...
"How could a small vendor dare to resist the tax collector? To pay off his debt, he had no choice but to borrow from the nobility at usurious rates, using his fertile land as collateral, hoping to repay the loan after the next harvest."
When Ye Tian reached this part of the story, Xiao Wu covered her face, as if she already knew how it would end.
She raised her head and said, "Then, when the next autumn harvest came, the tax collector showed up again with more miscellaneous taxes, right?"
"The vendor would never be able to pay all the taxes."
"But within a few years, all his land would end up in the hands of the nobility."
"Exactly." Ye Tian smiled faintly and reached out to touch Xiao Wu's rabbit ears.
But his hand froze mid-air and then withdrew.
He chuckled awkwardly and said, "Seems like Sister Xiao Wu is quite clever after all."
"Of course!" Xiao Wu placed her hands on her hips, tilted her head, and looked down at Ye Tian with pride. "Who do you think I am? Sister Xiao Wu!"
"But how can you prove the story you told isn't made up?" Xiao Wu suddenly grew serious.
She admitted that she rarely paid attention to anything outside of cultivation.
But Ye Tian probably didn't know much more than she did.
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Ye Tian's face.
"Recently, I went through the tax records of the Heaven Dou Empire over the past twenty years."
"Although the total tax revenue hasn't increased significantly, the tax rate has risen year after year."
"How is that possible?" Xiao Wu was stunned. "If the tax rate increased, how could the total tax revenue not grow?"
"The nobility don't pay taxes," Ye Tian said earnestly.
"Just like the vendor's land—once it falls into the hands of the nobility, it no longer generates tax revenue."
"At the same time, the vendor loses his livelihood and is forced to take desperate measures."
For a moment, Xiao Wu fell silent.
"Is this… a common occurrence?" she asked, looking up.
"Yes."
Xiao Wu fell silent again.
The commoners were undoubtedly the largest class in the empire.
Over ninety percent of the empire's tax revenue came from them.
And yet, they were being pushed to the brink of survival.
Meanwhile, the nobility wasted resources pursuing things like the Immortal Spirit Fruit, which harmed both others and themselves.
What a twisted world.
Xiao Wu's ears drooped as she stared blankly at Ye Tian.
"So… is this why you want to cooperate with… the Spirit Hall?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
That name carried eternal pain in her heart—a pain that could never be undone.
She sincerely hoped that her good friend had no connection whatsoever to that organization.
But she was only deceiving herself.
The truth was right before her eyes.
Xiao Wu took a deep breath.
How ironic. Facing this reality truly required courage.
"You could say that."
Ye Tian didn't deny it, his voice quieter than usual.
Facing Xiao Wu, he also lacked confidence.
"But it will bring war," Xiao Wu said, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Tian's.
"War is inevitable. The only question is whether it's a long agony or a short one."
After a brief silence, Ye Tian straightened up and met Xiao Wu's gaze.
Xiao Wu smiled. She reached out and took Ye Tian's hand, her soft palm pressing against his as their fingers intertwined.
"Your hand… is so much bigger than mine."
She studied their hands intently.
"But yours is softer," Ye Tian replied with a faint smile.
"Perhaps… our friendship can only go this far…" Xiao Wu's voice was filled with sorrow, her eyes reddening.
"But at least we were once friends," Ye Tian said lightly.
"Ye Tian!" Xiao Wu suddenly hugged him, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry… I'm really sorry. After today, I can't be your friend anymore."
A long moment passed before Xiao Wu regained control of her emotions. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, not daring to look directly at Ye Tian.
"If we ever meet on the battlefield… I'll let you go once. But only once."
"Then I'll let you go twice," Ye Tian replied with a gentle smile.
At this moment, his heart was pounding violently.
But he forced himself to remain composed.
He knew that Xiao Wu had mustered great courage just to come and bid him farewell.
"You… have ideals. And I hope you can achieve them."
Xiao Wu held Ye Tian's hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
Just then— A figure in a flowing dress, Bo Saixi, suddenly leaped out.
"Watch out!"
In an instant, she grabbed Ye Tian and pulled him aside.
A mere second later—Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three spears pierced through the embankment right where Ye Tian had been standing.
