Origin Paradise!

"Please invite the guests in."

The head of the Jing family clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

Just as Jingran's funeral banquet was being held, the garrison commander of the General's Command, the Supreme Elders of the Tiangong Sect and the Wansai Sect, and four representatives of top-grade families at the peak of the Gold Realm arrived at the ancestral hall.

At the long table, the ancestral hall maids stepped back, and the wine and dishes were all served, totaling sixty-four dishes. The eldest son's private chef had brought out his best skills. Among them, the Rouge Dragon Breast was entirely crimson red, and the ingredients were selected from the gold-level Rouge Fish. It is worth mentioning that since the destruction of the Fish Clan, the Rouge Fish has become a thing of the past.

King Jingyang sat back down beneath the portrait and symbolically drew the curtain, while the head of the Jing family took the main seat at the long table.

"I apologize for not welcoming you properly."

"Your Highness is too kind."

"I feel an instant connection with the Crown Prince."

"The prime minister has gone too far in bullying people."

The three heroes responded one after another, with the garrison general being noticeably more indifferent, which meant that the general's command had no inclination to get involved in what was to come.

The Supreme Master of the Heavenly Craftsmanship Sect appeared quite eager. The Heavenly Craftsmanship Sect was one of the ten major sects of the empire, and it was most skilled at building void warships of various levels. He was very interested in the two Immortal-class ships sent by the Central Government.

Wan Sai Taishang feigned anger and bluntly pointed the finger at Bai Gui. Wan Sai Sect was most skilled at building fortresses and cities and had an extremely large influence in the local areas. If the central government wanted to centralize power, this piece of meat was a great source of nourishment.

Four peak-level Gold Saints took their seats. They came from four superior families: Yan, Fu, Shan, and Ruan. Theoretically, they were not qualified to speak, and their current stance was consistent with that of the Jing family.

"Prime Minister Bai Gui has gone too far in insulting my Jing family."

Seeing Jiang He also take a seat, the head of the Jing family shook his head and frankly admitted it.

"They plotted to kill General Cangwu and then instructed Yu Zhong to ambush the King. Both of them were pillars of the Western Frontier. Such despicable acts have angered both Heaven and Man. It is conceivable that the peaceful period is about to end. This is the result of Bai Gui and the King of the Western Frontier's own actions."

“Absolutely, absolutely,” the Supreme Master of the Heavenly Craftsmanship echoed.

"The heavens are collapsing," sighed the Venerable Wan Sai.

The garrison commander remained silent, only picking at his food. In fact, the fact that they were sitting together already indicated their stance on some matters. At this moment, he was more interested in the chicken marrow and bamboo shoot dish in front of him. Chicken marrow was not easy to obtain, the process was complicated, the ingredients were plentiful, and it required the first fresh bamboo shoot from the bamboo forest in spring as the main ingredient, making it worth a fortune.

At the head of the table on the left, Jiang He sipped the osmanthus wine on the table. The two generals of the Jing clan did not direct their attacks at the entire central government, but rather focused on Prime Minister Bai Gui and the King of the Western Border, in a style similar to "purging the court of corrupt officials."

The head of the Jing family clapped his hands, and a maidservant from the ancestral hall came over with a sachet and sprinkled the source salt inside into the wine pot.

“Origin Gold is a natural product, as you all know. Heaven does not favor the human race. Whether you use it for cultivation or just have daily contact with it, it will cause petrification. It’s just a matter of how much.”

“Source salt can alleviate petrification, so it is an essential thing for all living beings, or for cultivators of source power.”

"Nowadays, official corruption is rampant, and the convicts in Cangwu Province responsible for mining and drying have lost the control of the Yu family..."

The head of the Jing family sighed deeply, filled with compassion.

The Venerable Wan Sai sighed, "A rebellion is inevitable."

“Absolutely, absolutely,” the Supreme Master of Heavenly Craftsmanship laughed.

