txolops Chapter 11 The Struggle for Survival
Chapter 11 The Struggle for Survival
After the words were spoken, it seemed as if there were some reservations.
Master Mingjun was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice:
"This matter...you will come with me."
He turned and left.
Fang Chen's eyes flickered slightly, and he followed.
The two men passed through the corridors and arrived at a main hall. Inside, two middle-aged Taoist priests dressed in greyish-blue robes, with their hair tied up and solemn expressions, had been waiting for some time. Upon seeing the two men enter, they bowed respectfully.
"Greetings to my two senior brothers."
These two were the outer elders of the Zhengyang Sect.
Throughout its history, the Zhengyang Dao has had only a dozen or so inner disciples who have been qualified to receive the true teachings and embark on the path of Dao.
Now living in the end times, spiritual resources are scarce, and only nine people in this generation have obtained the Dharma.
Fang Chen, due to his outstanding talent, spent three years reading through the Daoist canon and mastering many methods of inducing Qi, thus securing the last spot.
Otherwise, how could he reside at the core of the Daoist temple, using the corpse of a pure Yang to refine his spiritual energy, and even forge his Dao foundation in a secret chamber equipped with an exorcism array?
Because the sect's hidden resources have already been made available to someone like him who possesses true knowledge.
Of these nine people, two have perished in their early years when they fought against evil cultivators, two have gone out with the Dao leader and elders and have not returned, and the current chief disciple, Mingyang, is in seclusion trying to break through to the Yin God Realm.
There was a senior disciple stationed at the manor outside the city, but a sudden change occurred the day before yesterday, forcing the two Ming-generation disciples who remained at the temple to rush to deal with the situation.
Just as the temple was empty, Fang Chen borrowed a medium and risked sneaking into the shadows of the old world to find spiritual objects to enter the Dao. At the same time, the tax collectors of the underworld also came knocking on his door.
After the introduction, Daoist Mingjun took his seat in the main seat in the hall, with Fang Chen sitting beside him.
Besides the two outer sect elders, there were four attendants standing with their hands at their sides, all of whom were the next generation of disciples being cultivated by the sect.
The hall was silent. Daoist Mingjun's expression was solemn. After a long while, he slowly spoke:
"I did not wish for you to know about this matter, lest it disturb your Daoist mind and attract external demons. But now... Elder, you shall tell me."
"Yes." A middle-aged Taoist priest stood up, bowed to the elder, and said in a hoarse voice, "Our sect mainly relies on three sources of income: one is the Zhengyang Talisman Shop, which sells talismans in the city; the second is the Zhengyang Cleansing Lodge, which deals in the blood and evil of demonic beasts and purifies ores; and the third is the Zhengyang Shop, which sells miscellaneous artifacts obtained by our elders from the past world's light and shadow. The first two are stable sources of income, with a monthly income of about 300,000 Taoist coins."
A faint sound of gasping could be heard coming from inside the hall.
The elder in charge kept talking:
"But the expenses are enormous. Pure yellow paper and cinnabar are hard to find in the city, so human skin and filthy blood are used as substitutes. Moreover, every time a talisman is made, it is subject to the backlash of vengeful spirits, and every month elders and disciples die as a result."
"In addition, the process of drawing talismans itself involves losses. Even without considering the losses incurred by inner disciples during their cultivation, the success rate of talismans is only around 30% when the elders and their trained talisman masters work together. Therefore, purchasing just one item each month requires 50,000 magic coins."
"Furthermore, the blood tax in Dao City is extremely heavy. Dao temples are taxed, shops are taxed, and every cultivator in the sect who resides in the city is also taxed. In addition, there are offerings to demons and demands from the underworld... all in all, amounting to 150,000 magic coins per month."
Upon hearing this, the boys exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise.
"After deducting all expenses, the net profit for the month is only 30,000 magic coins." The elder in charge of affairs said in a low voice, "This still needs to be allocated to the manor outside the city to shelter refugees, maintain the operation of the arrays in various places in the temple, as well as the salaries of the Taoist soldiers in the mortal world and the magic soldiers in the underworld, and even the cultivation expenses of the elders and disciples in the sect. After calculating every month, there is almost no surplus."
"Now do you all understand?" Daoist Mingjun sighed. "Leaving aside everything else, this tax alone is enough to show that the Daoist path is already as precarious as walking on thin ice in the present situation. The blood tax is as high as a mountain; if we are not careful, our Daoist temples will be taken away, and we will be driven out of the streets. At that time, we will be haunted by tax ghosts, and none of us will be able to escape the misfortune of having our marrow extracted and our souls sucked!"
"That is precisely why the tax collectors of the Underworld must never be offended! They are under the command of the current ruler of the floating island, equivalent to the old-world government, and cannot be provoked. We, the righteous path, should temporarily avoid their sharp edge and devise a plan for the future!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Chenjing suddenly spoke:
"May I ask, senior brother, are there any precedents of underworld tax collectors being killed in the city?"
"Yes, there are," Daoist Mingjun said after a moment of silence, "but those who take action are mostly powerful and terrifying demonic giants. They pay their blood taxes on time and in full, and the Underworld is unwilling to start a war, so they compromise. But we, the righteous path, are different..."
