Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

The defenses here were extremely tight, with sentries posted at every turn and patrols moving back and forth without pause.

But the unlucky bastard Chen Ye was impersonating seemed to be a familiar face here.

He staggered all the way here. The few patrols he encountered merely laughed and cursed at him, telling him to hurry up and get back to sleep, showing no signs of suspicion.

This allowed Chen Ye to infiltrate the core of the area with ease.

The towering stacks of grain and fodder stood out starkly in the wind and snow.

Just as Chen Ye drew near, a sharp shout came from behind him.

"Halt!"

’It’s the language of the Grassland People!’

However, Chen Ye had recently devoted himself to studying their language. It was so simple and primitive that he picked it up quickly, and by now, he had mastered it.

He turned to see a burly General leading a unit of his Personal Guard striding over.

"Which tent are you from? What are you doing here in the middle of the night!"

Chen Ye pretended to be drunk, mumbling indistinctly, "General, I... I had to piss, took a wrong turn."

Seeing his completely drunken state, the wariness on the General’s face lessened slightly.

The men of the Grassland loved alcohol as much as life itself. Though it was banned in the army, sneaking a few sips was a common occurrence. As long as it didn’t interfere with official duties, the General usually turned a blind eye.

"Get lost. If I catch you wandering around again, I’ll have your head!" the General waved his hand impatiently.

"Yes, yes..." Chen Ye replied, bowing and scraping, but his body swayed as he staggered toward the General, as if he couldn’t keep his balance.

A flash of disgust crossed the General’s eyes, and he was just about to curse at him again.

But in the instant they passed each other, the unexpected happened!

A chilling glint of light flashed from Chen Ye’s sleeve and vanished, faster than anyone could possibly react!

The impatience and anger on the General’s face froze. He looked down in disbelief at the Flying Saber that had appeared in his throat, the light in his eyes rapidly dimming.

It all happened so fast that the surrounding Soldiers hadn’t even realized what had occurred.

And Chen Ye gave them no time to react.

With a backhand motion, he pulled several dark jars from his robes. With a flick of his arm, he hurled them directly into the mountain-like stacks of grain and fodder.

These were his newly developed, enhanced Burning Bottles—more powerful and creating a more ferocious blaze than the one he had used at Duke An’s Mansion.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

The jars shattered, and the pungent smell of accelerant spread everywhere. The grain, already bone-dry from the cold wind, was ignited almost instantly!

The biting wind became the perfect accomplice, fanning the flames. The fire rode the wind, and the wind fueled the fire’s might. In just a few breaths, the flames shot dozens of feet into the air, quickly merging into a sea of fire that bathed half the night sky in a crimson glow!

"Assassin! Put out the fire!"

Only then did these Personal Guards snap out of their daze, roaring as they charged at Chen Ye.

But Chen Ye had already timed his escape perfectly. With a leap and a few bounds, he darted into the distant shadows and vanished.

「Inside the Central Army Tent.」

Yelv Boyang was drinking deeply from a golden cup.

The clamor from outside made him frown. He was about to shout a reprimand when a thick, burnt smell crept in on the cold wind.

His heart suddenly lurched. He threw open the tent flap and rushed out.

When he saw the blaze in the direction of the grain supply, a conflagration so vast it seemed to set the heavens on fire, the pupils of the great ruler of the Grassland shrank to pinpricks.

"My supplies!"

Yelv Boyang let out a beast-like roar, the muscles in his face twisting with extreme rage.

But he quickly forced himself to calm down.

He was the king of the Grassland, the backbone of tens of thousands of Wolf Riders. At a time like this, he absolutely could not lose his composure.

"Relay my orders! All units are to restrain their Soldiers. Anyone who dares cause trouble amidst the chaos will be executed without pardon!"

"Order the rear army to the fire immediately! At all costs, put that fire out for me!"

One clear order after another roared from his mouth, and the camp, which had already begun to stir with unrest, actually stabilized somewhat under his authority.