The three industry leaders present reached an agreement.

The central government's attempt to cleanse the local areas failed, and it had to bear the backlash from the localities. The Western King's Mansion, the administrative body of the imperial court in the western region, was the first to suffer the consequences.

"If there's no price to pay, who cares about justice and morality?" The head of the Jing family smiled nonchalantly. "Please enjoy your meal."

At the same time, Jiang He heard a notification tone.

[Hint: Main quest ⑤ Salt Plague has been released]

[Mission Brief: Due to dissatisfaction with the centralization of power in local areas by the imperial court, a rebellion secretly instigated by aristocratic families and sects is about to break out.]

The Jing family, which planned to take the opportunity to eliminate the lower-ranking noble families, and the Wan Sai sect, which attempted to destroy and rebuild cities in various places, suffered a hasty defeat in the spring and winter wars. The Tian Gong sect, which had accumulated a large number of pre-ordered warships, was like a group of greedy dragons, eyeing the six provinces and never satisfied.

Old Wang is critically ill, and the two powerful Fu families are eyeing the position of the powerful clan.

The low-profile Shan family, who had been accumulating strength for a long time, were attempting to cultivate heroes and elites.

A pack of owls scrambled for food, targeting the lower-middle-class families of Cangwu Province, who were filled with greed.

The Imperial General, who had raised a tiger only to be harmed by it, chose to stand by and watch as prices rose due to two crises of defeat.

Deeply mired in difficulties, the princes protested and were powerless to intervene again in the local prime ministers and the central government.

All the malice was focused on the twelve-year-old King of the West. Could his elderly servant, now nearing the end of his life, protect the royal family's legacy? The future remained uncertain.

[Mission Specifications: This Salt Calamity will serve as a battle for control of the three major battlefields: End, All Beings, and Twilight. The winner will gain greater control over the selection of locations for the Golden Age world battle (Origin has 50% control by default, which will not change based on the number of battlefields)]

[Mission Victory/Defeat Criteria: Before the Salt Calamity begins, each battlefield chooses a faction until either the Bronze-tier being, the King of the West, or the Gold-tier being, the Salt Lord, is completely defeated.]

[Mission Requirements: This battle for control is a golden age; high-ranking players are strictly prohibited from intervening in the Pillar of Eternal Marrow]

[Executor's Mission Objective: Kill the King of the West and the Salt King]

[Task Time Limit: 180 calendar days]

[Task Penalty: None]

[Quest Rewards: Epic Set Upgrade Scroll *1 / Exclusive Tier 3 World Invitation *1 (World where the Wrathful Sin Candidate is located)]

[Countdown to the arrival of three major battlefield players: 72 hours]

[Final Battlefield: 1000 people]

[Battlefield of All Beings: 1000 people]

[Dusk Battlefield: 1000 people]

……

That evening.

The unique afterglow of the setting sun on the Dawn Continent bathed the earth.

Tianshui City, the Grand Study of the Prince's Mansion.

As the highest official position in the Western Region, the title of King of the Western Region is hereditary. The first King of the Western Region once rose to the peak of the hero level and was ranked as a pillar of the state. However, as time went by, the qualifications, prestige and resources of the direct bloodline gradually declined. After the previous king fell into the water and died of illness, the governors recommended his young son to succeed him. He is now only twelve years old.

Under the guise of glorifying the family lineage and reviving the ancestral business, the six military governors arranged a heavy workload for the King of the Western Border. The old servant, whose age and strength were not much different from those of the King of Jingyang, was in a dilemma because the military governor of Cangwu, the old wine maker, was his eldest son, and he could not choose between them.

The last twenty years have been the most glorious period for the military governors. Whether they seized power or went into seclusion to travel and enjoy life, the royal court found it difficult to intervene effectively.

In the large study.

The military governors gathered together for the first time to address issues such as the Duke's collusion with dark races, the death of one of the Jing clan's heroes, the fall of the Cangwu general, and the power vacuum in the Cangwu province.

