Sign-in at the City Lord's Mansion, I've Come to Collect Taxes

Black Heaven City was burning.

This neutral black market, which had stood in the Land of Darkness for hundreds of years, now resembled a giant beast stripped of its scales, exposing its flesh, bones, and the countless filthy treasures hidden in its belly.

High above the sky,

the Taiyin Ice Moon collided with the River of Yellow Springs Souls. Frost froze the myriad ghosts, while the ghosts tore at the moonlight.

Countless swords from the Sword Mound fell like rain, and clouds of bones and corpses piled up like mountains.

The blood-colored lotus radiance of the Blood Lotus Holy Land blanketed the night sky, while the Blood Sea of the Blood Prison Demon Sect surged like a tide.

The golden-armored army of the Golden Tower Holy Land descended like heavenly soldiers, while the soul troops of the Myriad Souls Demon Sect formed a dark, oppressive mass, like a swarm of ants crawling out of hell.

Outside Black Heaven City, the flames of war had already spread to the trade routes, the mines, the life-or-death arenas, the Face-Changing House, the slave markets, and the Strange Artifact Street.

Some shouted for justice.

Some shouted for revenge.

Some shouted, “I can finally freeload!”

That person was promptly hacked to death by all three sides at once.

The reason was simple.

He had said out loud what everyone wanted to do but was too embarrassed to admit.

Wang Hao led Yin Jiuyou, Xue Wuhen, Han Shanyue, the New Emperor Sword, and the hidden guards through the shattered ruins of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, speeding toward the City Lord’s Residence.

The City Lord’s Residence was the true core of Black Heaven City.

The Myriad Treasures Pavilion was the face.

The City Lord’s Residence was the heart.

Old Man Heitian had lived for eight hundred years and controlled Black Heaven City for centuries, harvesting the wealth of countless holy lands, demon sects, wandering cultivators, wealthy adventurers, fugitives, and powerful experts.

The treasury of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was already astonishing.

But Wang Hao knew very well that the truly valuable things were never kept in the public treasury.

Just like a corrupt official.

His study would contain a few books on incorruptible conduct.

The gold bricks would be hidden beneath his bed.

Yin Jiuyou spoke in a low voice.

“Your Majesty, the restrictions around the City Lord’s Residence are extremely powerful.”

“As far as this subject knows, at least thirty percent of Black Heaven City’s income throughout the generations is hidden beneath the City Lord’s Residence.”

Wang Hao’s eyes brightened.

“Thirty percent?”

Han Shanyue sucked in a breath.

“The seventh floor of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion already held that much. Wouldn’t thirty percent of the City Lord’s Residence be…”

He did not finish.

Wang Hao glanced at him.

Han Shanyue immediately shut his mouth.

He understood.

They could not say it too loudly.

It might excite His Majesty too much.

The New Emperor Sword had transformed into a young man. As he flew along, he carried his sword body over one shoulder and licked the corner of his mouth.

“Master, is there any strange iron in the City Lord’s Residence?”

Wang Hao replied, “There definitely is.”

The New Emperor Sword instantly perked up.

“Then I’ll charge at the front!”

Yin Jiuyou said gloomily, “Didn’t you just say you were going to protect His Majesty?”

The New Emperor Sword answered with complete righteousness, “If I charge at the front, doesn’t that mean I’m protecting the strange iron behind Master?”

Yin Jiuyou fell silent.

He realized that, logically speaking, this sword was already beginning to approach His Majesty’s level.

That was terrifying.

Because once a sword possessed His Majesty’s brain but not His Majesty’s bottom line, it became a disaster.

Of course, whether His Majesty himself had a bottom line was also open to question.

Boom!

A black pillar of light shot into the sky from the direction of the City Lord’s Residence.

Countless ancient formation markings revolved within the pillar of light, transforming into a vast black canopy that enveloped the entire residence.

Four ancient characters appeared upon the canopy.

Intruders shall die.

Wang Hao’s footsteps slowed slightly.

Han Shanyue swallowed.

“Your Majesty, it says…”

Wang Hao replied calmly, “It’s written very well.”

“That means there really is something inside.”

The corner of Xue Wuhen’s mouth twitched.

When normal people saw the words “Intruders shall die,” their first reaction was to think of danger.

His Majesty’s first reaction was to think of treasure.

Was this the difference in realms?

