Chapter 14: When embezzlement becomes a habit

014, When Embezzlement Becomes Habit ()
The expression of Mayor Dusty was surprised and a little bit wanting to laugh. He could see that Amon was looking for Xiao Gu's stubble, and he couldn't help wondering that the child was very brave. Amon did have a reason to find fault. Xiao Gu almost cut off one of his fingers last time, and Amon could never offend this priest, but think about it, but this child actually did it!
Amon claimed to have discovered an unexplored Tiancheng ore nucleus in a stream rushed by a flash flood. This situation is not impossible, but it is very rare. If the townspeople really picked one or two of these mine cores, they would only take them home quietly, it would not be possible to register and report them. Of course, the mined stones that were mined would of course be left behind, as long as I did n’t say who would know ?
Amon did so clearly to ask Xiao Gu to pay taxes for him. Who asked this priest to make such a promise to apologize?
Xiao Gu's face was ugly, but he couldn't say much in public. He had to ask, "Amon, you are really a lucky and honest child. Can you give me a glimpse of the stone you have mined?"
He thought that Amon had picked up at least one or two cores. When Amon took a sheepskin from his arms and opened it, everyone around him exclaimed. I saw Lord Xiao Gu's eyes turned black, and he fainted on the spot. If it wasn't for the servant's hand holding him, the back of his head would have to hit the steps!
I saw that in this dirty sheepskin, there were not only 20 colorless and transparent standard stones, but also a special stone with a faint blue luster, like a strange and mysterious water wave rippling in it.
The onlookers were speechless in surprise. At this time, the Lord Mayor was the most calm. The first time to return to God, he took a breath and asked, "Amon, this, this, these are what you picked. ? "
Amon nodded without changing the color: "Yes, it should be a flash flood of a certain year just happened to open a vein, a bunch of ore cores were exposed in the traces of dry currents, I was lucky to find."
Dusty swallowed, feeling that his lips were a bit dry, and looked around in a low voice: "Actually you can ..., do this ... to yourself ..."
He only said half of each sentence, but the meaning was too obvious. In fact, Amon can quietly leave no one to say. Doing this is forcing Xiao Xiaogu to pay taxes. It is not good for Amon himself, because Xiao Xiao will retaliate. Does Xiao Xiao's power and status be a miner? Can his son offend?
Then someone said, "Master Xiao Gu has passed out. What should I do?"
Amon also replied, "Sir, mayor, I have to pay taxes, will you not let me violate the law in public?"
The mayor of Dusty sighed and said helplessly: "Wake up Lord Xiao Gu, we all know that the taxes of the Amon family this year are paid by him!"
Here only the mayor knew why Xiao Gu fainted. If there are only 20 divine stones, Xiao Gu pays the tax of 18 divine stones, even if the heartache is like a knife cutting a meat, it will not be like this. The key lies in the blue stone. The miners in this town do not know its value. If calculated by tax, it is equivalent to two hundred standard stones.
In other words, Xiao Gu needs to pay a total of 198 taxes for Amon, and the value of one stone is equivalent to 20 baht gold coins, so the tax that Xiao Gu needs to pay is close to 4,000 baht gold coins! Such a sum of money can buy a luxurious manor plus herds of slaves and cattle and sheep in the city of Syria.
Xiao Gu was awakened by rubbing his chest. He stood firm with the help of two servants, and asked with a quivering voice, "Amon, do you really want to pay taxes?" If the eyes can kill people, Amon may have been divided into corpses.
Amon actually met this gaze without evading, and looked at Xiao Gu's eyes so provocatively, and answered calmly and clearly: "Yes, is the clerk in charge of registration and taxation, want to let me in public? Avoid taxation? "
Forced to this share, this tax has to be paid if not paid. Xiao Gu avoided Amon's eyes and said to Dustty with a pleading look and a poor tone: "Master, I accept this tax and register it as twenty-one stones."
The meaning of this statement seems to be understood only by Dusty. This is a word game. The blue divine stone is also a divine stone. But here is a secret of Xiao Gu and Dusty, which is also the best way to make money for the two noble adults in the town. In the past, when miners mined special stones, they would be ecstatic.
The townspeople do not know how valuable the special stone is, because as long as it is mined, it will be taken away, and it will not appear on the market as a circulating currency like the standard stone. I only know that this thing is rare. One of the hundreds of stones may appear. If it is mined, the mayor will be happy to give an extra stone to the craftsman.
The rest of the thing was that the mayor and the clerk were nasty. A special stone can reach 200 standard stones. According to the law, twenty stones can be left on its own, and the miner who mines it receives only one reward, and the remaining nineteen have been stolen by Dusty and Xiao Gu. This is not the most profitable situation. If a word game is made with the mayor's acquiescence, the clerks only register stones instead of special stones, then they can share the benefits equivalent to 198 stones!
