Changing Registration

"Shh, keep your voice down."

Wu Qi had kept a grim face as he listened to Liu Shi's nagging. Seeing that she was about to say something she should not, he immediately cut her off and said heavily, "This sort of thing isn't for us to speak of carelessly. Since we have to pay, then we pay. Wu Yu has married out, so our family can still manage it in the end."

At that, Wu Qi turned to look at Wu Ming beside him. Seeing that Wu Ming had remained silent, he sighed inwardly and said, "Ming'er, now that the Spring Tax has increased, life will only get harder from here on. We won't be able to save much silver. The jerky and fine grain at home should be nearly gone too, right?"

Wu Ming was still two months short of eighteen. Originally, he had thought that with the jerky and fine grain from the Xu Family's betrothal gifts, if he gritted his teeth and pinched every penny, he could somehow hold out another two months. Even though his hope of becoming a martial artist had become exceedingly slim by now, he had already reached the final pass. He did not mind enduring another two months.

Yet he had never expected the Spring Tax to rise by four mace of silver per head. For their family, that came to one tael and two mace. This sum was practically the last straw that broke the camel's back. No matter how tightly they cinched their belts and cut back on food and clothing, they could no longer afford to support Wu Ming's continued training.

Perhaps,

this was the fate of their Old Wu family.

Wu Qi had already decided that in a couple of days, he would take Wu Ming out to work with him, teaching him his trade bit by bit and leaving him a path for making a living in the future.

"Mm, the fine grain and jerky at home are nearly gone."

Wu Ming nodded in reply, his expression unchanged. Naturally, he understood what Wu Qi meant. Since he had failed to become a martial artist, this road likely ended here indeed. But since he had already become one, everything was naturally different now.

Previously, because he still needed some time to consolidate his realm and nourish his physique, he did not want word to spread too early. Thus, he had not yet told Wu Qi that he had succeeded. Even Liu Shi still did not know.

Just then,

the clamor outside gradually drew closer.

The Wu Ming family in the fenced courtyard looked outside and saw, not far beyond the yard, a Census Official dressed in black official robes. He held a stack of household registers, with five or six tax clerks following beside him as they approached.

Yong Country ruled the realm through martial force, and martial fortune flourished. Thus, all regular court officials were martial artists. The Census Official in official robes was broad and powerfully built, his gaze imposing. Ordinary commoners did not even dare meet his eyes.

Clan head Wu Qu merely accompanied him at the side.

"Lord Xu, this is Wu Qi's family."

Wu Qu led Census Official Xu Wei's group to the Wu family's courtyard.

After hearing Wu Qu, Xu Wei nodded slightly. He then took out the household register, flipped through it briefly, and read aloud, "Household, civilian registration. Wu Qi. Four members in the household. Eldest daughter Wu Yu married on the twenty-first day of the first month; three members presently remain. No farmland under the household, no land deeds... Mm, this Spring Tax requires a total payment of six taels of patterned silver."

Standing to one side, Wu Qu glanced at the weathered Wu Qi and Liu Shi, whose temples had gone white. Seeing the worried expressions on both their faces, he shook his head slightly to himself.

The court's sudden increase in the Spring Tax had increased the burden on all of Wu Village, but there was nothing he could do about it.

At most, after the fact, he could offer a little help to the poorest few families, so that they would not starve to death.

"Please wait a moment, Census Official. This humble commoner will fetch the silver at once."

Wu Qi's eyes were filled with gloom, but he said nothing more. Rising to his feet, he bowed to Xu Wei and the others.

However,

at that very moment,

Wu Ming suddenly stopped Wu Qi. At the same time, he stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Xu Wei. "Census Official, please hear me out. According to Yong Country law, a Blood Forging martial artist may enter the Martial Register, and their direct three generations are exempt from the Head Tax and Residence Tax. A few days ago, I was fortunate enough to complete Blood Forging, but had not yet had time to report it. I ask the Census Official to verify this."

The moment those words fell, the entire scene froze. Everyone's eyes immediately turned toward Wu Ming.

Wu Qi and Liu Shi stood nearby, both revealing astonishment. Clan head Wu Qu was stunned as well, his gaze snapping toward Wu Ming. Wu Ming still maintained his bowing posture, yet an invisible, blazing Blood Qi rose from his body.

The matter of Blood Forging would have to be made known sooner or later. The timing was suitable now, so there was naturally no need to keep hiding it.

He had truly succeeded?!

Wu Qu was somewhat dazed.

