"Didn't our Sacred Soul Village just pay taxes last month?" Old Jack was clearly gravely ill. Lying in bed, he spoke in a hoarse, weak voice.
"That was for fifteen years from now. Now we're collecting taxes for twenty years from now." The bearded man grinned.
As he spoke, the gang of thugs he had brought with him had already begun ransacking Old Jack's house.
"Y-You're robbing us! Little Third won't let you get away with this!" Old Jack was so furious that he could barely speak coherently.
The bearded man said disdainfully, "Haha, that Innate Full Soul Power brat named Tang San hasn't returned to Sacred Soul Village in seven or eight years. He's probably been won over by the Empire's noble lords. He's too busy enjoying himself to care whether you live or die. Haha, Old Jack, just accept your fate."
Just then, one of the thugs walked over carrying a small sack of rice seeds. "Boss, this was all we found in Old Jack's house."
"My lord, no, you can't! Those are rice seeds, they're my lifeline! Even if I had to dig up roots and eat tree bark, I still couldn't bear to eat them!"
Seeing the thugs about to take his rice seeds, Old Jack forgot all about his serious illness and rushed forward to snatch them back.
In the end, his thin arms were no match for thick thighs. The bearded man shoved Old Jack to the ground and gave him a beating as well. Cursing, he said, "To hell with you! Paying taxes is only natural and proper. If you want to blame someone, blame your bad luck for not being born into a rich family. Take this sack of rice seeds back to feed the livestock. We're going to the next house."