"Shopkeeper, come here for a moment." Yang Kai beckoned him over.
He had been watching everything unfold from the sidelines, having no idea what was really going on. He wanted to ask around — after all, no matter how you looked at it, this place had at least some tenuous connection to Ling Xiao Sect.
"Is there something the guest needs? Would you like to order more food and drink?" The shopkeeper approached Yang Kai with a forced smile.
"There's no rush for that." Yang Kai smiled faintly, then glanced toward the staircase with a look of suspicion. "Who were those two just now? They come to your restaurant to eat and drink, and not only do they not pay, but you're the one handing over Saint Crystals to them?"
"This..." The shopkeeper's face went blank with shock. He looked around nervously, and when he saw that the other patrons were all busy drinking and carousing without paying any attention to them, he lowered his voice. "You must be new to Bibō City?"
"That's right." Yang Kai gave a slight nod.
"Then you should leave as soon as possible. Bibō City is no place to linger." The shopkeeper's expression grew deeply guarded. After speaking, he waved his hands repeatedly.
"No place to linger?" Yang Kai furrowed his brows. "Is something going to happen here?"
He observed that the city was bustling with foot traffic, bustling and prosperous, and the situation within the city walls appeared perfectly tranquil — there seemed to be no signs of any impending upheaval.
"Heh..." The shopkeeper let out a bitter laugh. "Please, sir, just take an old man's advice. If you're going to leave, leave now. If you stay too long, you won't be able to get out even if you want to."
"What do you mean? Please, shopkeeper, be more specific." Yang Kai fixed him with a penetrating gaze. "I've heard this city is a vassal of Battle Heaven City, which means it falls under Ling Xiao Sect's territory. Is there really someone who dares to move against this city?"
"I can't say anymore, I can't say anymore. This old man may not have many years left, but I don't intend to die this early. Please, do as you wish." The shopkeeper shook his head continuously, his face pale, and turned to leave.
"I'm from Ling Xiao Sect." Yang Kai said in a deep voice.
"What?" The shopkeeper's face changed dramatically, staring at Yang Kai with stunned disbelief.
"Don't be so nervous." Yang Kai chuckled. "I'm a Disciple of Ling Xiao Sect. I came here on the Sect Master's orders to investigate quietly. If you have something to say, old sir, please speak freely. I'd very much like to know if there's someone out there who's so tired of living that they dare disregard our Ling Xiao Sect."
"You're from Ling Xiao Sect? You're really from Ling Xiao Sect?" The shopkeeper's face lit up with excitement, tinged with doubt. He leaned in close and whispered urgently.
"I am! Rest assured, old sir. Whatever you say will leave your lips and enter my ears. I won't go spreading it around." Yang Kai's voice softened reassuringly, gently coaxing the words out.
The shopkeeper's expression shifted several times, as though he were wrestling with himself. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth and sat down across from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai poured him a cup of wine. The shopkeeper picked it up and drained it in one gulp. Liquid courage steadied his nerves, and after gathering his thoughts, he finally spoke.
"You don't understand, guest. When I told you to leave quickly, it wasn't because someone is plotting against Ling Xiao Sect, nor because Bibō City is about to face some crisis. It's simply that this is no place for people to live."
"Oh? Then please tell me exactly what's going on, old sir. I would be most grateful." Yang Kai smiled faintly.
"Sigh, where do I even begin!" The shopkeeper let out a deep sigh. "You saw how those two behaved just now."
"I did. Who are they?"
"From the City Lord's Manor."
"The City Lord's Manor?" Yang Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Heh, I'm sure you find that strange too. The City Lord's Manor is supposed to protect people like us, so why would they come to a small shop to extort Saint Crystals?" The shopkeeper's voice dropped low. "Because that's a tax the City Lord's Manor levies!"
Yang Kai frowned.
"Every shop operating within Bibō City must hand over at least seventy percent of its earnings to the City Lord's Manor. The remaining thirty percent would barely cover operating costs on its own, but it's not nearly enough once those people find every excuse under the sun to squeeze more out of you. My little shop has no power to resist — not at all. Just a few days ago, someone even died here." The shopkeeper started to grumble, perhaps emboldened by the wine he had just drunk. His tone grew increasingly indignant as he spoke.
"This is the City Lord's decision?" Yang Kai asked, his voice turning cold.
"That's right! Otherwise, where would they get the nerve to act like this? Those two just now were here to collect taxes."
"Since the taxes here are so heavy, why doesn't the old sir leave Bibō City and find a living elsewhere?"
The shopkeeper gave a bitter laugh. "Who can leave? No one can leave! Once the City Lord's Manor discovers anyone trying to flee, execution is guaranteed without exception. Those severed heads hanging on the city walls are a bloody warning to everyone. It's not just small merchants like me who are chained here — every minor family and rogue cultivator living within the city is bound the same way. Whatever profits they earn from adventuring outside must also be turned over as a large portion of taxes. Anyone who resists is targeted. Several small families have already been wiped out entirely."