The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Xu Dayu slapped his thigh, and the expression on his face, which had just calmed down, turned bitter and resentful again.

"Ouch! My brain's been frozen stiff by this awful weather, I almost forgot about that!"

"These bloodsuckers... cough, every time the envoy from the upper sect comes, they have to be skinned alive. Tea money, errand fees, they can't skimp on anything."

Xu Dayou muttered to himself, but his eyes kept glancing towards the door, as if afraid that someone might be overheard.

Xu Changqing was already used to this.

In the cultivation world, the strong prey on the weak. Subordinate families are called vassals, but in reality, they are just sheep raised by the upper sects. When the time comes, they will be sheared.

However, by paying this fee, one can obtain a flag to keep out those unruly cultivators in the Great Swamp.

This money is like buying your life.

"Go and make preparations."

Xu Changqing tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.

"Take out those twenty sealed golden-scaled spirit fish, put them into that mahogany box engraved with the 'Spirit Sealing Array,' wipe the surface clean, and make it look presentable."

"Also, take five... no, ten spirit stones from the storeroom to prepare. If the messenger is troublesome, we can appease him."

"Ten spirit stones? We only have a few spirit stones left in our warehouse."

Xu Changqing shook his head helplessly at his uncle's pained expression.

"Uncle, that brat is a handful."

"This year we used golden-scaled spirit fish to settle the debt. Although the value is sufficient, this is not in accordance with the usual practice. If the envoy interferes and says that the fish is not of good quality or tries to deduct the weight, and accuses us of 'not paying the full annual tribute,' that would be a real problem."

"If these ten spirit stones can settle this matter, then it will be well spent."

Xu Dayou opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but in the end he held back.

"Alright, alright, you're the clan leader anyway, you're in charge here."

Just past noon, the wind and snow subsided slightly.

On the ferry pier outside the Xu family's residence, the snow was already ankle-deep.

Xu Changqing tucked his hands into his sleeves and gazed calmly at the sky.

Xu Dayou behind him, however, lacked such composure. He kept stomping his feet back and forth, his hands stroking the small cloth bag containing the spirit stones again and again.

"Chieftain, it's past noon, why are we still nowhere to be seen? Could it be that they were delayed on the way? Or did they find our place too remote and arrive last?"

Xu Dayou exhaled a puff of white breath, his eyebrows and beard covered in frost, making him look quite comical.

Xu Changqing glanced at him, feeling a little uneasy himself.

Logically speaking, the Qinghe Sword Sect is always punctual in collecting rent and would never be late without a reason.

Unless something happens on the road that forces us to stop.

Just as I was pondering this, a streak of blue light suddenly appeared on the horizon.

The light was incredibly fast. Although it wasn't as imposing as the giant ship from the previous two days, it possessed a sharp and piercing quality, forcefully tearing a gap in the swirling snow.

"They're here!"

Xu Changqing gave a low shout and straightened his clothes.

Xu Dayou shuddered and quickly bent down, his face instantly plastered with that humble smile he had practiced countless times.

"call out!"

The green awns fell to the ground, stirring up a cloud of snow dust.

As the snow dust settled, a tall, slender figure was revealed.

The person did not travel by spirit boat, but instead stood on a three-foot-long green sword, hovering half a foot off the ground on the pier.

Zhao Yichuan, who appeared to be in his early twenties, had a stern face and sword-like eyebrows.

His white robe, the standard uniform of the Qinghe Sword Sect, was spotless, making him stand out starkly in the muddy, cold, and snowy weather.

The most eye-catching thing was the jade pendant hanging from his waist, which was filled with spiritual energy fluctuations that only a Foundation Establishment cultivator could inscribe.

Qi Refining Level Nine?!

Xu Changqing only needed to scan the area with his divine sense to feel his eyelids twitch slightly.

Such a young person at the ninth level of Qi Refining is probably quite a figure within the Qinghe Sword Sect.

"Where is the Xu family patriarch?"

Zhao Yichuan sheathed his flying sword, which twirled in the air before returning to its sheath on his back.