The moment they approached the City Lord’s Residence, shadowy figures emerged from the darkness surrounding them.

There was not the slightest trace of life about these people.

They wore iron masks and held black blades in their hands. Ghostly green flames burned in their eyes.

Yin Jiuyou’s gaze turned solemn.

“The Black Heaven Death Guards.”

“One of Black Heaven City’s true trump cards.”

“It is said that they were once powerful experts subdued by Black Heaven City. After death, they were refined into bodies that were half-corpse and half-soul, obeying only Old Man Heitian’s commands.”

Wang Hao swept his gaze across them.

There were more than three hundred in total.

The weakest were at the Qi Force realm.

More than fifty had reached the Skyborne realm.

There were even three with the aura of Martial Gods.

Although they were only at the first level of the Martial God realm, the most troublesome thing about death guards had never been their cultivation.

It was that they feared no death.

Wang Hao sighed.

“Old Man Heitian is far too stingy.”

“It would be one thing if he refused to repay what he owes Me. But he even sent his employees to stop the creditor from coming to collect.”

Yin Jiuyou said quietly, “Your Majesty, technically speaking… we’re the ones robbing them.”

Wang Hao glanced at him.

Yin Jiuyou immediately changed his words.

“This subject means that they refused to pay taxes and are guilty of heinous crimes.”

Wang Hao nodded in satisfaction.

“Good. You’re teachable.”

The three hundred Black Heaven Death Guards did not waste words.

They raised their blades at the same time.

In an instant, black saber light merged into a vast tide.

It was silent.

Soundless.

Yet it was more chilling than any battle cry.

They were genuine killing machines.

They had no fear.

No pain.

No hesitation.

So long as their master gave the order, they would charge until their souls were scattered.

The New Emperor Sword let out an excited howl.

“Master, I’ll go first!”

It transformed into a streak of sword light and shot forward.

Its seventh-stage martial prowess erupted. The blade cleaved into the ranks of the Black Heaven Death Guards like a silver dragon gone mad.

Crack!

The first death guard was split in two, man and blade together.

The New Emperor Sword opened its mouth and inhaled.

The strange soul-fire remaining within the death guard’s body was actually drawn into it and swallowed.

The young sword spirit’s eyes lit up at once.

“It’s edible!”

Wang Hao said indifferently, “Eat slowly. Don’t choke to death.”

The New Emperor Sword did not even turn its head.

“Rest assured, Master. I’ve had a healthy appetite since I was young!”

Yin Jiuyou and the hidden guards transformed into vast patches of shadow and seeped directly into the formation of death guards.

Xue Wuhen drew his blood saber, its light slashing across the battlefield like a river of blood.

Han Shanyue roared. A phantom mountain formed behind him, and he forcibly held back a swath of black blades.

Wang Hao did not immediately make a move.

He stood before the entrance to the City Lord’s Residence, his gaze fixed upon the black canopy.

At that very moment,

the familiar system notification rang out in his mind.

[Special location detected: Core Treasury of the Black Heaven City Lord’s Residence.]

[Would you like to check in?]

The corners of Wang Hao’s mouth rose.

As expected.

Not checking in at a place like this would be an insult to the eight hundred years of effort Old Man Heitian had put into Black Heaven City.

“Check in.”

[Check-in successful.]

[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained: One Heaven-Piercing Restriction-Breaking Talisman.]

[Heaven-Piercing Restriction-Breaking Talisman: A one-use divine talisman capable of breaking through the vast majority of restrictions at or below the Martial God realm. Against restrictions at the Half-Step Transcendent level, it can tear open a gap lasting the time it takes one incense stick to burn.]

[Intelligence updated: Old Man Heitian’s true weakness is not his physical body, but the Black Heaven Life Casket hidden in the Ninth Vault beneath the City Lord’s Residence. Half a wisp of his remnant soul and his decaying origin are sealed within the casket. If the life casket is destroyed, Old Man Heitian’s cultivation will fall to the peak of the Martial God realm, and he will suffer a backlash.]

[Additional intelligence: The Ninth Vault beneath the City Lord’s Residence contains a Suppressing-Vein Black Nail. This object is related to the incomplete map of the Nine Provinces’ dragon veins and is suspected to be evidence of Black Heaven City’s involvement in the destruction of the dragon-vein pact.]

