HCB Chapter 111 Animal Tax
Chapter 111 Animal Tax
"Drive! Drive! Drive!"
On the official road, a young man dressed in black, holding the reins in one hand, rode off into the distance. A cart was attached to the back of the horse, with a large coffin tightly strapped to it.
His resolute face was as still as a dead lake, and his eyes, sharp as a tiger's or a wolf's, gleamed with a cold light. One of his sleeves hung empty, fluttering in the wind like a flag.
The young man rode his horse straight to a grand and ancient mansion, stopped, tossed the reins to the servant at the door, and strode inside.
It took the person at the door a while to react before stumbling in to report, "The Third Young Master is here! The Third Young Master is back!"
The steward hurriedly rolled up to bow to Officer Li, "Third Young Master, why didn't you inform me in advance? This old servant could have made preparations."
Officer Li's eyes were full of impatience. "What? Do I need to greet you before I get home?"
"No, no, I wouldn't dare." The old steward's forehead was covered in fine sweat. An ordinary person was suffocating under the killing intent of a fourth-level martial artist.
Who has offended this plague god this time? Will he kill me to vent his anger? The steward muttered to himself, his legs trembling like leaves. In his fear, he didn't even notice that Officer Li's sleeve was empty.
"Who's in charge of the family now? Is it still my second uncle? Take me to see him."
The old steward hurriedly replied, "Second Master is unwell, so Fifth Miss is currently acting as the head of the family."
"Oh, is this Wanmei...?"
Before Officer Li could finish his sentence, a steward rushed over and said, "Third Young Master, the Ancestor requests your presence at his residence."
A smile finally appeared on Officer Li's face. "It's best that Great-Grandpa is awake, so I don't have to go through all that trouble to report to him. Lead the way."
In a quiet courtyard deep within the Li family mansion.
The old man, dressed in a pure white burial robe, sat down in the courtyard with Constable Li.
Officer Li frowned. He wasn't a pedantic person, but seeing a living person dressed in funeral clothes always made him uncomfortable. "Li Hao greets the Ancestor. How are you, Ancestor?"
Li Youtian, the patriarch of the Li family, couldn't stop smiling when he saw Li Hao. "Good, good, good! Hao'er is back to see me, how could it be bad?"
Li Hao also said directly, "Ancestor, I'm not trying to be nosy, but your body is much stronger than that of an ordinary person. There's really no need to be in such a hurry."
If anyone else had said that, Li Youtian would have been furious on the spot, but he didn't care at all when Li Hao said it, and patiently replied, "Oh, Hao'er, I can't compare to you young people. I might have to go at any time. This way, I won't have to change clothes later."
Li Youtian pulled Li Hao to sit down, and two delicate little maids came up to pour water for them.
Only then did Li Youtian notice Li Hao's severed arm, his face showing heartache as if his heart was bleeding. "Hao'er, what happened? Who was so bold as to hurt you? Should your ancestor help you reattach it? What kind do you like?"
Li Hao shook his head. "Ancestor, you know I don't like animals, they smell too bad. I plan to go to Sanjiang Prefecture to find the Mo Clan."
"Oh, you're making a trap?" Li Youtian said with some dissatisfaction. "How can a trap be as comfortable as a real meal? Oh well, whatever you like. Tell me what happened. Your great-grandfather may be old, but I can still help you get revenge."
Li Hao recounted the deeds of Liu Feng, the madman who went by the alias Chen Wu, from his own perspective. Afterward, he pulled a portrait from his pocket, saying, "If the Ancestor were to see this man..."
"The old man understands. If you capture this man alive, it will be considered your achievement. When you get back, you can torture him again and let my good grandson vent his anger."
The poster Li Hao held wasn't Lin Fan's wanted poster with the ghost face, but a portrait of "Chen Wu" drawn from his memory. The county magistrate, feeling that it was dishonorable for Registrar Jia to have Lin Fan impersonate an official, hadn't used this portrait of "Chen Wu." But Li Hao could have someone draw it himself.
The painting vividly depicts a thin, sinister figure.
Li Hao stared at the wanted poster for a while, then squeezed the paper tightly and shook his head. "No, Ancestor, this person is insidious and ruthless, full of tricks. If we encounter him, we should kill him and not leave any hidden dangers."
Li Youtian nodded and said, "Good, good, good, the old man knows what he's doing."
Li Hao continued, "It's not necessarily a coincidence that he'll pass through our Xintai County. The government has already issued a warrant for his arrest, so he probably won't dare to enter the city. If he wants to escape, he'll likely blend into a merchant caravan. I'd appreciate it if you could secretly search the passing caravans and carriages, Ancestor."
Li Hao didn't expect much; after all, Liu Feng had many options if he wanted to escape, and the caravan wouldn't need to trade in Xintai County.
Li Youtian looked appreciative. "Hao'er has made great progress as a constable these past few years. His skills in catching criminals have improved a lot."
