Fight Club Anyone?

It was dumbfounding how simple it was to attract attention in the Slums. Chu found it even more surprising on how effortless it was to become a victim. He kept thanking the Heavens he didn't stay there for too long.

Of course he completely forgot about the 'special' companion next to him. With a year of experience in attracting attention and beatings they soon became swamped in rub downs, shake downs and muggings.

Sometimes the attackers acted in a group, sometimes they were alone. It all depended on what means they used to attract 'wanted' attention. Given that the Slums was filled to capacity with a lot of bandit hopefuls, kids like Chu were a godsend.

One week he openly carried a loaf of bread, carefully flaunting it among some idling teens. Fight.

The same evening near dusk before the sunlight disappeared, Miki walked around like a newcomer in the Slums. Though young, she was now a top healthy beauty in the Slums. She was soon lured into a shack. Fight.

According to Sage Ming, conducting yourself in certain scenarios warranted a beating or being waylaid. Using first hand experience it became elementary to identify would be assailants.

Of course with somebody like Lucy always hiding and watching, they were never in any real danger. She followed from a distance and was close enough to help at a moments notice.

"If you end up in trouble, just protect the face and your manhood."

Mr Thomas once said.

This help did not come like a Snow Bear trampling through a village. Oh no, Mr Thomas made sure of it. Once Chu found himself beaten up before she finally came to the rescue. That rescue came in the form of her screaming like a little girl for help.

Unless life threatening Mr Thomas warned her to conceal her abilities. This was part of her training along with the others. Chu coughed up blood when he was made aware of that plan.

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Sage Ming had graduated from these little slum skirmishes. For the past month he was busy jumping into tavern brawls with a gusto. Twice Clod accompanied him until a broken chair caused his retreat.

Having a stout wooden chair being broken on your head was not a boastful matter. Especially when you were stuck with paying for the damages. That night when the guards came, all the participants fled into the night including Brother Ming.

The lone candidate was the unconscious Clod who was hauled away. Since then, Clod vetoed any money-making schemes Ming suggested with a vengeance.

'Want to cash in on my farming skills. Dream on you wretch!'

After every weekend the ones who did the most complaining were Amanda and Sakura. This was because they had to treat these bunch of 'retards' for cuts and bruises during the week.

Chu finally understood the meaning of nurturing a gut mentality or sixth sense. It was no wonder that those who lived their lives on the edge possessed something like this. Being forced to observe and understand the surroundings really helped one in avoiding disaster.

For a person who once lived far from that type of life, it was a learning experience. He would never say he was a master after just a few months, but he was certain he could now spot brazen troublemakers.

Unfortunately this wonderful life experience soon forced to a grinding halt.

When two months of Autumn had passed over, Mr Thomas halted this crazy training. One of the main reasons was that they were in the middle of harvesting and Clod required all the manpower he could get.

The other was that Mrs Thomas who had been kept in the dark during these few weeks found out.

Concerned about the numerous injuries that soon began to prop up, she conducted some inquiries. In the barn's household there were two people who were always aware of any current events. It so happened that the two in question were also the easiest to bribe.

Dyna was out on the grasslands, so she turned to Ming. With the assurance that she would help mend the business rift between Clod and him, Ming open up.

'Ming sang, he sang like a lark.'

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Suffice to say, both Chu and Mr Thomas received a well deserved tongue lashing.

Autumn was the month of harvesting for most of the farms in the Empire. Farm taxes were calculated and levied by tax collectors who traveled across the country.

The collectors did not waste their time journeying to the poorer and desolate areas located near the edges of the Empire. The local Village Chief collected the taxes for these smaller, outlying farms.

Chu was already aware of this type of governmental policy. During the Spring months the village Chief had visited the farm and conducted some crude measurements along with rough calculations.

Taxes were paid according to the results of those calculations. Farmers had to pay taxes in dry grain. A field was always growing grains. Even if the farmer decided to plant another crop.

Sometimes the Farmer was unable to pay because of some unforeseeable disaster. When this happened, a crude calculation switched payments to cash. Owners unable to make this quota lost their rights and sold as slaves.

