In an era where everyone is cultivating immortality, the system wants me to become a demon?

Chapter 380 Poor Miss Lin, taking Su Yuan's actions for granted! (3K views, please subscribe!)

Based on Captain Zhang's understanding of Su Yuan, if this kid says he has a way, then he probably really does.

His so-called method is somewhat abstract.

Hopefully, the landlords and powerful families in Longcheng County won't be ripped off too badly by Su Yuan.

Then, Captain Zhang gave an approximate time when Chen Nuoyi would arrive at the Guanlu.

Because this operation is not particularly urgent, a conventional teleportation method is being used, and it will take Chen Nuoyi about three days to arrive.

With a timeline in mind, Su Yuan was able to make arrangements for the Holy Church's Blood Sacrifice Array in advance.

After all, the Heavenly Law World prides itself on being a righteous world. If a demonic array stands in the county government office for too long, it risks being discovered and labeled as a demonic entity, facing a worldwide manhunt.

After ending the communication, Su Yuan put away the communication headset and removed the lock on the room.

After putting on his official robes and hat, he left the county magistrate's residence and went to the county government office.

His deputy Ying Ding, County Lieutenant Qi Junxiang, Registrar Liu, and other officials were all working diligently. Upon seeing Su Yuan appear, they quickly put down their work and bowed.

"Junxiang, come here for a second."

Su Yuanchao, the newly appointed county magistrate with a heroic appearance, waved to him.

Qi Junxiang hurried over and asked respectfully:

"Your Excellency, what are your orders?"

"Go and make a trip to the Lin family and bring me the person in charge of the Lin family. I have something to say to them."

"Yes."

Qi Junxiang nodded without hesitation and quickly left the county government office.

The officials who overheard this conversation pretended not to hear anything, but their expressions unconsciously became more serious.

They keenly sensed that Magistrate Su was about to make another big move.

Collecting taxes?

Hopefully, it really is just a tax.

A quarter of an hour later, Su Yuan sat upright in the main seat of the courtroom and saw Qi Junxiang leading Lin Yanluo in quickly.

"Where's your father?"

Su Yuan looked at Lin Yanluo and asked with a frown.

Lin Yanluo dared not delay and hurriedly knelt on the ground, saying:
"In reply to Your Excellency, my father has been feeling unwell since receiving Transport Commissioner Fan last time, and he is currently in seclusion to recuperate. Please forgive him."

"So, are you now in charge of the Lin family's affairs?"

Su Yuan asked calmly.

Lin Yanluo nodded affirmatively.

Su Yuan said no more, and casually pointed to a jade slip that had just been written and was spread out on the table:
"Since you're in charge, come over and sign the document."

Signing and sealing?

Lin Yanluo's delicate body trembled as if in response to a shock, and she raised her head in fear.

Is this Magistrate Su finally going to use fabricated charges to target the Lin family?
But thinking of the other party's formidable reputation from a while ago, Lin Yanluo dared not resist. She could only timidly approach Su Yuan and stare intently at the still-wet ink on the jade slip.

As someone in charge of the Lin family's business, she immediately recognized it as a tax contract.

Is it just about making the Lin family pay taxes?
Lin Yanluo felt a slight sense of relief, but after seeing the specific tax amount written on the contract, her heart, which had not yet been completely at ease, clenched tightly once again.

"Nine...ninety-four percent?"

She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, looking at the number over and over again, still feeling like she was dreaming.

"Lord Su, this tax amount seems to be incorrect..."

Lin Yanluo said cautiously.

Su Yuan chuckled and said:

"You didn't miswrite it, it's 94%... and this tax amount doesn't just refer to commercial tax."

"Instead, it is a personal income tax levied on every high-income member of the Lin family whose annual income exceeds 10,000 spirit coins."

"As for those whose annual income is less than 10,000 spirit coins, such as those with an annual income of 5,000 or 8,000 or more, they will also be subject to 80% or 90% or more of the tax."

"Don't even think about tax evasion. Anyone who dares to evade taxes is fighting against me and the entire court."

After hearing Su Yuan finish speaking in such a nonchalant tone, Lin Yanluo felt dizzy and couldn't even stand up straight.

That's 94% of the tax! And it's precisely targeted at every member of the Lin family, so there's no way to escape it!
Let alone Lin Yanluo being merely a figurehead pushed out by the Lin family, even her own father wouldn't dare sign it.

Who would dare accept such heavy accusations as betraying their country and disgracing their clan, or being the leader of a clan destined for extinction?
Qi Junxiang, who was standing to the side, was completely stunned when he heard the contents of the contract.

This is a blatant display of force by our own county magistrate!

Didn't we agree that the common people would receive 30% of the profits, while the landlords would receive theirs back in full?
As a result, County Magistrate Su shifted all the taxes that should have been collected from the people onto the landlords and powerful families.

The landlords must not rebel.

"I can't sign."

Lin Yanluo took a deep breath, suppressing the dizziness in her heart, and shook her head vigorously, saying:
"County Magistrate, even if you drag me to the execution platform right now and behead me, I still won't sign!"

This alluring and seductive socialite now wore a tragic expression, as if she were ready to sacrifice herself for the greater good of her family at any moment:
"If my life can be exchanged for the peace of my entire Lin family, then I'd rather not have this worthless life of mine!"

