Taxation

Not long after the successful transplantation of the big locust tree, Kang Dabao returned to the Chongming Small Pavilion to relieve Pei Yi and have him rest at the mountain gate for a few days.

Pei Yi wasn't really good at business; at best, he was the "short general" among his fellow apprentices.

These days, he had been struggling to look after the shop for Kang Dabao, so being able to return to the sect sooner brought him a great sense of relief.

However, it's not a long-term solution to have Kang Dabao stay here all the time. Although Sect Leader Kang Da does love earning Spirit Stone, he also needs to cultivate.

It seems we need to find a reliable cultivator from outside to help, but this person needs to be carefully selected; we can't rush it, and it's better to have none than to have a bad one.

The recent news of the fall of Xuanwei City provided the low-level cultivators in Chongming Market with some interesting topics of conversation.

Most of these people may never have been to Xuanwei City in their lives, but that doesn't stop them from talking about it with great relish in teahouses and restaurants.

Some busybodies even spread rumors that the current emperor himself led the expedition, using a flying sword to behead the head of the Two Instruments Sect leader and turn his head into a chamber pot.

Anyone with eyes could see this was nonsense, yet everyone still chatted about it enthusiastically, as if they all naively believed that if the Immortal Dynasty drove away the Two Instruments Sect, their lives would improve.

Kang Dabao never liked getting involved in these kinds of things, so he pretended not to have heard the news.

Regardless of whether he was affiliated with the Immortal Dynasty or the Two Instruments Sect, he only wanted to honestly run his small business that brought in a few fragments of spiritual energy each day.

It was Ji Wuwu personally arrived at Chongming Market, bringing news that the county government had issued five official documents within a month, strictly ordering all households to pay taxes again, that Sect Leader Kang Da began to feel a little nervous. "Could it be that this time they're really going to get serious?"

No sooner had Ji Wuwu arrived than a minor official from the county came knocking on his door. Although the official's tone was still respectful, he no longer had the humble demeanor he had displayed before.

He immediately stated that he had come because the county magistrate had ordered him to invite Sect Leader Kang Da to pay his respects to the magistrate at the county office in three days.

In Kang Dabao's memory of the previous forty years, the word "pay homage" had never been used together with "county magistrate".

Although it seemed rather comical, considering the recent upheaval in Xuanwei City and the dramatic changes in the situation, I wondered if the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty had truly sent someone.

After much deliberation, Kang Dabao decided to personally visit Pingrong County to pay his respects to Magistrate Xie.

Recently, business at the Chongming Small Pavilion hadn't been very good, so he instructed Ji Wuwu to watch the shop while Sect Leader Kang Da rode his Black Blood Colt towards Pingrong County.

Three days later, the Pingrong County set a date for a meeting with the various powerful families in the county.

The Pingrong County hadn't been this lively in years. Pingrong County Xie Fu, looking at the representatives of various factions sitting respectfully in the hall, felt a surge of emotion. "Damn it! After today, let's see if you dogs still dare to disrespect this county!"

He glanced back at the group of ten soldiers from the Demon Correction Office Xie Zhi and acting as yamen runners. All of them were cultivators at the mid-to-late stage of Qi Refinement.

This force, even when used one-on-one, is enough to subdue most of the forces in Pingrong County.

More importantly, this means that Xie Fu is no longer just a figurehead; the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty behind him has finally sent someone to support him.

Kang Dabao arrived early, thus managing to secure a seat towards the back before the others. He blew away the foam from under the covered bowl, and as the tea slowly entered his mouth, Kang Dabao frowned.

"How poor has the Pingrong County become?" Even someone as unrefined as Sect Leader Kang Da would find it hard to stomach such coarse spiritual tea.

"Sect Leader Kang, have you heard? Magistrate Xie summoned us here to set tax quotas, as a way to intimidate us." The deputy head of the Mandarin Duck Hall, a tall, thin man wearing a green turban, moved closer to Kang Dabao.

"I haven't heard of this before. Your family is always well-informed, so it's probably true." Kang Dabao subtly moved aside, showing no intention of engaging in further discussion with this person.

"It's been so many years since Magistrate Xie has come to our house to select girls, but yesterday he came with two at once! The prefectural government must have allocated funds! The girls brought this news back!" The tall, thin man seemed oblivious to Kang Dabao 'Kang Dabao grim expression and whispered in his ear.

After listening, Kang Dabao seemed thoughtful. This county magistrate was probably no simple man either; the news was most likely deliberately leaked by him. But what gave him the right? Just this squad of Demon Correction Office he'd somehow acquired?

With just this much capital? Even our Chongming Sect might not be afraid of us!

"Ahem." Xie Fu took a sip of coarse tea, his face also looking unwell. He then sat down and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you all for taking the time to come. I cannot speak falsely. I have only invited you here today to discuss one matter: taxation."

"Taxation?!"

"Should we still give the annual bonuses to the Fellow Cultivators Association, the Grass Witch Cult, and the Hemu Dao?"