"Zhao Yichuan, a disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect, has been ordered to collect the annual tribute."

Xu Changqing dared not be negligent. He stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Xu Changqing, head of the Xu family of Cangwu Island, greets the envoy."

Xu Dayou quickly followed behind, bowing and saying, "May Your Majesty be well."

"The Xu family shall pay two hundred catties of first-grade low-level spirit fish this year."

Zhao Yichuan's gaze was indifferent. He nodded slightly and took out a booklet and a writing brush from his pocket.

"Where are the things?"

Xu Changqing stepped aside, pointing to the mahogany box that had been prepared behind him:

"They are all here; please examine them, Your Excellency."

Xu Dayou, with his keen eye, ran over and yanked open the lid of the box.

A rich aura of water spirit mixed with a faint golden light emanated from the box.

Twenty golden-scaled spirit fish were neatly arranged. Although they were dead, their golden scales were still dazzling.

Zhao Yichuan's previously nonchalant gaze finally paused when he saw the box of golden light.

"Golden-scaled fish?"

He raised his head and looked at Xu Changqing seriously for the first time.

"This remote and impoverished place can actually raise such high-quality golden-scaled fish."

Xu Changqing bowed and said, "Your Excellency, our clan has suffered some misfortunes this year, and we have no ordinary spirit fish. We can only use these treasured golden-scaled spirit fish to make up for the annual tribute. According to the market price, twenty golden-scaled fish are worth more than two hundred catties of green spirit fish. I hope Your Excellency will be accommodating."

Xu Changqing was actually feeling uneasy.

These rules are rules, but people are flexible.

If this envoy is stubborn and insists on calculating by weight, the Xu family will be in serious trouble today.

At this point, it all comes down to Xu Dayou's skills.

Xu Dayou understood immediately, and while Zhao Yichuan was taking notes, he quickly reached out with his hand, which had been tucked into his sleeve.

The cloth bag containing ten spirit stones slipped down his sleeve and was discreetly handed to Zhao Yichuan.

"Your Excellency must be tired from your journey. It's freezing cold, so please accept this small token of our appreciation: buy Your Excellency a cup of hot tea to warm you up."

Xu Dayou's movements were fluid and graceful, clearly demonstrating that he had mastered this skill to a high degree.

Xu Changqing kept his eyes down, pretending not to see anything.

Ten spirit stones.

That's enough to buy many kilograms of Lingmi rice.

If you can spend the money, you'll have passed this hurdle.

Zhao Yichuan paused as he was writing.

He didn't take the bag, but instead took half a step back, his brows slightly furrowed.

"What does Chief Xu mean by this?"

"The sect has its own rules and regulations. Collecting annual tribute is a public duty. If we take your spirit stones, what will the punishment hall think when they question me? Are you trying to harm me?"

Xu Dayou's hand froze in mid-air, his smile also frozen on his face, leaving him unable to move forward or backward for a moment.

"Your Excellency, this..."

"We cultivators should wholeheartedly pursue the Dao."

Zhao Yichuan glanced coldly at Xu Dayou, then swept his gaze over Xu Changqing: "You spend all your energy on these underhanded methods, no wonder the Xu family has fallen to this state."

Xu Dayou hurriedly retrieved the spirit stones, his old face turning a deep purplish-red, cold sweat streaming down his face.

Xu Changqing's heart sank. This envoy was otherworldly and extremely difficult to serve.

Not accepting money means being difficult to talk to.

So, about using the golden scale fish to settle the debt...

Just as Xu Changqing was about to bite the bullet and explain a few more words, Zhao Yichuan had already closed the booklet.

"Twenty golden-scaled fish, full of spiritual energy and of excellent quality, are sufficient to make up for the annual tribute."

Zhao Yichuan made a stroke on the booklet with his ink brush, then with a flick of his sleeve, the mahogany box disappeared into thin air and was put into his storage bag.

"Keep this 'tribute token' safe. You can use it to report to the clan again next year."

A black iron token was tossed over.

Xu Changqing caught it with both hands, only to find it icy cold to the touch.

That's it... over?