Chapter 144: Chapter One Hundred and Forty: Mistake
Translator: 549690339
The chariots drove away in a flaming cloud, and Tang Luo and his group could finally relax and return to town.
But because the plains had been shattered due to battle, leaving craters and broken hills, the group decided to take a detour through the Fox Fairy Temple and back to Xiling.
Along the way, Brother Xu and Mi Bai engaged in a cheerful discussion, as though they were old friends.
In this age of great martial arts prosperity, the arts of the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting were minor paths. Martial arts took precedence, but after achieving a high quality of life through martial arts, people always pursued some spiritual sustenance. For instance, Brother Xu had always loved calligraphy since his childhood. He believed the principles of moving the pen were similar to those of wielding the sword.
However, despite his beliefs, the characters Brother Xu wrote always looked like a dog’s tread, which baffled him. He conscientiously wrote each word and individually they were neat, but when put together in an article, they seemed awkward.
Their conversation mostly revolved around calligraphy, leaving Tang Luo and a group of children feeling drowsy.
Discussing the strength of a stroke, display order, Brother Xu felt like he had clicked instantly with Mi Bai.
“Listening to Brother Bai’s words is truly enlightening!” Brother Xu’s peach blossom eyes were filled with light as though he could not wait to start writing. Mi Bai waved his hand seriously, and said: “These are just some experiences from my practice. As long as Brother Xu doesn’t give up practicing, we can look forward to the future.”
When it came to calligraphy, scholars always exuded a sense of masterful demeanor, compelling respect.
It s a shame that Brother Bai has to leave for Clear Water County soon. Otherwise, I would definitely learn the art of calligraphy from him.” There was a tone of regret in Brother Xu’s voice.
Tang Luo, who was following behind, asked curiously: “Clear Water County? Why are you going there?”
Mi Bai turned his head to Tang Luo and said, “I heard Clear Water County is peaceful, and I want to take the children there to make a living.”
At first, he was reluctant when he met Tang Luo, because the Tang family had annihilated his village.
However, after spending time together, he found that Tang Luo did not possess the arrogance of a noble family’s heir. Although straightforward in his words, he was essentially a good person.
The hate from the previous generation should not be continued today, so Mi Bai s attitude towards Tang Luo had returned to normal.
Tang Luo glanced at Mi Bai and shifted the child in his arms to a more comfortable position, whispering, “I fear your decision may be rash?” At his words, Mi Bai’s face changed drastically. “Why do you say that?” He asked hurriedly.
Brother Xu too was a little confused and asked: “As far as I know, Clear Water County has been peaceful for a long time. There’s a lady there who is like a Bodhisattva. What’s wrong with Mi Bai wanting to make a living there?” Tang Luo, looking at the naive Brother Xu and Mi Bai, said lightly: “The peace of Clear Water County depends entirely on the might of Xiling.
This small town fears the martial force of Xiling the most. Therefore, the head of Clear Water County has to pay tribute to the Tang Family every year to ensure peace.”
As the youngest elder of the Tang Clan, this was not just a title and honor but also meant he could attend various important meetings of the Tang Clan and understand many secrets.
Therefore, he was well informed about the situation in Clear Water County. “Xiling, being the most famous city of peace in Western Longzhou, attracts a constant stream of refugees every year who travel thousands of miles to seek livelihood. But out of those who come to Xiling, hardly anyone survives. Do you think the people who have survived natural and man-made disasters would die on their way here?”
Tang Luo let out a cold sneer from the corner of his mouth, his voice hardly above a whisper.
Brother Xu thought for a moment and replied, “Due to the presence of Xiling in Western Longzhou, there hasn’t been a major conflict in a long time. Perhaps those refugees see the other cities are peaceful, so they stay there instead.”
Mi Bai, initially thrown into confusion by Tang Luo’s words, seemed at a loss in this world full of perils. However, Mi Bai sighed in relief at Brother Xu’s rational explanation and chimed in, “Right, perhaps those refugees settled in the other cities.”
“Hmm, that seems quite reasonable.” Tang nodded and asked, “But why is it that the population of the cities surrounding Xiling doesn’t increase year by year? It’s a good thing for the children roaming the streets to receive aid from the wives of some clans, but haven’t you ever wondered where those children’s parents went?”
Ever since the Wancheng Treasure Ship appeared, the quarrels between Tang Mi’s family and the little clans ceased, leading to Xiling’s prosperity today. However, in other cities, powerful families wanted everything for themselves, be it resources, martial techniques, or the population. The people at the apex of the pyramids were sucking the blood and marrow of those at the base.
If you want to know if a city is invigorating, just check whether its population is increasing steadily or stagnant. This simple logic, Tang Luo believed Brother Xu could understand. If he truly cared about Mi Bai, he shouldn’t let him go to Clear Water County.
‘Are you implying that these refugees are being detained in the cities around Xiling?” Brother Xu knitted his brows.
Tang Luo nodded lightly and said indifferently: “Reclaiming wasteland, building cities and hammering iron, practicing martial arts. There’s never enough population.”
“It seems that Clear Water County isn’t a good place to go after all,” Brother Xu observed, having connected the dots.
Listening to the conversation between Tang Luo and Brother Xu, Mi Bai was incredibly flustered. When he had been incredibly disappointed in Xiling, Clear Water County had become a tranquil haven in his heart. Now, it felt like a dangerous place. The stark contrast was too much to believe. He muttered, “It can’t be… It can’t be…”
Tang Luo looked at Mi Bai’s bewildered and pained face and sighed.
The rumors about the tranquility of these outer cities were mostly spread by tavern gossip. But they never thought that this kind of gossip was often paid for, and how many of the messages they spread could be trusted?
If the dark side of Xiling was one, the dark side of the surrounding cities was ten. In the eyes of the big families of the outer cities, commoners were no different from slaves. Which family wouldn’t keep thousands of commoners as servants, at the mercy of the head of the household?
If Mi Bai really took these children to Clear Water County, he didn’t know if the children would be alright, but someone like Mi Bai would definitely run into trouble.
“Stay in Xiling,” Brother Xu suggested to Mi Bai. “Now that the upper ranks of the Righteous Gang are gone, Feng’s family won’t come looking for you again. Find a place on the edge of the city, reclaim a few acres of wasteland and get another job, and it shouldn’t be a problem to support these children.”
Mi Bai looked up at Brother Xu and gave a bitter smile. “In Xiling, there’s a rule that peasants cannot cultivate idle land.”
Brother Xu was shocked; he had never heard of such strange stipulations before looking at Tang Luo with questioning eyes.
Tang Luo nodded, indicating that there was indeed such a rule.
In Xiling, only families were allowed to cultivate land, and there was a limitation on the number of acres. Peasants, however, were not allowed to grow crops unless they rented land from the families.
How are the common people supposed to survive then?” Xu asked, disbelieving.
Tang Luo said indifferently,”Quarrying, logging, herding, or carrying loads. Xilmg is quite big, and there are many families. There should always be jobs available.”
Brother Xu couldn’t believe that Xiling was a place like this. Peasants unable to farm had to buy grain to survive. But what if one day they stop selling grain? How would these commoners survive?
“This isn’t right,” Brother Xu said earnestly to Tang Luo.
“I know.”
“If it’s wrong, it must change.”
Tang Luo fell silent for a long while, not responding.
If someone makes a mistake, they should correct it.. While that’s true, who can force them to correct it if the person making the mistake is too powerful to resist?
Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnovel(.)com