"Has this county magistrate lost his mind? With just ten Qi Refining Realm kids, it's hard to say whether he can even get out of here unscathed!"

Inside the hall, twenty or thirty influential figures were arguing amongst themselves. Xie Fu reprimanded them several times, but to no avail, and he grew increasingly anxious, his face turning red with frustration.

"Silence!" The leader of the Hemu Dao sect shouted in the hall. The law enforcement elder of the Grass Witch Cult and the chief deacon of the Fellow Cultivators Association also exchanged glances with their respective vassal forces. The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone took their seats again.

"I'm clearly the county magistrate," Xie Fu, feeling both envious and jealous, and took a deep breath.

"The annual tax of the Grass Witch Cult is 400 Spirit Stone, the Hemu Dao is 380 Spirit Stone, the Fellow Cultivators Association is 360 Chongming Sect is 60, the Mandarin Duck Hall is 44, the Zither Leaf Forest Xue Household is 29 Spirit Stone." The county magistrate didn't say much. He took out a piece of golden silk cloth, read out the red embroidered characters on it one by one, and then fell silent, staring blankly at the people in the hall.

This silk cloth covers a total of thirty-seven Qi Refinement forces of some size in Pingrong County. Of the four families in Pingrong County from Cold Crow Mountain, only Chongming Sect and Xue Household are on the list. Chongming Sect is ranked fifteenth, Xue Household is ranked last, and Lu Household and Ye Household are not even on the list.

However, apart from Kang Dabao coming alone, no one from the Xue Household came. It was not uncommon for the Xue Household family to be absent from the other thirty-seven families as well.

Even among those who did come, very few were as prominent as Chongming Sect, whose leader personally attended, demonstrating the extent of the decline of the Immortal Dynasty's power.

"They only collected taxes from my own household. Linghe Market and Chongming Market didn't sell that piece of silk? Oh, right, the Han City Yue Household is still around, so Pingrong County is still somewhat wary."

The representatives of the three major forces remained silent. The leader of the Hemu Dao sect and the chief deacon of the Fellow Cultivators Association each gave Kang Dabao a hand gesture, signaling him not to act rashly.

"What else can we do if we don't hand it over?" The one who stood up and spoke was a tall, muscular, long-bearded thug.

Kang Dabao recognized this man; he was Ren Xiong, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect, with Eighth Layer of Qi Refining cultivation. He was skilled with a heavy Xuan Tie sword and had a fearsome reputation in Pingrong County.

It's not surprising that he took the lead. The Iron Sword Sect has developed quite well in recent decades, with about thirty or forty cultivators, most of whom are his disciples, so it has a strong sense of cohesion.

In the past two years, Ren Xiong has only adopted a humble yet assertive demeanor when facing the three major forces in Pingrong County.

Unfortunately, their strength is generally acknowledged to be inferior to those three families. Stepping forward now is the perfect opportunity to increase their prestige in Pingrong County!

"Say that again, Sect Leader Ren? Let me remind you, this is an official document from the state court!" Xie Fu sat in the head seat, his finger almost touching Ren Xiong's face, looking fierce but actually weak, and shouted at him.

"Heh." Ren Xiong sat back down. His sword was made of black iron, but his head wasn't.

Xie Fu must have something to rely on for his words today. He's made a statement, and that's enough to leave an impression on the smaller factions present. At this point, we can back down and sit back down. There's no need to confront him head-on, lest we become the chicken to be killed as a warning to others.

"What are you 'ha'ing about! Well! What a madman who despises the state court!" Unexpectedly, Xie Fu was furious and shouted in the hall, throwing out the fire tokens from the token container.

"Hmph!" Ren Xiong drew his Xuan Tie sword and easily blocked the attack. Sparks flew from the sword, sending more than a dozen fire tokens flying in all directions.

Many independent Rogue Cultivator who rarely venture out were easily intercepted by representatives of various factions, who then played with them with amusement.

To be honest, this kind of magical Law Artifact is indeed quite rare.

"Ren Xiong of the Iron Sword Sect has disregarded the law and defied the county magistrate! This county magistrate hereby sentences you to death, confiscates your family's property, and exiles you from the Iron Sword Sect to Liangxi. You shall depart immediately!" Xie Fu, his face flushed, had no other recourse but to point at Ren Xiong and shout fiercely.

These punishments were clearly within the magistrate's authority, but Kang Dabao found them somewhat absurd upon hearing them.

Ren Xiong was no exception. Just as a mocking expression appeared on his face, he saw that the squad of soldiers behind Xie Fu had already formed three small formations, each carrying a steel ruler and a copper chain, and were heading towards him.

"What a fool you are! You really think your Master Ren is easy to bully!" With so many representatives of various factions present, and everyone having a history of conflict with the government, Ren Xiong wasn't afraid of being outnumbered. On the contrary, he had a desire to show off his skills in front of others.