Seeing this, Ye Tian's heart pounded with lingering fear.
Had Bo Saixi been even a fraction of a second slower, he would have been done for!
"Tsk tsk tsk, what a shame."
A mocking voice rang out.
Bo Saixi and Ye Tian looked up simultaneously and saw a middle-aged man covered in scales emerging from the river.
"I am the Golden Spearfish Douluo, Toma! I've been paid to take a life. Hand over Ye Tian, and I'll spare you the trouble!"
Toma grinned slyly as he stared at Bo Saixi.
As soon as Toma appeared, four more figures materialized around Bo Saixi.
All of them were Spirit Douluo-level experts, their faces concealed.
After scanning the area, Bo Saixi curled her lips into a faint smile and finally turned her gaze to Xiao Wu.
"Ye Tian, it seems you misjudged someone after all."
Her voice was soft.
But the impact was devastating.
"No! That's not true!" Xiao Wu's expression went blank before she erupted in a furious roar. "I had nothing to do with this!"
"I didn't know someone would try to assassinate Ye Tian!"
"At this point, you still want to deny it?"
"Other than you, who else knew we'd be here?" Bo Saixi said coolly.
Xiao Wu fell silent.
Though she wasn't involved, she had already heard rumors from Ning Fengzhi.
If Ye Tian refused to change his ways, they would move to assassinate him.
But Xiao Wu never expected the attempt to come so soon—and right after she had bid Ye Tian farewell.
This left her with mixed emotions.
Even though she had decided to cut ties with Ye Tian, she didn't want him to misunderstand.
She wasn't that kind of scheming, deceitful girl!
"Toma, what the hell are you doing?!"
At that moment, three more figures appeared on the distant riverbank.
It was Dai Mubai and his group.
Dai Mubai glared furiously at the Golden Spearfish Douluo, Toma. "If anything happens to Xiao Wu, you'll pay for it!"
Toma, however, looked indifferent. "My mission is to kill Ye Tian, not protect the girl beside him."
"If she dies by accident, that's her own fault."
"Let me remind you—while your status may be noble, you didn't pay me."
"So why should I listen to you?"
By the end, Toma's expression was practically mocking.
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth. He knew now wasn't the time to argue with Toma.
He waved at Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, come over here! Ye Tian has brought this upon himself! Don't let yourself get caught in the crossfire!"
Seeing Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong, and the others, Xiao Wu had already pieced together what had happened.
They must have been tailing her the whole time she went to meet Ye Tian.
That was how they had managed to ambush him so easily.
With this realization, Xiao Wu calmly looked at Dai Mubai.
"Today, Ye Tian is still my friend."
"When a friend is in trouble, I have to help."
With that, Xiao Wu activated her Spirit Avatar.
Slowly, she stepped in front of Ye Tian.
Watching this, Bo Saixi smiled and said to Ye Tian, "It seems you really didn't misjudge this friend of yours."
"Of course not." Ye Tian chuckled, then added, "Lady Bo Saixi, no need to hold back now. Otherwise, this will turn into a real fight."
Hearing this, Bo Saixi's smile widened.
"I was actually thinking of sparring with them for a bit."
"But that might put Xiao Wu in a difficult position."
"After all, the people on the other side are also her friends."
"Since Xiao Wu has chosen to help you…"
"I can't let her face an impossible choice."
Bo Saixi's body gradually radiated a dazzling battle intent.
Her cold gaze swept over the river as she smirked. "So it's a sea spirit master."
Toma was taken aback, then sneered. "That's right! In the water, my combat power increases by twenty percent!"
"If you know what's good for you, scram! Otherwise, I'll kill you too!"
"Such arrogance. Do you even know who I am?" Bo Saixi was almost amused by Toma's audacity.
No one had ever dared to speak to her like this.
"I don't care who you are! If you stand in the way of my payday, you're dead!"
"Fifth Spirit Skill—Sacred Spear Throw!"
Golden light erupted from Toma's body as sharp, glowing spikes sprouted from his back.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The spikes shot toward Bo Saixi like projectiles.
"Sea God's Radiance!"
Bo Saixi stood motionless, merely waving her hand.
Crackle!
A piercing sound filled the air, causing the river water to tremble violently.
Boom!