Wu Ming's aptitude was not poor, but neither was it outstanding. Otherwise, he would have completed Blood Forging long ago. Earlier, he had suffered evil spirits entering his body, leaving his body depleted; it had greatly damaged his vitality. With no dazzling talent to begin with, after suffering such a calamity, trying to achieve Blood Forging again was undoubtedly as difficult as ascending to heaven.

But in the next instant, Wu Qu quickly thought of how Wu Ming's sister, Wu Yu, had previously married into Xu Village. Perhaps Wu Ming had received some benefit from the Xu Family through that, allowing him to make up for his body's losses and ultimately seize a sliver of opportunity to step into Blood Forging.

That member of the Xu Family was more valued than Wu Qu in the city, and his future achievements would most likely surpass Wu Qu's as well. His household was well-off, so it was only natural that he could provide some resources to help Wu Ming recover his health.

"Hm?"

A trace of surprise flashed through Xu Wei's previously stern and indifferent eyes.

His martial cultivation was deeper even than Wu Qu's. As he watched Wu Ming stir his Qi and Blood, he naturally judged in an instant that Wu Ming had indeed crossed that threshold, completed Blood Forging, and become a martial artist.

"You are Wu Ming?"

Xu Wei glanced at the household register in his hand, then looked at Wu Ming. His stern, impassive face softened slightly as he asked in a somewhat gentler tone.

Wu Ming lowered his head and stood respectfully as he replied:

"Yes."

"How long have you trained in martial arts?"

"One year and ten months."

"Hm, one year and ten months? A little too long, perhaps. But for someone like you, born into a poor household, being able to reach this point is not bad."

As Xu Wei listened to Wu Ming's answer, a trace of regret flashed through his eyes, and he shook his head faintly.

In recent years, Demons had caused much more trouble in the territory of Jingye City than before. The Demon Suppression Bureau and the Cautious Punishment Division, the city's two most important offices, were both seeking to expand their manpower. If he could send a talented young martial artist to either office, it would count as an achievement for him. Unfortunately, judging by Wu Ming's level, his aptitude was at best merely "below average."

For the Demon Suppression Bureau and Cautious Punishment Division, the two highest-ranking offices, below-average aptitude only barely met the threshold to participate in their assessments. Such people were basically not within the selection range of the Two Divisions.

After that thought passed through Xu Wei's mind, he picked up his brush and marked the household register. Then he handed it to a tax clerk at his side, nodded slightly at Wu Ming, and said, "Since you are already a Blood Forging martial artist, you need not pay the Spring Tax according to the law. I have crossed out your family's Spring Tax for this time. When I return, I will change your registration to the Martial Register."

"Many thanks, Census Official."

Wu Ming bowed once more.

Seeing that Wu Ming was steady in temperament and showed none of the arrogance of youth, Xu Wei's opinion of him rose slightly. His expression softened further as he said, "Though you hold no official position, you have condensed Qi and Blood and are already a martial man. There is no need for such formality."

The several tax clerks following Xu Wei also looked at Wu Ming with varying expressions. They all understood that for someone of poor birth like Wu Ming to condense Blood Qi was already enough to change his fate. Not everyone had such fortune.

A moment later.

Xu Wei's group left under Wu Qu's accompaniment, continuing onward to collect the Spring Tax from the next household in Wu Village.

Only after Census Official Xu Wei, clan head Wu Qu, and the others had gone far away did Wu Qi and Liu Shi in the courtyard seem to awaken from a dream. Though they were both elders who had weathered great storms, their hearts still surged like wind and waves, impossible to calm.

"Good, good."

Wu Qi said only those two words in succession. As he looked at Wu Ming, his eyes were filled with gratification.

Back when Wu Ming's grandfather was still alive, he had poured nearly all his resources into helping Wu Qi train in martial arts. Yet Wu Qi had trained until the age of twenty-six, exhausting every kind of resource without successfully condensing Blood Qi, leaving scarcely any assets behind for the family.

Wu Ming's present circumstances were more than ten times harsher than his had been. The family's entire savings were only enough to support Wu Ming's cultivation for a year or so, and they could barely afford meat in daily life. He had even encountered the calamity of evil spirits midway through!

They had thought all hope was gone, yet he had still succeeded.

Liu Shi walked over shakily, both excited and joyous. For poor families like theirs, who did not hope that among their children and descendants, someone could condense Blood Qi and take that step ordinary people found impossible to cross?

After all, once that step was taken, one would no longer be one of the lowly common folk trapped in the mire of hardship, but would step into another class. It was a transformation in kind.