Chu had participated in discussions about this type of collection with both Clod and Mr Thomas. It was through this conversation that he was made aware that the tax collection was not levied on the size of the field but rather the size of the entire farm.

If not aware of this prior to the Village Chief visit, Chu would have spurted blood. Not even adding the consequences of failing to pay the taxes the farmer was finding himself in debt. Now he did not wonder why farms were decaying all around.

'Who in their right mind would want to risk their life farming near the deadly forest? Worse yet after toiling so hard and failing to pay this enormous tax, they would end up as slaves.'

Luckily the allocating of the fields between vegetables, corn and fruits at the start was done right. Due to the lack of manpower, they had only farmed the fields allocated to the farm the barn was on. As such they would be paying most of the harvested corn in taxes.

The adjacent field of the abandoned farm that Griz had purchased for Chu remained desolate. Only a wagon path cut across it to reach that main North-South road. It was this road that Mr Thomas drove on to reach the village and the same road that most of the distant neighboring farms connected.

Thus for this year, Chu was going to have to pay nearly half of his grains in taxes. The only reason it was not higher was that the mathematic skills of the Chief was horrendous. When Sakura tried to correct the old man during his calculations Chu gave her a knock to the head.

"You out to make us poor again?"

This year was a trial and error time when it came to farming. The best result barring the losses by the birds were very promising. The fields across the grasslands were rich and abandoned. It did not take much work to yield a bountiful crop.

"The hardest part of farming is the fear of being killed."

Clod commented philosophically.

"I really do not know how to answer that."

Was all Chu could reply.

Whether by wild animals or through forced slavery the outcome was the same.

The harvesting of the fields took them near a month to complete. Clod had them cut and dry the stalks in the fields for winter feed and bedding for the horses. The corn had to undergo shelling by hand. Chu could only shed respect for those old farmers after looking at his callused hands.

The village Chief came along with a large wagon and some escorting guards. The workers from the wagon removed a large-scale and set it up in the field. It was one simple lever scale with large trays on the two sides.

They opened the large sacks of corn and continued inspecting for any discrepancies. Clod informed Chu that normally farmers would mix in some small stones with the corn. This was a standard practice and it all depended on how strict the collector was.

"No matter where you go, humans are a scheming life form."

The Chief was very happy with the contents while placing them on the scale. They continued the cycle until reaching the agreed total.

Mr Thomas kindly offered some small bags of grain to all the workers and a small pouch with some copper coins to the Chief.

The wagon and its guards lumbered off to the next farm.

Just like that most of the farms harvest landed up in the hands of the Empire. All those grains would soon be caravaning before winter to the large cities. Bribes would remain with the agents for a job well done.

"Ah! So that's where the Chief gets the money to pay the bandits from."

Ming burst out as it dawned on him.

"What the heck! No wonder farmers live a miserable life in this place!"

Chu raged. As a kid he could only seethes in anger when the transactions were taking place.

Mr Thomas could only force a smile.

"You brats don't know how lucky you are. Nearly all my savings went in taxes. I had reached the point of farming for fun, because I was not making a single copper."

Chu understood the difficulties of a farming venture.

If not for him branching out into vegetable crops and fruits they would be dining on grain gruel like regular farms during winter.

Clod and Mrs Thomas vegetable fields kept providing a constant supply of food. Produce in excess underwent pickling and placed in storage for later use. The cellar and kitchen became filled with kegs of preserves. Slabs of cured meats and sausages were hanging in the remaining spaces.

The striking difference from the other farms was the bunker-like shed with re-enforcing double wall and door. In there contained enough smoked and cured quality meat to feed a small army.

Chu and the others were now standing on an open harvested field. Spreading out around them were countless corn stalks drying in the pale sun.

Singh came up to them.

"Excuse me Master Clod, we have finished hauling the logs. Doug and the others only have this last load of logs to install."

Clod thought for a minute and then replied.

"Okay, that's all the work for today. Get the horses up to the stables, I will take it from there."

"Yes Master Clod, I'll go tell the others."

Singh gave a slight bow to the others and hurried off.