CHAPTER 519: CHAPTER 85: EMPIRE’S MONEY-SUCKING FIEND

"Liquid assets," scoffed Niu Er, the tax officer, with extreme contempt. "You really are a shameless little thief. The Sky Dragon Palace was originally floating above the Five Saints Town. After Mo Lin’s death, it rightfully belonged to the Qing Family. The townspeople of Five Saints Town all witnessed it. Yet, you still wish to wrongfully claim the Sky Dragon Palace for yourself."

"Tax Officer Niu Er, you are indeed mistaken. May I ask, do you know what the Sky Dragon Palace was originally modeled after?" Yue Jinghua pointed at the Sky Dragon Palace. "It resembles a dragon, but in reality, it was built using the corpse of a male Jiao from Kalan Peak."

Indeed, using the corpse of a Jiao to construct the Sky Dragon Palace, Mo Kang could truly be considered as a sage for the ages.

Jin Nuo only then understood why the low-middle class Sky Birds were intimidated by the Dark Beast’s aura, unable to cross the forbidden zone when trying to reach the Sky Dragon Palace previously.

It was already well-known that Jiao Long used to reside at Kalan Peak, and in the ridges of Xuan Beast Mountain.

"What of it? Even if the Sky Dragon Palace was indeed built using the corpse of a Kalan Peak’s male Jiao, Kalan Peak is still imperial territory. Any Dark Beasts within the territory that haven’t been tamed and domesticated are owned by the Empire," Niu Er, the tax officer, was already well-versed in every Chapter and section of the Imperial Constitution, completely dismissing Yue Jinghua’s argument.

The Canglong Continent encourages Dark Practitioners to domesticate and breed Dark Beasts, but the ownership of wild Dark Beasts still belongs to the Empire.

"You are wrong. Since one thousand years ago, Fengdan County has already started nurturing the male and female Jiaos of Kalan Peak. According to the Imperial inheritance law, whoever raises them inherits them," Yue Jinghua said calmly, taking out a County historical record from her bosom.

"Nurture? The Jiaolong Clan has never been bred by Fengdan County," snorted Niu Er, the tax officer.

"Since the ninth generation of Long Teng, a total of over five hundred people from Fengdan County have been devoured by Jiaos, and more than three thousand have been injured in attacks," Yue Jinghua listed, which was true, considering Kalan Peak’s proximity to Fengdan County, compounded by the annual head tax forcibly extracted by Viscount Mo’er of Bailu County in the earlier years. The numbers in Yue Jinghua’s history books were neither understated nor overstated.

"Absurd, those people were merely eaten by Jiaos, there’s no talk of breeding," Niu Er, the tax officer, said angrily, his beard bristling.

"You can’t put it that way, Tax Officer Niu Er. Think about it, if it weren’t for Fengdan County’s selfless sacrifice, the Jiaos would certainly leave the mountains to commit evil, and where would the peace for the surrounding towns and counties come from then? Killing people or performing arson, whether active or passive, are both capital offenses. And it is unquestionable that the people and the territories of Fengdan County have suffered from the menace of Jiaos and their offspring for hundreds of years. Since the loss has been made, we must think of ways to compensate. Or do you think, Tax Officer Niu Er, that hundreds of wrongful deaths and countless injured people of Fengdan County are worth less than a mere Dragon Palace?" Yue Jinghua spoke gravely, gazing intently at Jin Nuo and Tax Officer Niu Er.

"This..." Niu Er, the tax officer, still wanted to argue.

But Jin Nuo made a silencing gesture, speaking solemnly: "The Iron Law of the Empire; the lives of the people are priceless."

Hundreds of lives, centuries of suffering, and mental torment, although Yue Jinghua didn’t explicitly blame the Empire, the fact that Jiaos committed evil acts and the Imperial Army did nothing was a dereliction of duty in itself.