"What's the difference?" Fang Chen asked calmly. "Is it because my Zhengyang Path is... lowly and easy to bully?"
"Junior Brother!" Daoist Mingjun's face showed displeasure as he rebuked, "This city, though named Dao City, is in reality a den of demons. The evil path is powerful, and all sorts of wicked people run rampant. We, the righteous path, can only lie low, not because we are afraid of war!"
He counted on his fingers:
"Those who openly oppose our path include the lowest of the low, the evil Beggar Clan [Beast-Making Sect]; the middle of the low, the fallen artisans [Yin Bone Workshop]; and the highest of the low, the heretical sorcerers [Soul-Capturing Sect], not to mention the various demons lurking in the shadows. If we continue to act aggressively and invite a siege from these demons, our path will surely be in danger of collapse!"
"What you say, Senior Brother, is merely the power and influence of others." Fang Chen stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall. "I only ask one question: For the past three years, we have yielded step by step, even offering money to various demons and monsters. Have we gained even the slightest peace in return?"
"Today the tax collectors demanded extra money, and we tolerated it. Tomorrow, if they demand the souls of our disciples to pay taxes, will we give them or not? The day after tomorrow, these evil cultivators want to offer sacrifices to thousands of villagers outside the city, will we offer them or not?!"
His voice turned piercing:
"We retreated again and again, until we were driven to a dead end. The reason they dared to press on relentlessly was because we showed weakness at every turn, making them think they could slaughter us at will!"
"Of those 150,000 units of blood tax, how much was paid, and how much was taken? We swallowed our anger, but did it bring us even the slightest restraint? They only became more brazen, to the point that even a mere tax collector dared to come and gnaw at our door!"
Daoist Mingjun's expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice:
"I am not unaware of this, but there are thousands of ordinary people and farmers outside the city who depend on my path for survival. Once war breaks out, they will surely become the first blood sacrifices. Moreover, there are still many disciples and followers within my path. My concerns are not for myself!"
"It is precisely because we must protect them that we must draw our swords!" Fang Chen stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently. "Senior brother, we offer sacrifices to demons from all sides every year, but have we ever received even the slightest bit of pity from the evil sects? No! All we've received in return is the claim that the righteous path is easy to bully! Even a mere tax collector from the underworld dares to come knocking on our door!"
His eyes held a cold light, and his voice was piercing:
"Senior brother, don't think that talking about morality and making compromises will bring peace. I only see them taking an inch and wanting a mile! Talking about tolerance and morality with demons and heretics will only make them see you as fish on a chopping block, eager to devour you!"
"If a tax collector succeeds in extorting money today, he will follow suit tomorrow, and it will become the norm the day after. Only by wielding a three-foot sword, cutting down evil spirits, and terrifying them, can we gain a chance to catch our breath. As the saying goes... 'A single punch can prevent a hundred more!'"
The elder in charge said urgently:
"But if we respond forcefully, we risk being attacked by a horde of demons..."
"A horde of demons?" Fang Chen scoffed. "A bunch of rabble, each with their own ulterior motives. If they could unite, why would they be fighting amongst themselves? Even when the righteous sects joined forces in the past, there were still disagreements. How much more so for these profit-driven monsters?"
"The blood tax is as high as a mountain; who isn't cutting off their own flesh to survive? If they really dare to unite and attack, I'd like to see who dares to step forward first! Whoever dares to show their face will be dealt a heavy blow, their claws and teeth splattered with blood!"
"At that time, his strength will be greatly reduced, and he might pay half a cent less in blood tax? Impossible! I'd like to see how many families will be buried with him after the blood tax is levied!"
Mingjun stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly said:
"If the underworld pursues this matter..."
"The Underworld?" Fang Chen said coldly. "Does Senior Brother really think that the ghosts and gods of the Underworld would go to great lengths for a dead ghost? As long as the monthly tribute is paid without fail and the bottom line is not crossed, when has it ever started a war?"
"On the contrary, if we allow them to extort us and show weakness, then today's tax collectors, tomorrow's heretics, and the day after tomorrow's demons... will all see our path as easy prey and swarm to devour it. At that time, we will still have to pay blood taxes, and the humiliation will only increase. That would truly be a path to death!"
Master Mingjun's hands trembled slightly, as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.
Fang Chen shouted loudly:
"Senior brother! To preach the highest good and non-contention to fellow practitioners is cultivation. To speak of forbearance and seeking peace with demons is suicide! Demons fear power, not virtue; evil cultivators fear strength, not goodness! Only by killing them until they tremble in fear can we break this deadlock!"
Mingjun sat motionless in his chair, his expression changing several times before finally letting out a long sigh:
"What you say... is not without merit. However, this matter concerns the survival of the entire sect, and we must consider it carefully."
Fang Chen stood solemnly, then suddenly shouted in a sharp voice that shook the entire hall:
"Senior brother, how can you still not understand?!"
"In the past, our Taoist laws and regulations swept away the evil influences of the Six Heavens and all kinds of demons and monsters, upheld the laws of heaven and earth, and educated all living beings. We relied on more than just morality—"
"And it's not just about morality!"