"After this area, we'll reach Xintai County." Doctor Lei, munching on a sesame seed cake, told Lin Fan the news he'd heard from the caravan. "We've finally left Baishi County. Things have been relatively calm lately, so it seems there won't be any more trouble. We should arrive tomorrow. The caravan said they're going to Xintai County to trade goods, so we won't go in."
Lin Fan stroked Xiao Yi's head and replied casually, "Okay." This mechanical beast had been repaired by Chen Ergou, and it looked like it had been patched up. The colors on its body were patched up, and the broken leg also showed obvious signs of repair. However, it was fine as long as it could move without any problems.
These past few days have been a rare period of peace since I transmigrated. I really hope it can stay this way forever.
"Sigh, living in this carriage every day is making me sick," Chen Ergou interjected, turning back from the front.
Lin Fan said coldly, "Then keep holding it in. If you get sick, the doctor will see you."
"I'm not a psychiatrist..."
Chen Ergou didn't complain anymore. "Alright, you're the eldest brother, I'll listen to you."
Suddenly, the carriage in front gave a signal, and red flags were raised, indicating that the entire convoy needed to stop. Chen Ergou skillfully called for the carriage to stop and also raised a red flag to remind the carriages behind.
Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Lin Fan had already donned a cloak of concealment and jumped off. "I'll go take a look."
“My brother is still so nervous. I think he is the one who most needs to see a psychiatrist.”
"Doctor, what is psychiatry?"
"If it's none of your business, then don't ask."
Lin Fan could see from afar that it was a carriage stopped by several people dressed in black.
It was strange; they weren't government officials, nor did they seem to be bandits. However, the caravan manager clearly recognized them, as he stepped forward, bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, and greeted the esteemed masters of the Li family.
Those dressed like guards were all looking at him with their chins down.
The shopkeeper was very amiable and continued, "I know the rules."
As he spoke, he took two packages, one large and one small, from his subordinates behind him and handed them over, saying, "This is the merchant tax, and this is for you gentlemen to have some tea."
The Li family members took the items without ceremony, their expressions softening slightly. "It's good that you know the rules; it saves us the trouble of explaining. However..."
Upon hearing the last two words, the shopkeeper visibly trembled, almost losing his respectful demeanor. He forced himself to remain calm and asked, "Does the master have any further instructions?"
“Recently, harmful beasts have been harassing the people of this county, and we need to hire hunters to clear them out. Although you are just merchants passing through, these beasts will also endanger your goods, therefore…”
The Li family paused, and the shopkeeper, with a bitter face, volunteered, "We voluntarily pay a pest control tax."
The Li family members nodded in satisfaction and held up two fingers.
The shopkeeper was clearly frightened and struggled to say, "I don't know if this pest control tax is paid to the county government, or..."
The Li family members were somewhat displeased. They touched the hilt of their swords, bowed to the sky, and said, "The imperial court has already allocated silver to allow thousands of households to abandon their land and temporarily avoid the harm in order to rid the area of this pest. Now is a time for unity between the people and the government, so how can we stand idly by? This matter of eliminating the pest is something our Li family has been selflessly assisting the county government in venturing deep into the mountains and forests to eliminate the harm. We are not taking you for nothing. We will send people to protect you when you park your carriage in the mountains."
The shopkeeper wanted to ask what right the Li family had to collect this pest control tax, but the previous merchant tax was the same. The Li family claimed to be collecting it on behalf of the county government, but the county government said there was no such tax.
The shopkeeper had no choice but to agree with a bitter face. After paying the money, two members of the Li family came out and jumped into the first carriage without saying a word. "We won't take you for nothing. Our people will accompany and protect you until you leave the territory of Xintai County."
The shopkeeper's chest heaved. They had already hired bodyguards, so they didn't need these gentlemen to protect them. But he still had to put on a smile and express his gratitude.
Lin Fan slowly retreated. The Li family was clearly a local tyrant, and he hoped he wouldn't offend them.
"I estimate we'll arrive in Xintai County by tomorrow evening."
Dr. Lei lay in the carriage and spoke to everyone.
They slept huddled together in the carriage at night. Niu Dadan and Sun Ruolan, being a married couple, slept together, separated by some cargo. Lin Fan and the other two squeezed in together, with Lin Fan in the seat closest to the couple, while Doctor Lei took a well-ventilated spot on the outside.
Not long after I lay down, I heard the voices of the young couple next door.
"Oh, you really want to...?"
"Yes, I've thought about it for days, and I do want..."
Lin Fan rolled over; he was used to it. The only inconvenience was having a couple in the car.
Surprisingly, they started talking about serious business before getting down to business today.
“I can forget about the others, but I want to go back and see my third sister.” That was Sun Ruolan’s voice. “So I plan to go home and see her; it might be the last chance for us to meet.”
Niu Dadan's sullen voice rang out, "Go if you want, but be careful. I've already sworn never to come home again."
“But, Ah Dan, that’s your home after all.”
