Chapter 254: Chapter 179: Harsh Rule is Fiercer than a Tiger_2

Translator: 549690339

“Taxes!”

Feng Qing’an’s brow furrowed and then softened. Having spent his childhood playing in the mud in the fields, he had a good sense of what troubled the ordinary farmer most.

“Exactly. If the government does not reduce the taxes, the burden of these reduced crops will all fall on the common people. The food that a farming family needs to live on will be halved, or even more, driving them to the point of selling their own children—that’s only to be expected!”

“Are the government’s taxes really that high?”

The landlord’s dull son scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat bewildered. This isn’t something he cared about ordinarily. If he hadn’t been questioned today, he wouldn’t have paid attention to this issue.

“Land tax, poll tax, and the numerous duties and levies that every level of government imposes on their own accord. During a good harvest, the common people can just barely get by. But as soon as the crop yield falls and the taxes do not, the only option is to sell their children!”

The manager, Zhao, of common origin, quietly explained. Exactly because of his ordinary background, he knew just how hard the lives of ordinary people could be.

The other warriors that Feng Qing’an had taken in looked at each other, their faces registering complete confusion. Those of their martial arts background had no understanding of the hardships of the common people.

The saying that ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ isn’t mere words. It is rare for a martial artist, who has been able to train from a young age, to be associated with poverty. Few martial artists are born into poverty, unless they have an extraordinarily fortunate opportunity. Otherwise, martial arts training is gambling with their lives—they could die in training before they achieve anything.

“You’re from Pingwu County in South Shao Prefecture, right?”

Feng Qing’an’s face had returned to its usual calm, but in the depths of his eyes, a biting cold light flickered.

Now he finally understood why his older brother, as he traveled to his exam, would kill every step of the way. With a sword in hand and power coursing through him, it was hard not to have murderous intent against these unnatural forces. Without seeing it firsthand, he was already filled with the urge to kill.

“Indeed! ”

The landlord’s dull son sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off. He wanted to leave, but looking at the two black-and-white wolves beside this young master, he wisely chose not to move. “Would you mind showing us around your home?”

Feng Qing’an asked with a smile.

The dull son hesitated. Now that the conversation talked about deity-like entities, he truly did not want to get involved. It was clear that someone is bound to suffer. If he could not avenge this young master, wouldn’t he be the next target for these people to vent their anger?

“If you don’t want to, let it be. Here, this is your reward for answering my questions.”

Seeing the other party’s reluctance, Feng Qing’an did not force him. He casually tossed out a small booklet. The dull son caught it and saw that the cover read “Yunlan Secret Plan”. Upon opening it, he found that this was a martial arts scripture that can be cultivated up to the Mixed Element Realm.

The dull son was overjoyed, but when he flipped it over to its end, his smile froze. Upon inspecting the cover again, he noticed a very tiny “upper” character next to yuman secret Flan.

“Where’s the second half?”

The dull son couldn’t help but ask. Giving only half was pretty unkind.

“You just answered a few ambiguous questions and got half of this martial scripture, aren’t you contented?”

Feng Qing’an looked at the greedy son with surprise. He’s been so generous as to reward him with half a martial scripture just for answering a few questions.

“But this…”

The dull son’s face contorted, unable to say anything. After all, he was indeed very generous. But this half martial scripture was useless to him. It only made him miserable.

“Young Master, I’ve just remembered that my father has prepared a humble feast, and we wish to invite the young master to our humble home!”

A bright future was close at hand. The previous fears were immediately dismissed by the dull son. They say fortune favors the brave.

“Ah, good, this lad is teachable!”

Seeing this quick-change act by the young man, manager Zhao was pretty pleased. He then instructed his sides,

“Go get a horse for our guide. Let him lead the way!”

‘Yes!”

With the unlucky chap leading the way, Feng Qing’an’s group, now with a clear destination in mind, moved quickly. They did not delay en route and chose the shortest path through mountains and rivers, regardless of the terrain.

Thus, in just three days, Feng Qing’an led the group into Pingwu County. However, as soon as they emerged from the woods and saw signs of human habitation, Feng Qing’an’s brows furrowed.

Spring ploughing had been underway for almost two months, but the wheat seedlings growing in the fields on either side of the road were sickly yellowish-green. Even he, who had hardly done any farming work, could tell that the survival rate of these seedlings was worryingly low. There’s no guarantee they will make it to next month, let alone harvest season.

“Zhou Yiyang!”

Seeing the state of the farms, Feng Qing’an looked grave and called out,

“Eh, I’m here, Young Master.”

A young martial artist with a sycophantic grin came up to Feng Qing’an’s horse. Because they had to stick to the direct route, only Feng Qing’an rode a horse while the others walked on foot,

“How can I assist the young master?”

“Do you remember how often it rained here since spring ploughing started?”

“I can’t remember that!”

The now competent bootlicker tried hard to remember. Truly, asking him to recall such details was a bit unfair to him. If you had asked him to recall the courtesans in the county’s brothel, their names and such, he would certainly remember,

“Maybe seven or eight times?”