Wang Hao’s eyes changed at once.

It was not excitement.

It was the most extreme form of excitement.

The Black Heaven Life Casket.

The Suppressing-Vein Black Nail.

One could weaken Old Man Heitian.

The other could provide more ammunition for smearing his name.

What did this mean?

It meant even Heaven itself could no longer stand watching Black Heaven City refuse to pay its taxes.

Wang Hao raised his hand, and the Heaven-Piercing Restriction-Breaking Talisman fell into his palm.

The talisman paper was interwoven with gold and black, resembling an imperial decree torn from the depths of ancient time.

The four words “Intruders shall die” remained cold and imposing upon the canopy.

Wang Hao looked up at them.

“It’s written nicely.”

“But I can’t read.”

With that, he struck out with one palm.

The Heaven-Piercing Restriction-Breaking Talisman burst into flames!

Boom!

The golden and black radiance merged into a heavenly blade and came crashing down upon the canopy over the City Lord’s Manor.

The restriction, originally as steady as a mountain, twisted violently in an instant.

A crack was forcibly torn open.

Beyond it lay a long staircase of black stone leading underground.

Deep within the stairway, faint spiritual light, soul light, blood light, and eerie light intertwined.

It looked like a passage to hell.

Or perhaps a passage to the imperial treasury.

Wang Hao’s eyes gleamed.

“Let’s go.”

Yin Jiuyou said urgently, “Your Majesty, the Death Guards haven’t been dealt with yet!”

Wang Hao did not even turn his head.

“Leave them for the New Emperor Sword to eat.”

The New Emperor Sword shouted as it hacked away at its enemies, “Don’t worry, Master!”

“I definitely won’t waste a scrap of food!”

Three Martial God Death Guards moved at the same time.

One of them wielded a black spear. The spearpoint tore through the void and thrust straight toward Wang Hao’s back.

Yin Jiuyou was just about to intercept it.

Wang Hao swung his sword backward.

The Nine Swords of Creation.

First Sword—Mountain Splitter!

Boom!

The sword light struck the black spear with brutal force.

The Martial God Death Guard was sent flying dozens of yards, a deep gash appearing across its chest.

Wang Hao turned around, his expression cold.

“Dead and still showing up for work.”

“Black Heaven City really isn’t a good place.”

He took one step forward.

Second Sword—River Severance!

The sword light swept across the battlefield.

The black-spear-wielding Death Guard was cut in half at the waist.

Yet its severed upper body still lunged forward, the soul fire in its eyes burning madly.

Wang Hao raised an eyebrow.

“Dedicated, are we?”

The first palm of the Heaven-Imprisoning, Earth-Covering Palm!

Boom!

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth sank.

Second Palm!

Third Palm!

The three palms descended in succession, and the void pressed down like an iron cage.

The black-spear-wielding Death Guard was forcibly crushed into a mass of shattered bones and soul fire.

Wang Hao raised a hand, seized the soul fire, and tossed it to the New Emperor Sword.

The New Emperor Sword swallowed it in one bite, tears of emotion welling in its eyes.

“Master, you’re so good to me.”

Wang Hao said, “Consider it your wages.”

The New Emperor Sword froze.

“Huh?”

Wang Hao offered no explanation. He led the others onto the underground staircase.

Behind them, the battle outside the City Lord’s Manor continued.

Inside the manor, darkness surged like a tide.

The walls on both sides of the staircase were covered in records of Black Heaven City’s transactions throughout the ages.

Who had bought a life here.

Who had sold a soul here.

Who had exchanged their face here.

Who had devoured the corpse of a fellow disciple here.

Every single transaction had been carved into the stone walls.

This was no ledger.

It was a monument to sin.

Han Shanyue’s scalp went numb as he read it.

“If this information gets out, the holy lands and demonic sects will go insane.”

Yin Jiuyou said coldly, “They already have.”

Wang Hao, however, reached out and ran his hand over the stone wall.

“Good stuff.”

“Make rubbings of it.”

Yin Jiuyou was stunned.

“What does Your Majesty want these for?”

Wang Hao said flatly, “In the future, if anyone refuses to obey, we’ll mail them the records of their ancestors hiring killers.”

“I prefer to win people over with virtue.”

Xue Wuhen was silent for a moment.

“Your Majesty, is that what this is called—winning people over with virtue?”

