Capítulo 32: Tax Collectors
The sounds of hooves hitting the stone street sounded through the small Sunflower Village. The sun was shining in the early hours of the morning, and people were already leaving the house because the work in the fields was always hard.
There was a group of men riding horseback through the streets, drawing the attention of everyone who was leaving for work. People already knew that group and knew that nothing good would come next.
But most of the village's population was not a cultivator, and the few who had it were from the early-stage of Qi Refinement Realm. So there was nothing they could do but obey the group that was the law. All people could do was look at them with fear and comment on how screwed they were.
"They came much earlier than the time agreed."
"That is ridiculous! How do they expect us to have money now?"
"Damn, Duke! He gets in trouble, and we have to pay."
"Speak softly, or we will lose more than just our money."
Two men were talking about how the group came earlier than they expected and clearly showed that they were not happy with the 'duke,' but another man came to warn them not to speak up unless they wanted to lose their heads.
"And do you think that will change anything? I don't have the value they want, and there's no way to negotiate with these thugs."
"I don't think anyone in the village already has the value, but who knows? Maybe they understand and accept what we have."
"You must be too stupid to think that these bastards would accept excuses such as the lack of time to get the agreed value. They'll take anyone who doesn't pay as a slave if they don't kill them right away."
The group is known as the 'tax collectors' worked for the region's Duke. They came at a specific time to collect taxes for 'protection' in the name of the Duke, but this time they arrived ahead of time, leaving the population of the small village scared.
Some people believed that they could be negotiated with them, but others had seen situations where that group killed entire families just for the lack of a few bronze coins.
The metal was the most accessible and most basic form of trade for the Xu Dynasty, like in other regions, and people used coins as money. From the simplest, which was bronze to silver and next to gold. Ten silver coins made one gold, and ten bronze made one silver.
While people ran to their homes to collect all the money they had to pay taxes, the group headed towards the village square. They had already done this method several times, and it was easier to get everyone in one place than going from house to house.
Arriving at the village square, the group got off the horses, and a middle-aged man in his forties led the group to a platform in the center. The platform was used to set up a varied sales fair, but now the group's leader was standing in the center surrounded by his men while picking up a scroll.
"Listen, everyone! On behalf of Duke Ming, I come here today to collect taxes. I know it is sooner than expected, but the war does not wait for anyone, and the Duke's troops will not be able to protect this land without supplies and weapons so you can only blame our enemies."
Tao Jian was a knight loyal to the Ming Family for many years. His father and grandfather were also the most important man of the Ming Family heads, and he was very proud of that. He always led the group of tax collectors as the wealth of the Ming Family was a crucial issue.
There were many wars in the Xu Dynasty, mainly against non-humans in the south and rebels in the north, but now the Ming Duchy was getting weaker and weaker, so the Duke ordered the taxes to be collected earlier.
Tao Jian did not think that was a problematic issue as dealing with the people of the small villages was easy. He knew that they would show some resistance, but with a little use of force and taking some of them as slaves, the common people would give everything they had.
Tao Jian couldn't deny that he liked to feel strong by putting tension on simple people who were terrified of him. He wanted to deal with tax collection as there were always people willing to resist, and he could always beat and intimidate them as much as he wanted.
Everyone knew the reputation of Tao Jian and the brutal tax collection group, so when the people heard the warning, everyone started heading towards the village square with all the savings they had. Often, money alone was not enough, so many people also took animals, weapons, and even young teens to give as a value.
The people were very disgusted with this situation, but no one could do anything because the Ming Family was the law in that region. As Tao Jian read and called the names of the families on the parchment scroll, people approached the platform to deliver everything of value to the group.
Many thought about not going to the square and saying they didn't know about the event or just hiding until the tax collectors left, but it wasn't that easy. Tao Jian had records of all the villagers, and he would look for anyone who would not pay taxes. When he had to look for a family for that reason, things didn't end well, so people didn't try to avoid the group.
While the people closest to the square were giving everything, some guards of Tao Jian's group went around the city, calling everyone who did not yet know about the event. Soon the square was filled with almost everyone in the village.
"Sir, please have mercy because our village is small, and we cannot get money so fast."
An older man who was the leader of the village tried to argue with Tao Jian, who was beating up many people who were trying to pay the tax with animals and other things. But he also got kicked right in the chest and fell to the ground getting injured.
"Don't you guys understand? Your Duke needs money or strong men to protect you from a terrible death by the non-humans or barbarians, and all you do is try to pay it with animals and rusty weapons."
Tao Jian was beating almost everyone because most did not have much money and tried to supplement with animals and old weapons. However, even though he said that it was not enough, the group still collected these animals and weapons.
Some people were being beaten so severely that they would not recover from broken limbs and other serious injuries. The village leader was an old and simple man, but he knew that Tao Jian was enjoying being brutal. But he still had to try to argue to try to save his people, but he did nothing but get hurt too. Then the beating session proceeded.
"Why are they doing this to us? If they kill us, who will work to pay the next taxes?"
"They don't care to kill us as there are other villages that would work harder after discovering that others died from not paying enough."
"That is very brutal! We are giving everything we have, and even if we are hungry, they are still not satisfied."
People in line were waiting for their turn to pay taxes, and many knew they were going to be beaten. So they were not concerned with being heard and spoke clearly about what they thought of the situation.
"Did you hear about an elder from the Black Sword Sect arriving in the village?"
"I heard about that too. If he is an elder of the Black Sword Sect, he could save us from this misfortune."
"But who would ask him for help? Paying taxes is part of the management of the Duchies, so I don't know if the Black Sword Sect would see it as wrong."
