Chapter 200 Sleep Tax: Hand Over Everything Except Your Life!
Jiang Chen woke up, but not completely.
He was currently in a delicate balance between "Waking Up Anger about to erupt" and "holding warm fragrance and soft jade in his arms."
To his left was Mu Qingxue, who had almost buried her head in his chest; the mentor's long legs, clad in black silk stockings, were slightly curled from extreme embarrassment, her toes pointed straight, looking like a frightened kitten.
To his right was Su Qingyue, holding a long spear, her eyes practically spitting fire.
Opposite the bed stood a group of Holy See big shots with pale faces, looking as if they had just been run over dozens of times by a heavy truck.
"Consultant... Consultant Jiang, you're awake."
Pope Benedict XVI steadied his crooked crown, his voice trembling.
To this moment, he still couldn't understand why, inside the Sacred Artifact's dreamland, he—a dignified half-step powerhouse—was actually required to write an eight-thousand-word thesis titled "On Why the Light Element Is Inferior to Salted Fish," only to be slapped awake by Jiang Chen with a flip-flop before he could even finish.
"I'm awake, but I'm in a very bad mood."
Jiang Chen slowly released Mu Qingxue from his arms and sat up; because his Divine Sense was severely depleted, his gaze now carried a gloominess that made everyone he looked at seem like his father's killer.
[Ding! Detected that the host was forced to terminate deep sleep.]
[Due to interference from the Dream Examination Hall, the host's brain activity is abnormal.]
[Waking Up Anger punishment mechanism activated: Logical Forced Extortion.]
[System Suggestion: Since they like to settle accounts, then calculate the "Sleep Loss Fee" to the very end.]
"Just now... you wanted to peek at my privacy in the dream?"
Jiang Chen casually pulled out his signature purple flip-flop from under the pillow, his tone so flat it was bone-chilling.
"No... that was Sin Washing, a sacred Soul communication..." the Great Deacon attempted to explain.
"Communication my foot!"
Jiang Chen suddenly flicked his wrist.
"Slap!"
That flip-flop, which defied the laws of physics, drew a profound arc in the air and accurately slapped the Great Deacon's fat face.
This Holy See titan, who could normally act with impunity outside, was actually slapped into three spins on the spot by a single flip-flop, finally landing on his knees with a "thud," half his teeth knocked out.
"This strike is called the 'Disturbing Sleep Compensation Fee'."
Jiang Chen stood up, stepping barefoot onto the white marble floor; with every step, the surrounding space trembled.
"Now, let's talk about the matter of the 'Sleep Tax'."
The Pope was bewildered: "What is a Sleep Tax?"
"In my territory, or any territory where I am, anyone who disturbs my sleep must pay tax." Jiang Chen pointed at the glittering, jewel-encrusted star crystal throne beneath the Pope's buttocks. "I think that thing is quite suitable for being converted into a mobile hard-board bed. That will count as the first installment of interest."
"That is the symbol of the Holy See! It is the Sacred Throne!" The bishops erupted, their beards twitching with rage.
"Oh? Think it's too expensive?"
Jiang Chen sneered, and his second-level Nirvana Realm Divine Sense instantly fully expanded; at that moment, the sky over the entire Holy Sect City suddenly darkened.
It wasn't blocked by dark clouds, but rather some higher-dimensional power had directly "switched off" the Light Elements!
"Since you love light so much, I'll let this place fall into an eternal slumber. The sky will only brighten once you've paid enough tax."
Jiang Chen's voice echoed through the hall, carrying an unquestionable dominance.
This scene, in the eyes of Saintess Kelisa, took on an entirely different color.
Kelisa, the girl hailed as "the one closest to the gods," was currently hiding behind a curtain, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and a fanatical... overactive imagination.
"Heavens... could this be the 'Ultimate Darkness is Light' mentioned in the oracles?"
Kelisa looked at Jiang Chen, her heart churning with massive waves. "With a casual wave of his hand, he can strip the entire city of its light, yet he maintains the world's balance even while sleeping. He isn't extorting us; he is... testing us! He's using this worldly, greedy excuse to test whether our attachment to 'sacred objects' exceeds our pursuit of the 'Dao'!"
"That throne... to an existence of his caliber, it's simply trash. The reason he wants it is to take away the corruption of the Holy See, forcing us to find pure faith amidst poverty!"
Kelisa clenched her small fists, her gaze gradually becoming one of over-interpretation: "As expected of Great Xia's Sleep God, his every move is filled with profound meaning. I must stop that fool of a Pope; I cannot let him ruin this 'True God's' layout!"
While Kelisa was convincing herself, the Pope was facing the hardest decision of his life.
Hand over the throne, and the Holy See would lose all face; don't hand it over, and the flip-flop in Jiang Chen's hand seemed to have already locked onto his forehead.
"Fine... we'll give it!" The Pope squeezed these words out from between his teeth.
"That's more like it."
Jiang Chen swaggered up the steps and, in front of all the clergy, sat down like a bandit on the thousand-year-old star crystal throne.
"Hmm, it really is more comfortable than a wooden bed. Does it have an automatic massage function?"
Jiang Chen closed his eyes comfortably and casually beckoned Mu Qingxue and Su Qingyue over. "Come, Teacher, this throne is spacious; let's sit together."
The faces of the Holy See crowd had turned from green to black.
That was their sacred symbol! Now it had actually become a lounge chair for three Easterners to cool off in?!
"Consultant Jiang, the tax has been paid. Can we begin formal diplomatic talks now?" The Pope suppressed his murderous urge.
"Talk, of course we'll talk."
Jiang Chen kept his eyes closed, a dangerous curve hanging on the corner of his mouth. "But before that, I feel the smell inside your Holy Sect City... isn't quite right."
Just as he finished speaking, a rapid ringing of bells suddenly came from outside the hall.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Report—! Your Majesty! It's bad! The Inquisition... has rebelled!"
A blood-covered knight rushed into the hall. "They say... they say you have surrendered to pagans and are no longer fit to rule the Sanctuary. They are now bringing the vengeful spirits from beneath the 'Sin Washing Pool' to bathe the Papal Palace in blood!"
The Pope's expression changed drastically: "What?! Rebelling at a time like this?"
Jiang Chen sat on the throne, not even lifting an eyelid, only faintly spitting out a few words:
"It seems this Sleep Tax... hasn't been fully collected yet."
Deep within the hall, a faint wisp of black Qi quietly emerged; that aura actually shared a subtle resonance with the "Empress" from Jiang Chen's dream.