Chapter 83: Chapter 7: One Hit Kill

"Ah? Are you gentlemen jesting? One tael of silver... even in bountiful times, my entire family, old and young combined, would not spend a single month without eating or drinking to save up one tael of silver."

"Are you questioning us?" A tax official suddenly pulled out a tiger head knife, pressing it against Zhang Baqing's neck, "I don't care how you do it, but you must pay this one tael of silver. Besides that, you'll also have to pay the Yellow Peril Tax."

Zhang Baqing was utterly dumbfounded. "What tax is this now?"

"Didn't the County Magistrate spend recent days tirelessly eliminating the remnants of the Huang Tian Sect? To protect the safety of common people like you, we have been working from dawn till dusk without a moment's rest. You should be considerate of our efforts."

One of the tax officials put away the knife that had been pressed against Zhang Baqing's neck.

Zhang Baqing stuttered, "Sirs, then... how much is the total spring tax this time?"

"Two and a half silver taels per household."

"What..." Zhang Baqing was speechless upon hearing this, thinking he might have heard wrong.

"Forest tax is 200 cents, household tax is 300 cents, Leftover Woman Tax is 100 cents, road tax is 100 cents, ditch tax is 200 cents, land and property tax is 100 cents, broken windows tax is 50 cents, tiger tax is graciously 950 cents, and Yellow Peril Tax is 550 cents."

"It's all clear and obvious," the tax officials said impatiently. "Any issues? Go collect quickly. Otherwise, we'll have to spend the night here and impose an overnight tax."

Zhang Baqing was filled with indignation and astonishment.

And this was merely the spring tax.

It was already far beyond their ability to bear.

But seeing the tiger head knives in the hands of the two government officers, Zhang Baqing dared not say more.

The two officers stood there in their thin uniforms on this bitterly cold day, their faces flush with health.

Their martial prowess must indeed be stronger than that of Chen Yuan, stronger than the likes of Shen Qing.

Strength was power, and he was no match for them.

He felt deeply aggrieved.

Zhang Baqing took a deep breath and sighed, "I will go and urge them to pay."

Watching Zhang Baqing's receding figure, the two government officers spoke dismissively, "These stubborn people, they don't know how to get moving unless beaten. Each one is as block-headed as the next."

"Be satisfied. It's good enough they have food and drink in the deep mountains and dense forests."

"And who knows why the County Magistrate acts as if he's gone mad, demanding so much all at once?"

"Isn't it because of the recurring demands from the Yellow Bandits? The whole country's rates are rising, not just our county. Besides, regardless of how much is collected, we cannot miss even a single character in our reports, the old rule: one-third for the state treasury, one-third for the County Magistrate, and one-third for us. How much more or less we collect all depends on our skill."

"Yeah, exactly."

...

"Two and a half taels, that much?"

Upon learning that the spring tax suddenly demanded two and a half silver taels, Shen Qing was somewhat incredulous.

This tax was outrageously high.

Zhang Baqing felt belittled and dared not speak.

Shen Qing pondered for a moment and then said, "Zhang Bazi, wait for me a moment."

With that, Shen Qing went back into the house and returned with eight taels of silver, placing it on the table and said, "Zhang Batou, here are eight taels of silver, consider it the spring tax for my and my uncle's families, as well as Tian Xiaohu's. There's also five hundred coins, see who needs it, and help them out."

Zhang Baqing was shocked speechless by Shen Qing's swift and immense generosity, repeatedly nodding his head in approval and taking the money, he left.

Shen Qing was not too distressed about the money; after all, if it could solve the problem, he wasn't keen on making more trouble.

Those two tax officials, if Shen Qing wasn't mistaken, were both martial masters from Bone Refining Realm.

Better to avoid making trouble.

Because of the taxation, the village was in turmoil.

After much effort, Zhang Baqing finally collected some money from each household, which he handed over to the two tax officials.

The tax officials counted the amount, frowning, "Why is it so little?"

"Sirs, there are a few households left with only the old and weak, really struggling, I humbly ask you to spare them some consideration," Zhang Baqing pleaded earnestly.

One tax official pulled out a register and said, "There are supposed to be thirty-six households in Hongshan Village, which should bring in ninety taels of cash, and what is this, less than sixty taels? Are you thinking I am blind?"

"Sir, there are only twenty-nine households left in our village, the Chen family members missing seven households."

"Am I stupid or are you stupid? The register clearly lists thirty-six households. Have those missing households all died or what?"

Zhang Baqing stuttered, "They are all dead!"

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As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a tremendous force in his lower abdomen.

Under the foot of the tax official, the entire person was launched into the air and smashed into the wall.

He struggled to open his eyes, only to feel that the figures in front of him seemed to be swaying.

"Let everyone come over, I want to check one by one. I don't believe they are all dead," the tax official said viciously.

Many people would hide to evade taxes, which would take some effort, but such blatant tax evasion was, frankly, their first encounter.

"Yes, yes," Zhang Baqing said, bowing and scraping.

Thud, thud, thud!

The sound of gongs rang out, gathering many villagers.

Seeing that the time was about right.

One of the tax officials, holding a roster, surveyed the crowd and said, "There are precisely thirty-six households in Hongshan Village, yet now seven households claim to be dead? I have never heard of such an absurd thing. Whoever clarifies the whereabouts of these people, I will allow a deduction of three hundred cents from their taxes."

"My lord, they indeed are all dead."

"Yes, they died."

The gathered villagers echoed one after another, having not seen much of the world living in the village.

The matter of killing the Chen family members, more or less, involved them; they were quite worried about being punished under the laws of Great Zhou, so they only dared to tell half-truths.

Hidden among the crowd, Shen Qing witnessed this scene, sensing that these people still understood the stakes and were not foolish.

The tax official was growing impatient and did not want to elaborate. "If that's the case, then the spring tax of these seven households will be distributed among each of you, adding six hundred cents to each household."

"Whoosh..."

The words of the tax official were like a drop of water in boiling oil, inciting public outrage.

Their encounter with the arrogant tax officials made them extremely discontent.

One elderly hunter angrily said, "To scrape together your tax money, we can't even afford to eat. And now you're increasing it?"

Instead of easing back, the tax officials became even more arrogant.

They drew their tiger head knives and coldly asked, "You have an objection?"

"I do, and a big one at that!"

The old hunter, who spent years in the mountains, exuded a wild nature from head to toe.

"Good, very good, extremely good," one of the tax officials coldly walked forward, repeating the word 'good' several times.

Just as his last word fell, a flash of cold light burst from his hand.

Squish.

The old hunter had not yet understood what was happening when his head was cleaved off with a knife.

Blood splattered, staining the ground.

The tax official turned and looked at the crowd, "Does anyone else have objections?"

All the villagers of Hongshan Village fell silent.

Another tax official closed the roster and said, "If the tax money can't be pooled together, look around to see if you have any siblings. The city is in need of forced labor, which can also be offset against your taxes."

Forced labor?

The word sent shivers down everyone's spine.

Hardly any forced laborers returned alive.

"Good, since no one is speaking, it seems everyone agrees. So it's settled then."

"I have something to say?"

Among the crowd, Shen Qing slowly stepped forward, walking towards the two tax officials.

"What is it?"

"How much is your life worth, sir?"

"What? How audacious!"

Spurt!

The tax official hadn't finished speaking.

Shen Qing quickly positioned his fingers together, swiftly striking towards his throat, deeply puncturing it.

Wind Defying Finger.

A fatal blow.

"Heh, heh, heh... you..."