My dreams can simulate the future.

Chapter 18 Tax Payment Turmoil

The next afternoon, Jiang Chen used up forty talisman papers.

Looking at the twelve talismans in his hand, he couldn't help but sigh, "It seems that a success rate of 30% is my current limit. To go further, I need to improve my understanding of talisman patterns, my basic skills, and my spiritual sense."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

He quickly opened the courtyard gate and saw a burly man and a girl who looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old beside him.

This burly man was extremely tall. Jiang Chen was already tall, but compared to him, he looked like a child.

The burly man scratched the back of his head, his face full of embarrassment: "Brother Chen, I..."

This burly man was Lu Xiong. He had learned from Hou Ming yesterday that his father was injured and also knew why he had come.

"Big Bear, we've been brothers since we were kids, let's talk inside."

After entering the house, Lu Xiong pondered for a long time before speaking.

"Brother Chen, my father was injured while hunting demons half a month ago, and his treatment cost a lot of spirit stones. In addition, he spent twenty spirit stones to avoid being conscripted, so our family's savings are all gone."

"It's tax season again, and with the addition of war tax, my family simply can't afford to pay. So I'd like to borrow some spirit stones from you."

I'm not lending it to you for nothing; this is my younger sister, Lu Ying. Although she doesn't have a spiritual aperture and can't cultivate, she's very skillful, adept at all household chores, and can even help process animal hides.

From now on, she will serve as your maid, at your beck and call.

Jiang Chen glanced at Lu Ying; she was indeed quite beautiful, with a delicate, refined air. With tears welling in her eyes, she was even more endearing.

Although he was somewhat tempted, he was truly not interested in matters of the heart right now.

"Big Bear, given our relationship, lending you some spirit stones is nothing. I don't need a maid right now, so you can take the girl back later. By the way, how many spirit stones do you need?"

Lu Xiong's face was full of emotion. After thinking for a long time, he finally answered, "My house is bigger, so it requires a house tax of three spirit stones."

There are two cultivators in my family, my father and I, plus my mother, my second and third aunts, and my younger brother and sister, making a total of ten mortals. The head tax is three spirit stones.

The war tax is twice the poll tax and costs six spirit stones, for a total of twelve spirit stones.

The family sold many things and managed to scrape together six spirit stones. But now, a war tax has suddenly been imposed, and even if they sell everything they own, they still won't have enough!

Jiang Chen casually took out ten spirit stones and handed them to Lu Xiong.

"Besides paying taxes, you have so many people to support in your family, and Uncle Lu's injuries haven't healed yet; they all need spirit stones. Use these ten spirit stones first, and come back to me if you need more."

With Lu Xiong's potential, becoming a mid-level first-grade weapon refiner is a certainty. Lend him ten spirit stones, and he'll definitely be able to pay it back later.

Moreover, his father, Lu Hu, was no ordinary person.

The Black Stone Mountain Market is surrounded by dense forests, and the Golden Cauldron Sect can only control the market and the White Sand River waterway. Within these forests, not only do demonic beasts roam freely, but cultivators also commit atrocities.

Generally speaking, cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining make a living by hunting demons, and very few of them live for more than five years.

Lu Hu is only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, but he has been making a living by hunting demons for over thirty years. He has rarely even been injured, let alone died.

Moreover, after having a promising son, Lu Xiong, he took two concubines and fathered seven children.

Clearly, he wanted to establish a family of cultivators, rather than simply providing Lu Xiong with a way to survive.

It's clear that Lu Hu has the confidence to back it up and must possess considerable skill.

Holding ten spirit stones in his hand, Lu Xiong was moved to tears.

"Brother Chen, from now on, my life belongs to you."

He then muttered to himself, "What did Dad tell me to say? Maybe this is all I'll say."

The cultivator had sharp ears and eyes, and Jiang Chen naturally heard what he was muttering to himself, leaving him speechless.

"I was wondering why Big Bear, who's always been so honest, was speaking so politely. Turns out he'd been memorizing his lines at home."

