As these words were spoken, the crying of the women paused for a moment. It took a while for the village chief to muster his words before he said gloomily, "They... they pay tribute to Chiming City two hundred miles away to exchange for protection. Chiming City placed an immortal's Token in their village, which also ensures their safety. But, but the taxes demanded by Chiming City are very heavy, taking up forty percent of our harvest each year. Xinghuang Village is just a small village; we can't afford it!"
Tu Jin shrugged his shoulders and said, "If others can bear it, why can't you? Now you even have this great lake nearby with such rich fishing grounds. You can choose either to rely on Chiming City or perish, it's up to you."
This choice was virtually no choice at all. Just as the old village chief's face was clouded with frustration, Raji's mother approached timidly and knelt before Ning Xiaoxian, saying, "My daughter has something to say to the superior immortal."
