city, Mi Bai knew it was time to seek an audience with Yun Xiu. But just as he was going to knock on the door, he saw his wife come out from inside, and without a word, she pulled him away.

"Husband, something big is about to happen in Unparalleled City!"