Leaving the outskirts of Yunwu Mountain, Qingshi Town was distantly visible.
Looking from afar.
A large grey bird circled high above Qingshi Town.
“Caw…”
The large bird let out a high-pitched, sharp cry.
This cry was loud and clear, with extremely strong penetrating power, making everyone’s eardrums itch even from three li away.
When the crowd saw the large grey bird, a sense of security immediately arose in their hearts, along with a strong feeling of heartache.
The large grey bird was Li Zheng Wang Chengwu’s contracted Spirit Beast, an Iron Beak Rock Eagle.
With a cultivation of Little Demon Sixth Layer, its combat power was quite impressive.
It constantly monitored for any demonic invasions into the town, protecting Qingshi Town from attacks by demons and evil spirits.
However, Li Zheng’s protection of the town’s common people was not free; it came with conditions.
Regardless of whether they were hunters, farmers, woodcutters, or merchants, the town’s common people had to pay a large amount of Immortal Tax to Li Zheng and the Three Great Immortal Clans behind him every year.
For ordinary people, it was fine; the Immortal Tax was not high.
For Beast Masters, the Immortal Tax was very high.
And the Beast Master hunters, who had the highest income, paid the most exaggerated hunting tax.
They had to pay fifty percent of their hunt.
A full fifty percent.
At the end of the year, they also had to pay a huge sum of Immortal Tax.
It was clear that the Three Great Immortal Clans were afraid that the Beast Masters in various towns would grow strong and threaten their status.
Therefore, they ruthlessly exploited the Beast Masters in each town, sucking their blood to strengthen themselves.
The Li Zhengs of each town were appointed by the Three Great Immortal Clans, loyal dogs who collected Immortal Tax for them.
They were also the most hated existence for the Beast Masters in each town.
Zhao Erhu gritted his teeth: “It’s that damned Iron Beak Rock Eagle again.”
Zhao Erxiong also grumbled indignantly: “That scoundrel Li Zheng makes his broken bird patrol all day. The Three Great Immortal Clans of Dayang County have already cleared out all the powerful demons in the surrounding area, so where are there any demons lurking around the town?
That broken bird of his is clearly just spying on the hunters, farmers, woodcutters, and merchants in the town,
Especially spying on us Beast Master hunters, afraid that we’ll pay less hunting tax.”
Sure enough, the Iron Beak Rock Eagle flew rapidly towards them, and in a moment, it was already above everyone.
Zhao Erhu’s Nether Que quickly landed, standing obediently beside Zhao Erhu.
The Iron Beak Rock Eagle circled once above everyone’s heads, then flew off into the distance.
Zhao Erhu’s face was grim, and he shouted: “Damn it, rest, rest right here. Light a fire and roast some meat. Cut more wild boar meat for kebabs, and let the Spirit Beasts eat their fill.”
The Three Great Immortal Clans of Dayang County managed Dayang County and the thirty-six surrounding towns for the Great Yan Kingdom.
The Three Great Immortal Clans explicitly stipulated that Beast Master hunters must pay fifty percent of their hunt as hunting tax.
If they were found to be secretly hoarding their hunt by the Three Great Immortal Clans, they would be executed immediately.
Over the years, the Three Great Immortal Clans had executed many hunters.
Not a single ordinary hunter, all of them were Beast Master hunters.
This was clearly a case of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.
It was a warning to these Beast Masters to pay their Immortal Tax on time and willingly let them suck their blood.
If they didn’t let them suck, they would die.
However, how could the Beast Master hunters in various towns, who risked their lives in Yunwu Mountain, not secretly hoard their hunt?
Zhao Erhu also hid, hiding together with the Ming Que Hunting Squad members.
But that damned Iron Beak Rock Eagle had eyes that were too sharp, making it difficult to hide prey.
They only hid valuable, small-sized Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Plant.
After all, they were all beneficiaries, so no one would report it.
Furthermore, he had spread the news that he was an illegitimate son of the Zhao Clan, so none of the hunting team members would be so brain-dead as to report him.
Recently, the Ming Que Hunting Squad hadn’t found any Spirit Medicine or Spiritual Plant; all their gains were prey.
