Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

Yelv Boyang was dead.

He died without ever seeing his killer’s face.

And with his death, the great Grassland army completely collapsed.

These once-ferocious Grassland cavalry fled as if they had gone mad.

In the chaos, they shoved and trampled one another. As a result, many died under the hooves of their own comrades before even encountering an enemy.

Tong Lei, of course, wasn’t about to let this heaven-sent opportunity pass. He led the Imperial Guard in hot pursuit, chasing them for dozens of miles and slaughtering them until the ground was littered with corpses and rivers of blood flowed.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye had quietly returned to the Capital City. He went back to the command tent on the city wall and transformed back into the Emperor of the Great Zhao, Yang Zhao.

It wasn’t until dawn that the battle, which had raged all night, finally drew to a close.

When Tong Lei returned leading the victorious army, Chen Ye personally went out of the city to greet him.

Seeing this, Tong Lei dismounted while still a good distance away, strode forward, and knelt on one knee. His voice was filled with reverence and fervor as he called out.

"Your Majesty, I have not failed my duty! We have completely routed the Grassland barbarians. Only a small number escaped, but I have already ordered my men to hunt them down. We will surely annihilate them all by day’s end."

Tong Lei’s attitude was no pretense. He was in absolute awe of the young Emperor before him.

The previous evening, Chen Ye had given him a secret edict, ordering him to have his elite troops assembled and ready, waiting only for a fire to start outside the city before immediately launching an attack.

At the time, Tong Lei had been filled with doubt.

After all, the Grassland camp was heavily fortified, and Yelv Boyang was a formidable leader. ’How could anyone possibly sneak in and set a fire?’

But the Emperor’s command was absolute, so he had no choice but to obey.

So when the towering flames truly erupted in the Grassland camp, the shock Tong Lei felt was simply beyond measure.

It reached the point where he even believed this Emperor was the one chosen by the Celestial Mandate, secretly aided by spirits and gods. Otherwise, there was no explaining such unfathomable tactics.

"You have done well, General Tong. And so have all the soldiers."

Chen Ye personally stepped forward to help Tong Lei to his feet, his gaze sweeping over the exhausted yet exhilarated faces of the soldiers.

"Relay my imperial decree! All meritorious soldiers in this battle shall be promoted one rank and rewarded with a hundred taels of silver! For those who fell in battle, their families’ compensation will be doubled, and their names will be entered into the Hall of Heroes to be honored by the people for all time!"

"We thank Your Majesty for this immense grace!"

The thunderous cry of gratitude shook the heavens. The face of every soldier was filled with the joy of having survived the ordeal and a deep reverence for Chen Ye.

After this one battle, Chen Ye’s prestige, both in the imperial court and among the common people, soared to an unprecedented height.

Soon, Yelv Boyang’s body was brought into the city, and the entire Capital City erupted.

Jubilant citizens flooded the streets, eager to see what the barbarian chieftain looked like.

Wu Xiaorui was also in the crowd. For the past few days, she had been with her sisters from the Colorful Character Sect, helping treat the wounded and transport supplies in the rear, doing her own small part.

But at this moment, her gaze was riveted on the carriage as it slowly passed by.

Her attention, however, was not on Yelv Boyang’s body, but on the small knife protruding from his neck.

The style of the knife and the way the silk thread was wrapped around the hilt gave her a strange sense of familiarity.

Then, she suddenly remembered.

The small knife Chen Ye used to carry was exactly like this one.

And as she stood there in a daze, she overheard the excited discussions of the people around her.

"Did you hear? A legendary figure appeared on our side. Last night, he snuck into the enemy camp without a trace, first burning the barbarians’ supplies, then cutting down the command banner in the midst of their army, and finally, he personally assassinated that damn Khan!"

"I heard that too! If it weren’t for him, General Tong and his men wouldn’t have won so easily."

"The amazing thing is, after he did it, this Hero just dusted himself off and left without leaving a name. That’s the style of a true master."

"Do you think it could be the Stepping Moon Hero?"

"You know, it very well could be."

Listening to their chatter, Wu Xiaorui shuddered, as if she had suddenly understood something.

All her previous suspicions and the signs she had noticed were confirmed in that instant.

After being released from the palace, Wu Xiaorui had heard that Chen Ye had left the Rong Character Sect and his whereabouts were unknown.

Although she had been prepared for it at the time, she couldn’t help but feel a bit crestfallen.

As the situation grew more tense, she had gradually put the matter aside, and even her memory of the young man had started to fade.

Only now did Wu Xiaorui understand. Chen Ye hadn’t run away in fear, nor had he gone into hiding.

He had simply done something earth-shattering in his own way, and once it was done, he had quietly disappeared, hiding his accomplishments and his name from the world.

At this thought, Wu Xiaorui looked up at the rosy glow of dawn on the distant horizon, her eyes unknowingly growing moist.

She had a premonition that she would likely never see that devil-may-care young man again.

Meanwhile, in Yangxin Hall at the Imperial Palace, dozens of consorts were waiting.

Each one was meticulously made up, trying to display her most beautiful side to the Holy Emperor who had single-handedly turned the tide and saved their fates.

After all, had the city fallen, their fates would have been easy to imagine.

However, upon returning to the Imperial Palace, Chen Ye merely glanced at them before waving his hand dismissively.

"You are all dismissed. It is late. Go and rest."

With those words, Chen Ye walked straight into Yangxin Hall, leaving the consorts to exchange glances, their faces filled with disappointment.

Once inside the hall, after dismissing all the attendants, Chen Ye finally had time to take stock of his gains from the battle.

He opened the system panel, and lines of text appeared before his eyes.

[Profession: Thief Ancestor—The Origin of Thievery, the Apex of the Art. A thousand faces are your mask, the hearts of men are your path, and the rules of creation are yours to command. The way of the thief will be defined by you.]

[Talent: Heart Stealing Clarity—All thieving arts reach perfection in your hands.]

[Skills: Skillful Hand Level 10, Fast Blade Level 10, Wall-Climbing Level 10, Stealth Level 10, Throwing Level 10, Bone Shifting Level 10, Sound Mimicry Level 10]

Looking at the formidable description of his Profession, Chen Ye let out a long breath. ’Looks like I’ve finally maxed out the thief path,’ he thought to himself.

There was another pleasant surprise. The long-dormant Boat of the Other Shore began to shimmer with a faint light, and a line of text appeared before his eyes.

[The Boat of the Other Shore has been activated. Do you wish to return?]

Looking at the words, a ripple went through Chen Ye’s heart.

He had been in this world for quite some time now, starting as a helpless Little Scholar whom anyone could bully and clawing his way up step by step to his current position.

His great vengeance was exacted, his powerful enemies eliminated.

Logically, he could leave now.

However, after a moment of contemplation, Chen Ye decided to wait a while longer.

He had to see things through to the very end.

This Dynasty was riddled with corruption and on the verge of collapse. Now that he held such supreme prestige, he naturally had to do something about it.