Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

A flicker of emotion passed through Chen Ye, but his expression remained impassive as he accepted the order in a low voice.

"This subordinate obeys!"

He couldn’t fathom Bai Yuge’s intentions, but he was certain of one thing: she only cared about a person’s worth.

’Perhaps in her eyes, my brute strength is my greatest asset.’

Once the order was given, Bai Yuge said nothing more. She waved Chen Ye away and returned to studying the sand table.

Before dawn the next day, the army marched out again.

This time, their target was the Great Liang Capital City itself!

With Xiang Wu dead and tens of thousands of their main forces annihilated, Great Liang Country was now a toothless tiger. Its gates were thrown wide open, with no strategic locations left to defend.

The initial phase of the war went smoother than anyone could have imagined.

Bai Yuge led the army on a deep drive into enemy territory, conquering cities and seizing land. They were unstoppable.

However, Chen Ye’s heart grew heavier with each passing day.

It was because Bai Yuge’s methods were simply too brutal.

After conquering a city, if its defenders had shown even a hint of resistance, she would order the entire populace slaughtered—leaving no one alive.

She even unleashed her soldiers to annihilate a Minor Sect they passed, slaughtering every last member, simply because they hadn’t opened their gates immediately to offer money and provisions.

In their wake, rivers of blood flowed and bones littered the fields.

One day, as Chen Ye stood beneath the towering command banner, he watched a distant city being consumed by flames. The stench of blood in the air was so thick it was suffocating, and a chill ran down his spine.

He finally understood what Wang Xing had meant when he said everyone in the Bai Family was a lunatic.

In Bai Yuge’s eyes, nothing existed but victory.

For the sake of efficiency and to sow terror, she wouldn’t hesitate to raise her blade against any living soul.

Under Bai Yuge’s bloody reign of terror, countless towns and cities either surrendered unconditionally or fled en masse. The rest chose to fight to the bitter end.

At the same time, the various Martial World Sects and Martial Arts Families set aside their old grievances. United by a common enemy, they formed an alliance and relentlessly harassed the army’s supply lines and rear guard.

But Bai Yuge remained completely unfazed. She had only one principle: anyone who dared obstruct her path was an enemy.

And if they were enemies, there was nothing more to be said. She would simply crush them.

And so, the army marched west, leaving nothing but scorched earth beneath its iron hooves.

As for the martial artists who tried to harass them, they were crushed before they could even make a ripple.

What’s more, a group of martial arts experts banded together to assassinate Bai Yuge, but they were ambushed before they could even get near her command tent. Trapped in iron nets, they were riddled with so many arrows they looked like porcupines.

And so, after crushing all resistance along their path, the Great Yong Army arrived before the walls of the Great Liang Capital City and laid siege, surrounding it completely.

Gazing at the tall, sturdy city walls and the dense ranks of defenders atop them, Chen Ye knew the real battle was about to begin.

Sure enough, on the first day of the assault, the army suffered heavy losses under a relentless volley of arrows, rolling logs, and heavy stones from the battlements.

The Great Liang Capital City was a fortress, built over decades with the resources of an entire nation. Its walls were so thick they could not be easily breached by human strength alone.

Furthermore, the city had stockpiled enough provisions to last for several years. Breaching it quickly was nothing more than a pipe dream.

The war descended into a stalemate.

But the real trouble was just beginning.

Although Great Liang Country’s main army was destroyed, its centuries-old foundation remained. This was especially true within the Capital City, which was teeming with hidden masters.

Nearly all the elite forces of the Great Liang Martial World had gathered here, launching ceaseless assassinations and raids.

At first, it was just petty skirmishes. Some second and third-rate Martial World Travelers, relying on their Qinggong skills, tried to sneak into the camp to carry out assassinations.

Naturally, they never returned.

But soon, the caliber of the assassins began to rise rapidly. Second-rate, and even first-rate, masters started to appear.

On a single day, Bai Yuge’s command tent was targeted by three separate waves of assassins.

For a time, the entire camp was on edge, with soldiers panicking at the slightest sound.

Yet Bai Yuge, the target of the assassinations, remained unusually calm. She even seemed to be... enjoying it.

She seemed to relish the feeling of living on the edge of life and death.

Then she issued a command that made everyone’s blood run cold.

She ordered all the corpses, both of her own fallen soldiers and of the captives, to be thrown into the moats surrounding Luojing.

Luojing was built around its rivers, and the city’s people drew most of their drinking water from them.

Bai Yuge’s move was tantamount to cutting off their lifeline.

Soon, the clear river water turned foul and murky. Rotting corpses bobbed on the surface, and the thick stench of death drifted into Luojing City on the wind.

While the city’s well water was still potable, for a metropolis of several hundred thousand people, it was but a drop in the ocean.

The tactic was utterly vicious. As a result, the resistance within Luojing City grew even more frenzied, and the assassination attempts on Bai Yuge became desperate, no-holds-barred affairs.

But Bai Yuge remained unshaken in the Central Army command, calmly simulating battles on her sand table each day as if the chaos outside had nothing to do with her.

As for Chen Ye, his mission remained the same: to guard the great banner of the Central Army.

The importance of the banner went without saying. Chen Ye knew that ’once they realize they can’t assassinate Bai Yuge quickly, they’ll definitely come for the banner instead.’

After all, felling the great banner would be just as effective at shaking the army’s morale.

Thus, for the past few days, he had remained rooted to his spot beneath the command banner, waiting for someone to make a move.

That night, a grim, murderous silence fell over the camp.

Chen Ye sat in a nearby corner, stuffing handfuls of beef jerky into his mouth while keeping a close watch on his surroundings.

His appetite had become astonishingly large. He would sometimes feel hungry again right after a meal, so he took every free moment to keep eating.

Suddenly, his ears twitched.

He’d heard something—the slightest abnormal sound.

’Someone’s here.’

Chen Ye shoved the rest of the beef jerky into his mouth, his gaze turning cold as he stared into the distant darkness.

He could feel a presence approaching at an incredible speed. Their Qinggong was clearly exceptional, their form blending seamlessly with the night.

If not for Chen Ye’s vast experience with nighttime operations, he might have missed them entirely.

Soon, the figure arrived before the great banner.

The man’s heart leaped with joy. ’Victory is at hand! As long as I can cut down this banner, with the help of the others, we can at least temporarily lift the siege of Luojing, even if we can’t drive back the Great Yong Army!’

’Then, I’ll be a hero, praised by all!’

But just as the man was lost in his fantasy, a lazy voice sounded from behind.

"Friend, it’s late. What are you doing out here instead of sleeping?"

The man froze as if struck by lightning. But he was highly experienced; instead of turning, he shot straight forward.

As he lunged, he simultaneously threw a handful of hidden weapons behind him.

But to his surprise, the hidden weapons all missed their mark.

At the same time, Chen Ye sidestepped the projectiles. He then stomped a foot down. With a thunderous BOOM, the very ground shook, and he launched himself forward like a cannonball.

"If you’re not going to talk, then you can stay here forever."