The Red Lands 2

by ForestRage

  Those idle brats in the slums are only armed with pieces of wood. Use some subtle means to attract them. I refuse to believe that they can give you guys a good thrashing."

  Chu finally understood what the man was saying. It was truly great to have someone with worldly experience at your side. What better way to gain experience fighting against people.

  "Thank you for the proper advice Elder."

  Chu called a meeting a few days later with the children to discuss the incident. He also proposed some new measured they had to take. He ended the meeting on a satisfactory note.

  ◆◆◆

  While this incident did not have much impact on the residents of the barn, it was a different matter in another place.

  In a shack situated near the center of the Slums, a group of six young males was gathered together.

  "Brother Doug is really amazing. To fight head-on with a party of adventurers in a tavern brawl is astonishing!"

  "Yea, like I always said, pretty soon Brother Doug is going to leave this place. The Slums could never hold back a wolf."

  The person in question raised his hands to stop the praises.

  "Thiss is too kind ooff you. Chooong till tham the plin."

  Doug turned to Chong indicating him to continue. Ever since he lost his front teeth his words came across like a hissing snake.

  Chong cleared his throat before he started. A wicked looking bruise running down the center of his face gave him a strange countenance.

  "Since the Mong bandits are near finished in this area, Doug has decided the time is right for us to form our own gang. You guys are here because he felt you deserved a chance.

  Our first action is to shake down as much money we can from these suckers. After that, we can high tail it out before the guards begin looking for us. The time is perfect since a lot of people still have money from last year.

  Doug has thought about it and has picked a fat target."

  Chong, Singh, and Doug glanced at each other before the former continued. The flickering of hate and vengeance could have been seen in those smoldering eyes.

  "We have been watching some kids from the Slums. It seems like they have made money during the winter. Every weekend they come waltzing across the grasslands. This time he is going to regret making an enemy out of us."

  The trio had refused to believe that Ming was strong enough to take them all on. It was simply due to his luck and that sword he possessed. Greed for an iron weapon clouded their minds.

  Singh decided to provide an added incentive.

  "By the way, there are girls in this group. If we do it right you can do whatever you like afterward. We are going to be bandits, might as well act like them."

  The others glanced around understanding the meaning behind those words.

  "Here is the plan."

  ◆◆◆

  The weekend rolled around smoothly. This time only Mrs. Thomas rode the wagon along with her husband. As a person who once lived among high society and still managed to retain a cordial attitude, Mrs. Thomas soon became friends with those housewives in the neighboring farms.

  Thus every weekend the wagon left early to allow her time to chat with those farmer's wives along the way to the village. This gave the children left behind adequate time to prepare for their usual trek.

  Today it was the original trio who were making the trip.

  "You know what to do right?"

  "Yes, I know. How come you always ask me, why don't you ask Lucy?"

  "You really want that answer?"

  The three set off across the plains.

  It was close to midday when they were close to the village.

  They had just passed the ruins of a farmhouse when suddenly a group of young men and teens rushed out and surrounded them.

  "Holy crap! That scared me."

  Ming was patting his chest over his robe.

  Chu looked over at him in scorn.

  "Why the heck are you so easily frightened for? Damn good thing they didn't have any ranged weapons, we would have been killed already!"

  "You?! Chu it's them, dammit this time you guys are going to pay."

  After hiding and waiting since early morning Doug and his bandit team had successfully sprung their ambush. Surrounding the targets what awaited them were not some frightened and pee smelling children but some bickering kids.

  It was like the circle of menacing men with wooden clubs did not exist. He was beginning to doubt himself when the same boy recognized him and shouted out.

  'Why the heck was this dude yelling like it was us who robbed him?'

  Before he could register a sneering face and spout some harsh but cool bandit words the boy moved.

  Doug raised his club above his head to start a beating. At the same time he raised his hands above his head, a knee suddenly materialized inches away from his nose.

  "Ohhh hell..."

  Was all that flashed across the neurons in his brain before contact.

  BAM!

  Doug again became the first casualty as he toppled over.