“It’s not like that anymore. Look, I’ve even taken the surname Niu now. Now, the place where you and the children are is my home.”
“Adan…”
"Ruolan..."
Before long, they returned to their usual pace. They were clearly very restrained, but the carriage's shock absorption and sound insulation were completely inadequate.
Lin Fan never exposed the matter, after all, they were such a loving couple, he could just tolerate it.
Lin Fan closed his eyes and pretended to snore, matching Dr. Lei's snoring. In his experience, this made the two people next door more relaxed.
Lin Fan suddenly felt something above his head. He opened one eye and peeked out. Chen Ergou had secretly moved closer and pressed his face against the goods, trying to hear what was happening over there.
Lin Fan slept in this position specifically to guard against this guy!
Dr. Lei fell asleep so quickly and so soundly that even if Chen Ergou stood on his face to peek, he wouldn't wake up.
Lin Fan reached out and grabbed his collar, pulling him back.
Chen Ergou looked pitiful, as if to say, "Brother, I really can't hold it in anymore, just let me hear a sound!"
Lin Fan slowly shook his head, resolutely refusing him.
Chen Ergou was going all out today, desperately trying to get closer to Lin Fan, who was holding him tightly with one hand.
The two were in sync; Chen Ergou didn't want to disturb them and miss his turn to listen. Lin Fan also didn't want to make a noise and bother them. And so, they remained at an impasse.
That won't do. Lin Fan really wanted to slap this guy so hard he'd spin like a top, but he couldn't.
Is there any way to calm him down quietly?
Lin Fan secretly took out the Soul-Suppressing Pearl with his other hand, held it in his palm, and gently stroked Chen Ergou's exposed skin with this hand.
Just like when I closed Er Gou's eyes back then.
A large amount of pinkish gas-like substance was drawn out of Chen Ergou's body by the Soul-Suppressing Pearl. The Soul-Suppressing Pearl seemed to have eaten something unclean and trembled unwillingly.
Chen Ergou's eyelids rolled back, and he collapsed. The fall was so sudden that the things he was carrying rolled out of his arms.
This startled Lin Fan, who quickly helped Chen Ergou up and gently placed him on the wooden board. Fortunately, the two people next door were too engrossed to hear the slight noise from this side.
Lin Fan took a closer look at Chen Ergou. Amidst the man's heavy breathing and the woman's suppressed moans, Chen Ergou was sleeping soundly.
Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he was tired from driving all day and was only kept going by lust. He fell asleep as soon as the lust was gone.
Some loose silver coins were scattered on the ground. Lin Fan quietly picked them up, intending to put them back into Chen Ergou's arms.
There was an irregular black bead in the middle of the silver, which looked rather strange. As Lin Fan slowly brought the Soul-Suppressing Bead closer, he suddenly felt a suction force.
The Soul-Suppressing Pearl and the irregular black pearl suddenly flew towards each other like two magnets.
Lin Fan reacted quickly, grabbing one in each hand and trying to tear the two things apart, but it was too late. The two merged together, as if the Soul-Suppressing Pearl had absorbed the black object; it still looked like the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, only its color was darker.
Grass!
Lin Fan almost cursed out loud, quickly covering his mouth. The only sounds in the quiet environment were Dr. Lei's snoring and the young couple's suppressed breathing.
What should we do? How did the Soul-Suppressing Pearl consume that?!
The next morning, Chen Ergou frantically searched for his black bead, turning over all the goods and asking everyone he could.
"Where's my bead? You've seen it before, the one I was holding and looking at."
Indeed, Chen Ergou would often chuckle to himself whenever he had free time, and everyone had seen it just yesterday. But by this morning, no one had seen the black bead again.
Chen Ergou even tried to search Sun Ruolan's body, but Niu Dadan pressed two black eyes on him before he stopped.
Lin Fan sat calmly without saying a word. He had been thinking all night but still couldn't figure out how to explain to Chen Ergou that he had eaten Chen Ergou's bead. Who would believe that?
Lin Fan looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle and asked casually, "Er Gou, when is your birthday?"
"Around April, about half a year has passed."
"Well, consider this your birthday celebration. Do you have any wishes?"
"Find my bead!"
"How about we try something else?"
Er Gou asked impatiently, "What?"
"I'll celebrate your birthday and grant you one of your wishes. I can do it."
Er Gou perked up at this, rubbing his hands together as he leaned toward Lin Fan, "Brother Fan, I haven't had 'that' in ages, can you help me find a woman?"
Having spent so much time together, Chen Ergou already knew Lin Fan's real name.
Lin Fan shielded Chen Ergou's face with his hand, nodded as if reaping the bitter fruit of his actions, and said, "Fine, you choose the place, it's on me!"
Chen Ergou excitedly rushed over, "Brother Fan, you're my brother, no, you're my father!"
"Two chapters combined today, not a single update. Happy Qixi Festival to all you handsome guys! Have a great time! Doesn't today's chapter fit the Qixi theme perfectly?"