Spring Tax

Spring has arrived.

A time of vibrant life and burgeoning growth.

After enduring the harsh winter, spring brings the world's revival and the earth's warming. It's a season of crop growth and life's propagation, also ushering in various forms of labor. Generally, if one survives the winter, starvation becomes much less common.

However, with the retreat of hunger and cold, this revival also brings new dangers. From the start of spring, various monsters and malevolent spirits become more active.

Most low-level monsters behave much like wild beasts, only they are stronger, faster, more ferocious, and bloodthirsty.

"In a few more days, I'll need to start earning a living," Wu Ming mused to himself.

Previously, lacking the ability to change his circumstances, he had dedicated himself entirely to martial arts. Now that he had cultivated blood energy and become a Blood Forging martial artist, it was natural for him to face his new reality.

On one hand, he now had the ability to earn silver coins and should focus on improving his family's life. Liu Shi and Wu Qi had lived frugally and worked hard for most of their lives to support his martial arts training. Now it was his turn to repay them.

On the other hand, after achieving the Blood Forging martial artist stage, he would essentially require fine grains and meat. Not necessarily feasting on meat every meal, but at least consuming meat daily to nourish his blood energy. Otherwise, without consistent nourishment, his blood energy would dwindle, and his physique would fail to maintain its peak martial artist state.

Martial arts cultivation is a path of constant progress; stagnation means regression.

Having crossed this threshold into a new realm, everything had changed. For martial artists, daily meat consumption wasn't about satisfying taste buds but a necessity. The stronger the martial artist, the greater their demand for sustenance.

"Practicing martial arts truly is a money pit," Wu Ming muttered, recalling the village chief Wu Qu's words. He couldn't agree more.

Martial artists held a different status and could earn far more silver coins than ordinary people. However, their daily expenses also increased significantly. Merely maintaining their own condition incurred substantial costs. To advance further, the resources required were even more immense.

"As a Blood Forging martial artist, I'm qualified to go to Jingye City and find some well-paying jobs. However, I'm not in a rush for now. I'll rest and recuperate for a while longer."

Currently, the dried meat and fine grains at home were sufficient for him to eat for some time. It was also a good opportunity for him to use the condensed blood energy to nourish his body, allowing it to complete the transformation after blood condensation.

After that, Wu Ming would need to consider entering the city.

He didn't know much about the circumstances faced by Blood Forging martial artists and understood very little about city affairs. He would need to consult the village chief, Wu Qu, for guidance then.

After condensing his blood energy, Wu Ming's body underwent daily transformations.

This transformation differed from when he relied on meat and fine grains to nourish his body. Before, after feasting on fine grains and supplementing with dried meat, his body showed obvious external changes. His muscles became noticeably more solid, and his physique grew sturdier. However, that sturdiness was merely superficial. After becoming a Blood Forging martial artist, the transformation was in his inner essence.

In the half-month since condensing his blood energy, Wu Ming's body hadn't shown any signs of further growth. In fact, it had slightly shrunk compared to before. Yet, Wu Ming knew very well that his strength was increasing daily, a world of difference from before.

In the courtyard.

Wu Ming wore old clothes patched with several mends. Though the clothes were old, they were clean and tidy. He looked much the same as he had a month ago, but upon closer inspection, his spirit and energy were different.

His eyes were exceptionally bright, and a subtle confidence and self-assurance emanated from his gaze. It was the principle of a strong body fostering a firm mind; knowledge in the heart is not as potent as martial prowess in the body.

Wu Ming faced the rising sun, maintaining the Pure Yang Blood-Drawing Stance. This stance not only guided blood energy but was also a fundamental practice for martial artists. Using this stance could better stimulate the blood energy in his dantian, causing it to surge.

At this moment, Wu Ming could feel a natural, immense strength between his arms. Once unleashed, a millstone weighing two to three hundred jin would likely be easily overturned with just one hand. This strength far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Thus, Wu Ming stood in the stance, bathed in the morning sun and dawn light. After an unknown period, his gaze suddenly shifted, looking towards the village entrance.

He saw that the entrance of Wu Village had gathered quite a crowd, creating a noisy commotion.

"What's happening again?"

Wu Ming looked at the commotion at the village entrance, his gaze slightly narrowing. He then let out a sigh and slowly lowered his stance.

Just as he finished his practice, a familiar figure was walking towards the courtyard carrying a coarse cloth sack on his back. It was Wu Qi, returning from Jingye City after doing some work.

"Dad."

Wu Ming immediately left the courtyard and walked over, taking the sack from Wu Qi's shoulder. "What's happening at the village entrance?"

"The people collecting the Spring Tax from the city have arrived," Wu Qi replied, nodding. His face was somber, showing a hint of worry. As he walked into the courtyard with Wu Ming, he said in a deep voice, "This year's Spring Tax has increased again. It's two taels of silver per head. Our family will have to pay six taels."

Taxes and corvée labor.

These were among the most troublesome livelihood issues faced by the common people. It was often said that calamities from demons were not as bad as tax burdens, and evil spirits were not as troublesome as corvée labor. This was mainly because although calamities from demons occurred from time to time, they were not constant. As long as one was cautious and a bit lucky, it was normal for common people to go their entire lives without encountering a demon calamity. However, taxes were collected every year, and no one could evade them.

The so-called "Spring Tax" was the tax payable in spring, which included the basic "Head Tax" and the "Residence Tax." Additionally, families with land had to pay "Land Tax," and those operating shops had to pay "Business Tax," and so on.

Wu Ming's family had no land or shops, so they only needed to pay the Head Tax and the Residence Tax.

Last year, each person had to pay one tael and six qian of silver. For their family of four, it was six taels and four qian. This year, Wu Yu had married, leaving only three people in the household. They had expected a reduction in expenses, but due to the increase in the Spring Tax, they still had to pay a full six taels of silver.

Six taels of silver was undoubtedly a colossal sum for a poor family.

"It's time to pay the Spring Tax?"

Just then, Liu Shi, hearing the commotion from inside the house, came out leaning on her cane.

Wu Qi nodded to Liu Shi and said, "Our family has to pay six taels this year."

"Six taels? Why has it increased so much?"

Liu Shi was surprised. "The last time the Spring Tax increased was eleven years ago, wasn't it? Did the Head Tax go up?"

Wu Qi sat down on a stone stool in the courtyard, saying with some frustration, "No, I heard the Residence Tax increased. They say that with the frequent appearances of demons and monsters in recent years, the Inner City Demon Suppression Division and the Cautious Punishment Division have been busy expanding their staff, so they've raised the Residence Tax."

"Even so, it shouldn't increase by this much. And despite paying so much in Residence Tax, the demons haven't been eradicated. Before, Little Liu'er's grandfather fell victim to a demon calamity, and Little Zhong's child also suffered from a malevolent spirit's harm. Even our Ming'er almost lost his life..."

Liu Shi grumbled, her expression turning grim.

For wealthy families, an extra four qian of silver per person was insignificant. But for impoverished families, an extra four qian in taxes could mean the difference between eating and starving, or even between starving and dying of starvation!