  The teen companion standing at Doug's side was simultaneously hit with a 'running punch.'

  At least that was the only way the knocked out person might have recalled what happened. All he saw was the smaller kid blasting towards him and then unleashing a deadly straight punch to the face.

  Just like that Chu and Ming broke out of the encirclement.

  "Ahh! I get it now Chu. Yup, yup this is really the best way, forcing our way out with one strike."

  "Shut up and focus. GO!"

  As the men turned to face them still undecided and without a leader to issue orders, Chu launched the second attack.

  This time they both used their sword sheaths to execute ruthless stabs to the two closest opponents. Just as quickly they retreated to avoid being surrounded.

  This time the ones left standing were Chong, Singh and another teenager. Being the previous recipients of a beating by Ming, those two were already panicking. The teen was still trying to keep his guard up from any attacks.

  It did not help the situation when Chu and Ming circled around and administered some merciless kicks on Doug and the others rolling on the ground.

  "The girl!"

  Chong was the first to shout out. Ever since the fight started it was like the girl had vanished. Only now as he shouted did the others look around.

  "There!"

  Near the ruins where they had waited stood the girl. She stood there looking on as if this skirmish was of no concern to her.

  For the new bandits in training, this was like lesson 101. Subdue the women and children and use them to secure victory.

  Chong and Singh rushed over to the girl. The teen jumped between them and the two boys leering.

  "Don't hurt her too badly brothers. We yet want to play with her."

  He then turned to the girl's companions in the front.

  "Drop your weapons and kneel. When brother Doug ma..."

  He was interrupted by a screaming Ming

  "Nooo! Stop you idiots don't waste your lives!"

  The teen did not possess the luxury to understand what the larger boy did shouting. Ming had a hand outstretched as if wanting to stop their actions while tears streamed down his eyes.

  'Huh? Why are you acting as if they are your friends? Why do you care so much?'

  Two shadowy blurs rocketed past him on either side from his back. He could only stand shocked to see Chong and Singh smashing and tumbling along the ground. When they rolled to a standstill they both sprawled unconscious.

  Ming dropped to his knees and punched the ground. He glared towards the frightened teen while shouting tearfully.

  "You bastard! I will NEVER forgive you! Because of you, this is what happened. I tried so hard to warn them!"

  Ming roared as he dropped his sword sheath and attacked the teen. The latter at once tried to fend him off with the makeshift club.

  Unfortunately, his opponent was not truly lost in rage
. Ming used his hand to parry the strike and punched out with the other. Soon the teen was on the ground receiving some well-aimed kicks.

  "Damn you, if you did not block me this would have never happened to those guys. You tried to rob me and now you did this?"

  Doug was looking on from the ground with tears of pain clouding his eyes.

  'Why are you pummeling the guy like if Chong and Singh were your best friends?'

  'Wait! Yes, we tried to rob you, but it was you who robbed us in the end. Why are you acting like you were wronged?'

  Ming turned angrily towards Lucy to vent.

  "Why didn't you try acting like a frightened girl? Those two probably won't even remember what the hell happened to them. So they should have been left to me to fight. And why didn't you warn me about the ambush? My heart nearly jumped out of my mouth!"

  Lucy dusted her hands as if nothing happened.

  "He tried to touch me. As for before Chu told me not to say anything. You also need to stop relying on me for everything."

  Ming swung his face at Chu then back at Lucy.

  "Dammit, you guys are keeping secrets from me."

  He launched a kick at one of the bandits on the ground.

  "So what are we going to do with these idiots?"

  He turned his gaze over to Doug and locked eyes with him. At this time Doug understood the feelings of an exposed rabbit being stared down by a wolf.

  The next sentence from the boy's mouth slackened his bowels and released its contents freely.

  "So do we kill them?"

  Chapter 19

  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, shakedowns, 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.

  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 remained the unconscious Clod who found himself 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 opened up.

  'Ming sang, he sang like a lark.'

  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 mathematical skills of the Chief were horrendous. When Sakura tried to cor
rect 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.