Toll-Gate Overseer Lord Wuji planted his boots wide in front of the iron gate and shook his golden collection alms-bowl with both hands.
Inside the bowl, a few stray Origin Dao Crystals rattled with a loud metallic clatter.
“Did you hear yourself just now, lower-realm boy?” Lord Wuji barked, his greedy eyes glued to the glowing Taichu Cosmic POS Terminal on the parapet. “One hundred million Chaos Origin Units! Since you love tipping gatekeepers so much, pay your Overseer one hundred million units in administrative gratitude right now, or nobody crosses this bridge into the First Supreme Heaven!”
Behind him, three thousand armored tax-halberdiers stood in tight ranks across the stone span.
At the front of the first company, Deputy Garrison Captain Meng shifted his grip on his halberd shaft. A faint frown creased his weathered brow.
For the past three hundred years, Wuji had told the bridge garrison that the Heavenly Plunder Bank had cut their hazard pensions due to “budget deficits.” Yet five minutes ago, Star-Weaver Mu Lan’s sky-spreadsheet had shown the Central Heaven Treasury sending full maintenance grants every single century.
“My Lord Overseer,” Captain Meng said in a low voice. “That terminal is connected to their flagship array. Perhaps we should verify—”