The small county government office was immediately thrown into chaos. The three major forces, having no intention of getting involved in the battle, moved outside the courtyard.

Representatives from other factions followed suit, leaving Ren Xiong to fight alone against the group of Demon Correction Office soldiers inside the hall.

The Demon Correction Office- Slaying Division is no longer as fearsome as it was in the early days of the Immortal Dynasty. Back then, they didn't care whether you were Core Formation cultivator or Nascent Soul ancestor. Once you were entangled with them, you would be severely injured even if you didn't die. The Director of the Demon Correction Office- Slaying Division was recognized as the number one person below the Nascent Soul Spirit Transformation in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

It's quite astonishing that even a minor sect leader in the Late Qi Refinement would dare to openly resist arrest.

Objectively speaking, Ren Xiong's methods were not too weak, but they were certainly not at the level where he could win even if surrounded by ten opponents of the same rank.

Thus, as soon as the battle began, the Ren Xiong Sword, which was the Demon Correction Office- Slaying Division. The enemy formed a battle formation and fought with great coordination. Several wind copper chains joined forces to entangle the Xuan Tie Sword and then pulled it out of Ren Xiong's hands.

After being shocked, Ren Xiong was even more desperate to find that the Demon Correction Office was extremely tricky and unpredictable, and soon knocked his several spare magical Law Artifact to the ground one by one.

The Iron Sword Sect leader held out for less than a quarter of an hour before losing almost all of his usable Law Artifact. He was trapped by his opponent and was almost certainly doomed.

"Why aren't you making a move! Do you think the government will let you off the hook?!" Ren Xiong once again used his movement Movement Method with great difficulty, and a steel ruler was thrust directly into his chest.

However, the inner armor of his magical Law Artifact was indeed sturdy, and Ren Xiong took this seemingly inevitable blow without any damage to the armor. But gradually, the scene became more and more ugly, and Ren Xiong finally turned to the crowd with panic and screamed in agony.

After hearing Ren Xiong's miserable cries, quite a few representatives of various forces were tempted. There aren't many fools among cultivators; they all understand the principle of mutual dependence.

But seeing that the heads of the three most prominent families had stopped caring and were simply watching the situation inside the hall without moving, everyone stopped walking again.

Wait a minute, it's just a little cut on my lip, my lips are still intact, no need to worry.

"Ah!" An iron ruler pierced straight into Ren Xiong's kidneys through the gap in his armor on his side, shattering them. Ren Xiong let out a scream that was not human, and his whole body seemed to have lost all strength, leaving him with no power to struggle.

A strong soldier easily lifted Ren Xiong with an iron ruler and brought him to Xie Fu.

The latter's face had just shown a hint of pleasure when he saw Ren Xiong's eyes like knives, his fierce aura overwhelming. The county magistrate was so frightened that he took several steps back and it took him a few breaths to calm down.

Finally, he mustered his courage, closed his eyes, walked up to Ren Xiong, gritted his teeth, picked up his hand and chopped down with a sharp light.

"Rolling around." A large head with wide-open eyes rolled from inside the hall to the feet of the crowd.

The representatives of all the factions looked grim. Who was Xie Fu? Just a Rogue Cultivator -his-luck rogue Qi Refining Second Layer of Qi Refining.

If it weren't for good luck and connections that allowed him to get this official position, he wouldn't even have the right to have tea at the same table as me!

Even so, people usually treat him as a joke.

But today, Ren Xiong, who had some prestige in Pingrong County, was actually captured and killed?! What has become of this world? Is there no law anymore?!

Kang Dabao looked at the severed head on the ground and sighed, "'The nail that sticks out gets hammered down'—the old saying is absolutely true!"

"But some people are still asking, 'What if we don't confess?'" Xie Fu walked into the courtyard with a sinister look on his face, blood still seeping through his light green sleeves. Ten soldiers followed closely behind, their faces fierce, the iron rulers and chains in their hands still gleaming with blood.

"Imperial Edict from the County Magistrate of Heilinburg"

"The Grass Witch Cult obeys the county magistrate's decree."

"The Fellow Cultivators Association respect the county's orders."

"By order of the County Magistrate of Hemu Dao."

Kang Dabao and the tall, thin man, who was terrified and pale, hid in the crowd and bowed in response.

"Hahaha," Xie Fu looked at the bowing crowd, feeling immense satisfaction, as if all the resentment he had accumulated over the past decade had been released.

Looking at Xie Fu's near-madness, Sect Leader Kang Da sighed, "The world has truly changed. The Great Wei Immortal Dynasty can actually collect taxes in Cloud Horn Prefecture now."

Thank you to the following readers for their Extended Net Moon: Hashimoto Evil, Your Incident Has Been Public, Book Friend 20191210172412926, Book Friend 2020425012423905, and Book Friend 201709255210944449.

Thank you all for reading. (I originally wanted to post this before midnight last night, but I was too busy at work to take a break, so I had to write it after get off work.)