Among the crowd, Long Shan hesitated for a moment before finally mustering his courage and stepping forward.
He clasped his hands toward Yuan Ming, who sat in the seat of honor, his voice carrying both sincerity and helplessness. "City Lord Yuan, there is something I have no choice but to report. We are not seeking personal gain. The truth is, we are being forced by the powers behind us. More than half of each city's annual income must be offered to the superior sects as the price of their protection. Otherwise, they can send someone to replace us at any time."
Yuan Ming frowned slightly at this, his gaze sharp as a torch as he looked at Long Shan. "Tribute? Who else do you have to pay tribute to?"
"We city lords may appear infinitely glorious, but in truth, we are all puppets of those great powers. Nearly all the profits recorded in the books from the cities' annual revenues must be handed over to the superior sects. This is the price we have no choice but to pay for their protection." Long Shan took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
Yuan Ming listened quietly, deep in thought.
He understood that the Ten Thousand Monster Mountain Range was rich in resources, so naturally countless factions coveted it.
Yet those forces had no desire to manage these cities personally, so they propped up puppet city lords and fished for profit from behind the scenes.
"Then how much of your profits did you used to offer to the superior sects?" Yuan Ming asked in a deep voice.
"Almost all the profits on the books had to be handed over. However, we would also rack our brains to forge the account books and squeeze out some profit from within." Long Shan hesitated before