The victory of a religion in another world is so easy?

The initial investment from Tanel was a full 3 gold coins, which, although it was enough to cover the wheat harvest, was not a large shortfall.

Planting some short-cycle cash crops during this period can fill the gap and even provide meat supply.

The arrival of war has led to varying degrees of price increases, and some villages have even stopped agreeing to trade, which has made it necessary to rethink food sources and development strategies.

Just as Rand was calculating his assets, the tax collectors arrived.

He had little interest in collecting taxes from these poor, remote mountain villages, but the lord's will had to be carried out!

No one can escape paying taxes to the holy lord.

During this period, due to Rand's arrival, the hideout made contact with other villages, and thus many traces were left behind.

Therefore, without needing much investigative skill, the tax official found the second hideout with the help of a familiar local.

Of course, this was also partly because they deliberately enhanced the traces here to prevent tax officials from finding the No. 1 den.

The fact that this second hideout was located in such a remote place did not surprise the tax collectors. There are always people who try to refuse to pay rent to the sacred lord, and such attempts to evade payment are severely punished.

The tax collector rode his horse across the muddy land, scanning the area with his experienced eyes. It was poorer than he had imagined, and collecting taxes in such a place would be a complete waste of time if it weren't for the necessity of carrying out the lord's will.

But what he was best at was squeezing money out of the villagers.

"I am the baron's tax collector. Who is in charge of your village?" The tax collector looked at the villagers, who were relatively healthy but poorly clothed. He didn't bother to explain which baron he represented, since these ignorant villagers from the remote mountains wouldn't understand anyway.

Tanl stepped forward. He was not wearing his fine full armor, but rather a loose, wide robe that covered his strong body.

This is why Thale and Thales thought Tanl was not suitable to play the role of the poor villager; he was too healthy, and such a strong man looked like a knight who had been well-nourished all year round, rather than a poor villager.

Of course, as a paladin who likes to make thorough preparations and act only after careful planning, Tanl also took some measures. For example, he stayed up for two nights to make himself look tired, anxious, and with sunken eyes. This way, at least his appearance wouldn't reveal too many flaws.

His body was covered by loose robes, making it impossible to tell whether he was thin or strong.

The tax officer glanced at Tanl, who was standing very straight, and thought he was a bit large-framed, but didn't think much of it: "Pay your rent."

Tanl bowed slightly, trying to force a fawning expression: "Excuse me, how much do I need to pay?"

“Although you evaded taxes before, the Baron has kindly indicated that he does not intend to pursue your past issues.” The tax collector straightened his clothes, made a skillful estimate, and said, “50 silver coins, two chickens, 1000 pounds of wheat, plus 20 bolts of linen.”

This price represents almost all the property that might be here. If it were all taken away, and if this really is just a village that's hiding from taxes, then these villagers would have no way to survive.

The tax collector was clearly aware that the land rent was excessive, but that didn't matter. As a tax collector from an occupying noble family, he wasn't there to collect taxes properly, but to extort money.

He naturally plundered the land, and he enjoyed the villagers' desperate expressions and their humility as they knelt down and begged him.

Tanl was silent for a moment, then knelt on one knee, then on both knees. Since the tax collector was sitting on a tall horse, Tanl's expression was no longer visible as he knelt down.

He must be blushing and looking ashen-faced right now; he's seen that expression far too often.

Sure enough, soon he heard the village chief pleading in a gruff voice for a reduction in land rent or for an extension of time.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him, then spat on Tanl's neatly trimmed hair, leaving a stain.

"Don't be ungrateful. We've already shown leniency by not pursuing your past tax evasion. Hurry up and pay your rent." He wasn't worried at all that these villagers would lash out and hurt people because they couldn't survive. Behind him stood the Baron.

If these people—who are called villagers to put it nicely, or serfs to put it bluntly—dare to rebel, the baron's army will come and wipe them out.

Moreover, he was riding a big horse, so it wouldn't be easy for these people to hurt him.

He felt emboldened at this moment.

Tanl was not angry at this moment. Although he had never been so humiliated since he entered the church to begin his paladin training, he was not angry at all.

He knew very well that suffering some humiliation would reduce the losses to his hideout, so he didn't feel anything in comparison, since he was representing more than just himself at this moment.

