It wasn't yet time for the daily work shift, so aside from a few factory masters, there were hardly any children around.
Upon asking, Li Xun learned that most of the children were already inside the factory, preparing in advance. Children from impoverished times were like this—whenever they had the chance to learn a skill, they worked harder than even their masters.
"Brother Ning Yuan, please gather all the children from the factory," Li Xun said as he walked around the factory dormitories, noticing that the construction here was even better than he had planned.
By the standards of this era, the living conditions were almost at the level of a well-off family.
Back then, he had only acted on a whim and hadn't invested much effort into this project. Seeing it turn out like this now was beyond his expectations, and he could only marvel at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's financial prowess.
Soon, Ning Yuan returned, followed by a large crowd of children, gathering in the open space in front of the dormitories.
Two thousand five hundred children stood together, a sea of faces.
Even with Li Xun's current state of mind, standing on the makeshift stage and looking down at the dense crowd, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
"Many of you may not know me, so let me introduce myself. I am Li Xun, the factory manager," he began.
Seeing the growing excitement among the children below, Li Xun cleared his throat and used his Soul Power to amplify his voice: "I am also the disciple of Ning Fengzhi, the Sovereign of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."
At this, the children erupted into murmurs, whispering to each other and looking at Li Xun with awe.
They hadn't expected that the place they would rely on for their future livelihood was proposed by a young man not much older than themselves. Most of them were orphans or children from poor families.
If they had followed their original life paths, a small portion of them might not have even survived to adulthood. Even if they managed to make it through childhood, what awaited them wasn't necessarily a happy life.
They might have ended up begging, working as laborers or servants for landlords, or even being sold into slavery.
Yet, in such a bleak and uncertain life, the factory of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had given them a glimmer of hope.
"Ahem, everyone, please settle down," Li Xun said with a smile, raising his hands to signal for silence.
When the crowd finally quieted, he continued, "I know you're excited, and I understand how you feel right now, because I was once a child from a poor family too."
"I know how much this hard-earned opportunity can change the lives of ordinary people like us."
Li Xun looked around at the tearful faces below. "But what I want to tell you today is that your future is far greater than this."
"Blacksmiths, carpenters, painters—these craftsmen are not the pinnacle of what you can achieve."
"Your future lies in being creators, indispensable talents for this continent. It's not something that can be compared to a job that merely keeps you fed and clothed."
Seeing the confused expressions on the children's faces, Li Xun took out a bow and a Zhuge Divine Crossbow from his Soul Guiding Device.
He held both items high, making sure every child could see them. "The bow has existed since ancient times, and no one can remember exactly how many years it has been. But the improvements people made to it were limited to the bowstring and the body."
"Until the crossbow appeared," Li Xun said, tapping his foot lightly. In an instant, a massive tree, so thick it would take two or three people to encircle it, sprouted from the ground on the side of the open space.
Li Xun put away his longbow and aimed the Zhuge Divine Crossbow at the tree, pulling the trigger. In an instant, a series of arrows shot out: "It's more convenient and easier to master, and it can fire multiple shots at once."
He observed the thoughtful expressions on the faces of the audience below.
With a smile, Li Xun took out his longbow again and shot another arrow at the tree: "Do you see the difference now?"
Looking at the bright eyes of the students below the podium, Li Xun encouraged them: "This Zhuge Divine Crossbow is already capable of harming a Soul Master. I hope you learn not just to replicate and dismantle, but to expand your own thinking."
"Create a weapon that surpasses it in every aspect, proving that even ordinary people can rival Soul Masters."
As soon as Li Xun finished speaking, some of the smarter children among the 2,500 immediately explained the situation to their peers. Upon understanding the factory director's intentions, they erupted with a thunderous response.
Li Xun watched all this with a smile, waiting for the excitement to subside before continuing: "Of course, everyone has different strengths and ways of thinking. I don't expect everyone to participate in the research and development."
"Whether you want to learn blacksmithing, carpentry, or anything else, it's up to you, as it concerns your future survival skills."
"But if any of you can create a brand-new weapon, I promise you not just fame and status, but also a life free from financial worries."
After Li Xun finished speaking, the eyes of the 2,500 children below instantly filled with boundless enthusiasm and desire.
Who wouldn't want fame and status? Who wouldn't want a life free from want? And who wouldn't want power?
They had lost the chance to become Soul Masters, but if they could gain power comparable to Soul Masters on another path, they were more than willing to try.
"Your Majesty, take a look at this. Does it count as an improvement?" A slightly thin boy timidly raised his hand.
Hearing this, Li Xun turned to look. It had been many years since he last heard the title "Your Majesty."
When he recognized the boy's face, which still bore some childhood features, Li Xun smiled: "Wang Cheng, I remember your family wasn't too poor. How did you end up here?"
This boy was the same one who had lost two meat buns to Li Xun in their childhood.
"My parents had another brother and sister. If I stayed at home relying on that small plot of land, I might not even have enough to eat in the future," Wang Cheng scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.
Li Xun understood. It seemed Wang Cheng's parents, seeing that their eldest son hadn't become a Soul Master, wanted to try again with two more children. This was a common mindset among poor families.
But Wang Cheng was smart. Trees die when moved, but people thrive. In this era, ordinary people had very little land and few job opportunities. If he clung to old ways, life would remain stagnant.
"Let me see what you've come up with, and don't call me 'Your Majesty' anymore. You can call me Factory Director," Li Xun encouraged.
With Li Xun's nod, Wang Cheng's face lit up with joy. He quickly got up and ran to the dormitory, returning shortly with a large wooden box.
"Factory Director, this is something we made based on the blacksmith's enlarged sample of the Hidden Sand Projectiles."
Wang Cheng placed the wooden box on the ground: "Because the steel needles were too large to be launched, we modified it into a toy that shoots arrows."
After speaking, Wang Cheng waved to the crowd, and soon a few boys around his age emerged from within.
Li Xun took a closer look and noticed that among them were two youths from Gu Rong Village.
The boys gave Li Xun an embarrassed smile, not daring to speak, and quickly got to work. In no time, they had the arrows installed.
They even attached a small section of fuse with gunpowder to each arrow.
"Isn't this the 'Beehive Rocket' from the Ming Dynasty?" Li Xun was momentarily stunned by their actions, then burst into laughter.