Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Chapter 178 Daydream Tax
Everything that I just saw at the city gate was just the tip of the iceberg of corruption and depravity in the holy city.

After going deeper into the holy city, the true appearance of the city gradually emerged.

Here, money seems to be an omnipotent pass.

Whether it is eating, drinking water or housing, every daily activity is accompanied by taxes of various names.

Tax collectors are everywhere, following you everywhere, ready to collect fees from citizens.

Incredibly, even if someone paused for a moment on the street, lost in their own thoughts, the taxman would quickly approach and collect the so-called "daydream tax."

This kind of tax is simply unbelievable, but it actually exists in this city.

"This country is really crazy." Crazy Grandma opened the window, looked at the tax collectors on the street, and couldn't help but complain.

It was the first time he had seen a country that collected taxes so crazily. With such a way of ruling, weren’t they afraid that the lower-class people would rise up in rebellion?

"Alas, we can't control these things." Rose sighed, "Let's just do our own thing."

Lin Yi nodded and started packing his luggage. "Just wait here. I'll contact our people. If you need help, I'll send you a message."

After saying that, he changed into ordinary clothes, walked out of the hotel door, and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

After some searching, Lin Yi finally found the Klin grain merchant mentioned by Tuk Bourne in the west of the city.

But this grain merchant did not have a very good reputation in the holy city.

It was rumored that he was connected with one of the four major families, and took advantage of this background to cheat on customers, so there were very few customers willing to patronize his shop on weekdays.

When Lin Yi stepped into the store, Klin was sitting behind the counter enjoying his meal, not paying any attention to the customer who came in.

Without even looking up, he yelled, "Who are you? Weigh what you want to buy yourself. Don't disturb me while I'm eating."

Lin Yi glanced at the name tag on the shopkeeper's chest and confirmed that this person was Klin he was looking for.

From the outside, Krillin is very different from the image of a spy from the Kingdom of Beasts. Instead, he looks more like a cunning small trader.

"I want to buy some rice. How much is this?" Lin Yi picked some rice at random, put it into a bag and placed it in front of Klin.

As he handed it over, he cleverly pinned the flamingo emblem to his cuff, making sure Krillin could see the logo as he took the bag.

Sure enough, when Krillin took the rice and prepared to weigh it, his eyes changed slightly.

He silently put the rice on the scale, quoted a price, and threw the rice back to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi noticed Krillin's little action, but did not say anything.

In this holy city, there might be royal spies hiding everywhere, so the two of them were just conducting a seemingly ordinary transaction.

After completing the transaction, Lin Yi turned and left, while Klin continued to sit behind the counter with an inexplicable light flashing in his eyes.

After returning to the hotel, Lin Yi couldn't wait to start searching among the rice he bought, and soon found a small note hidden in it.

The note read: "No. 582 Clinton Street, 9 p.m., the code is one short and three long."

After Lin Yi wrote down the address, he directly threw the note into his personal space.

Compared with burning after viewing, this method is obviously more convenient and safer.

As night falls, the holy city appears even more prosperous under the bright lights.

In the streets and alleys, the cries of vendors can be heard one after another, making the scene very lively.

However, the tax collectors on the streets seemed like a less harmonious landscape, making it difficult for people to fully immerse themselves in the bustle.

Lin Yi, Crazy Grandma and Rose did not go directly to the target location, but played along the way and tasted various snacks, as if they were really tourists visiting the holy city.

Such leisure and freedom make them not stand out in the crowd.

At 8:55, the three finally arrived at their destination - 582 Clinton Street.

There are many shops and a constant flow of people here.

They blended into the bustling crowd without attracting any attention.

Next, they just need to wait for the opportunity to come and take the next step.

Arriving at the tailor shop at 582 Clinton Street, Lin Yi was surprised to find that the shop had a royal logo, and was obviously owned by the royal family. It can only be said that the intelligence personnel of the Kingdom of Beasts are really strong, and they actually managed to hide the truth.

With the protection of the royal family, ordinary people would not dare to search this tailor shop.

He knocked on the door according to the agreed signal, one short knock and three long knocks.

After the door opened, an old tailor with gray hair appeared at the door. He looked at the three people outside the door silently, and then led them into the store without saying a word.

The interior of the store is decorated exquisitely and elegantly, exuding a noble and mysterious atmosphere everywhere.

The old tailor asked directly: "Where are the things?"

Lin Yi didn't say anything extra and took out the flamingo badge from his pocket.

The old tailor took the badge and gently warmed it over the candlelight for a while.

Surprisingly, the eye color of the flamingo emblem actually changed from red to green.

The change is apparently a way to verify the badge's authenticity.

"go in."

The old tailor pointed to a door at the back and motioned Lin Yi and others to go into the room to talk.

When the door was pushed open, in the dim light, a mysterious masked figure sat in the middle of the room, as if waiting for their arrival.

"Tell me, what did the higher-ups send you here to do?"

"Is there any way for me to meet the emperor?" Lin Yi said straight to the point.

The mysterious man's tone revealed a bit of caution: "What are you going to do?"

Hearing Lin Yi's words, the mysterious man's expression under the mask instantly became solemn.

The emperor of the Holy Dragon Kingdom is merely a representative of the royal family and represents the face of the royal family.

If the emperor encounters an accident, the entire Holy Dragon Kingdom will unite as one to resist foreign enemies.

This is undoubtedly an extremely unfavorable situation for the Kingdom of Beasts.

"I just want to convey some information to the emperor. You don't need to be so nervous." Lin Yi sensed the mysterious man's vigilance and explained quickly.

Hearing the other party's voice, Lin Yi immediately realized that the other party must have misunderstood something.

After listening to Lin Yi's explanation, the mysterious man finally relaxed his vigilance.

He realized that perhaps Lin Yi's purpose was not as dangerous as he had initially thought.

"Tomorrow evening, the Emperor and the Empress will come here in person to choose their dresses."

After the mysterious man revealed the emperor's itinerary, he got up and left.

How to get close to the emperor was not within his consideration.

If the people sent by the superiors cannot even complete such a small task, then it is only natural that the mission will fail.

A day later, as night fell, the lanterns on both sides of the street emitted a soft light, adding a touch of warm yellow to the quiet street.

The tailor shop is located in the bustling city center and is bustling with people on weekdays, but it looks particularly different tonight.

As the sound of hooves in the distance gradually became clearer, a team of royal guards rode over. They were dressed in striking red uniforms, shining helmets on their heads, and long swords at their waists. They looked majestic and mysterious.

Their arrival immediately attracted the attention of passers-by, and people stopped to watch and whispered.

In front of the guard, a golden carriage slowly drove up, the royal emblem on the carriage gleaming in the light.

The carriage stopped steadily in front of the tailor shop, the door slowly opened, and the emperor walked out surrounded by several guards.

He was wearing a gorgeous dragon robe embroidered with exquisite dragon patterns, demonstrating the dignity and majesty of imperial power.

The emperor smiled, waved to the people around him, and then walked into the tailor shop.

(End of this chapter)