A deep, muffled explosion echoed across both banks of the Douluo River.
The spears Toma had thrown disintegrated into nothingness.
"G-gone?!" Toma stared in disbelief.
"She neutralized a Titled Douluo's spirit skill!" Dai Mubai's pupils constricted in shock.
"I've only ever seen such overwhelming pressure from Grandpa Sword before," Ning Rongrong murmured.
"Could the woman beside Ye Tian be… a Super Douluo?" Zhu Zhuqing's expression was grave.
"Very likely!" Dai Mubai's eyelids twitched. "Ye Tian's background isn't as simple as it seems on the surface!"
"We've walked into a trap! Let's go!"
Without hesitation, Dai Mubai turned and fled, dragging Zhu Zhuqing with him.
Ning Rongrong, still standing there, seemed momentarily stunned.
Then, biting her lip, she hurried after them.
"Who… who are you?! How do you know the Sea God's Radiance?!" Toma panicked in the river.
He tried to activate a spirit skill to escape, only to find the space around him frozen solid.
"Bo Saixi."
"What?! You're Bo Saixi?!" Toma was utterly horrified.
As a sea spirit master and a Titled Douluo, how could he not know the name Bo Saixi?
She was like a deity among sea spirit masters—a being of unimaginable power!
No sea spirit master dared to compare themselves to her!
"Bo Saixi—no, Your Excellency! For the sake of us both being sea spirit masters, spare me!"
"I, Toma, swear I'll never set foot on the mainland again!"
Toma's face turned deathly pale as he begged for mercy.
In front of Bo Saixi, he couldn't muster even a shred of fighting spirit.
"Spare you?" Bo Saixi's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Perhaps in the past, I would have considered it."
"But now, you must pay for your actions."
"Sea God's… Judgment!"
Boom!
A phantom trident tore through the void, descending with thunderous force.
It struck Toma head-on.
"No! No! Your Excellency, spare me!"
Toma's eyes turned bloodshot, his entire body trembling in terror.
But Bo Saixi's expression remained cold and indifferent.
She didn't even acknowledge him.
Boom!
A deafening explosion sent a hundred-meter-high wave crashing across the river.
When the waters finally calmed, not even a trace of Toma remained.
Not far away, the Spirit Douluo assassins who had been preparing to ambush Bo Saixi immediately scattered like frightened birds.
They fled in all directions without hesitation.
Ye Tian clicked his tongue. "Professional assassins, indeed. Even a Titled Douluo couldn't retreat that fast."
"Should I go after them?" Bo Saixi blinked and asked.
"No need to trouble yourself, Lady Bo Saixi." Ye Tian waved his hand. "Even without chasing them, I know which factions sent them."
"What did you call me?" Bo Saixi glared at him.
"Sis…" Ye Tian quickly corrected himself.
"That's better." Bo Saixi nodded in satisfaction.
Beside them, Xiao Wu was momentarily stunned by their exchange.
Their relationship had progressed so quickly.
It seemed Ye Tian truly didn't lack for friends like her.
In a way, this realization put her heart at ease.
Deactivating her Spirit Avatar, she composed herself and stepped forward, looking at Ye Tian.
"Until we meet again, Ye Tian."
Without another word, she turned and walked away, her figure lonely.
"Goodbye." Though Ye Tian felt a pang of melancholy, he knew letting Xiao Wu leave was the best way to ease her pain.
"I need to speed up the plan to resurrect Xiao Wu's mother," Ye Tian muttered to himself.
Otherwise, he might really end up facing her on the battlefield.
And that would be the hardest choice of all.
"Let's head back too." Ye Tian gestured to Bo Saixi.
With Xiao Wu gone and the assassination attempt fresh in his mind, he had no interest in wandering the streets any longer.
Returning to Shrek Academy wasn't an option either—who knew if another attack awaited him there?
After some thought, Ye Tian decided the imperial palace would be the safest place for now.
At most, he only had a week left in Heaven Dou City anyway.
Hiding in the palace for a week shouldn't be too hard.
With this in mind, he whispered to Bo Saixi, "Let's take a detour and head straight to the palace."
"Alright." Though Bo Saixi didn't fully understand his reasoning, she agreed without question.
(End of Chapter)