'As expected, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if there were, it wouldn't fall into my lap.'
Su Mu looked at the weed-infested wasteland before him and couldn't help but sigh.
For just 500 cents, you could get household registration in Wuling City and a plot of land. If only there wasn't a catch, what a great deal that would be.
If there really were no catch, the opportunity would never have reached a vagrant like Su Mu.
This plot of land was nothing but uncultivated wasteland. Never mind the effort it would take to clear it; the annual land tax alone was enough to give Su Mu a headache.
The land tax in Da Xuan was 1.6 sheng of grain per plot, equivalent to one mace and seven cents of silver, or 170 cents in three-zhu coins.
This was mandatory. If you didn't pay, the lighter punishment was forced labor; the heavier, exile.
In other words, from the moment he obtained his household registration, Su Mu was bound to slave away for Wuling City.
'A land tax of 170 cents a year... Just how much could one even harvest from a single plot of land?'
Su Mu cursed inwardly.
'If I didn't need an identity, whoever wants this damn household registration can have it!'
Su Mu sat on the ridge between fields, looking at the wasteland that was now his. Whether he cultivated it or not, the land tax had to be paid in full.
[Name: Su Mu]
[Identity: Hunter (Commoner)]
[Points: 11]
[Martial Arts: Submerging Wave Saber Technique (Beginner)]
Su Mu looked at the panel before him. If his status hadn't changed from vagrant to commoner, this household registration truly would have been worse than nothing.
'Let the land stay barren. I can't really become a farmer, can I? I'll just pay the land tax. It won't be hard to earn enough to cover it as a Hunter. Once my saber technique reaches Perfection, I'll find a chance to secure a better status. Getting tax exemptions won't be difficult then.'
Su Mu thought for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, he didn't dare to linger and got up, heading back toward the city.
It was one thing during the day, but after dark, the areas outside the city were fraught with danger. Robbers and bandits roamed about, and one might even encounter demons.
Su Mu had only come out of the city this time to see the plot of land assigned to him. Now, he had given up on it completely.
'I should just focus on practicing my saber. There's no future in farming.'
As he was walking briskly, three men suddenly appeared, walking toward him.
"Master Zhang?"
Su Mu had his head down, lost in thought, and he subconsciously stepped aside to let them pass. But an arm shot out and blocked his way.
Su Mu looked up and said with some surprise.
The one who had stopped him was none other than Zhang Chong, a minor leader of the Chai Bang.
"Su Mu."
Zhang Chong looked at Su Mu, his face etched with displeasure. "I heard you got your registration? You came out of the city to see the land they gave you, right? Well? Feeling pretty pleased with yourself?"
"You see things clearly, Master Zhang."
Su Mu adopted a very humble posture, a bitter smile on his face. "It's just a patch of wasteland. It would take months to clear it, so it's too late to plant anything this year. But the land tax still has to be paid. I'm already stressing about it."
"Stressing?"
Zhang Chong sneered. "Since you have the money for registration, why would you care about a little land tax? I bet you're secretly laughing on the inside."
"Don't you know my abilities, Master Zhang? The money for my registration all came from the work you graciously gave me. Now that I've registered, I have almost no money left."
Su Mu said.
"Is that so?"
Zhang Chong's face was grim. "I gave you a chance."
"What do you mean, Master Zhang?"
Su Mu asked, somewhat stunned.
"Let me remind you."
Zhang Chong sneered. "Two months ago, Landlord Zhao of Pingkang Square was murdered in the South City, and all his belongings were stolen. On that day, you didn't leave the city to cut firewood."
Su Mu froze.
'You're just a minor leader of the Chai Bang. Since when did you switch careers to solving crimes?'
'Is he suspecting me?'
"I had a fever that day."
Su Mu explained.
Zhang Chong let out two cold sneers in response and continued, "A month ago, in the ruined temple where you were living, three beggars were killed."
Su Mu's pupils contracted slightly.