Cangwu Province is both a frontier region and one of the most prosperous areas. Located at the mouth of the Tianjiang River, it has a large and considerable number of salt-producing areas. Most of the resources that Duke Yu secretly cultivated into two mythical forms came from here.

“The Prince of Jingyang is nearing the end of his life and will no longer be able to interfere in the affairs of Cangwu. The Prince’s Palace and we should quickly occupy it and take it over first.”

"No, for the sake of his promotion, Duke Yu has been secretly exploiting the people for nearly twenty years. In addition, he has suffered two defeats and recently faced suppression from all sides, leaving the people in the country in dire straits."

“If we take away the profits from salt production that support our livelihood, the situation will be unpredictable.”

The military governors argued heatedly about whether to exploit resources to the point of exhaustion or to harvest resources in the long term, and their opinions differed greatly.

The King of the West sat on a huge and majestic throne, his still-childish body appearing extremely small. He kowtowed frequently, his eyes glazed over, heavy with drowsiness. The heavy workload had almost exhausted all his energy, but the praise and flattery from his servants and officials kept him entertained.

“Your Majesty,” a staff member called softly.

"Hmm?" The King of the West rubbed his eyes and said, "What is it?"

"In Cangwu Province, people are starving and eating each other, and the sight of children eating porridge is unbearable." The advisor silently shed tears and said with sorrow, "The Duke of Yu is a traitor, and his heavy taxes have made the people of Cangwu suffer unspeakably, especially the salt tax. I dare to beg Your Majesty to have mercy and take care of the people."

The King of the Western Border was greatly alarmed. The teachings on benevolent rulers, righteousness, propriety, and great love from his studies kept flooding his mind. He said almost without hesitation, "This is outrageous! Yu Zhong deserves to die ten thousand times over. Issue my royal decree to exempt Cangwu Province from taxes for ten years."

His words carried weight and conviction.

The tears on the staff member's face vanished instantly, replaced by overwhelming joy.

The six military governors stopped arguing and all looked at the young king on the throne with flickering eyes.

"May Your Majesty be wise and virtuous for a thousand years!"

……

The millennium of the Imperial Calendar, April 30th.

The Western Kingdom Royal Palace ordered that, effective immediately, the taxes collected in Cangwu would no longer be submitted to the Royal Palace, but would be controlled by the various military governors, with an increase of 30% based on current standards, including 50% of the salt tax.

Since the royal palace no longer distributes taxes, the various Cangwu noble families, who are taxpayers, have not been able to receive their monthly payments. The Yulu Le family tentatively added a maintenance fee for the Yulu County garrison. After this was not explicitly prohibited, other noble families followed suit and created various pretexts to do so.

The tax system collapsed overnight.

Among them, the salt fields, being the wealthiest area, were repeatedly "plundered" by various powerful families.

Chapter 484 Immortal Battleship

Cangwu Province, Fufeng Prefecture.

During wartime, this was the largest frontline supply distribution center, with complete transportation channels and storage space.

Normally, this is the largest salt-producing area in Cangwu, and also one of the sunniest places on the Dawn Continent, supplying most of the western region with its produce.

On the salt plain, the Rao family, a salt-making family, has been operating here for six generations. Each generation of the family head has the title of Salt Lord, but although they are called a family, they do not actually have a noble title. When the Duke of Yu was still alive, the Rao family was a veritable money bag, supporting two full divisions of elite guards, which was no different from a private army.

Rao Ren, the current head of the Rao family, is only about forty years old. When he was young, he went to the Western King's Mansion to seek a job, but at that time the previous Western King had just fallen into the water and was seriously ill. He waited for more than three years, but ultimately got nothing because of his background. The job was taken away by a young nobleman who had just arrived. In a fit of anger, he returned to the Salt Plain to inherit the family business.

