268: Chapter 66: The Accounts Must Be Clearly Registered 268: Chapter 66: The Accounts Must Be Clearly Registered The “fungal mat” of the dead reached the edge of the inner city wall.
From such a distance, Wang Yunxiao couldn’t see clearly what means the defending army on the wall used; anyway, this definitely wasn’t the first time they had faced this situation, and theoretically, they should have been prepared long ago.
As he expected, there was a lot of commotion over there.
The clanging and banging were incessant, but the towering inner city palace walls were never breached.
Until the sky gradually lightened.
This night had finally passed.
With the lights extinguished, the streets also gradually quieted down.
Within the “T” shaped quarantine zone that Wang Yunxiao had created, the dead who had filled every dark courtyard just disappeared without a trace.
It was as if they had only experienced a nightmare, and now the dream was finally over.
After switching back and forth battling monsters through the night, aside from dealing with that rebel army, Wang Yunxiao barely broke a sweat and farmed over two hundred gold beans.
Put together, they weighed about four or five jin.
If one could bring them back to the Real World, it might have been possible for everyone to become rich overnight.
The gold beans looted from those rebels were of even higher quality, actually bearing a trace of crimson.
The rebel leader even dropped a red gold bar as thick as a finger.
But unfortunately, after confirmation by Little Gourd, none of that gold could be taken out.
By now, Wang Yunxiao could also basically deduce several new rules of the Outer Dimension.
Demons and evil spirits…
or simply referred to as monsters, indeed drop loot, but not everything that can move counts as a monster.
For instance, the second ghost story of Qinghe Middle School—Jiang Yinyin’s beastly parents—many students had never seen this couple in person, but rather formed a stereotypical image in their minds based on others’ descriptions.
They weren’t like Zhou Qing, who was an actual fierce ghost, so they dropped nothing.
Then take, for example, this world’s so-called “Thousand-Year Dynasty” and “Great Wilderness Nomads” opposing factions.
If ignoring the notebook, Wang Yunxiao wouldn’t even know these two factions existed.
Truth be told, the dynasty didn’t seem like a dynasty, and the nomads didn’t seem like nomads.
Instead of feeling like a faction war, it felt more like playing house, or more seriously, like performing in a stage play.
The notebook’s classification of undead was very vague, only showing Grade I and Grade II.
In Wang Yunxiao’s view, it should be about whether they had Spirit Intelligence or not, rather than a division of strength.
Otherwise, the disparity between the strength of that rebel leader and the clamorous ghost shadows was just too great.
Grade I undead, even if they were in the opposing camp, were pure cannon fodder, human fungal mats, with no use other than extinguishing fires.
Of course, if you were dim-witted and didn’t notice this detail, and charged at them head-on, that’d be your own problem.
They didn’t count as “monsters”, at most they were a type of map resource.
Starting from Grade II undead, killing them could net “taxes” in the form of gold beans, and the amount of gold varied with their differing strengths.
These taxes seemed to be a game mechanic, they looked like gold, but were actually more akin to the Honor Points in PVP games.
The only items that Little Gourd could actually record and take away were the armor and corpses of the rebels, and the Splendid Peacock Feather left behind by that ugly Taoist at the scene.
Clearly, these rebels must have been enhanced by a mysterious force from some Outer Dimension or the Real World.
To put it in more academic terms, they had been contaminated.
The corruption of knowledge and the erosion of echo gave birth to the indescribable beings known as demons and evil spirits.
“Hand over all the collected gold to Youtiao!”
Wang Yunxiao, of course, wasn’t speaking to his own brothers, but to Gao Shan and his company.
The recently awakened Gao Shan looked terrible.
In fact, his complexion had been bad ever since they entered the Outer Dimension.
He turned to his subordinates, some of whom instinctively shied away from his gaze.
“Hand it all over!”
“Captain…”
“Do it now!
You think you can take it back with you?”
Gao Shan just felt weary.
His subordinates, these police officers, weren’t usually like this.
They were excellent candidates selected through multiple layers of the police force.
But under the invisible spiritual pressure of the Outer Dimension, the dark side hidden in people’s hearts could rapidly expand out of control before one even realized it.
People, in their dreams, cannot control their own thoughts and emotions.
Without wasting words, Gao Shan searched each person and found seven more gold beans, which he brought to Youtiao.
At that moment, Shi Hu also arrived at the gate with his subordinates.
Wang Yunxiao and Youtiao promptly went up to greet him, bowing with clasped fists.
After one night, Lord Shi Hu’s smile appeared much more gentle and warm, probably because he had seen their heroic fighting from the rear and, after confirming their allegiance, his esteem for them swiftly rose from indifferent to friendly.
“We are brothers serving the Heavenly Family; no need for such courtesies,” Shi Hu said with a laugh, helping Wang Yunxiao to his feet and then asking seriously, “May I know if you had any achievements last night?”
Wang Yunxiao gave Youtiao a look, and Youtiao, feeling out the situation, took a fistful of gold beans from his pocket and asked, “We did have some achievements, but since it’s our first time here, we are unsure of the proper protocol?”
Shi Hu’s expression changed, and he spoke earnestly, “These are proofs of your valiant struggle against the enemy.
The Emperor’s grace is vast, and merit shall be rewarded!
Come, let’s get these achievements registered for the brothers, and make sure not a single one is missed.
It may be overlooked elsewhere, but under my command, all accounts must be clear and precise!”
A Brocade-Clothed Guard behind him nodded, took the gold beans from Youtiao, and poured them into a bamboo measuring device he carried.
This bamboo container was about the length of a hand, and from the markings on it, one could tell that a full container held fifteen beans.
“Fifteen, thirty, forty-five…
fifty-five!
Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, a total of fifty-five taxes collected!”
After measuring all the gold beans in front of Youtiao, the Brocade-Clothed Guard immediately turned to report loudly.
“Fifty-five gold for the first time?”
Shi Hu looked surprised and inspected Wang Yunxiao thoroughly, “I didn’t expect the young brother to be so talented; perhaps I underestimated you.
How do you plan to distribute these military achievements?
Do you wish to advance in rank or exchange them for some practical items?”
Wang Yunxiao took Shi Hu’s hand and sought advice humbly, “My brothers and I come from humble beginnings and lack experience, so we would like to ask for the Commander-in-Chief’s guidance.”
Feeling the substantial round object in his palm, Shi Hu kept a straight face as he withdrew his hand, nodding and laughing heartily, “Well then, since I love mentoring newcomers and you brothers seem honest and loyal, I will explain the intricacies to you.”