Lamp-Lighting Kindling Flame Dao
Lin Xu nodded. This was equivalent to the lord engaging in a large-scale trade of the Spirit Realm resources with the nation. The specific tax amount was determined based on the city's permanent residents, with each urban resident over 18 years of age paying 900 yuan per month in population tax.
This money will be converted into Dharma Coin, which will then be converted into the Spirit Realm resources by the lord according to the market price at the time and paid to the state.
After receiving resources from the Spirit Realm, the nation will convert them into real currency and return them to the autonomous territory. The autonomous territory can then use this tax revenue to develop its cities and attract more people.
Almost every city under the protection of a lord experiences a period of population explosion, with well-informed companies and the middle class flocking to these cities.
In this turbulent era, cities protected by lords comparable to gods are the dream homes of countless ordinary people and the preferred investment hotspots for companies and enterprises.
For lords, humans in the real world are almost the most important resource, not only a major source of their territory and people, but also an important way to obtain the Order Source Fire.
The new autonomous territory is exempt from taxes in the first year, half tax in the second year, and full taxation only begins in the third year. For the time being, Lin Xu doesn't need to worry about paying taxes.
"I'm planning to open Spirit Realm Passage. Do you have any suggestions?" he then asked.
"My lord, the 'Lord's Code' contains relevant provisions. In principle, we do not recommend opening the Spirit Realm Passage to students below high school age." At this point, Xia Jingyi's expression became serious again. "The Spirit Realm Trial are currently the only known way to create Spirit Realm Lord. I implore you to consider the future of humanity."
Lin Xu smiled and said, "Do you believe it or not? As long as I open the Spirit Realm Passage, very few people in Meng City will dare to start the Spirit Realm Trial?"
Xia Jingyi shook her head with a wry smile. There was a precedent for this abroad. Everyone entered the Spirit Realm through the passage opened by the lord, and as a result, that small country directly became the lord's vassal.
And for decades, no new lord was born.
"My lord, this is why the state strictly limits ordinary people's knowledge of the lord..." she advised helplessly, "Please be sure to abide by the agreement between the lord and the state, do not open the Spirit Realm Passage to all residents of the city on a large scale, and especially not to people outside of Meng City!"
"This is my proposal. Take a look and see if it's reasonable." Lin Xu took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Opening the Spirit Realm Passage to the residents of the autonomous territory is a major event. According to the agreement signed between the lords and the nation, the relevant opening policy must be submitted in writing by the lord to the Night Watchers headquarters for review and approval before it can be implemented.
Xia Jingyi glanced at it a few times and frowned slightly.
In this era, the burning of incense and religious offerings is not a particularly special thing. In fact, various forces, including the state, are collecting incense and religious offerings—after all, incense and religious offerings can be refined into Dharma Coin, and faith is equivalent to a money printing machine.
The core tenet of the "Lamp-Lighting Kindling Flame Dao and Passing on the Flame" school is. "Light your own lamp to illuminate the eternal night; ferry all beings across the sea of suffering and lead them to the other shore of light."
The Spirit Realm descends, plunging the mortal world into a long night, plunging all beings into a sea of suffering from which they cannot find liberation.
"The body is a crystal pagoda, the heart is an inextinguishable lamp." Daoism guides and ignites the courage and faith in the hearts of all beings, gathering this faith into a sea, transforming it into a flame to protect all people.
This sect is not exclusive and advocates cooperating with existing Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries to systematize its missionary system in order to cultivate the piety of believers and collect more incense offerings. This is Lin Xu's compromise after comprehensive consideration. He plans to fully promote the Lamp-Lighting Kindling Flame Dao among the NPC groups in the Spirit Realm, but in the real Meng City, citizens can choose freely.
The key is to provide only professional priests for the gods worshipped in Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries, without seeking monetary donations, focusing on the incense offerings, while also providing psychological counseling to address the mental health concerns of citizens. In this special era, this is undoubtedly a great policy of good.
Xia Jingyi breathed a sigh of relief and put down the paper in her hand, "The plan is fine, but the Lamp-Lighting Kindling Flame Dao can only be spread within Meng City and cannot be disseminated outside."
Lin Xu nodded. "Of course."
He paused, then asked, "I'd like to expedite the purchase of a batch of spirit jade. Are there any channels available?"
"Give me a list," Xia Jingyi said, looking at him. "I suggest you send a liaison officer to the Night Watchers headquarters as soon as possible to be stationed there permanently. This will establish a fixed channel for headquarters meetings, communications, and even the purchase and sale of spiritual materials."
"Let's leave it to Wanqing," Lin Xu thought for a moment, "And then I'll tell her."
The office door was closed, leaving Lin Xu alone in the room.
He looked out the window; the sky was bright, the city had come back to life, the smoke of last night's battle had dissipated, and a new day had begun.
The Spirit Realm, the Xuanwei Monastery.
The orc territory moved faster than Lin Xu had imagined. In just one night, the distance between the two territories was reduced to less than 5 miles. Only then did the positions of the two territories become relatively stable.
As the lord, Lin Xu keenly realized that the Bond between the Daoist temple and the orc ranch was weakening, even though he had stationed troops in the orc territory and had initially established a ruling order.
This seems to be a limitation; once two territories get close enough, it becomes much more difficult to maintain this connection.
"Five miles, that should be enough~" Lin Xu silently sensed the distance between the two places.
"This is your territory? Such a large Daoist temple~" Jiang Wanqing looked at the magnificent palaces and temples around her, her eyes seemingly gleaming.
At this moment, Lin Xu was leading his Mother Lin and Elder Jiang on a tour of the Xuanwei Monastery. Through the Spirit Realm Passage, he could now easily bring people from the real world into the Spirit Realm.
"Hmm~ I entered the Spirit Realm right here in this Daoist temple." Coming back to his senses, he looked around at the empty buildings. "Don't be fooled by its size; there aren't actually many people inside."
"Are all these Daoist priests?" Mother Lin watched as the Daoist priests in their robes passed by. After entering the Spirit Realm, she also opened her personal panel and could also view the NPCs' panels.
"A-Xu, I never imagined you'd get this far!" Elder Jiang looked at the magnificent Daoist temple with emotion, recalling his youthful exuberance, his tone filled with the pride of the younger generation surpassing the older. "Your territory can recruit NPC Daoists; they are spellcasters. It's rumored that only lords of the rank of viscount or higher possess such precious recruitment buildings... As long as you guard this Daoist temple, you'll become a great lord sooner or later."
Territories of levels 1 to 4 are considered knightly territories, known as Hundred-Household Domain in the East; territories of levels 5 to 9 are lordly territories, also known as thousand-household territories; territories of levels 10 to 14 are baronial territories; and territories of levels 15 and above are viscountial territories.
A cloud of mist unfolded beneath their feet, engulfing them. Lin Xu spoke up, reminding them, "Don't move. I'll take you up to the sky."
Amidst the exclamations of Jiang Wanqing and Mother Lin, clouds and mist rose into the air.