But the situation is different now. The more valuable the blue stone is, the more taxes Xiao Xiao will pay for Amon. Xiao Gu was hinting that Mayor Dusty, as he had done before, should not register as the blue water heart. He even winked at the mayor, hoping to cover up the value of Youlan Shuixin, and cheated it from Amon with the reward of ordinary stone, so that he would not only lose money but also make a fortune.
The mayor of Dusty hesitated, coughing and about to speak. Unexpectedly, Amon exclaimed: "Master Priest, sorry, don't forget that I am also literate! Please register truthfully, twenty standard stones and one blue stone, I can understand."
This sentence was like the invisible miner's sledgehammer struck, Xiao Gu's body suddenly trembled, and then leaned softly on the servant's shoulder, dared not look at Amon but only looked at Dusty. Dusty's face also became unsightly, Shen Sheng said to Amon: "Tax matters will be left to adults to deal with. In short, it will not let you pay taxes. Also, your faint blue-blue The of color, can you give it to me, this town will give you a special reward. "
Amon asked in return: "If the tax has been paid in full, then all the stones can remain in my hands, right?"
Dusty's throat was a little dry, and he groaned, "If the special stone is turned in, it will give you extra rewards. For you, there is nothing to lose ..."
Before he finished speaking, Amon felt that a hand was resting on his shoulder, and he heard the old lunatic's voice calmly and said, "Master, I often see a kind of thing, someone has possession of this Things that should n’t belong to you have formed habits over time, but have forgotten those that are not his. If one day you do n’t get something that does n’t belong to him, he will feel that the real master should not own it, what do you say it is people?"
Amon looked at Xiao Gu's pitiful look and begged the mayor. For some reason, there was an unknown anger rising, almost unable to suppress it, and he wanted to take the first two steps and punch him with flowers. This idea stimulated Amon's body. It's almost shaking. The old lunatic happened to happen at this time. He pressed his hand on Amon's shoulder, and there was an invisible force that kept him from moving.
The mayor of Dusty stopped talking, but the old lunatic continued to say, "This is the devil! Desire is not necessarily sin, it can encourage people to create and pursue more beautiful things .... But I want to say A story, someone once stole a gold coin from me every day and no one held it. Later, I kindly told him that this was not good, but he was full of hatred and curses in his heart, asking me to encourage and praise him to continue this behavior. Otherwise, it will be my evil deed, but I completely forget that he has got so much with me .... Who do you say?
The mayor of Dusty was sweating coldly with the eyes of the old lunatic. He stepped back unconsciously and turned to Xiao Gu: "Secretary, Amon's request is normal and legal. Since he knew the word, he Let him watch you register, write twenty standard stones and one blue stone, and pay the taxes on your behalf. "
As soon as this word came out, I saw Lord Xiao Gu's eyes turning white, his body straightened, a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth, and then he fell into the servant's arms. The servants panicked him into the temple for first aid. Most people still don't understand what happened. It seems that Lord Xiao Gu is ill and is very ill.
The old lunatic watched Xiao Gu coldly and was carried into the temple, and then said to Dusty: "The clerk is unwell and can't keep working, the Lord Mayor will register in person."
Dusty wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded: "Okay, I'll register, you can take this child away!"
Amon had an uncontrollable emotion, full of violent impulse, but seeing Xiao Gu vomiting blood and syncope, he was heavier than himself with a punch, as if he was inexplicably calm, suddenly felt that this noble priest was like A humble poor worm. At this moment, the old lunatic put a hand on his shoulder a little harder, Amon involuntarily turned a half circle and followed him away.
...
"Child, Xiao Gu deserves it, but are you suffering from your own suffering and understand this two-sided desire? Learning how to face it is like learning how to use power .... What you are doing today is very Dangerous, not calm enough. If you do not learn how to deal with this test, I will not see your achievements in the future, I am afraid I will see your body soon. "
This is at the old lunatic's house. Nietzsche talked and drank, but did not pour Amon.
Amon asked: "Do you mean Xiao Gu will avenge me?"
The old lunatic smiled: "Nonsense, you know the consequences! Of course, he even kills your mind ... Do you really know the value of Youlan Shuixin?"
Amon: "Unclear, you didn't tell me, I think it should be very valuable, right?"
Old lunatic: "The people in Duke have a different concept of money than outside. A blue water heart is worth 200 stones, which is equivalent to 4,000 baht gold coins, and it is not something you can buy. Such a The money can cause a conflict no matter where it is, not to mention only in the hands of a child like you. It is still safe in Duke, at least with me, but only when you are alone? "
Amon lowered his head and said, "You seem to know what I will do, but I haven't stopped."