'My first kill. My technique was a little sloppy. As I thought, it couldn't escape the notice of someone who was looking closely.'
"You, Su Mu, in the last few months, you've earned a total of five hundred and seventy-two cents from selling firewood."
Zhang Chong stared at Su Mu and bellowed, "Even if you only spend three cents a day, you could have saved four hundred cents at most. Where did you get the money to buy your registration?"
Su Mu sold all his firewood through Zhang Chong, so Zhang Chong knew exactly how much money he had made.
Su Mu hadn't expected that a gangster like him would have such a meticulous mind.
"Besides cutting firewood, I occasionally hunt a couple of wild rabbits to sell for money."
Su Mu sighed and said.
"Spin your tales. Keep spinning."
Zhang Chong crossed his arms, a mocking expression on his face as he looked at Su Mu.
"Su Mu, for someone who looks like a breeze could blow you over, who would've thought? So skilled at murdering and robbing people."
One of the men next to Zhang Chong spoke up.
"Murder and robbery are the Government Office's business, not ours. But Jianghu rules—"
the other man said, rubbing his fingers together.
"Master Zhang, it's not much, but please accept this token."
Su Mu took out ten cents from his robes and offered it.
SLAP!
Zhang Chong slapped Su Mu's hand, sending the ten three-zhu coins scattering across the ground.
"Su Mu, you're choosing to do this the hard way, aren't you?"
Zhang Chong said coldly, "I haven't even settled the score with you for using my money to get your registration, and now you think you can get away with this paltry sum?"
'Your money?'
A chill spread through Su Mu's heart. 'What a bastard. So fucking greedy!'
'Let's not even talk about whether I murdered and robbed anyone. Even if I did, what does it have to do with you, Zhang Chong? How did my money become yours?'
"Su Mu, don't say Master Zhang never gave you a way out."
The lackey next to Zhang Chong put his hands on his hips and said, "All that murdering and robbing you've been doing lately, you must have made at least twenty taels of silver."
"Now, if you take out twenty taels, we can still talk."
"As for the 500 cents for the registration, I'll give you half a month to earn it back for me."
Zhang Chong shot his lackey a dissatisfied glare. 'What, you're just forgetting about the 500 cents?'
"Right! Master Zhang is magnanimous, he won't even charge you interest! But since you spent Master Zhang's money, you have to earn it back for him!"
The lackey hastily tried to salvage the situation.
The three of them worked in concert, quickly making their intentions clear.
Even as patient as Su Mu was, he was now fuming with rage.
'This is blatant extortion! They're clearly treating me like a lamb to the slaughter!'
"Master Zhang, I really don't have the guts to murder and rob. The money for the registration, I saved it all up, cent by painstaking cent."
Su Mu bowed slightly, forcing a smile. "After getting the registration, I only have twelve cents left on me. You can take it all, Master Zhang."
"As for the 500 cents for the registration, let's just say I borrowed it from you, Master Zhang. I'll definitely find a way to pay you back within half a month!"
He thought it over and over, and still decided to endure it.
His saber technique wasn't complete; he wasn't confident he could beat these three young, strong thugs.
"Su Mu, I said twenty taels and 500 cents. Did you not hear me clearly, or are you deaf?"
Zhang Chong said coldly, "It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."
"You two, sober him up."
Zhang Chong waved his hand.
His two underlings immediately cracked their knuckles and walked toward Su Mu with vicious grins.
"Master Zhang, we can talk about this!"
Su Mu took a step back.
"Talk my ass!"
Zhang Chong cursed, "I gave you a chance and you didn't take it! Now, either you put twenty taels of silver in front of me right now, or I'll loosen your bones for you—break an arm and a leg to sober you up."
As he spoke, his two lackeys had already laid their hands on Su Mu's shoulders. Their free hands were raised high, fists clenched, ready to strike.
'Why... must you force my hand?'
Su Mu's heart grew colder, and a murderous glint appeared in his eyes.
......