The Informant Village Elder and the Naive Players

At this very moment.

On the dock.

Thousands of villagers were being driven together by tax collectors.

The villagers on the island were initially prepared, but upon hearing that each person had to pay six fish, the several villages naturally descended into chaos.

Many people knelt there, trembling.

This amount far exceeds their daily reserves.

And at this time...

A burly man stepped out of the cabin of a large ship.

He's over three meters tall, making him a veritable little giant.

He jumped from the deck to the ground.

Suddenly, a deafening, earth-shaking sound rang out.

Many people were knocked to the ground by the shock; seeing such a small giant, they immediately lost the courage to resist.

Let's rewind to an hour earlier.

On Osmanthus Island.

In a certain village.

Several elders were saying, "I think this year's offerings probably won't come too early."

"Yes, look how big the waves are, and how many strange things are happening."

"No, it should be called Divine Anomalies. It's still lingering there; the imperial court shouldn't arrive so soon."

"I remember we didn't come back fifty years ago because of a raging storm," another elder said.

"Sigh, I hope this storm comes again."

"That's right, if only we could delay it for another ten years."

"That's right, I've heard that many villages have seen the arrival of those Descenders, and their lives have started to improve."

"When will some kind of Descenders upon our village?"

Several elders were sighing over it.

However, reality has now slapped them in the face.

The imperial court not only did not delay, but arrived ahead of schedule.

The price, however, was the sacrifice of dozens of lives.

These are things that the players are unaware of.

There are a total of 4 villages on Osmanthus Island.

There are also four villages on Wolf Snake Island.

It probably means to be stable and balanced.

There is one in each of the four cardinal directions, with the imperial guard post in the middle for surveillance.

The village names here are very perfunctory; they're just village names like "Osmanthus A... BingD".

Actually, East Wolf Village isn't much different.

Many village names are actually quite rustic.

Because most of the people who initially settled here and named their children were not well-educated.

And now these rustic villagers are kneeling there, blankly awaiting their Judgment.

The giant looked down at them and said, "Are you ready?"

"Are all the fish ready? I want to take them now."

No one dared to speak.

"No one's speaking, Great Elder of Village A, you speak!" The giant swept his gaze across the crowd.

At this moment, the village Great Elder had no choice but to crawl out, and said fearfully, "Sir, we have prepared some."

"A portion? How much is a portion?"

"There are four thousand people on our island, and we've prepared about six thousand fish. In previous years, we've collected five thousand," the village elder said, sounding quite aggrieved.

"You bastards, do you think it's too much?" the giant roared angrily.

"You actually harbor resentment!"

"The imperial court bestowed this place upon you, allowing you to live here and multiply, yet you do not even think of repaying the imperial court's kindness!"

"And now they're even resentful of the tasks assigned by the imperial court?"

"What is your punishment?"

The village Great Elder was so frightened that he immediately lay down on the ground.

Like the lowest of slaves, they await their fate.

The giant grabbed the village elder and continued to press, "What are the specific years? How much more can you produce?"

"We have prepared 600 fish that are 50 years old, 1,000 fish that are 30 years old, and 4,400 fish that are 10 years old," the village elder quickly said.

"Please give us some time; we can still catch ten thousand fish that are ten years old."

"How many people are there in total?" the giant asked again.

"Our four villages only have four thousand people in total."

He was actually lying about the number of villagers.

Because some people have already been hidden.

Approximately 1,800 people have been hidden.

Because the imperial court collected fish based on the number of people, including both adults and children.

The giant didn't realize the other person was lying, but he was still very angry.

"If that's the case, then there's still a huge gap!"

"You bastard, since you owe the fish tax, you'll have to pay for it with your lives!"

"Drag him out and sacrifice him to the sea god!"

He tossed the village Great Elder to the guards behind him, and immediately someone escorted the elder toward the sea.

A group of people couldn't help but cry out, "My lords, please, spare our Great Elder!"

"Without the Great Elder, we cannot survive."

This Great Elder of Jia Village wasn't exactly a good person.

He usually acts like a tyrant.

