After the banquet ended, Dai Mubai's expression gradually turned cold. He looked at Tang San and said:
"They really are testing our bottom line."
Tang San did not care about the gain or loss of that bit of territory. What he wanted was to spread the Tang Sect's name across the entire continent. When that time came, as the Sect Master, he would also become renowned throughout the world. This was both for the God Trial and for the obsession he had carried through two lives.
"It's perfectly normal. The Zhu Family cut off its tail to survive under Heaven Dou's rule. Now that they've seized a chance to expand, how could they not take a bite of the fat meat?"
"None of that is important. Whether we face the Heaven Dou Empire's counterattack next or continue expanding outward, we'll need the Zhu Family's help. If this bit of profit is handed out, then so be it. If they didn't want anything at all, would you still dare cooperate with the Zhu Family?"
Hearing this, Dai Mubai's smile returned.
"That's true. If they didn't want anything, we really would have trouble eating or sleeping."
A few days later, Zhu Xianye began assigning some people to take over the territory that belonged to the Zhu Family, while Dai Mubai also began traveling back and forth between the major cities to inspect local taxation and government affairs. At the same time, he dealt with some of the old nobles in Nili Kingdom who did not know what was good for them and kept tripping him up, relying on their status as local tyrants.
Several old noble families had already issued a joint declaration that they would not pay taxes, making it clear that they believed Dai Mubai still needed them to support