Wang Hao answered seriously, “Of course.”

“It’s not as if I’m killing them outright. I’m merely reminding them that their ancestors had dirty hands.”

“That’s very gentle.”

Everyone fell silent.

They could only say that His Majesty had his own interpretation of the word “gentle.”

They continued downward.

The First Vault.

The Second Vault.

The Third Vault.

And so on.

Every vault was sealed by restrictions.

But the breach torn open by the Heaven-Breaking Talisman continued to spread. Within the time it took for one incense stick to burn, all the restrictions had been suppressed to their limits.

Wang Hao did not hesitate.

“Move it.”

The hidden guards charged into the vaults like wolves that had gone three days without food storming into a sheep pen.

Spirit stones piled up like mountains.

Pills flowed like rivers.

Jade slips containing cultivation techniques were stacked into little towers.

Fragments of eerie artifacts lay piled in a corner like garbage.

The moment the New Emperor Sword saw that heap of eerie artifact fragments, it dropped to its knees.

“Master.”

“I want to live here.”

Wang Hao said, “Have some ambition.”

“Take it all back to Great Xia. I’ll build you a cafeteria.”

The New Emperor Sword’s eyes lit up.

“Long live the Master!”

As Yin Jiuyou watched vault after vault being emptied, a strange sense of solemnity arose in his heart.

This wasn’t robbery.

This was the transportation of national destiny.

Of course, if those words were spoken aloud, the people of Black Heaven City would probably climb out of their coffins just to curse him.

Just as they reached the Sixth Vault, an ancient and furious voice suddenly rang out from the depths of the earth.

“Wang Hao!”

“How dare you touch my private treasury!”

The entire underground treasury shook violently.

Old Man Heitian had finally noticed.

High in the sky, where he was battling the Demon Lord, Old Man Heitian nearly went mad.

Cracks appeared across half of his black bones, while the flesh on the other half twisted into a hideous shape.

That was the accumulation of eight hundred years.

It was the foundation of Black Heaven City.

It was also his hope of barely clinging to life and breaking through to transcendence.

And now—

Wang Hao was moving it all away.

He wasn’t merely stealing a little.

The vault doors had been thrown open, and he was taking everything—even the floor tiles, if he could pry them up.

The Demon Lord threw a punch at him and sneered.

“Fighting while distracted?”

Old Man Heitian roared, “Get lost!”

The black staff erupted with boundless dark radiance and forcibly drove the Demon Lord back half a step.

Old Man Heitian took one step forward, preparing to rush toward the City Lord’s Manor.

Dark flames rose in the Demon Lord’s eyes.

“Trying to leave?”

“Did you ask this lord first?”

Demonic energy transformed into a gigantic hand tens of thousands of feet long and seized Old Man Heitian by the back.

Old Man Heitian spun around and struck with his staff, shattering the enormous demonic hand.

But in that brief instant—

Wang Hao had already entered the Seventh Vault.

There were no spirit stones in the Seventh Vault.

Only row upon row of sealed jade coffins.

Inside the coffins lay the bodies of powerful figures.

There were elders from holy lands.

Protectors of demonic sects.

Mighty experts of the demon races.

There were even some ancient corpses that not even Yin Jiuyou could identify.

Han Shanyue’s face turned pale.

“How many unspeakable things has Black Heaven City done?”

Wang Hao gazed at the jade coffins, his expression growing somber.

This was not wealth.

It was sin.

Black Heaven City had been able to maintain its neutrality not because it was clean.

It was because it held too much dirt on too many people.

The holy lands and demonic sects all wanted to make use of it, yet none dared to bring it down completely.

Until today.

Wang Hao had flipped the table.

Xue Wuhen said quietly, “Your Majesty, what about these corpses…”

Wang Hao was silent for a moment.

“Take those whose identities can be confirmed.”

“Take the unidentifiable ones too.”

Han Shanyue asked, “Why?”

Wang Hao replied calmly, “They may be useful in the future.”

Everyone fell silent.

Sure enough.

His Majesty’s compassion lasted only for an instant.

In the very next moment, he would start calculating the value of the corpses.

But this time, no one thought it inappropriate.

Because they all knew that every single being inside those jade coffins might be connected to a bloody case.

The crimes of Black Heaven City ran deeper than they had imagined.

The Eighth Vault.

Opened.

This was the vault of eerie artifacts.