Just then, a Soldier, charred black and in tattered clothes, came running toward him.

The Soldier ran and shouted shrilly in the Grassland tongue, "Great Khan, the fire is out of control! Many of our brothers inside have died."

Yelv Boyang was already burning with anxiety. Seeing someone who had escaped the blaze, he immediately shouted, "You, come here! What exactly is the situation inside?"

Hearing this, the Soldier staggered over quickly.

But the instant he drew near, Yelv Boyang’s sharp eyes narrowed suddenly.

’Something’s wrong!’

’This man’s gait... it’s subtly different from that of a Grassland native, who’s spent his life on horseback!’

’Men of the Grassland grow up on horseback; their legs unconsciously bow outward. But even though this man is stumbling, his legs are too straight. He’s no man of the Grassland!’

The feeling was extremely subtle; one would have to be incredibly observant to notice it.

"Who are you?!" Yelv Boyang demanded sharply, his hand already on the hilt of his saber.

His answer was several flashes of cold light, as fast as lightning!

"Protect the Great Khan!"

Yelv Boyang violently twisted his body to one side, narrowly avoiding the fatal shots aimed at his heart and throat. Nevertheless, a sharp pain erupted in his shoulder, where a Flying Saber had already buried itself.

In a flash, the surrounding Personal Guard swarmed forward like a tide, tightly shielding Yelv Boyang in the center, their blades pointed directly at the Assassin.

But the Assassin had no intention of lingering in battle. He retreated and melted into the darkness behind him like a phantom, disappearing completely.

Yelv Boyang pulled the Flying Saber from his shoulder. Instead of sharp pain, he felt a numb, itching sensation from the wound.

’Poison!’

His heart went cold. ’With such a phantom-like, top-tier Assassin lurking about, how can I ever eat or sleep in peace again?’

However, he would not have that worry for long.

Because at that moment, the great wolf-head banner above the Central Army Tent behind him—the symbol of his supreme authority—snapped in two and slowly drifted down.

Immediately after, a roar echoed throughout the entire camp.

"Yelv Boyang is dead—!"

That cry was like a ladle of cold water poured into a pot of boiling oil.

The entire military camp fell dead silent for an instant, then erupted into an even more earth-shattering uproar!

In the distance, the ordinary Soldiers who didn’t know the truth saw the great banner fall and were immediately convinced.

This grand army was cobbled together from dozens of tribes, held together solely by Yelv Boyang’s prestige. Now that their common leader was dead, the alliance immediately crumbled!

"The Great Khan is dead! Run!"

"Back to the tribe! We can’t be cannon fodder for the other tribes!"

Countless cavalry began to turn their horses and flee in all directions. The scene descended into total chaos.

"Bastards, I am still here!" Yelv Boyang was so angry he nearly spat blood, but his voice was quickly drowned in the immense chaos.

’The situation is lost!’

"Retreat! Fall back to Tong County and regroup," he roared, gritting his teeth in frustration.

But at that exact moment, heaven-shaking battle cries suddenly erupted from the direction of the distant Capital City!

The city gates swung wide open, and countless Imperial Guards in Heavy Armor surged forward like a black tide. Led by Tong Lei, they charged toward the chaotic camp of the Grassland army.

This was precisely the secret order Chen Ye had given Tong Lei in his capacity as the Emperor before he arrived.

The fire was the signal; the ensuing chaos was the command to attack immediately.

Yelv Boyang felt the world spin. The numb, itching sensation from his shoulder had already spread to half his body, making it incredibly difficult to even lift his arm.

He knew this was a moment of life and death and could only retreat pathetically under the protection of his Personal Guard.

Amidst the chaos, a Personal Guard with a blood-and-grime-streaked face silently approached, supporting his faltering body and saying anxiously, "Great Khan, I will protect you and fight our way out!"

Yelv Boyang’s heart steadied slightly at his words.

But the next second, he felt a sudden chill on the back of his neck.

A short, cold blade had been driven precisely into the vertebrae of his neck.