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For example, powerful Insect Masters or Beast Tamers, who may only be in the Innate Realm themselves, but have extremely formidable pets that can contend with the strong in the Spirit Qi Realm.

After accumulating merit, these individuals are also qualified to be conferred the title of a first-class noble.

Top-tier pill masters and plantation masters, if their cultivation is insufficient, would at most be made second-class nobles.

In any faction, even in the Nine Insect Gang, strength is revered above all else.

When the Black Tiger Gang confers the title of a first-class noble, it values not only strength but also merit. Because based on merit, one can measure a person’s contribution to the gang and loyalty.

Strictly speaking, Qin Niu certainly does not meet these two conditions.

The Black Tiger Gang Leader likely sees him as a talent and wants to win over his heart by bestowing grace.

This, coupled with the current urgent need to bolster morale, is why they need to set a few examples.

Qin Niu stumbled into making a great contribution, with strength that was also barely passable, and he himself was particularly young with limitless potential for growth.

And he had no interest in an official career.

He probably wouldn’t accept a government appointment,

So he was directly made a first-class noble instead.

“Thank you, Gang Leader, for your great favor. Qin Niu will surely be deeply engrained with gratitude and seek opportunities to continue making contributions to the Black Tiger Gang.”

Qin Niu bowed as he received the conferment document.

“Haha, well done, well done. The Gang Leader indeed was not mistaken about you.”

Lord Lu rarely showed a smile.

“As a first-class noble, there are less than a thousand conferees thus far in our gang, and of those alive today, just over two hundred people. With this status, all your lands are exempt from taxation, your descendants and family members exempt from conscription. There is no need to salute an official, and only the City Lord’s Mansion may judge you in the case of offenses. If participating in a trial, you may be offered a seat…”

The various privileges of a first-class noble were enough to make countless people envious.

Not to mention anything else, just the exemption of all lands from taxation and exemption from conscription for the family and individual themselves was a super privilege.

The land tax, which could be as little as ten percent or as much as thirty percent, was a heavy, long-term burden for many landlords and farmers.

Even a local influential family like the Yan Family had to pay their taxes honestly.

“The hundred mu of fertile land conferred upon you all belong to the public fields of the City Lord’s Mansion. Here is the land deed, specially selected to be the public fields nearest to Shuangfeng Village.”

Other than personal ownership, the remaining land all belonged to the wealth of the City Lord’s Mansion.

It could also be called public property.

However, the City Lord’s Mansion would not directly cultivate the land but rather rent it out, and then collect rent.

This was an important source of income for the City Lord’s Mansion.

Now comes the question: with the City Lord’s Mansion often needing to confer land to meritorious subjects, and having only so much land to begin with, could it run out?

In reality, it would not.

Besides some landlords and farmers who could be confiscated of their property for breaking the law, the City Lord’s Mansion also had a dedicated department for business affairs. When the land prices were low, the City Lord’s Mansion might buy a large amount of land from the people.

A hundred mu of fertile land was already a lot.

Counting one mu of fertile land as eleven taels of silver, that was a total of one thousand one hundred taels of silver.

Add on the deed tax, and the total price exceeded one thousand three hundred taels of silver.

An ordinary person, owning a hundred mu of fertile land, could directly become a landlord.

Up until now, Qin Niu had only one mu of inferior land.

Now he had received the conferment of a hundred mu of fertile land, which was indeed an honor for his ancestors.

“Thank you, Lord of the City, thank you, Lord Lu!”

Qin Niu took the land deed with both hands, his heart surging with emotion.

If only Old Man Liu were still alive.

Such a large amount of land would have been enough to make Old Man Liu grin from ear to ear.

“Right now, our Black Tiger Gang is still at war with the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect, and the outcome of the battle is uncertain. You should diligently cultivate, strive to enhance your strength, and try to contribute more when it’s necessary. Protecting one’s family and country is also the obligation and responsibility of every subject.”

Lord Lu admonished.

“This humble one will certainly keep Lord Lu’s teachings in mind.”

“You are now a first-class noble, ranking at the same level as Lu. There’s no need to belittle yourself any longer.”

Lord Lu said with a smile, offering a reminder.