He wanted to hide it, secretly transport the meat back to Qingshi Town, but every time they returned from a hunt, they encountered that damned Iron Beak Rock Eagle.
Zhao Erhu was very angry.
However, even if they didn’t hide it, there was no problem with letting the Spirit Beasts, who had worked hard hunting, eat their fill before the hunting party entered the town.
What was eaten into the stomach was not considered hidden.
No matter how inhuman Immortals were, they wouldn’t prevent hunters and Spirit Beasts from eating their fill.
Everyone skillfully put down their prey, cut off pieces of wild boar meat, and threw them to the Spirit Beasts.
Chen Changqing also put down the pork on his back, pulled out a small knife from his Pregnant, cut off a large piece of wild boar meat, threw it to Little Black Tiger, and then quickly sliced more meat.
Throughout this journey, the black fire lotus in his mind continuously burned, and above the flames, lines of golden characters occasionally floated by.
“Physical Fitness + 1.”
Warm, special energy continuously flowed into his limbs and bones, slowly strengthening every cell in his body.
That feeling of continuously growing stronger made him exceptionally excited.
But as time went on, the hunger in his stomach grew stronger and stronger.
Now, he was so hungry his front chest was touching his back.
It seemed that the special creation energy not only enhanced his strength and endurance but also improved his digestive capabilities.
Some picked firewood, others cut meat, and they began to roast the wild boar meat, all very actively.
They had been hunting for most of the day and carried wild boar meat for such a long distance, so they were all very hungry.
Zhao Erxiong cut the meat with a disgruntled expression, grumbling: “Fifty percent hunting tax, that’s just too damn high.”
Zhao Erbao also gritted his teeth: “The Three Great Immortal Clans are clearly suppressing us Beast Masters and sucking our blood.”
Chen Changqing silently skewered wild boar meat and placed it over the fire to roast.
From the memories of his previous body, he understood the cruelty of this world.
It was a naked Law of the jungle: big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp.
The Three Great Immortal Clans and Li Zheng exploited them, the ordinary Beast Masters.
And they, the Beast Masters, in turn exploited and bullied the ordinary common people.
Just like the members of this Ming Que Hunting Squad, who were all grumbling and acting as if they were very wronged.
But in their daily lives in the town, they were all arrogant and pompous, frequently bullying ordinary common people, although none were as excessive as him.
But in the eyes of the common people, they were all scoundrels rotten to the core.
In short, they were exploited and bullied by the stronger, and then they exploited and bullied the weaker.
The weak had no human rights.
The strong had privileges.
He still needed to become stronger.
Chen Changqing’s desire for power grew even more intense.
If he were strong enough, how would Zhao Erhu dare to humiliate and exploit him like this?
If he were strong enough, how could his sister be bullied by her brother-in-Law’s three main wives?
Yin Jianqiang sighed: “We Beast Masters have it too hard. The Three Great Immortal Clans are crushing us, sucking our blood, and giving us no chance to rise.
It’s that black-hearted scoundrel Li Zheng who lives comfortably. They say that of the fifty percent hunting tax we pay, he only needs to give forty percent to the Three Great Immortal Clans, and he can keep ten percent for himself.”
Yin Jianqiang gritted his teeth: “The Three Great Immortal Clans all have Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators overseeing them, slaying demons and eradicating evil,
Protecting the safety of our Dayang County. Taking forty percent is understandable.
But that black-hearted scoundrel Li Zheng also takes ten percent. Why?”
Zhao Erhu scoffed: “Because he’s a dog raised by the Three Great Immortal Clans.”
“Captain, watch your words.” Squad member Yin Qiang quickly reminded him, and with his eyes, he pointed towards the sky.
Unbeknownst to them, the Iron Beak Rock Eagle had flown back and was circling high above them.
If Li Zheng were to find out what was just said, it would be troublesome.
The Li Zheng of Qingshi Town was a Qi Refining Third Layer Immortal Beast Tamer, and that Iron Beak Rock Eagle had a cultivation of Little Demon Sixth Layer, making it the strongest in Qingshi Town.
If the other party found out, they would surely be dealt with.
Vice-captain Zhao Erxiong scoffed: “Hmph, so what if Li Zheng finds out?
