Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

He collected his thoughts and began, "Brother Chen Ye, you’ve certainly earned a lot in the stall area these past two days with that sharp eye of yours. But you must also know that these petty dealings will never amount to much. After all, the real treasures don’t just find their way to an outdoor stall."

"But our Seven Stars Pavilion is different. We have our own information channels and dedicated teams that explore ancient ruins and Cultivator Cave Mansions. Because of this, we come across opportunities and treasures that ordinary Loose Cultivators might not see in their entire lifetimes."

"Therefore, we sincerely invite you, Brother Chen Ye, to join our Seven Stars Pavilion." Lu Feng’s eyes grew fervent. "With your sharp eye and the platform and resources of the Seven Stars Pavilion, it would be a powerful alliance. Your future accomplishments would be absolutely limitless!"

"That’s right," Lin Yue added. "Join us, and you’ll no longer be fighting alone. You’ll have the entire Seven Stars Pavilion backing you. Moreover, any treasures we find will be distributed based on contribution, absolutely fair and just. I guarantee your earnings will be ten, even a hundred times higher than what you make from your stall now!"

Their words were incredibly tempting, yet Chen Ye’s expression remained as unruffled as ever.

’He knew perfectly well there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.’

’No matter how rosy a picture the two of them painted, the core of the matter was that they had taken notice of his recent ability to repeatedly find hidden gems.’

’And Chen Ye would never join some organization for such paltry profits. After all, his sharp eye came from his unique advantage—his greatest secret, one he could never reveal to anyone.’

So, after a brief moment of thought, he shook his head. "Thank you both for thinking so highly of me, and thank your esteemed Pavilion Master for the kind offer."

Chen Ye’s tone was calm, but his stance was firm. "However, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you."

"Why?" Lu Feng’s smile froze, and he asked in confusion, "Brother Chen Ye, don’t you think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? You..."

"I’m used to a carefree life," Chen Ye interrupted him. "I don’t like being tied down by all sorts of rules, and I don’t like working with others. In fact, I’m not even planning to run this little stall anymore. After all, cultivation is the true path. I’m only doing this now because I have no money."

He paused, then added, "As for this sharp eye you mentioned, it’s not as mystical as you think. It’s just a little trick for identifying materials passed down from my ancestors. Besides, most of the time it’s just guesswork. I’ve just been lucky. If I were to really go with you to explore some ruins or a Cave Mansion, I’m afraid I’d only hold you back."

His explanation was watertight. By stating he wouldn’t even run the stall anymore and attributing his sharp eye to a simple trick and good luck, he left Lu Feng and Lin Yue no room for further persuasion.

Hearing Chen Ye’s reply, both Lu Feng and Lin Yue were a little disappointed.

They had thought this was practically a sure thing. After all, the terms they offered would be irresistibly attractive to any Loose Cultivator.

They never expected Chen Ye to refuse so decisively.

"Brother Chen Ye, won’t you reconsider?" Lin Yue was still unwilling to give up. "This really is a great opportunity. If you miss it..."

"There’s no need." Chen Ye shook his head. "My mind is made up. Thank you both for your kind intentions."

Seeing Chen Ye’s resolute attitude, Lu Feng and Lin Yue exchanged a glance, knowing there was no point in trying to persuade him further.

"In that case, we won’t insist." Lu Feng sighed, his professional smile returning.

"Brother Chen Ye, although we couldn’t come to an agreement this time, the doors of our Seven Stars Pavilion will always be open to you. If you ever change your mind, or run into any trouble you can’t solve, you can find us at the Seven-Star Tower in the east of the city."

"Then I thank you for the kind offer."

Lu Feng and Lin Yue left. Watching their retreating figures, Chen Ye suddenly remarked, "Looks like I can’t run this stall anymore."

Hearing this, Su Yuan grew anxious and was about to say something, but Yun Heqing, who was beside her, stopped her. The usually timid Daoist had a serious expression in his eyes as he shook his head gravely at Su Yuan, silently telling her not to object.

Su Yuan pouted but ultimately heeded the advice and said no more.

Meanwhile, as Chen Ye’s group returned to their inn, a grim atmosphere hung over a courtyard in the western part of the city, where people bustled back and forth.

The door to a secret chamber stood open. The room had been completely ransacked, but the lingering stench of an evil aura and blood still hung in the air.

Xiao Zhanbai stood in the center of the courtyard. Dressed in white, her posture was ramrod straight, but her usually frosty face was now veiled in an unshakable gloom.

After all, two full days had passed, leaving only one day before the deadline set by Young Manor Master Jian Wuchen, yet they hadn’t found even a shadow of the culprit.

She had barely slept a wink in the past two days. She had led the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall and the Armored Warriors of Qingzhou Prefecture to search the entire Qingzhou Prefecture City over and over.

All one hundred and thirty-seven registered Swordsmen at or above the Sea Condensation Realm had been "invited for tea," one by one.

The primary suspect, the Mad Swordsman Xue Shan, was under twenty-four-hour surveillance on her orders—someone even stood guard outside when he went to the latrine.

But after all the investigations, everyone had been cleared of suspicion.

It was as if the killer had appeared out of thin air and vanished just as mysteriously, leaving no trace within the Celestial Net of Heaven and Earth that was Qingzhou Prefecture City.

But it wasn’t entirely true that they had found nothing.

The massive search did manage to root out a number of hidden Demons and Evil Cultivators. They caught spies from the Blood Soul Sect, a Sub-Branch Leader from the Black Death Sect, a few Flower Thieves, and several River Bandits wanted by the Government Office for years. In total, they arrested some twenty or thirty people, which at least did something to clean up the public order in Qingzhou Prefecture City.

But this wasn’t what she wanted!

What she wanted was the murderer who dared to kill right under the nose of Celestial Sword Manor, openly provoking the manor’s authority!

If she couldn’t find him, she wouldn’t be able to answer to the Young Manor Master, nor to Elder Jian of the Law Enforcement Hall!

For Xiao Zhanbai, who had always been high-minded and proud and had never known defeat, this was undoubtedly a great humiliation.

"Senior Sister Xiao."

Just then, a disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall hurried in from outside, his expression grim.

He walked up to Xiao Zhanbai and respectfully handed her a Jade Scroll.

"This is... an order from Elder Jian."