Collecting Taxes

The villagers stood in a single file, their faces masks of suppressed rage, slowly stepping forward to pay their silver.

Soon, it was the turn of Li Zhi's family.

Li Zhi offered a fawning smile, handing over a small money pouch he had prepared:

"Official Qian, this is the share for the Li Zhi household. Please, count it."

Qian Skin-Peeler took it nonchalantly, weighed it in his hand, and tossed it to the tax clerk beside him to tally.

The clerk counted the coins, then whispered, "Master Qian, the amount... it seems wrong. It's short by four taels!"

Qian Skin-Peeler's small eyes narrowed, his face instantly twisting with displeasure. He raised his voice, shouting:

"Li Zhi! You have some nerve! Daring to short the tax silver! Are you trying to resist the levy?"

Li Zhi's face turned pale, and he hurriedly stammered:

"That's impossible, Master Qian! My wife and I counted it several times; it was clearly six taels! How could it be short by four?"

"Hmph! You say it's enough, so it must be? Could we possibly be wrong when we count it ourselves?"

"Or are you suggesting the government is falsifying tax rates?"

Qian Skin-Peeler piled accusation upon accusation, terrifying Li Zhi so much he dared not retort.

For people at the bottom of the social ladder, a single wrong word could invite a fatal disaster.

Qian Skin-Peeler snorted coldly and threw the money pouch onto the ground. "In this official's view, you are deliberately delaying payment! By law, tax evasion is punishable by flogging and forced labor, or at worst, conscription into the army and exile to the frontier!"

"As it happens, the frontier is in dire need of men right now."

"Master Qian, I am wronged!" Li Zhi broke into a cold sweat, desperate. "I truly have no more silver to give. Could you please grant us a few more days?"

At this moment, Li Zhi finally understood.

This Qian Skin-Peeler was simply trying to embezzle their silver.

"A grace period?" the tax official said with a mirthless smile. "Who knows if you're just trying to run away? Delaying payment incurs additional fines!"

"Right now you are short four taels, but in a few days, it will be ten! Are you going to pay or not?"

Li Wen, young and hot-blooded, could not bear to see his father humiliated. He stepped forward and shouted, "We clearly paid enough! You must have counted wrong, or... or you are trying to steal our money!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, the tax official's face turned dark. "Insolent! Daring to slander an imperial official! Seize him!"

A burly bailiff behind him responded instantly, stepping forward and reaching for Li Wen's collar.

The bailiff's movements were swift, clearly possessing some martial training. While he might not have reached the Ox Skin Realm, he was more than enough to handle an ordinary person.

Li Wen instinctively tried to block, but the bailiff twisted his wrist, forcing a cry of pain from him as he was shoved to his knees, unable to move.

"Wen'er!"

"Brother!"

Clan Han and Li Cuihua cried out from the side.

The surrounding villagers were as silent as cicadas in winter, daring neither to speak nor to help.

If they intervened over a mere four taels, wouldn't that imply they had extra money to spare?

They feared they would only be squeezed even harder by this Qian Skin-Peeler!

Just then, a figure strode quickly from the back of the crowd. Li Yuan rushed forward.

He offered a fawning smile to Qian Skin-Peeler. "Official Qian, please calm your anger. I have some extra silver here; I will pay for my uncle."

Li Yuan then cupped his hands toward the bailiff. "Officer, my cousin is young and impulsive. Please forgive his offensive words."

Qian Skin-Peeler eyed Li Yuan, his brows arching. "Oh? You haven't even paid your own taxes yet, and you have extra?"

With that, Li Yuan pulled a money pouch from his robes and poured out all the silver fragments inside. He counted them—exactly ten taels.

The burly man who had attacked earlier looked at Li Yuan's attire, as if remembering something.

He leaned toward Qian Skin-Peeler and whispered a few words.

Qian Skin-Peeler listened, his gaze sweeping back and forth over Li Yuan.

"Are you a trainee or a formal disciple of the Five Animals Martial Hall?"