Let me tell you, ten days ago in the afternoon, Zhao Jingyun of the Zhao Clan in Dayang County recognized my brother as his godson.”
“Oh my goodness.”
Everyone was stunned, and their gazes towards Zhao Erhu changed, becoming even more respectful. One by one, they quickly offered congratulations.
“Congratulations, Captain.”
“Congratulations, Captain.”
“Getting involved with the Zhao Clan, you’ve hit the jackpot.”
Before, there were rumors that Zhao Erhu was the illegitimate son of Zhao Jingyun of the Zhao Clan in Dayang County. It seemed those rumors were very likely true.
Otherwise, why would a member of a Qi Refining Immortal Clan recognize Zhao Erhu as his godson?
Zhao Erhu smiled, then winked at his younger brother Zhao Erxiong.
Zhao Erxiong, receiving the signal, happily spoke again to reveal more: “Last night, my brother received a letter from Uncle Zhao, saying that the Li Zheng of Liangshui Town was poisoned by a Three-Colored Wind-Chasing Snake and could live for at most one month.
Uncle Zhao has already agreed to plan for my brother; as long as my brother’s cultivation advances to Qi Refining Third Layer within one month, the position of Li Zheng of Liangshui Town will be my brother’s.”
Li Zheng.
Managing a town’s taxes, corvée labor, mediating disputes among townspeople, and so on.
Just from the various taxes alone, he could eat very well.
One must know that the entire eastern foothills of Yunwu Mountain were the territory of the Three Great Immortal Clans.
The common people of the thirty-six towns, whether they hunted, cut firewood, fished, cultivated grain, or operated businesses, all had to pay various high taxes.
At the end of the year, they also had to pay an Immortal Tax once.
Of these various taxes, a small portion belonged to Li Zheng.
Although most of this small portion had to be offered up, a small part of it was still a considerable amount.
Moreover, every shop had to make offerings every year.
The common people who wanted to be exempt from corvée labor also had to make offerings.
Li Zheng was completely the local emperor of a town.
Look at Wang Chengwu. When he first came out of the Immortal Spirit Cave Miscellaneous Service Office, he was only at Qi Refining First Layer, and his Iron Beak Rock Eagle was only at Little Demon Third Layer.
In just twenty years, he used resources to forcefully raise that Iron Beak Rock Eagle, which had very poor Aptitude, to Little Demon Sixth Layer, and he himself advanced to Qi Refining Third Layer.
Upon hearing this, the hunting team members were all stunned.
Although Zhao Erhu’s Nether Que was already an adult.
But as long as he spent money to buy some Medicinal Pills for the Nether Que, it could become stronger, allowing Zhao Erhu to advance to Qi Refining Third Layer.
After advancing to Qi Refining Third Layer, he could fill the vacancy of Li Zheng.
Everyone came back to their senses and immediately flattered and fawned even more.
“Captain, when you become Li Zheng, I’ll be your patrol guard. If you tell me to go east, I’ll never go west. If you tell me to hit a dog, I’ll never chase a chicken.” Zhang Erbao said, his face fawning.
“Yes, Captain, I’ll also be your patrol guard. Just give the word, and I’ll go through mountains of knives and seas of fire without a single frown.” Chen Changming also quickly expressed his stance.
“Yes, yes.”
Everyone’s faces were fawning, and they shamelessly tried to curry favor.
Town patrol guards could also enjoy a small share of the tax revenue.
Although their income wasn’t much higher than hunting.
But it was safe.
Unlike them, who faced life-threatening dangers every time they hunted.
Just like today, if it weren’t for Chen Changqing, Zhao Erbao would have already been eaten by the Dryad.
Moreover, the status of patrol guards in the town was much higher than that of hunters.
If they became patrol guards, pretty girls in town would scramble to get into their arms.
Even becoming a second or third wife would be acceptable to them.
Even Chen Changqing chuckled and chimed in with a few words, flattering them a bit.
However, he was slightly surprised in his heart.
Why announce such a thing before it was set in stone?
What if someone else took the Li Zheng position? How awkward would that be?
But Zhao Erhu, despite appearing rough, was a meticulous person.
When things are abnormal, there must be a demon.
