I Can See Your Combat Power-Chapter 1648 - 90: Making an Appointment

"Headmaster, we have trouble."

Outside the classroom, an anxious Du Ting approached Tang Luo, presenting the report in his hands.

Taking and flipping through it, he saw nothing but deficits. Xiehe’s immense attention has brought this small mountain city to the brink of peril.

The overloaded operation caused the city officials to endlessly complain, and the escalating conflicts made law enforcement a hollow phrase.

On the other hand, over a thousand disciples who passed the Dragon Gate spiritual trial had achieved a breakthrough but had not been enrolled due to the lack of available dormitories.

Besides the backlog of internal affairs, there was also covetousness from the outside.

What is honey to others is poison to us. The emergence of Dragon Gate is a godsend for the unaffiliated cultivators, but for some clans, it’s the root of instability.

Originally, Unparalleled City’s defensive strength was more than enough to keep an eye on all malicious forces, but now with the city so overcrowded, how could there be any power spared for vigilance?

According to several city officials’ statements, if the flow of people continues at the current rate, Unparalleled City would be paralyzed by the excess of visitors squeezing in within ten more days.

Tang Luo’s brow furrowed tightly. Although he indeed had considered that small Red Cloud Mountain might not withstand the attention of the entire Xiehe, the collapse had come much faster than expected.

"Have you tried to redirect them?"

Closing the report, Tang Luo asked Du Ting.

"We tried, but it was futile."

Du Ting said with a wry smile: "The visiting cultivators are not unaware of Unparalleled City’s congestion, but the allure of the Five-turn Dragon Gate is too great. Even without food or water, sleeping under the sky, they refuse to give up their spot in line. The queue to experience Dragon Gate has already circled the inner city once and is still extending."

"A bunch of fools."

Tang Luo held his forehead speechlessly but could also understand. After all, the appearance of the Five-turn Dragon Gate indeed resolved the doubts of Xiehe’s cultivators for a thousand years.

Among those who reached the unity of spirit and intent, who wouldn’t want to know how far they were from a breakthrough?

Now that such a miraculous object has appeared, who wouldn’t swarm over?

Except that such enthusiasm was truly more than what Red Cloud Mountain could bear; a solution would still have to be found.

After musing for a moment, Tang Luo said to Du Ting with a deep voice: "Put out an announcement that, after midnight today, The Academy will close Dragon Gate and will reopen it elsewhere on another day. This action should somewhat stop the relentless influx of visitors."

"Additionally, notify the master craftsman Ou Yu to recruit artisans at full strength to carve out cave dwellings and connect the Three Peaks of Red Cloud with ropes and suspension bridges to disperse the crowd."

"Lastly, send a message to Chaochang, Boma, and Mount Lan in the name of The Academy, requesting a meeting with the chiefs of the Liu, He, and Nong families."

"I will attend to it immediately!"

...

To unravel a tangled skein, the first step is to find the end of the string.

The Five-turn Dragon Gate was that end. It was thought that by announcing the relocation of Dragon Gate, it would shift the attention of the visitors, but unexpectedly, when the announcement was made in the city hall, the cultivators in the queue erupted into a violent conflict.

Because Dragon Gate would close by midnight, for the cultivators who arrived late, there was naturally no need to queue anymore. However, for some cultivators ranked within the first thousand in line, it was torturous.

Their positions were ambiguous; if the people ahead of them passed quickly, they might complete their trial before midnight. But if the people ahead were slow, they would miss their chance to undergo the trial.

Previously without this closure time, they could treat their positions calmly, but now they could no longer stay composed.

Pushing, arguing, and even fist-fighting, a minor dispute could disrupt the order of a hundred-person queue.

In the chaos, some got caught jumping the queue, triggering new conflicts. Within less than a quarter of an hour after the announcement was spread, the main avenue of Unparalleled City had turned into a battlefield of disorder.

What was more ridiculous was that some people tried to rush onto The Academy’s platform amidst the chaos, thinking to take advantage of their numbers and not taking the stationed city guards and the venerable Miaowei into consideration at all.

Most of them got knocked to the ground by the city guards, but a few agile and lucky ones managed to slip through the gaps, heading straight for the Dragon Gate.

Yet before they could clearly see the Dragon Gate that was within reach, they plunged into the red mist and vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a whiff of smoke and ash.

"This is the territory of Unparalleled City; what happens below, whether you live or die, I will not interfere," said Miaowei, "but as for those coveting the Dragon Gate..."

The Taoist master took down his gourd, guzzled a few mouthfuls, wiped the corner of his mouth, and then indifferently added, "Feel free to come up to the platform and give it a try."

Behind the red mist, the figure of the Taoist was hazy, but his deep and resonant warning calmed the restless crowd.

As if a bucket of cold water was poured over them, those monks who had intended to cause trouble quickly melted away into the crowd, and the once disordered lines restored order.

Watching the cultivators who had now obediently returned below the platform, the old Taoist smacked his lips, hung the gourd back at his waist, whilst the sprawling red clouds above the platform rolled up and gathered into a mass, hiding away into the Taoist’s sleeve.

The opening of the Dragon Gate for soul-testing continued, but the majority of the cultivators who stepped onto the platform dared not cast a glance at the amiable old Taoist standing beside the Dragon Gate.

...

Dragon Continent Calendar, Year 1792, Early August

Lanshan City, Boma City, and Chaochang City all received invitations from the Unparalleled Academy. The mysterious Dean aimed to meet with the leaders of the three great houses.

They’ve come to seek retribution!

This thought almost simultaneously flashed across the minds of the three houses upon receiving the invitation.

But soon, this idea was dismissed. It indeed was inappropriate for the three houses to recruit over half of the students when the Five-turn Dragon Gate first appeared.

Now, from the current situation, it is evident that the three houses are in fact alleviating pressure off Unparalleled City. To any discerning person, it is clear that the small town of Red Cloud Mountain is about to burst from the influx of visitors.

Thus, the possibility of retribution greatly reduced, and the three patriarchs—all shrewd individuals—quickly realized the true intent behind Unparalleled City’s actions.

"This Dean, I fear, intends to use the cities of Lingjiang to divert the visitors," said the Nong Family Chief, placing the invitation on the table and addressing the other two patriarchs, "What do you two think?"

"The situation is like the tide, ebbing and flowing. Unparalleled City is now asking favors of others, yet they hold themselves with such prestige," said hesitantly, his fingers tapping lightly on the sealed letter, "In less than three days, this mysterious Dean will surely pay us a personal visit. By then, talking terms, wouldn’t we hold all the advantages?"

"Head of the He family speaks sense, let’s do just that," the Nong Family Chief said with a smile and a nod, "It’s agreed then."

"It’s agreed then."

After seeing off Liu Tang and the head of the He family, the Nong Family Chief’s fake smile faded, and he huffed, "These old foxes, trying to trip me up here. Housekeeper, prepare the boat immediately, we’re heading to the Unparalleled Academy!"

That night, the Nong Family’s large ship docked at the port of Unparalleled City. The patriarchs, who had agreed to leave the Dean hanging for three days, unexpectedly met at the crowded port.

Each of the three family leaders wore a tacit smile, exchanging pleasantries with hand clasps, their conversation filled with nothing but urgency regarding the recent state of Unparalleled City, showing their earnestness for having dispatched ships immediately upon receiving the invitation.

Observing the three great families’ patriarchs deeming themselves so lowly, Du Wei, who came to receive them, could not keep up a displeased facade.