"A formal disciple."

"Have you stepped into the Ox Skin Realm?"

"Yes."

Their exchange was brief, but the information was crystal clear.

Qian Skin-Peeler's heart skipped a beat. He could bully ordinary commoners, but he felt a tremor of fear when dealing with martial artists.

He wasn't necessarily afraid for himself, but he had a family, and money was never worth more than his life.

Thinking of this, the fat on Qian Skin-Peeler's face squeezed into an ugly smile, and his tone softened significantly. "Oh? So it is... Brother Li Yuan."

"Let's count again carefully. Perhaps there was a mistake in the tally just now?" he asked, kicking the tax clerk beside him.

The tax collector immediately caught the drift, recounted the coins, and then said with feigned annoyance:

"Master Qian, it... it was this small one's mistake. The tax silver from Li Zhi's household is exactly the right amount!"

Qian Skin-Peeler immediately put on an expression of sudden realization:

"So it was all just a misunderstanding. Look at the trouble this has caused."

"Since you miscounted, go back later and take twenty strokes of the cane as punishment."

Having said that, he looked toward Li Yuan and chuckled, "Heh, it's fine now. Li Zhi, it was just a misunderstanding on this official's part earlier."

"Many thanks, Master Qian! Many thanks, Master Qian!" Seeing Qian Skin-Peeler lower his pride, Li Zhi hurriedly bowed in gratitude.

Li Yuan also knew when to quit while he was ahead, cupping his hands and saying, "Many thanks, Tax Officer Qian."

Yet, in his heart, he sighed; in this harsh world, everyone wanted to take a bite out of those at the bottom.

If he hadn't possessed the strength of the Ox Skin Realm today, the outcome likely wouldn't have been any better.

Immediately, Li Yuan supported Li Wen as they walked toward home.

Not long after, the same words were heard again.

"How is it short by one tael? Are you trying to evade taxes too?"

"I'm wronged, My Lord..."

However, this time, Qian Skin-Peeler was much more restrained.

Li Yuan shook his head. He was no great philanthropist; in this world, merely preserving oneself was already incredibly difficult.

His uncle had shown him kindness, so he could not simply stand by.

Seeing Li Yuan, other villagers crowded around, chattering all at once.

"Brother Yuan, you... you've become an official disciple of the martial arts hall?"

"The Ox Skin Realm? That's incredible! I heard that even among the constables in the county town, few have reached that level!"

"No wonder that tax officer's attitude changed earlier; it turns out he was afraid of Brother Yuan!"

The villagers had heard the entire exchange between Li Yuan and Qian Skin-Peeler.

After Li Yuan's parents passed away, everyone had assumed he would either end up as an indentured servant or a local thug.

His hunting skills were mediocre, and he had barely scraped by during the winters.

In the entire Blue Stone Village, the only one who had achieved success in martial arts was Chen Xiao, the village chief's eldest son.

Now, there was also Li Yuan.

Li Yuan didn't say much, only claiming he had good luck.

Li Wen looked at Li Yuan, his eyes full of curiosity: "Ah Yuan, thanks to you today! Otherwise, I..."

A month ago, he had been asking Li Yuan if he wanted to learn martial arts; he hadn't expected that a month later, before he had even found a master, Li Yuan would have already succeeded!

Li Yuan patted his cousin on the shoulder: "It's fine. Stay calm when you encounter trouble in the future."

Li Yuan then asked Li Zhi: "Uncle, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Li Zhi replied.

He looked at Li Yuan, his eyes slightly moist: "Brother Yuan, you've made something of yourself. Your parents' spirits in heaven can finally rest in peace."

Soon, the news that Li Yuan was an official disciple of the martial arts hall and had rescued his uncle's family spread throughout the entire Blue Stone Village.

Li Yuan himself felt the changes brought about by power.

That night, he returned to his room.

Looking at the silent night sky outside his window, Li Yuan's pursuit of the martial path became even more resolute.

This was only the beginning; the Ox Skin Realm was far from enough.