Jiang Chen didn't expose him, and patted him on the shoulder: "Why say such things? It's just a few spirit stones. With your abilities, ten spirit stones will be nothing to you in the future."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lu Xiong took his leave.

The brother and sister hadn't gone far when they ran into Gu Laohu.

Gu Laohu was a shrewd and well-informed man. Seeing that Lu Xiong had brought his sister, he immediately understood what Lu Xiong meant.

She stared at Lu Ying for a long time, thinking to herself, "This girl is pretty and fertile, a perfect match for my Gu Long."

Jiang Chen probably didn't accept this little girl because he didn't lend them spirit stones, which is perfect for me.

She stepped forward, her face full of smiles: "Nephew Lu Xiong, you've come to borrow spirit stones from Master Jiang, haven't you?"

Although he had status and earning power, his foundation was relatively weak, and with him spending money on elixirs every day, he didn't have many spirit stones left.

"I've been doing business in Blackstone Mountain Market for decades and have accumulated some wealth. If you're willing to marry your sister to my Gu Long, I can offer a dowry of ten spirit stones."

Gu Long was a notorious spendthrift in Black Stone Mountain Market. He not only did not have a proper job, but also indulged in eating, drinking, gambling and whoring.

The women in the market would rather be slaves or maids than marry Gu Long.

The brother and sister ignored Gu Laohu's words and walked straight towards their home.

Enraged, Gu Laohu cursed, "You ungrateful wretch! My Gu Long is a dignified Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator. Marrying a mere mortal like you is an honor for your Lu family."

"When your Lu family can't pay taxes, and your two cultivators are exiled to Changyuan Mountain, you won't even be worthy of being my Gu Long's concubine."

She unleashed a torrent of curses, but found no one paying attention. Feeling bored, she returned to her own yard.

-----------------

The next morning, Jiang Chen woke up from his meditation and wanted to buy a Nourishing Spirit Pill.

As soon as they arrived at the gate, they heard a series of ghostly wails. A casual glance revealed many rogue cultivators being led away by patrolling guards.

Without a doubt, these were cultivators who had been arrested for failing to pay their taxes. Their destination, naturally, was the fiercely contested Changyuan Mountain.

Jiang Chen naturally couldn't be bothered with such matters. When he was down on his luck, only Hou Ming offered him a helping hand. There were only a handful of families like Lu Xiong's who didn't deliberately distance themselves from him.

These are my real friends and family; the life or death of others has nothing to do with me.

After glancing at it a few times, he headed straight for the East Market.

Before I had taken more than a few steps, I heard a familiar wail.

Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a disheveled woman throwing a tantrum in front of the gate of a house; it was impossible to tell who she was.

Judging from the voice, the woman was Gu Laohu.

A curious onlooker asked, "Gu Laohu has a skill, and he also sells goods at a stall. Surely he can pay his taxes?"

Another person explained, "Isn't it because of his spendthrift son? Gu Laohu prepared the spirit stones for paying taxes, but Gu Long took them for food and drink."

Now things are really bad; unable to pay the taxes, both mother and daughter have to go to Changyuan Mountain.

Tiger Gu was extremely shrewd; even while throwing a tantrum, he would secretly keep an eye on the onlookers.

She saw Jiang Chen from afar, immediately rushed to him, knelt down, and kowtowed several times.

"Master Jiang, we've been neighbors for years, you have to help me!"

The tax collector looked to be in his thirties, with a strong aura and bulging muscles, clearly a body-refining cultivator.

He noticed the token on Jiang Chen's waist and leaned closer to ask, "Master Jiang, do you have any connection with this person?"

Jiang Chen shook his head: "We don't have any friendship, but we do have some grudges. When I was down on my luck a while ago, they tried to take advantage of my misfortune."

If I hadn't been alert, I probably would be dead by them.

Upon hearing this, the guard grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "In that case, we'll take good care of Master Jiang and his mother."