……

A noise came, Liu Zhibang and Aya turned their heads to look, two soldiers on the sentry post in the distance were blocking the middle of the road, blocking a team of hundreds of people, that team was a horse team, many people were carrying weapons, one of the fat men sat on a fiery red high-headed horse and looked up at the direction of the village, there was a trace of surprise in his eyes, but also a trace of anger. The knights at the front were scolding the two Fire Dancers who were blocking their way.

"What happened?"

Liu Zhibang and Aya walked over to the sentry post and stopped in front of the team.

"I am Liu Zhibang, the patriarch of the Fire Dance Clan, who are you, and what are you doing here in the Fire Dance Clan?" Liu Zhibang frowned and looked at the team in front of him.

"Patriarch! Isn't your patriarch an old man with mountain rage? When did the patriarch change? The flamboyantly dressed fat man in the line asked.

Liu Zhibang looked at the fat man carefully, the fat man also had blue hair, his face was quite white, he had a mustache, but his eyes were black, and his ears were the same as Liu Zhibang's, not as sharp as the Fire Dance Clan.

At this time, the fat man was also looking at Liu Zhibang curiously, Liu Zhibang's hair was black, his eyes were also black, and his ears were round, the fat man looked Liu Zhibang up and down several times with a vigilant face, and said: "You just said that you are the patriarch, could it be that the patriarch of the Fire Dance Clan has changed now, boy, don't kneel down when you see Lord Ben!" ”

Aya pulled Liu Zhibang's sleeve and whispered: "This is Xia Yuancheng's tax collector, called Qi Kun, they are the team sent by Xia Yuancheng to collect taxes......

Liu Zhibang snorted lightly, muttering in his heart that this tax collector has come again less than three months after the last time, and it seems that he is really "taking care" of the Fire Dance Clan, but on the surface, Liu Zhibang had to say: "Ah...... It turned out to be the tax collector, and below was the new Fire Dance patriarch Liu Zhibang, who was injured in his lower legs and feet a few days ago and couldn't kneel, please forgive me...... Adults have worked hard all the way, please come into the village to rest...... Release...... Adult please! Liu Zhibang bent down and made an inviting gesture.

Qi Kun stared at Liu Zhibang with a fierce gaze, but after looking at the people of the entire village, there was quite something unkind in his eyes, and the ferocity of his gaze was slightly restrained, and he snorted and said, "In this way, since it is inconvenient to kneel with legs and feet, let's avoid it, and lead the way!" ”

A procession of hundreds of people marched into the village, and the Fire Dancers stared at this group of people, with anger and fear in their eyes, all of them heavily armed and far better equipped than them.

Liu Zhibang instructed people to prepare a banquet, and after a while, fragrant grilled fish and barbecued meat were served, and the tax collector Qi Kun saw a few grilled fish served, his eyes were full of consternation, and his eyes were a little more vigilant when he saw Liu Zhibang.

Liu Zhibang picked up the bowl and said to Qi Kun: "Lord Qi, you have come from afar, you have worked hard, please taste the Zhuguo wine treasured by our Fire Dance Clan, this is a rare delicacy, hehe......"

Qi Kun took a sip of it and said with a smile: "Good wine, it's really delicious!" Patriarch Liu, you just said that the old patriarch passed away, Ah Nu is my old friend, he died young, hey...... I've been to the Fire Dance Clan a few times, maybe I don't have a good memory, I didn't remember Patriarch Liu, this time I came to the Fire Dance Clan to know Patriarch Liu, I liked it very much at first sight, I really was a young hero, a handsome man among people, haha......"

Liu Zhibang also faked a laugh and said, "Lord Qi is a big man in Xia Yuancheng, it's normal not to know a small person like me, Lord Qi is here, I just have something I want to discuss with you......"

"Oh, if my brother has something to say, just say it, as long as my brother helps, it's all on me......" Qi Kun squinted his small eyes, which were full of distrust.

Liu Zhibang sighed and continued with a sad face: "A few days ago, the Black Mountain Clan invaded the village, the clansmen suffered heavy casualties, many hunters were killed in battle, and the clansmen were dying of hunger. As soon as Lord Qi entered the village, I could see that Lord Qi was a benevolent elder who would never watch hundreds of people of our Fire Dance Clan suffer. Lord Qi, please say a few kind words to our Fire Dance Clan in front of the city lord, and exempt our taxes this time, how about we make up for it next time? ”

As soon as he heard Liu Zhibang finish speaking, Qi Kun immediately lowered his face and said coldly: "Patriarch Liu, what you said is not right, I see that the Fire Dance Clan people are all red, and they don't look hungry at all." Besides, this tax was set by the city lord of Xia Yuan, and no one has the right to change, this busy lord has no choice, if the tax to be paid is less, according to the old rules, replace it with a strong man, this is the order of the city lord, Patriarch Liu will not want to abide by it! ”

Liu Zhibang saw Qi Kun pull down his face, smiled coldly, and said: "Lord Qi, don't say it so much, how can you say that the Fire Dance Clan is also the people of Xia Yuan City Lord, can't you be accommodating?" ”

Qi Kun had a businesslike face, and said: "Patriarch Liu, this is the order of the city lord, and the official is also powerless, ah, I calculate, the fire dance clan will replace the new patriarch, according to the rules, the new patriarch must go to Xia Yuan City to report to the city lord, Patriarch Liu blatantly violated the regulations, according to the law, it should be punished, and it should be added to the original three...... No, it's a fifty percent tax, and the Fire Dance Clan will send twenty people to Xia Yuan City to serve in labor, Patriarch Liu can go and prepare, and tomorrow I will take the goods and people away......"

After hearing this, Aya stood up angrily and said angrily: "Lord Qi, what kind of rules is this, why have I never heard of it, it can't be that Lord Qi came up with it himself!" ”

Qi Kun listened to Aya's words, his small eyes widened, he slapped the table suddenly, and said: "Aya, don't think that the city lord can be unscrupulous if he sees you, the city lord has to marry a yellow flower girl every month, you don't have more than one, and you don't have a lot less." What I, Qi Kun, is talking about, you yellow-haired girl, yelling at me, so bold. From now on, the Fire Dance Clan will pay taxes on the basis of what I just said, and add three percent, if you don't accept it, I will arrest you all and go to Xia Yuan City, the men will be slaves, and the women will be sold to the kiln, so that you can accompany those stinky coolies every day to live happily, I think those stinky coolies will definitely love you very much if they see you, hum! ”

Aya was so angry that her face turned blue and trembled, and she was about to draw a knife, but Liu Zhibang, who had a gloomy face, held her down, said in a calm voice, word by word: "Lord Qi, be a person and do things in moderation, don't overdo it, God is watching!" ”

……