A woman talked about rumors about Xiong Zhelan, and many who were hopeless had sparkles in their eyes, thinking that an elder from the Black Sword Sect could be their salvation.
But a man spoke the truth. The management of each region was the responsibility of the Duke, and people from the Black Sword Sect might not want to get involved in such a small matter as their simple village.
"Isn't their reputation for being the fairest of all the Xu Dynasty?"
"Of course! Even if our village is not of great importance, a person from the Black Sword Sect will not let us suffer this brutality."
"Clearly, the tax collection group is unreasonably abusing our people, and this elder will understand and save us."
"Okay! So someone has to go and tell him."
"I'll go but give me cover so that no one sees me leaving."
The group of people in the line concluded that asking Xiong Zhelan for help was a valid hope, so some people caught the attention of the guards while a man went to look for their savior.
"Sir, I beg you not to cripple me because I will not be able to keep working to support my family."
It was the turn of a middle-aged man to pay taxes. He had forty-nine bronze coins, which was one less than required by Tao Jian. The man tried to pay for the missing coin with a sword that looked very old but was still sharp and easily worth about twenty bronze coins.
The man feared that Tao Jian would not take the sword well and still beat him. It was not the pain he feared but being unable to work in the fields and support his family. That man was very good and decent. He had a wife and daughter to care for, but he never failed to help people in need.
As his daughter worked at the inn and he was doing well in the field, the man's family had no economic problems, but he recently purchased an expensive medicine from a traveler for his neighbor, who was very sick. Now that the tax collectors arrived earlier, he did not get the amount for lack of just a single coin.
"Do you think an old sword will be useful?"
Tao Jian saw that the sword was still good and knew that it would be worth at least twenty bronze coins, but he would not miss the chance to continue hurting these people. When he saw the fear in the eyes of the poor man, Tao Jian got excited and prepared to hit hard.
"Sir, I must report something."
When Tao Jian was going to beat the man, one of his guards came to his side to whisper something important. Tao Jian came close to the guard and told him to explain.
"From the documents, this man has a very young daughter, and I heard rumors from the people that she is stunning. Perhaps you can accept another type and compensation for the tax."
The guard acted as a secretary to Tao Jian, checking the records of everyone who was going to pay taxes. When this man's turn came, he already knew who he was and about the famous 'beautiful daughter' he had, and he can't help wanting to be useful to Tao Jian, thinking of being rewarded later.
"I heard you have a daughter. Wouldn't it be an honor for her to serve someone as powerful and important as me?"
Tao Jian liked the guard's report very much and wasted no time requesting the young woman to the poor man. Everyone close to him knew his lust because he had already broken many young women and that one was in trouble now he heard about her.
"Sir, please, I implore you! Accept this sword because it has been in my family for generations, and even though it is old, it is still a good sword that is worth a few coins to make up for the lack of a single coin."
"Do you think your daughter is too good to serve me?! Me, Duke Ming's most loyal man!
Qiao Kun thought that being crippled and not being able to support his family would be bad, but when he heard that this terrible man wanted to take his little girl, he was terrified. He tried to argue again because he would never let his beloved daughter have such a cruel end. But Tao Jian would not leave the chance to have a new girl so quickly.
"She's an innocent and silly girl, so she wouldn't be proper to serve a great man as important as Sir."
"You must wish for death!"
Qiao Kun was shaking with fear that something terrible would happen to his daughter. When Tao Jian shouted at him, demonstrating that he would not give up having her, he knelt down to beg, but before he knew it, he was kicked in the head and thrown off the platform.
Qiao Kun fell to the ground and was unable to get up before two guards started to kick him. Tao Jian did not order the guards to stop to beat the poor man because he did not care if he died so that it would be easier to get the girl.
When Tao Jian beat the people, he did not go so far as he did not want to stop them from being able to work. But when he got angry at someone, that person would not die quickly, and so the guards were hitting Qiao Kun very hard but avoiding critical points so as not to kill him before causing much suffering.
It was a very brutal scene. Qiao Kun was curled up on the floor like a ball, and the guards kicked him without mercy. He was crying, but he was still trying to resist because he feared his family would suffer if he were not there to protect them.
Everyone in the square was impressed by his resistance, who was not a cultivator but was resisting so much to protect his daughter. This injustice increasingly revolted the people, but no one could do anything.
All Qiao Kun wanted to do was protect his family, so he started praying to any god who could at least get his wife and daughter out of the village as he knew he would not survive that brutality for long. He started to imagine that his family would hear about what happens, and they would flee the village, but then he heard a voice that made his soul tremble, and his heart almost stopped beating.
"DAD!!!"
"WH-"
*Crack*
Qiao Mei was running with his neighbor after discovering that her father was in danger. As the square was not far from the inn, she could soon see the platform in the center and her father being beaten in the front. She was very sad to see him suffering so much, and she couldn't control herself by shouting loudly and getting everyone's attention.
When Tao Jian saw Qiao Mei, he opened his eyes wide in surprise but not because of her but the shadow that came behind her. He could only see a blur as the person was running at a speed that he couldn't keep up with.
The whole scene was very quick, and before Tao Jian could speak a full word, the shadow passed by Qiao Mei and arrived in front of the guards who beat Qiao Kun then hitting their heads against each other.
The blood flew while everyone still struggled to understand what had happened. When the head of one guard hit the other, they exploded, sending blood, brain, and bones everywhere like some kind of bizarre show.
"Don't worry."
While Qiao Kun wiped the blood that covered his face, he heard the stranger who had just saved him talking to him while making a strange smile. He could not deny that he was terrified of that young man with white hair, but he would not refuse even the devil's help to save his family.
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