Chapter 108: The Relationship Between Da Qian and the Hundred Thousand Mountains

Da Qian has thirteen provinces.

Each province is unique, and each is prosperous.

For instance, there is Tianling Province, where martial arts schools flourish; Nanyang Province, which often produces great Daoist scholars; and Jiangdao Province, with its extensive network of waterways.

The taxes from these thirteen provinces are the vital pillars that keep Da Qian running.

This is only natural.

Between officials and the people, like a boat and the water, their mutual survival relies entirely on the maintenance provided by taxes.

However.

In a situation like Qingniu Town's, or any of the similar border villages and towns of Da Qian that do not belong to any province, is there truly a need to levy taxes?

Surely any normal person, even a six-year-old child…

…could conclude that taxes should not be collected here.

Yet, Da Qian did it anyway.

The answer is obvious: the high and mighty Emperor of Da Qian does not care about the life or death of these border towns; he does not even station troops here.

It is almost laughable; the Da Qian army, which is supposed to protect the Human Race, is instead stationed at the passes leading to the heart of Da Qian.

They block the yaomo that attempt to cross the border.

At the same time, they also block every civilian who wishes to escape this Hell.

Wu Yingxue felt her throat grow dry, like earth scoured by sand, parched and rough. "How could this be…"

"Does that mean the people here can only rely on themselves to survive?!"

The truth was so bizarre that it completely shattered her worldview.

The sixteen-year-old girl stood up abruptly.

Resting both hands on the rough wooden table, she leaned forward slightly, looking at Xu Xi with eyes trembling in shock.

"How can this be allowed? There are clearly so many commoners here!"

"Not only is there no protection, but taxes are still levied. In such a situation, how could anyone possibly survive!"

Sunlight streamed in from outside, illuminating the pale skin of her arms and magnifying her trembling.

Her fingers gripped the table's surface tightly, the force vibrating through her body. Every second, her red and white robes billowed and shook.

*Crack—*

*Crack—*

That was the sound of the girl's naive worldview shattering.

That was the sound of the wooden table being crushed by the strength of her fingers.

In Da Qian, becoming a Martial Artist granted certain privileges, such as tax exemptions.

At the same time, a Martial Artist's own formidable strength was their greatest source of confidence when facing yaomo.

However, reality is often cruel.

Compared to other supernatural systems, the Blood-Qi Martial Arts of the Martial Arts World were quite easy to begin, but there were still barriers. Not everyone could achieve success, and not everyone had access to a good Cultivation Technique.

In this world, the vast majority of people could only practice the most common Yangyuan Technique.

It was a common, low-level Cultivation Technique found everywhere.

Anyone, anywhere, could find this basic Cultivation Technique made public by the Da Qian officials; it simply circulated Blood-Qi to increase physical strength for daily life.

Only that, and nothing more.

To become a true Martial Artist, to avoid Da Qian's taxes, and to possess the strength to resist yaomo…

…was an extremely difficult task for the people of Qingniu Town.

"This world is full of illusions; only pain cannot lie." Facing the girl's look of disbelief, Xu Xi did not answer directly but instead prompted her to realize the truth for herself.

What is seen with the eyes might be an illusion.

What is heard with the ears might be a hallucination.

But the pain hidden within people, within events, and within the desolate silence—that cannot be faked.

Wu Yingxue had been in Qingniu Town for some time now.

Although she had never stepped foot outside Xu Xi's home, it did not mean she was unable to observe this unfamiliar border town.

She had seen with her own eyes A-Niu's silly, joyful hopping as he received yaomo flesh from Xu Xi, and she had seen a mother holding an infant, her expression vacant and lost, uncertain of the future.

Wu Yingxue fell completely silent.

The sixteen-year-old young Commandery Princess, a lotus rooted in clear water since childhood, was witnessing the filthy black mud for the first time.

"Thank you for your teachings…"

"The things I said before were truly foolish…"

Wu Yingxue apologized to Xu Xi.

Holding her chopsticks, she picked up the yaomo meat she had spat out earlier, chewing it in silence and swallowing it with earnestness.

A mouthful of rice porridge, a mouthful of yaomo meat.

She did not stop until the bowl was empty.

"Hu—!" Her smooth, delicate hand gripped the Dragon-Patterned Spear. The girl walked alone into the courtyard with her weapon; she thrust, vibrated, stabbed, and parried, her spear dancing rapidly as her heart vented its anger.

Accompanied by the whistling wind, the fallen leaves in the courtyard were swept up into the air.

They danced together with that fiery figure.

"Though her temperament is a bit impulsive and she's somewhat naive, it's rare for someone to possess such a pure heart." Xu Xi silently took a bite of the braised yaomo meat, his estimation of the girl rising slightly.

It is normal for people to make mistakes, especially since past experiences often limit one's thinking.

Wu Yingxue was able to recognize her own error.

And she even went so far as to swallow the meat she had spat out.

This was enough to prove that she was not merely a flower in a greenhouse, nor was she a hypocrite who only paid lip service.

"However, how should I put it? Are all crows under heaven equally black?"

Xu Xi's teeth chewed the dark meat. Lubricated by saliva, the shredded fibers were swallowed with difficulty, landing in his stomach with a gulp.

Yaomo meat truly tasted terrible.

But in the current Qingniu Town, there were no better options.

While eating, Xu Xi pondered the relationship between Da Qian and the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

"This practice of sacrificing a portion of the population is almost identical in nature to the Alenson Incident in the Magic World. It brings it to mind immediately."

"No, to be precise, this is an even more heinous matter."

"To highlight the preciousness of their miracles, the gods do not frequently create disasters. In my last simulation, a tragedy like the destruction of Alenson City only happened once."

"Gods create disasters, manifest their Divine Might, and bestow divine grace; this process usually occurs once every few hundred or thousand years."

"Most of the time, the gods of the Magic World are indeed the guardians of humanity."

"They maintain the world's operation, acting as the manifestation of order and forming a symbiotic relationship with humans."

"But the Martial Arts World is different…"

Xu Xi set down his chopsticks, his brow furrowing slightly. "In the eyes of the yaomo, humans are nothing more than food, with no status to speak of."

"Perhaps there is some kind of agreement between Da Qian and the yaomo."

"Or perhaps it's simply a tacit understanding."

"In any case, all the commoners living on the border were abandoned by Da Qian long ago, becoming meat reserves for the yaomo."

"Only this can explain Da Qian's series of baffling actions."

After finishing his meal…

…Xu Xi walked out of the room.

The first thing he saw was Wu Yingxue, her spearplay fierce and her Aura imposing.

Then, behind Wu Yingxue, were the pitch-black mountains that, despite being far away, exuded a profound sense of oppression.

Peak after towering peak stood with ancient solemnity, gathered in a continuous range like a world-shaking black Dragon crouching on the ground, its arched back encircling all human territories.

"What a messed-up world…"