Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 802 - 49: Even the Landlord’s House Has No Surplus Grain

Li Yu... This name sounds quite literary, giving the impression of someone well-versed in poetry and painting, with a fondness for calligraphy and art.

It’s not surprising to have a tax officer in Sun Family Town, as there are plenty of officials in the Imperial City.

It’s just that this person doesn’t give Wang Yunxiao a very good impression.

A bit like a human.

To be precise, compared to the local natives, he brings a sense of realism from the Real World.

This feeling is hard to describe in specific terms, just like popular online influencers in modern mobile apps; the unsuspecting onlookers can’t see anything off, but once you’ve used the creator’s background features, you get a clear idea about those beauty filters and such.

Shi Hu is not the leader of the caravan, so this tax officer specifically came to see Wang Yunxiao.

This indicates that not only has the economic system been established here, but also the intelligence system is up and running.

This left Wang Yunxiao increasingly puzzled... When did you all develop like this?

The last time I was here, it wasn’t this exaggerated. How long has it been anyway?

"May I ask, Mr. Li, how should I pay this tax?"

"Oh, please don’t call me ’sir’; I’m just someone doing my job."

Li Yu answered cheerfully, "As for being a tax officer, it’s not much different from begging. Our environment here used to be quite harsh, and we’ve only recently made some progress. If you feel it’s relatively stable living here, perhaps you might donate some resources as a contribution to the community; if not, then forget about it."

"If you decide to donate, I’ll register your contribution, and in the future, when we build a grand temple, a plaque will be erected to commemorate the benevolent contributors’ names and deeds."

Curious, Wang Yunxiao asked, "What kind of grand temple are you building? What Immortal will it honor?"

"It’s a Mountain God Temple, naturally devoted to our local Mountain God."

"Could you tell me about this Mountain God?"

"Haha, it’s normal for guests not to know about our Mountain God. Even we don’t know much ourselves, only that the Mountain God’s name is Chu Jiang, and they protect the local land and water, that’s all."

"You all don’t even know?"

"’A dream of a butterfly becomes a butterfly dream,’ the world is full of illusions—why must one understand everything so clearly?"

It sounded so reasonable that Wang Yunxiao momentarily didn’t know how to refute it.

After all, this could be considered the Netherworld, a Dreamland—anything but the Real World.

Why think about it so clearly?

Once a person begins to think, the dream ends.

Once a dream ends, people from the Real World can return to reality.

But what happens to those in the dream?

If there is any underlying logic in the Thousand-Year Dynasty World, it would probably be—don’t overthink things.

This is not a place where nitpickers can survive.

"Can I donate any amount? There’s no set standard?"

"In principle, it’s two catties of grains per person; it can also be converted into money or other items. Less than that and I won’t record it."

Honestly, the principle is quite lenient; however, Wang Yunxiao was still curious: "How much money can a catty of grain be converted to, in those banknotes issued by the Heaven and Earth Bank?"

"Two thousand five with incense, forty thousand without."

Oh jeez, no wonder it’s issued by the Heaven and Earth Bank.

"What does ’with incense’ mean?"

"It means brought down through burning."

Li Yu patiently explained, "If you didn’t bring cash, you can burn it after returning home, writing my name, and I’ll receive it here. Burning over a hundred thousand in one go allows you to open an account at the bank for free."

"Then where can I buy such banknotes after going back?"

"Many funeral shops in Tianmen City sell them, but beware of counterfeit marks; we don’t accept fake money."

Wang Yunxiao took out a few colorful banknotes and tentatively asked, "Do you accept this money?"

"We accept colorful banknotes, silver coins, gold beads, Buddhist treasures—we take them all."

Li Yu laughed and reached out, making it awkward for Wang Yunxiao to put the money back, so he handed it over.

Some people might think not giving money is a kind of humorous survival wisdom, but this issue cannot be judged when sitting on different sides. However, as a big brother, Wang Yunxiao couldn’t lose face like that.

No matter how long the person talked with you, answering every question with a consistently good attitude. Even on Nanshi Main Street, if someone gave such a monologue, you’d have to pay.

After paying, Li Yu’s service attitude immediately escalated to another level.

"May I ask for your name, so I can record it in the registry?"

"Wang Yunxiao, Tiger Head Wang, Cloud’s Yun, Lofty’s Xiao."

"Alright, I’ve recorded it here. Mr. Wang Yunxiao contributed a donation of five dollars and seventy-two cents..."

Why does it sound so awkward?

"Forget it, don’t record it. I prefer doing good deeds anonymously."

"I could convert it to Nether Banknotes for you..."

"No thanks!"

"Then I’ll just note your name."

Li Yu’s attitude was very relaxed—give money and everything’s fine.

Seeing how accommodating Li Yu was, Wang Yunxiao decided to take advantage of the situation, handing over two more dollars and asking, "I wanted to inquire about two matters. One is the navy stationed here; do you happen to know where they are?"

"Navy?"

Li Yu was momentarily confused, then realized and said, "Oh, you mean the group that arrived in town a few days ago. I don’t know if they’re the navy, but they look like soldiers. If you want to find them, I can take you there right now. What’s the other thing?"

"Is there someone in charge around here? I mean, someone who can make decisions; perhaps you call them the mayor or something?"

"How serious of a matter are we talking about? Tell me first, and if I can’t handle it, I’ll consult with the Mountain God."

It turns out that as a tax officer, you also handle other affairs besides collecting taxes?

But on second thought, it makes sense—expecting local people to do much is unrealistic. It’s good enough if they understand their own lives clearly.

Don’t be fooled by Shi Hu’s seemingly sharp demeanor; he’s just knowledgeable about his section of work. Beyond his duties as palace guard, he’s no different from an artificial fool.

Wang Yunxiao considered for a moment and whispered, "I wanted to ask, can we settle a group of refugees here?"

"Listen to you, everyone in town is a refugee."

"This group of refugees is different."

"They’re alive?"

"More or less."

Li Yu frowned and pondered for a while, spreading his hands and saying, "We have plenty of space here, with new refugees settling every day. The conditions are what they are, and whether they’re suitable, you’ll have to feel out for yourself. If they’re alive, the main concern will be securing necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and transportation."

"To be honest, the conditions here are harsh, with no extra food supplies available."