He has a terrible temper, and his word is law; he acts like a local tyrant.

However, now he has become just as easily killed as he once was.

Those people's pleas were, of course, useless.

In fact, the players watching from the shadows admired the villagers' courage.

At this point, they still dared to plead for mercy.

The giant simply glared fiercely at the group.

The guards threw the Great Elder directly into a fishpond by the sea.

They also casually crippled his limbs to prevent him from struggling free.

As soon as the Great Elder was thrown in, a bunch of sharp-headed fish rushed out.

They went up and began to devour his flesh.

The Great Elder was crying out in the fishpond on the coast.

In less than half an hour, he turned into a pile of bones.

The players who were watching this scene from afar were all terrified.

This was the first time they had ever witnessed such a cruel punishment.

People in the real world haven't seen enough.

Of course, they didn't know that, in terms of cruelty, those companies were no less ruthless than these government officials, and were even more brutal.

Because the company's evil is systematic, mass-produced, and streamlined, and it is also more efficient.

Like the demons of World War II.

It's just that these players didn't see it directly.

In fact, when they hunt down Rogue Players, they often don't just kill them with a single blow; they frequently engage in brutal killings.

Gao Linzhi was well aware of this.

That's why he never compromises with these large companies and never becomes a part of them.

At the same time.

Those villagers who had gone into hiding were hiding in the tunnel of the village's ancestral hall.

The villagers weren't stupid either; they also built deep tunnels around the ancestral hall.

The tunnel was long and winding, large enough to accommodate thousands of people temporarily.

This method of refuge has appeared in some war-torn and relatively dry places in the West.

Their houses are never built on the ground, but underground, and are divided into many levels.

If any mutinous soldiers appear, they will hide inside.

Many people were there weeping, waiting in agony for the imperial tax collectors to leave.

The reason they didn't hide elsewhere, such as in the wild or in the mountains, was, of course, because there were strange things in the wild.

Hiding there is suicidal.

There is an unwritten rule that the ancestral hall must not be damaged.

This is another place that strange people wouldn't go.

Therefore, it became the best hiding place.

Unless the imperial court conducts a large-scale excavation, it will be difficult to discover them.

Of course, if the imperial court disregards these rules, then there's nothing they can do.

Whether the court officials will abide by this rule, as is the case this time, depends on their luck.

Of course, the village elders didn't dare to let most of the people hide in the ancestral hall tunnel.

Strange things can't get in, but people can easily enter.

The imperial court isn't stupid; if they see there are too few people, they'll naturally launch a large-scale search.

In that case, everyone will die.

Therefore, only young women and children, along with some able-bodied men, could hide in the tunnels.

After seeing the Great Elder of Village A swallowed by the fish, the Great Elder of the other three villages—Village B, Village C, and Village D—became even more frightened.

They were naturally unprepared.

Because the four villages prepared together, Great Elder just mentioned was the island's total reserves.

They were like a group of elementary school students who hadn't finished their homework because they were too playful or had too much homework, standing there in fear, each waiting for their fate.

At this time...

Some players couldn't stand it anymore.

In the player chat, someone said, "Damn it, these people from the imperial court are too ruthless."

Why can't they just be lenient?

"Yes, they clearly have a huge advantage, can't they be a little more merciful?"

"That's right, you can't eat too many of those Osmanthus Fish anyway, so why can't we relax a bit and let them have a sustainable future?"

"Do we really have to drive people to their deaths? If people die and the fishpond is abandoned, who will deliver the fish?"

"Hmph, now I understand why, even at the end of a dynasty, despite severe land annexation, there were still large amounts of prime land lying fallow and uncultivated."

"Yes, this imperial court is too cruel. The taxes are too heavy, and even if ordinary people own land, they can't cultivate it."

"It seems our company system is much better; at least it allows people to live a stable life."

"I've received intelligence that the emperor and high-ranking officials don't actually care how much tribute they receive; as long as the people on these islands are willing to make offerings, it's enough to have a symbolic meaning."

"Damn, it's true what they say: it's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings."

Gao Linzhi nodded in agreement.

