Chapter 119:

What was the name of the current Daqian Emperor?

What did the emperor look like?

Who were the civil and military officials?

For the people of Qingniu Town, these were questions with no answers. Most of them didn’t know, nor did they care to know.

Though they lived in Daqian, though they were human beings, their existence was confined to the borderlands, far removed from the empire’s heart.

For them, the most powerful people they encountered were tax collectors and officials who came to arrest “criminals.”

Life in Qingniu Town was bleak, shrouded in gray, with no glimmers of clarity or hope.

Many residents didn’t even understand why they were sent to the border. Labeled as “criminals,” they had been torn from their homes in the prosperous prefectures of Daqian, exiled to this harsh land at the edge of the empire.

Yet even here, they had to pay taxes.

To them, this was normal.

Generation after generation, they lived on Daqian’s land, believing that paying taxes was their duty, their contribution to the empire’s greatness. They took pride in it, thinking their sacrifices sustained Daqian’s prosperity.

But that pride had worn thin.

The relentless waves of monsters, the ever-increasing taxes—it was too much. The burden broke their backs and crushed their spirits.

At the entrance to Qingniu Town, a small group of townspeople gathered, desperation etched into their faces.

“Sir, please… we truly have nothing left…”

Their voices trembled as they pleaded with the tax collector. Their frail hands, rough and trembling, clasped together as though in prayer.

The tax collector sat atop his green-scaled horse, his figure tall and imposing in the sunlight. He snorted disdainfully and cracked his riding crop against the ground.

Crack!

The sharp sound echoed, scattering gravel and striking fear into the hearts of the people.

“You lowly peasants! The court has already granted you mercy by letting you live! And now you dare beg for leniency?”

He sneered, his words filled with contempt.

“Pigs! Parasites! Worthless thieves of the empire’s resources! You’ll pay your taxes, even if it means starving to death!”

The townspeople flinched at his harsh words, but none dared to refute him. They lowered their heads, begging for mercy in trembling voices.

“But we really have no food…”

“Please, we’ll make up for it next year!”

Hunger gnawed at their insides.

In Qingniu Town, anything remotely edible—grain, livestock, weeds—had long been consumed. How could they conjure food out of thin air to pay their taxes?

The crowd of people, dressed in ragged clothing, huddled together like shadows, their thin faces filled with desperation.

An elderly woman stepped forward, her frail body trembling as she prepared to kneel and plead.

But before her knees could touch the ground, a pair of strong hands caught her.

“Grandma, get up.”

Xu Xi’s voice was gentle, like a spring breeze, comforting to the ears.

But beneath that gentleness burned a flame—a fire that could no longer be suppressed.

“No, child, let me kneel,” the old woman pleaded, shaking her head.

She believed that kneeling and begging was the only way to save Qingniu Town. It was all she knew.

But when she turned her gaze back to the tax collector, her eyes widened in shock.

The once-imposing tax collector, seated high on his horse, was now sprawled on the ground, rolling several times after being struck by Xu Xi’s casual punch.

The tax collector cursed and roared, but the scene fell eerily silent.

“Brother Xu, what have you done?” the old woman whispered, clutching Xu Xi’s hand.

She looked at the fallen tax collector, suddenly realizing he wasn’t so intimidating after all. Without his horse and his arrogance, he seemed no taller than the townsfolk—shorter, even, because of his portly figure.

For the first time, the people saw him for what he was.

They began to question.

Could the tax collector be wrong? Could Daqian itself be wrong?

The thought was terrifying, and they quickly dismissed it.

But as the tax collector’s insults grew louder, doubt crept back into their minds.

“You lawless peasants! Untouchables! I’ll have you all punished!”

Xu Xi’s voice cut through the tension, calm yet resolute.

“Aniu,” he said, addressing a young man in the crowd. “He’s not nobler than you. If he’s making you starve, you have every right to fight back.”

“But… I can’t…” A Niu stammered, his fists clenching and unclenching.

The tax collector sneered.

“Attack me? You untouchable fool! Striking an official is a crime punishable by death! You’d never dare!”

Aniu hesitated, his body trembling with a mix of fear and anger.

Xu Xi stepped forward, placing a steady hand on A Niu’s wrist.

“Are you hungry, A Niu?” Xu Xi asked quietly.

“I… I am,” A Niu admitted, his voice shaking.

“Then what’s stopping you?” Xu Xi pressed, his voice unwavering.

The tax collector’s laughter was sharp and mocking. “Look at you, coward! You wouldn’t dare lift a finger!”

Something inside Aniu snapped.

“I’m hungry!” he shouted, his voice raw with emotion.

He stepped forward, his fists clenched, and swung.

The tax collector’s arrogant laughter was cut short.

For the first time, the people of Qingniu Town saw the possibility of resistance.

They weren’t just untouchables. They were people—human beings who deserved to live.

As Aniu’s blow landed, a murmur spread through the crowd. Slowly, timidly, others began to step forward, their anger simmering beneath years of oppression.

Xu Xi stood silently, his presence a pillar of strength for the townspeople.

At this moment, he had given them something they hadn’t felt in years.

Hope.