The matter of who owns the Heavenly Palace Dragon Palace is a minor issue, but it implicates the safety of the Military Department, which is a major concern.

As a representative of the Military Department, Jin Nuo must protect the interests of the Military Department.

"Yet, even if we do not delve into the ownership issues of the Sky Dragon Palace," Jin Nuo shifted the topic, once again directing the accusation towards Yue Jinghua, "over the years, Fengdan County has been in arrears with taxes due to natural disasters and calamities, although the Empire has already reduced the corresponding tax amount. In the past five years, the taxes of Fengdan County have still not been settled."

"That’s right," Niu Er, Tax Officer busily took out a golden abacus, clicking and shifting beads, "according to the Imperial Tax Law, Fengdan County is a medium-sized county with a population of one hundred thousand. Each year, they should pay taxes of fifty thousand fourth-level dark pills or five million Imperial Dragon Gold Coins. For one year’s delay, a punitive tax of thirty percent is added, for two years, seventy percent, and so on. For a five-year delay, the payable tax is ten times the original amount, which sums up to one hundred and thirty million Imperial Dragon Gold Coins."

Niu Er’s stubby fingers, like sausages, moved swiftly over the abacus beads, calculating at a remarkable speed.

Indeed, deserving of the nickname ’Imperial Bloodsucker’ among the Ministry of Revenue officials, it only took Tax Officer Niu Er a few breaths to come up with a figure that even Jin Nuo found astonishing.

This figure, let alone Fengdan County, even the wealthiest counties in the Empire could hardly settle it in one go.

"If they cannot pay, then the county’s assets will be seized. If still unable to pay, then we must turn to Blood Cherry Duke Mansion for manpower," laughed Niu Er, Tax Officer, coldly, his face showing cruelty.

He enjoyed watching those so-called Imperial Nobles beg with tears streaming down their faces.

Unexpectedly, Yue Jinghua remained calm, casually breaking a twig and scraping some strange symbols on the ground while chanting, "Master Niu’er has miscalculated again. Over the past five years, until last December, the population of Fengdan County was thirteen thousand. The Imperial County Commander’s records indicate that population is the primary criterion for measuring the size of a county. This means Fengdan County is a tiny county, with an annual tax of fifty thousand Imperial Gold Coins. The Empire stipulates three years of restructuring period for a new Lord after the demise of the previous, during which taxes are completely waived. Hence, we should start accruing taxes from last month with a punitive tax of thirty percent, which amounts to sixty-five thousand Imperial Long Teng Gold Coins," Yue Jinghua accurately calculated the revised tax amount using Arabic numerals.

After a sigh of relief, Yue Jinghua smiled radiantly, her eyes curving like crescents, holding a Dan Xuan Card in her hand, "Does Master Niu’er want gold coins or a Dan Xuan Card? Sixty-five thousand Imperial gold coins, although not a small amount, is still manageable by today’s Fengdan County."

Joking around, what’s an ’Imperial Bloodsucker’ compared to someone from a nightclub background, used to plucking even the feathers off a goose? Yue Jinghua would never allow the Ministry of Revenue to forcefully levy taxes.

Thinking of profiteering and extracting the essence from the citizens of Fengdan County, absolutely forget about it.

Seeing Yue Jinghua smoothly dismiss the massive tax debt with a few words, and all using perfectly legitimate reasons, Tax Officer Niu Er felt an urge to spew blood out of frustration.

Jin Nuo’s eyes suddenly brightened, viewing Yue Jinghua in an entirely new light.

A true talent indeed, someone who could snatch money right from the hands of the Imperial Ministry of Revenue, a rarity in this age.

The Military Department desperately needs such a person. Jin Nuo’s resolve to recruit Yue Jinghua deepened further, regardless of the outcome of this visit to Fengdan County; Yue Jinghua is a must-have ally for him.

Now it was Tax Officer Niu Er’s turn to be taken aback; he never anticipated someone could outmaneuver him in scheming.