“This junior will slowly adapt.”

Qin Niu immediately changed his way of speaking and no longer referred to himself as “this lowly one.”

Lord Lu looked towards Young Master Fang.

“We should set off and continue the pursuit of Elder Jiu Yin and the rest of the scoundrels, let’s depart!”

They obviously didn’t know about the demise of Elder Jiu Yin at the hands of Qin Niu.

Qin Niu hesitated for two seconds but ultimately decided to keep it to himself until the end.

That Hundred Treasures Insect Bag was a valuable item; if they were to find out he had killed Elder Jiu Yin and demanded the spoils of war, wouldn’t that be troublesome?

Furthermore, if the Nine Insect Gang knew it was he who killed Elder Jiu Yin, they would certainly regard him as a mortal enemy.

Qin Niu ultimately decided to keep this to himself.

After all, the body and evidence had already been destroyed.

“Master Qin, we shall take our leave then. Elder Jiu Yin has always been elusive, and from certain clues, we believe he may have fled back to Jade Stream Town. You must be careful. If you encounter him, do not act recklessly. Elder Jiu Yin is one of the two strongest elders of the Nine Insect Gang, with many tricks up his sleeve. Facing him alone, you could easily be killed instead.”

Fang Lian treated Qin Niu as a friend.

Only he knew that Qin Niu was not only an Insect Master but also an extremely adept Planting Grandmaster.

The important medicinal plant of the Fang Family had gradually recovered under Qin Niu’s treatment.

The crisis of the Fang Family had thus been averted.

But no one could guarantee that those important medicinal plants wouldn’t have issues again, and there might be times in the future when they’d need Qin Niu’s help.

Now that Qin Niu had been ennobled as a first-class noble, the Fang Family no longer had the power to manipulate him as they pleased.

Improving relations with him was the best strategy.

“Also, according to reliable information, Elder Mei of the Nine Insect Gang led a group of experts into the heartland of the Black Tiger Gang, possibly to rescue Elder Jiu Yin from his predicament. These experts are also very powerful, and although Elder Mei’s insect control skills may not match Elder Jiu Yin’s, his cultivation had already advanced to the Spirit Qi Realm over a hundred years ago. He is one of the Nine Insect Gang’s top-tier experts, and if you happen to spot this person, the best strategy would be to run away.”

Fang Lian disclosed another important piece of information to Qin Niu.

This also showed that Lord Lu had kept certain information from him.

If it weren’t for Fang Lian’s disclosure, Qin Niu would have had no knowledge of this at all.

“Thank you for the reminder, Young Master Fang. Take care!”

Qin Niu expressed his thanks with a clasped fist.

“Take care!”

Young Master Fang nodded and, along with the family’s experts and Lord Lu, took their leave.

These individuals were among the elite of the Black Tiger Gang.

The arrival of so many prominent figures to visit Qin Niu caused the villagers, who were watching from a distance, to hold him in even greater awe.

They all speculated about the intentions of these dignitaries.

Wang Furen, watching from next door, saw his future son-in-law appearing increasingly accomplished and felt a secret delight.

…

The mention of Qin Niu’s mountaintop cultivation shall be skipped.

He planned to take over the hundred acres of good farmland awarded to him in a couple of days.

After all, with the deed in hand, it wasn’t going anywhere.

The locust plague had not yet subsided and continued to ravage the territories of the Black Tiger Gang. However, as most plants had been devoured, the locusts had begun to migrate, and the plague was likely to end before long.

In such circumstances, even if Qin Niu took possession of the good farmland, it would inevitably lie fallow.

After the locust plague had passed, he would consider hiring workers to cultivate the land.

By then, he could also follow the Yan Family’s example, keep a couple of oxen for plowing, hire a group of long-term workers, and be a landlord himself.

Unfortunately, land prices had not yet fallen significantly; otherwise, Qin Niu would certainly have been buying a lot.

Buying up land extensively.

When prices were high, an acre of good farmland cost around thirteen taels of silver.

Now it’s about eleven taels.

Which is a two taels reduction per acre.

This was a minor decrease, not a substantial price drop.

He believed it was not the best time to buy, and decided to wait and see.

After all, in his view, the value of that mountain was even higher.