Of course, this is not to excuse the emperor. It was precisely because of the emperor's layers of exploitation that the feudal government offices became tax amplifiers.

The emperor only collected one coin in taxes, but those below him could collect ten or even a hundred coins, multiplying it a hundredfold.

This is quite normal.

In feudal dynasties, the lack of effective communication allowed subordinates to exaggerate crimes to the limits of what the people could bear.

"These guys start killing people as soon as they arrive; they're a bunch of bastards."

"They don't treat ordinary villagers like human beings at all."

"This is the harsh reality."

"You really think this is a game?"

Someone said, "Damn it, I can't stand it anymore!"

"I'm going down there and kill them all."

There are always a few players who just can't resist.

At this moment, Kongkong stopped them, saying, "Wait, if you go down now, it will be the same as telling them that we are lying in ambush."

"Will you be collecting those Osmanthus Fish then?"

"By then, the villagers will resent you."

"Yes, do you really think the villagers will be grateful to you for saving them?"

"Can you really make this tax on Osmanthus Fish disappear permanently?"

"Once you take over this place, the cunning and eccentric nature of these villagers will make things much easier for you."

"That's right, they won't be grateful for favors, they'll only fear authority and punishment."

The players fell silent.

Gao Linzhi, however, felt quite indifferent about this.

If you want to live a Longevity Being, you must not get angry or upset about these things.

Over a long period of time, such things will happen many times.

And at this time...

The tax payment process has finally begun.

The giant stood on the shore, watching his men, who took out special fishing nets and, guided by several elders, caught Osmanthus Fish from the pond.

Once captured, they were immediately put into the ship's hold, and a magic array was activated to freeze them instantly.

It's safe to say that once frozen, it can be kept for a year without any problem.

One after another, plump and fresh fish were instantly brought into the cabin.

The villagers' eyes revealed their reluctance to part with the family.

This took ten years of effort.

Various secret techniques and sacrifices were required to obtain these six thousand entries.

However, this was still not enough to satisfy their appetite.

"Hmph, you must recover the remaining shortfall within three months!"

"For every fish that's lost, I'll kill a person," the giant said coldly.

"Don't think that the imperial court will stop paying tribute just because you're gone."

"There are plenty of people who want to raise fish here!"

The villagers listened intently, one by one.

Subsequently, officials from the imperial court arrived and stationed themselves on the island.

They made these villagers serve them while also having them go out fishing early in the morning and return late at night every day.

Keep in mind that at this point, it would be at least another year before the strange occurrences completely subsided.

To catch Osmanthus Fish, they have to venture deep into the sea and confront some strange creatures that are still active.

In a short period of time, the population of the four villages decreased every day.

If half of the people return from a sea voyage, that's considered good.

This is why they choose to farm rather than fish.

Just like how people transitioned from hunting to farming.

At this point, some players finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"No, I can't take it!"

"This imperial court is too evil. It can clearly achieve sustainable development, but it insists on draining the pond to catch all the fish."

"Yes, this is using people to their deaths!"

A few Rogue Players still retain some sense of integrity.

Seeing this, they could no longer contain themselves.

Their consciences are too troubled.

So, ignoring Kongkong's control, they left the airship and went to rescue people.

Three players went down to the island.

They quietly arrived on the island and found several villagers who were about to go out to sea to fish.

"Hey, we're the Descenders."

"Lead us there and sneak into their lodgings."

"We'll help you eliminate all the officials in the imperial court, and then you won't have to pay taxes anymore."

Gao Linzhi was speechless after hearing what they said.

What a naive idea!

Other players also felt helpless.

"These fools."

The villagers' faces lit up with surprise.

"Really?"

"Of course it's true."

"Alright then, we'll take you there now."

Then the villagers led them into the village.

As they walked, a villager suddenly said, "My stomach hurts, you guys go ahead."

The players didn't suspect anything; they instinctively felt they were helping the villagers, so how could the villagers possibly harm them?

However, the other players saw from mid-air that the villager was heading towards the giant's location to inform on him.

"My lord, my lord, there are some strange strangers, they're plotting a rebellion!"

"They also claim to be Descenders."