Having witnessed the prestige of the scions of powerful families, Rao Ren chose to rely on the leader of the Cangwu family, the Yu family. Under his leadership, the Rao family transformed from wealthy merchants into a semi-military group.

However, due to the law of Emperor Wuzong that merchants could not be granted titles, Rao Ren, despite his extremely strong abilities, was still unable to be ennobled on the battlefield.

During these days, the King of the West inexplicably destroyed the tax system. The usually extravagant noble families, who had already lost their leaders and were restless, now had no stable income and began to frantically search for new sources of wealth.

"Qingyu City Garrison Legion, in accordance with the law, is collecting site fees. Money is no object. Get out of the way immediately!"

"It is the birthday of the Prefect of Fufeng County. I hope that the Rao family will soon gather the birthday tribute."

"The Yulu Le Clan intends to requisition this land, and requests that Patriarch Rao Ren come out for a chat."

The entire Rao family's territory was in complete chaos, with more than a dozen groups from different backgrounds coming to plunder, and this continued for the third day.

The disgust and hatred in the eyes of the Rao family members were almost impossible to conceal. These soldiers and corrupt officials often molested women, and the two sides had already clashed several times.

One by one, private soldiers carried away the salt chests. The leaders addressed each other as brothers, exchanged smiles, and realized that after two defeats in the spring and winter, the economy of Cangwu Province was already on the verge of collapse. Everyone was eager to recover some of the losses.

Among the Rao family members, a strange man with two heads and four eyes spitting fire strode to the door.

A middle-aged man was seen, with a burly build, a face like a red date, a short beard, a six-ringed heavy sword on his back, and a scroll hanging at his waist. His aura was extremely restrained and almost imperceptible.

"Patriarch!" the strange man said angrily.

"Wait a little longer," Salt-kun replied.

The strange man tried his best to restrain himself for a moment, but suddenly heard the cries of women coming from inside the house. He could no longer bear it and rushed back. Many of the Rao family members also ran away when they saw this.

A faint smile appeared on Yan Jun's lips.

Beside him, the man in black frowned and said, "This damages our prestige; things will get complicated from here on out."

Yan Jun smiled and said, "Rebellion is not an easy thing. Some people want me to take the lead. Fine, but how exactly to do it is up to me."

“Fear of authority, dependence on order, and confusion about the unknown.” Yan Jun said seriously, “If even I don’t dare to challenge it, then I will ultimately be of little use when facing heroes or powerful figures. I might as well take off your mask and everyone will scatter.”

The man in black snorted coldly. Under the mask was the face of the Fu family patriarch. As a hero-level being, he personally came down to help, mainly to test the strength of the Jing family.

"The Fufeng Fleet is anchored at the shipyard twenty miles away, and the garrison colonel has been transferred."

"A batch of weapons will arrive at the Fufeng storage center before midnight tonight, enough to equip a full division. Further aid will depend on the specific situation and the results of the battle."

"In addition, some second-rate families and sects will join in as bandits or refugees. When looting various places, be careful not to hurt your own people."

The head of the Fu family explained the situation in detail.

boom!

The conflict within the base eventually escalated.

First came a roar, followed by a barrage of Source Energy gunfire. The strange man swung his four arms wildly among the private soldiers, blood splattering everywhere. The Rao family members and the enemy officially engaged in battle, and the scene was extremely chaotic.

Yan Jun's gaze remained calm. In this way, when the Rao family members were killed in battle, no one would blame him for raising an army in rebellion. The process of donning the yellow robe would be indispensable.

"We need a direction and a slogan."

Salt Lord pondered silently. Having been in charge for twenty years, he knew clearly that to get things done, one needed to have one's own base of support, and external assistance was ultimately unreliable.

“Kill the parasites, destroy the powerful families, and return power to the central government.”

"The king is neither king nor prime minister; kill the king to help the prime minister."

"Distribute rice and grain, and wine and meat equally, to benefit Heaven and save the world."

“Then I shall be the King of Fengtian.”