He did not move, but remained kneeling in place.

Upon seeing this, the tax official scoffed, "The Baron isn't so heartless after all. Here's what we'll do: you should bring your things over voluntarily, so we don't have to bother. We'll give you a discount."

Tanl finally stood up and moved his feet.

The so-called reduction was only 10 silver coins and 300 pounds of wheat. Since the village did not have wheat at the time, it was converted into some fruits and vegetables, and then discounted further.

After the tax collector left, the former bandit leader, whose face was covered in sores, immediately came over and wiped the phlegm off Tanl's head with a burlap sack.

"Lord Tanl." Seeing the bandit leader's hesitant expression, Tanl knew what he wanted to say and waved his hand to tell him to stop talking.

The important thing now is to go back to the first hideout and settle the village's assets with the Divine Envoy. Although we have tried our best to appear poor, we have still been charged a considerable amount of rent, which has dealt a serious blow to the already weak hideout economy.

Chapter 11 Mother Goddess and Elves, and Development

Rand was sitting in the sacrificial chamber, completely unaware of what was happening at location number two.

Currently, income is insufficient to cover expenses, and food reserves are low. It may be necessary to arrange for some people to increase hunting activities to obtain meat and make up for the corresponding deficit.

As for the law that all animals belong to the lord, Rand has no need to pay any attention to it. As a cultist messenger, he has no need to abide by the laws of any human kingdom.

Just as Rand was deep in thought, he heard light footsteps.

He knew very well that no one in this hideout walked lightly, so the footsteps were not those of a ferocious and nimble beast, but rather those of the elf who had yelled at him last time.

Since parting ways with Tanl, he had considered the possibility of the elf coming to his door, so he basically stayed in the sacrificial chamber and didn't go out.

Here, he is almost impossible to defeat.

The moment he realized what was happening, he lunged forward and landed on the altar, then stared at the direction of the entrance.

It was indeed the elf. This time, she wasn't wearing a black robe, but rather a bright green dress that accentuated her beautiful figure.

Silver-white hair and golden eyes that shone like the sun, a slender and perfect body, and a face that could be described as flawless.

If these conditions were in Rand's previous life, she could have easily made money as a mascot in the world of anime and manga.

But at this moment, Rand felt cold all over, as if he were about to die.

The combat power ceiling in this world is very low, at least in the first expansion pack. For now, it can only be roughly divided into ordinary, elite, superior, and top-tier.

But even for a top-tier professional like Tanl, facing twenty or thirty fully armed professional soldiers head-on is already the limit.

But that doesn’t mean such people are weak. If they were to fight a guerrilla war, one of them could drive a baron to the brink of insanity, leaving him only able to cower in his castle.

Judging from her previous ability to fight Tanl to a draw, this elf is clearly a top-tier professional. In other words, it would be very easy for her to kill this imposter god.

The elf tossed her long, flowing silver hair, gently pressing her right hand against her soft lips, making a slight indentation: "Mr. Sadist, it seems you don't have a paladin to protect you now~"

"What do you want to do!" Although Rand still had a way out at this point, it didn't stop him from feeling panicked.

The elf crossed her arms, then bent over, trying to squeeze her chest out: "Do you really want to treat me like livestock, like you treat those minotaurs?"

Rand had already confirmed that the elf was mentally unstable, and said righteously, "Of course not, how could an upright person like me have such evil thoughts?"

"Oh~, is that so?" The elf's gaze shifted from Rand's face to his lower abdomen.

"Ahem, maybe a little." Rand blushed slightly and coughed lightly to indicate that he was a normal man.

"Just as I thought!" The elf, about to reply, blushed slightly and scoffed, "Prepare to die!"

Then, without using the short bow on his back or the short sword at his waist, he charged straight at her.

Even with such a seemingly effortless move, Rand, who had no combat experience, was still on high alert. Just as the elf was about to rush in front of him, he silently recited the sacrificial eulogy.

This is the second way that RAND developed to use the ability.

As long as one sacrifices oneself, upon returning, it seems that the body is regenerated, and all wounds are healed.

In other words, as long as he has a breath left and can complete the sacrificial ritual, he will not die.