After his righteous and stern words, Su Yuan appeared to be a villain who oppressed the kind-hearted.

"Thank goodness the 'Environmental Destroyer' mission was completed, otherwise the damn system would have popped up and started nagging."

Su Yuan muttered a complaint inwardly, but calmly said, "Miss Lin, I think your father probably didn't teach you a basic fact: landlords and powerful families should pay 94% of the taxes."

Common sense my ass.

Lin Yanlu cursed inwardly and said coldly:

"County Magistrate Su is too kind. This young lady has never heard of such a thing as 'common'..."

Lin Yanluo suddenly stopped speaking halfway through her sentence.

Standing beside Su Yuan, Qi Junxiang could clearly see that Lin Yanluo's bright and beautiful eyes became dull and lifeless at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Just a few breaths later, she suddenly smiled sweetly, picked up the brush, and signed and sealed her name without hesitation.

As she wrote, she said to Su Yuan shyly:
"County Chief Su, look at my memory! I could have forgotten such important common sense. I deserve to be punished!"

As she spoke, she quickly pressed her fingerprint onto her name and then earnestly said:

"County Magistrate, I will go back and prepare the unpaid personal income tax for the entire Lin family this year. It will be delivered to your residence within seven days at the latest."

"Well, let's go."

Su Yuan waved his hand casually.
"Your Excellency, what... what just happened?"

Qi Junxiang watched Lin Yanluo leave the county government office with light steps, swallowed hard, and asked in a dry voice.

"I simply used some standard rhetoric that officials use when persuading the public, which reminded Miss Lin of a little common sense. Is there a problem with that?"

Su Yuan turned to look at Qi Junxiang. Her eyes, which should have been friendly, now held a chilling quality that Qi Junxiang found unfamiliar.

It was an uncontrollable demonic nature, as if this was the true nature of the county magistrate!
For a moment, Qi Junxiang felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"No... no problem."

He shook his head subconsciously.

The next second, the chilling feeling vanished abruptly, as if everything he had experienced before was just an illusion.

Unbeknownst to him, Qi Junxiang's back was already soaked with cold sweat. The sweat drenched the back of his green official robe, giving the garment a deep, striking color.

He had a premonition that if he had dared to speak recklessly just now, some of his common sense would have changed without anyone noticing.

Just like Lin Yanluo.

"Your Excellency, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave now."

Qi Junxiang dared not wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, and tried his best to keep his expression calm as he respectfully spoke.

"No rush. Go and invite the heads of the other three major families in the city, as well as some powerful local figures and township landlords who are second only to the four major families."

"After you've invited this group of people, go outside the city and invite the heads of the six major sects as well. I want to talk to them one by one and discuss the tax revenue issue of Longcheng County."

Su Yuan spoke with a relaxed expression, as if discussing what to eat for dinner.

Qi Junxiang opened his mouth, but could only silently utter the words "Yes, sir."

He had already foreseen that all the powerful figures in Longcheng County would become puppets manipulated by County Magistrate Su.

However… thinking back on what he had seen and heard about the evil deeds committed by local powerful families during his first month in office, Qi Junxiang felt a strange sense of pleasure and a dangerous ecstasy that he shouldn’t have had.

Only by collecting more than 94% of the taxes can the crimes committed by the landlords and powerful families be repaid to some extent!
With this thought in mind, Qi Junxiang's fear and resistance greatly diminished.

He wasn't sure if this was his own thought or if County Chief Su had secretly altered his common sense.

In fact, Su Yuan did not change Qi Junxiang's common sense.

Because once the taxes from the four major families, the six major sects, and various other families arrive, they will inevitably be known to everyone in the county government, so there's no point in trying to brainwash just one person.

Unless the common sense of everyone in the county government is changed.

However, the Demonic Technique - Finger Technique (Level 3) can only affect one hundred people at a time. Once the number exceeds one hundred, the first person whose common sense has been altered will break free from control and regain consciousness.

These one hundred slots are barely enough to cover the major landlords and powerful figures, let alone their cronies.

It would be more practical to just give them a huge bonus afterward, enough to build a bed.

"Yes, ever since I came to Longcheng County, I have always done things that are righteous."

Su Yuan reviewed his actions since taking office and felt a great sense of accomplishment.

……

Inside the Lin family compound, Lin Yonghua sat upright in the ancestral hall, waiting nervously for his daughter's return.

The claim that he was in seclusion due to illness was, of course, false. He was simply afraid to face County Chief Su directly, fearing that he would be slapped in the face again like last time.

"Alas, Su Youlin has gone too far in bullying the Lin family. I just hope he didn't make any excessive demands this time."

Lin Yonghua sighed inwardly.

Just then, a clear sound of footsteps came from outside the ancestral hall.

Lin Yonghua's spirits lifted; his beloved daughter had returned.

Sure enough, the next second, Lin Yanluo rushed into the ancestral hall like a gust of wind, her expression showing some urgency.

"You're back? Then Su Youlin didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Lin Yonghua asked with concern.

Then, Lin Yanluo frowned and said:
"Dad, how can you address the county magistrate like that? It's disrespectful!"

Lin Yonghua: "???"

Lin Yanluo: "I'm too lazy to talk to you anymore, Lao Deng, hurry up and give me the vault key! I need to withdraw money!"

(End of this chapter)