Chapter 491: Blood Tax
Perhaps this was the most farcical alliance in history. Two individuals, having known each other for barely a day and a night, actually began to casually discuss the grand task of ruling the world.
"Hua Ling?"
Upon hearing that name, Bai Mo recalled Hua Qing, who had followed the Human Federation to the Moon, and Hua Taishan, for whom a cenotaph was erected in the Hua-Ya Federation Heroes Memorial Cemetery. Yet, he found that his memories related to them seemed to have faded due to the influence of Daoization, as if many years had passed.
Given Bai Mo's mental capacity, recalling such matters should have required no effort whatsoever. Instead, it had actually taken a full half-second for him to remember.
The world's assimilation force tirelessly, washing and re-washing his memories over and over, causing all parts related to Bai Mo's personality to slowly fade, leaving only the knowledge-based elements.
"Bai Wu Sheng?" Lu Yuesheng called out, slightly raising her voice, seeing Bai Mo suddenly lost in thought.
"It's nothing. Please continue talking about the Bloodline Houses. I haven't been out of seclusion for a long time and am not very clear on the current situation," Bai Mo said, playing into his role.
"It is now the 380th year of the Great Wei Dynasty. The Wei Dynasty is controlled by four upper-rank Bloodline Houses. Below them are seven mid-tier Bloodline Houses and sixteen third-rate Bloodline Houses.
Aside from these, unaffiliated Bloodline Houses sometimes emerge in the wilderness. They possess power comparable to the Bloodline Houses on the imperial court, but due to conflicts of interest, the Wei Dynasty's Bloodline House Council has not included them.
Though she knew there must be some story behind Bai Mo's momentary daze, she chose to selectively ignore it and continued her explanation.
"Every Bloodline House carries its own unique bloodline abilities. It is rumored that these abilities are granted through sacrificing to something called an 'Origin Seed'..."
"Have you seen a true Origin Seed?" Bai Mo suddenly asked when she reached this point.
Now Lu Yuesheng felt even stranger. She had originally thought he had merely been in seclusion for too long and wished to understand the current situation, but from Bai Mo's string of basic questions, it seemed he truly didn't understand much about the world's cultivation system.
"But if he doesn't even know these things, how did he gain his power?
Twilight Fire clearly told me this morning that he is absolutely no less powerful than Nanxuan Li, who created it... Could it be that some peerless master, on their deathbed, passed their lifelong cultivation onto him?"
The more she thought, the more she felt Bai Mo was out of place. Yet, her protective sword consistently maintained that he held no ill will towards her and could be considered a reliable ally, which made her attitude somewhat contradictory.
"The Origin Seed is the highest secret of a Bloodline House. How could an outsider like me ever see it!
As for wild Origin Seeds... they appear randomly in the wilderness. Each appearance triggers a great battle for supremacy among the Bloodline Houses, because just one Origin Seed is enough to give birth to a new Bloodline House."
Lu Yuesheng was quite familiar with the affairs of the Bloodline Houses.
"Those blood-patterned blades, perhaps they were sacrifices for a certain Origin Seed?" Bai Mo recalled the black-clad men of the Changle Cult; his original body's family had died at their hands.
"Approximately every ten years, new Origin Seeds emerge, followed by another storm of bloodshed and strife.
However, these matters have little to do with ordinary people. They are quite protective of their livestock and choose to wage war in places far from human habitation." As she said this, she emphasized the word "livestock" through gritted teeth.
"Livestock?"
"My apologies, I didn't mean to offend you, Wusheng." Only after finishing her previous statement did she remember that the man before her should also be a member of a Bloodline House. "It's just that their actions are truly unbearable for me..."
She didn't know why, but whenever she looked at Bai Mo, she always felt a strange sense of familiarity, often unconsciously speaking her true thoughts.
As a transmigrator, she was well aware that such a situation was dangerous. Her identity and origins had always been her greatest secret, one she had never revealed a single bit of, even to her closest companions.
"It's nothing," Bai Mo gestured, prompting her to continue.
"The sacrifices required by Origin Seeds are varied and diverse, but most cannot escape the hurdle of blood sacrifice. Compared to the ferocious man-eating monsters in the wilderness, the Bloodline Houses are actually just a bunch of demons and monsters disguised in human skin."
"For instance, the Sikong Family active in these two prefectures. Their two dogs, the Changle Cult and the Henli Cult, love to go around slaughtering to feed the blood-patterned blades.
It is said that as long as forty-nine blood-patterned blades are sacrificed every ten years, the Origin Seed will continue to grant power to the Sikong Family."
"So the Bloodline Houses levy a 'Blood Tax,' sacrificing a small portion of people in exchange for the survival of others." After listening to Lu Yuesheng's account of history, Bai Mo confirmed his previous conjecture about the blood-patterned blades.
From the perspective of species continuation, such a practice was unexceptionable.
Initially, the ancient human race, precariously existing amidst demons and evil, indeed relied on these bloodline users to lay the foundation for their existence and establish human civilization.
However, as time passed, the bloodline users, who had gradually established the Bloodline House hierarchy bound by blood ties, came to believe they should forever stand at the apex. Thus, they collaborated to solidify this system.
Due to the long-term threat of fiends and specters from all directions, ordinary people's reliance on bloodline users only increased. They found it difficult to harbor much rebellious sentiment, and the "Blood Tax" continued to the present day.
However, Miss Lu, whose mind was filled with concepts of modern civilization, was clearly extremely repulsed by this backward and barbaric system.
After learning the truth of the world from Twilight Fire, she gradually conceived the idea of saving all living beings...
"Hua Ling, what was that gunpowder you mentioned yesterday?" Bai Mo changed the subject, continuing his act.
"Something capable of changing the world."
"Including the Bloodline Houses?"
"Yes," she nodded with full confidence.
Then Lu Yuesheng waved her hand towards the inner courtyard, calling over a sturdy man with piercing eyes, and whispered a few words into his ear.
Upon receiving his mistress's command, the brawny man methodically directed the private guards who were training in the drill grounds.
These men were core members loyal only to the Lu Family, all orphans with blood feuds against demons and monsters. After years of indoctrination, whenever they heard of a demon-slaying and evil-exterminating mission, they would execute it without hesitation.
Hiss, hiss, hiss...
A soundproof curtain was slowly drawn up, and two teams began setting up a live-fire testing ground.
Dozens of heavy targets were moved to the center of the grounds, and piles of distinctively shaped firearms were transported to the edge of the testing ground, awaiting the upcoming test.
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