The day after returning from the Mountain Market Town, the Village Head, Elder Zheng, walked from one end of the village to the other, beating a gong. "The tax official from the city yamen will arrive tomorrow to collect the Summer Tax! Everyone stay home, prepare your silver, register your names, pay the tax, and don't be late!"
After the announcement, the villagers mostly stayed home. It was the most united the village had been.
Su Yan heard the news and also decided not to go mountain-trekking. He absorbed the thread of Bug Essence generated by the Dark Water Centipede and then performed the Golden Ape Stance Skill in his courtyard.
Ordinarily, Su Yan's rapid success in hunting and trekking would have made him a target of intense scrutiny. But now, no one dared to bother him; instead, there was a sense of fear. The image of the young man carrying the tiger through the market was not just awe-inspiring—it was a display of power. He had made such a public display not only to quickly sell the tiger meat but also to establish his authority. He wanted to let the people in the surrounding villages know that Su Yan was not to be provoked. As a result, his reputation had spread, and no one dared to disturb him.
The Golden Ape Stance Skill rose and fell with his body, integrating the thread of Bug Essence into his skin and muscle.
His breathing was long, deep into his lungs, driving the blood energy in his body to surge like a great tide.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, his mind clear, as if the Stance Skill had fused with his very bones. He took a single step, leaving a small depression in the ground, and his body shifted, moving like an ape. He performed a full set of the Ape Fist—all eight variations—the movements fluid, his blood energy surging, and his skin turning completely red.
Yet, even while performing these actions, five or six tenths of his Stance Skill's power remained active within him, continuously tempering his blood energy.
Su Yan practiced tirelessly. From late morning until noon, the scorching sun beat down like a furnace. Sweat soaked his short shirt, which clung to his body, revealing his sharply defined muscles.
'Ordinary people have to wait for a spark of inspiration, and they can't afford mistakes. But I am different.'
Su Yan relentlessly threw punches. In his consciousness, the eight forms of the Ape Fist cycled like a carousel, continuously changing and gradually merging with the Golden Ape Stance Skill.
'Right is right, wrong is wrong. Every move, every variation, I can see clearly. It's an inspection more meticulous than any famous master could give. Because of this, the Stance Skill can achieve Great Accomplishment!'
He threw a heavy punch. His spine and arm bones rang in unison, and the power was three parts greater than usual. The seamless fusion of the Stance Skill and the Fist Art actually enhanced the power of the technique.
[Golden Ape Stance Skill: 41/200 (Minor Accomplishment) ] [Ape Fist: 12/200 (Minor Accomplishment) ]
Su Yan regulated his breathing and went inside to drink the brewed ginseng soup, supplying his body with more energy. Martial arts training requires balance. One must not only give the tempered body time to rest and recover but, more importantly, replenish its energy reserves. Since Su Yan wanted to progress quickly, he had to focus on replenishment. Bug Essence, precious herbs, and Desolate Beast meat supplied the necessary energy, allowing him to continuously train and increase his strength.
After resting in the afternoon, he practiced the Stance Skill again, but this time, instead of punching, he practiced walking—moving like a normal person, acting as usual. This form of training was much harder. The Stance Skill broke several times, forcing him to repeatedly find the feeling again.
After finishing his Stance Skill practice, he found an open space in the village and practiced archery until the moon rose before finally resting. After the stunt of carrying the tiger through the market, his reputation as a martial artist had spread, and he no longer needed to hide his archery practice.
The next day, the Village Head, Elder Zheng, gathered all the households in the village at the communal threshing ground early in the morning. He first took a head count, then had everyone wait. After waiting for about an hour after sunrise, a commotion was heard from outside the village.
Elder Zheng smiled apologetically and ushered in a group of people, bending his already hunched back even further. "Tax Official, all the households in Cloud-Front Village are waiting at the threshing ground."
"Very good. Your Cloud-Front Village is thankfully not a mess." The Tax Official, Fang Xueyun, was a pale-faced, bearded middle-aged man in a dark blue gown, about forty years old. He was accompanied by two junior clerks, each carrying registers, and seven or eight laborers. Beside them were three or four yamen runners in dark blue uniforms, each carrying a broadsword at their waist. The leader was the Chief Constable, Xu Guan, a tall, muscular man with eyes like a hawk and prominently bulging temples—clearly a trained martial artist.
"Chief Constable Xu, I rely on you to maintain order here." Fang Xueyun cupped his hands respectfully to Xu Guan. Although they held equal rank in the yamen, martial artists were respected more, and the Chief Constable's position held real power.
"Don't worry, Tax Official Fang."
As everyone settled, Xu Guan's gaze swept over the people of Cloud-Front Village, lingering briefly on Su Yan.
The Village Head, Elder Zheng, then stepped forward: "The Tax Official and the Chief Constable are here. Please be quiet. When your name is called, step forward to pay your silver. The Summer Tax is eight qian, plus two qian for handling fees, totaling one tael of silver per person. Children under ten are exempt."
The Dali Dynasty collected head tax twice a year, summer and winter, with fewer miscellaneous taxes. This wasn't due to the court's mercy, but because martial artists, local magnates, and sects governed their own territories. With so many layers of exploitation taking a share, if the Dynasty collected all the tax, the common people would be completely drained. This is why the tax was split, leading to additional fees like the Mountain Fee and Water Fee, distributed to local powers. Some magnate sects could even control the affairs of an entire prefecture, beyond the court's interference. This was the reality of a world governed by martial might.
The junior clerk beside Fang Xueyun stepped forward, his expression blank: "Step forward when your name is called to pay. If you haven't prepared silver, you may substitute grain."
"Zheng Daqing."
The Village Head stepped forward and paid the silver. His family, including his son, accounted for two heads. The clerk weighed the silver, checked its quality, put it in the box, and marked the register. The clerk called names one after another, and the villagers came forward to pay their taxes. Xie Yuzhu also lined up and paid his tax. His son, Xie Bao, was a boy of nine, still exempt from the head tax, which was fortunate.
"Su Dahe, Su Yan."
"Sir, Su Dahe unfortunately fell off a cliff a few months ago." The Village Head changed his expression slightly and quietly informed the clerk of the situation.
The clerk looked up, nodded, and crossed out Su Dahe's name. A death in the mountains was normal. He figured the Village Head wouldn't lie to aid someone's feigned death, which was a serious crime.
Someone secretly watched Su Yan's reaction, but he looked normal. He stepped forward, preparing to put his tax silver into the box.
Suddenly, a large hand blocked him: "Not so fast, young man. I heard you carried a tiger through the market the other day and beat it to death with your bare hands?"
Xu Guan's eyes were filled with curiosity. Su Yan met his gaze and nodded: "I was fortunate enough to kill it. Does Chief Constable Xu have any instructions?"
"Under the Dali Law, martial artists are exempt from the head tax. If you have reached Minor Accomplishment in Skin Refining, you are counted as a martial artist. Have you or have you not?" Xu Guan's eyes were full of curiosity. Su Yan's eyes flashed with surprise.
'What is Xu Guan's intention? It's best not to avoid him. I wasn't involved in the Niu Han incident, so I have nothing to fear. Let's see what he wants.'