Moreover, he is immune to attacks while in the Mother Goddess's kingdom, which means he is temporarily invincible, although he can only stay in the Mother Goddess's kingdom for a short time.

But the elf was truly stunned by this scene. She knew that this sadist named Rand was the messenger of this strange cult, but she did not expect him to be so fierce. In the face of her attack, he actually chose to sacrifice himself without giving her a drop of soup!

"Aaaaaah!" The elf clutched her pointed ears. She had finally encountered a sadist with such a brilliant idea, and just when she was about to get him, he was gone!

Such a huge psychological gap was difficult for her to accept for a while.

But soon she saw something miraculous on the altar: Rand's body gradually reformed in the void.

Rand grinned, his pearly white teeth seemingly reflecting light. He was indeed invincible at this moment. As long as he kept sacrificing himself, this strange elf couldn't do anything to him. Then, as long as he could stall until Tanl returned, he could drive her away!

He's simply a genius.

The elf pounced decisively, this time landing on Rand's body. But before he could even fully experience the real touch, Rand quickly finished reciting the sacrificial incantation, disappeared from reality, and arrived in the Mother Goddess's divine realm.

Now he has gradually become familiar with the twisted flesh and blood of the Mother Goddess's Kingdom, and even finds the Mother Goddess's body, which is covered with mouthparts, eyes and tentacles, quite charming, at least he feels comfortable looking at it.

But back at the altar, he felt uneasy. The elf seemed determined not to give up, lurking there as if it still wanted to charge forward.

Rand wiped away imaginary sweat, not understanding why she was so persistent: "Miss Elf, please let me go, we don't have any grudge against each other."

The elf now understood that she had no way to directly contact this messenger who seemed to be a true divine messenger, nor could she actually try to see if he could recover if she shot an arrow through his forehead.

Since that's the case, it seems there's only one way to go. Damn it, I never expected that she, as a high elf, would have to put on such a clumsy performance. But for the sake of future happiness, dignity is simply not worth mentioning.

Thinking of this, she took a few steps back, putting some distance between herself and Randall.

Rand had no idea what the elf was up to, so he watched warily, ready to recite the sacrificial rhyme at any moment.

She swayed slightly, her ample bosom jiggling, then, slightly panting, leaned against the wall of the sacrificial chamber: "That despicable sadist, what kind of evil divine magic did he use? How could he... how could he..."

As she spoke, she breathed heavily again, seemingly having no strength left. She slowly sat down on the ground, revealing her smooth thighs: "I feel like I have no strength left in my body. You're so amazing. I never thought that I, Lysa, would be defeated by a pervert like you in a place like this. Waaah."

She crossed her legs and rubbed them together, tilted her head slightly, and looked at the completely bewildered Rand with watery eyes.

"Damn it, now that you've won, you must want to whip me, right? You even gagged me like livestock, forcing me to obey your orders. Damn it..." As she finished speaking, a whip fell out of her body.

Although it's perfectly normal for a wandering knight to carry a convenient weapon like a whip, the current situation made Rand, who had suffered greatly from the internet in his previous life, very clear about what he needed to do.

Rand picked up the whip the elf had left behind from the ground, then pinched her chin, forcing her to raise her gaze, which had been somewhat lowered, and meet his eyes.

Now it's time to let this backward-looking spirit experience the darkness in the hearts of modern people who have been poisoned by the internet.

He gently pressed her slightly moist lips and laughed wickedly: "Little girl, now that you've fallen into my hands, you're in for a beating, hehehe."

Chapter 12 Survival Transfer Chain

When Tanl returned to the sacrificial chamber, dressed in his blackened armor, intending to meet Rand, he was stunned by the scene before him.

He scratched his armor somewhat awkwardly, then realized that he had scratched off a piece of the black paint. He wanted to cover it up, but felt that it would only make things more obvious. For a moment, he didn't know whether to cover it up or not.

Although the envoys of the Goddess of Abundance are described in the doctrine as powerful and wise beings, he had thoroughly studied the doctrines of the Torch Church before he came here as an undercover agent, even when he was still in the Torch Church.

There's always some exaggeration in these things. The Torch Church's doctrine even says they have divine messengers, but even Tanl, who's become a top-ranking paladin, has never seen one.

So he had imagined that this Rand messenger wasn't as powerful as the doctrine described.