The old lunatic shook his head: "Persuasion is useless. I can stop you, but I cannot replace your desire to rise. After this, you should understand how to master it, face it soberly, and even enjoy it. , But you cannot let it influence your thinking, words and deeds .... Moreover, I would like to see you pack Xiao Gu, he deserves it, but you have to pay attention to yourself. "
Amon nodded and said, "I think I understand."
The old lunatic stood up: "It ’s good to understand. Now you can learn the most basic first-level magic. There are many types of magic, including elemental magic, spiritual magic, blessing magic, space magic, and information god. It ’s difficult for a magician to master all types of divine magic, and often they are good at it. I do n’t know what you are good at. Since you have the blue water heart, start with water elemental magic.

Divine magic was so mysterious and profound in Amon's mind, but the old lunatic told him that it was very simple to reach the standard of a magician, that is, a piece of ice!
Summoning the water contained in the environment, condensing into ice, and quietly laying a layer of ice on the surrounding ground, is successful. Amon didn't know that these already meant three types of water magic. Although they are all first-level magic, the skill of this combination is quite simple and should be completed in silence at the same time.
The old lunatic didn't tell him how difficult this was for a new wizard, only that this was the easiest start.
Condensation into ice is very easy. According to the method taught by the old lunatic, Amon did it for the first time. The water elements in the environment were summoned to form countless tiny ice crystals that gradually covered the ground. It was a bit difficult to do, but it succeeded a few days later. The old lunatic smiled and said to Amon: "You can practice repeatedly, but when you practice yourself, don't use the blue water heart again."
When Amon did not use Youlan Shuixin as an intermediary to perform divine magic, he found that using the same divine magic was more than ten times more difficult. It is said that the old lunatic should give him a staff, but the old man seems to have forgotten it intentionally or unintentionally, and actually asked Amon to use his own magical power to perform without any utensils.
Amon can't do it. In fact, many low-level magicians can't do this, including the third-level magician. Anyhow, there is a staff inlaid with ordinary stones! But Amon already knew very well how to do it, and he had mastered the skills. He has succeeded many times through Youlan Shuixin, so he does n’t doubt that his method is wrong, just that his strength has not been reached, and there are no doubts or depression , Practice well!
Only then did the old lunatic explain to Amon the special features of Youlan Shuixin and how to use it. The blue water heart not only helps to awaken the power, but also can greatly assist the casting of water elemental magic. If Amon was allowed to perform such a divine skill in the first place by his own power, he would not be able to succeed. Using the blue water heart is a tricky way.
But there is a principle of coincidence, which can only be used in two occasions: the first is to better master a certain magic, to understand its methods and techniques in the most thorough way; the second is when fighting life and death, not May retain any power. However, after mastering a certain kind of divine skill, try not to use it in your daily practice, or you will become dependent and complacent, which is not good for your own strength.
As the old lunatic said, Amon did just that. He could not do it without the help of Youlan Shuixin, but he was not in a hurry. Amon also kept an eye on it, and after a period of time, he quietly tried it again with the blue water heart to see how much his strength had increased? He was very satisfied with the results, the ice was condensing faster and wider, and the range was getting wider.
Of course, the old lunatic knew that Amon wanted to pour the ice on his own strength, and it was too difficult to complete it silently. If it could be done simply, he would be surprised. There is a limit to what kind of genius !! Other than that, the old lunatic didn't teach anything else, not even Amun body surgery.
Until one day, Amon spent an afternoon quietly condensing a layer of almost imperceptible ice on the threshold of the old lunatic's house, wanting to watch the old lunatic fall and help him by hiding. But when the old lunatic came home, the ice disappeared inexplicably, but Amon behind the door slipped and fell on his back.
At this time, the old lunatic said to him, "Child, you are already a first-level magician. Such a short period of time is certainly a great achievement for others, but for you, I only hope that time can It's too late .... Because disasters are coming soon, by then you need to be able to protect yourself and learn how to protect yourself. "
Amon asked curiously, "What disaster?"
The old lunatic was unwilling to say more, but just asked: "Do you still go to Hanquan to practice divinity every night?"
Amon nodded. "Yes, I'm used to it."
That cold spring is no longer cold and bitter, it is just a cool water pond, but Amon is used to calling it a cold spring, and he is also used to go there every day to bathe and practice magic. The place was hidden, the environment was peaceful, and Amon felt familiar and kind.
The old lunatic didn't say anything, just nodded and said, "Okay, you go on."
Amon didn't know why the old lunatic said disaster would come, but that night, Amon really encountered a catastrophic event.