Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector
Chapter 22 - 20: Stepping Moon’s Letter

Chapter 22: Chapter 20: Stepping Moon’s Letter

Inside the Arresting Department’s Government Office, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

The face of Zhao Governor, Zhao An, was darker than the bottom of a pot.

In just two short days, two shocking major cases had occurred in the Capital City, alarming the entire upper crust. As the Governor in charge of Martial World affairs, the pressure on him was immense.

After hearing the reason for Cheng Ming and his grandson’s visit and their deductions, Zhao An slammed his hand on the table.

"Elder Chief Cheng, are you saying that this Flying Thief likely comes from our own Capital City’s Martial World?"

"It’s merely a possibility," Cheng Ming said unhurriedly. "Zhao Governor, you have overseen the Eight Great Sects for many years and know all of their top experts like the back of your hand. I must ask you to use your connections and help investigate."

Of course, Zhao An didn’t dare refuse.

He immediately gave the order to summon the masters and Young Monarchs of the Eight Great Sects—Jin, Pi, Cai, Gua, Heng, Lan, Ge, and Rong—and commanded them to mobilize all their forces to dig up information on this Flying Thief within their respective territories.

In an instant, the entire Martial World of the Capital City was set in motion.

At the same time, the constables of the Six Gates, the soldiers of the Military Patrol Stations, and the Fanzi of the Arresting Department were all deployed in full force. Patrols filled every street and alley, and inspections became exceptionally strict.

However, this official tension stood in stark contrast to the mood among the common people.

The common folk didn’t dare say it aloud, but in their hearts, they were all silently praying that this heroic thief would never be caught.

As for the Eight Great Sects of the Martial World, who had been forced to mobilize everyone to search for clues, each and every one of them was slacking off.

This was especially true for the Rong Character Sect, which was under the most scrutiny. Fang Tao and his men would wander the streets for a bit each day before finding a teahouse to drink tea and listen to storytellers, simply going through the motions.

Some daring storytellers had even secretly turned the tales of the "Masked Hero’s Night Visit to Fuman Cang" and the "Flying Thief Dividing Gold Beneath the Moon" into routines. They performed them quietly in teahouses and taverns, and whenever they reached a thrilling part, they would always draw a wave of hushed cheers.

And so, Chen Ye gained many honorifics among the common people. Some called him the Flying Thief, while others hailed him as the Stepping Moon Hero.

In short, the officials and the people, the underworld and the establishment, formed a peculiar landscape of starkly drawn lines within the massive Capital City.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye was plotting his next target.

The Hengtong Bank job had boosted Chen Ye’s reputation among the people, but it barely caused a ripple on his Professional Panel.

His Professional Level and Skills showed no change whatsoever.

Chen Ye fell into deep thought.

’It seems the closer I get to the Late Stage, the harder it is to level up.’

A target like Hengtong Bank, while still belonging to the rich and powerful, was ultimately just a poorly guarded commercial establishment. The infiltration and theft encountered almost no meaningful resistance.

A job of this difficulty could no longer provide him with enough experience.

’So simply robbing the rich to give to the poor is thinking too small.’

A cold glint flashed in Chen Ye’s eyes. ’Since stealing things is no longer enough, I’ll switch my objective this time.’

This time, it still wasn’t for wealth, but for... delivering justice on behalf of heaven.

With that thought, he pushed open his door, and his figure silently melted into the night of the Capital City.

The Capital City was a motley mix of dragons and fish, home to both Noble Families with centuries of heritage and new court favorites who had schemed their way to the top.

This led to the hedonistic sons of the elite being as numerous as ox hairs. Most of them were merely ignorant and unskilled, relying on their family background to act like tyrants.

But there were always those for whom ordinary debauchery was no longer enough to satisfy their twisted desires, so they began seeking thrills in more depraved ways.

Among them, Li Chunfeng, the eldest young master of Duke Anguo Li Jun’s household, was the most notoriously infamous.

Relying on his father being a Duke and his aunt an Imperial Consort in the palace, this man had committed every evil imaginable, treating human lives as if they were worthless weeds. The people of the Capital City would grit their teeth whenever he was mentioned in private, but they dared not voice their anger.

Chen Ye had long heard of this man’s deeds.

It was said that any woman he set his sights on would ultimately be unable to escape his vicious grasp.

Once, while strolling down the street, he happened to glimpse a family’s newly-wedded bride and noted her beauty. He immediately barged into her home with ill intentions.

The woman’s husband happened to return at that moment, only to be pinned to the ground by Li Chunfeng’s wicked servants, forced to watch helplessly as his wife was violated before his very eyes.

Afterward, Li Chunfeng left, completely satisfied, without a care in the world.

That very night, the pitiful couple both hanged themselves.

The incident caused a huge uproar in the capital, but in the end, it was simply swept under the rug.

Over the years, the number of innocent women who had died, directly or indirectly, at Li Chunfeng’s hands was, if not a hundred, then at least eighty.

Scum like him truly deserved a fate worse than death.

But to just kill him with a single stroke of a blade would be letting him off too easily.

Chen Ye stood in the shadows of a dark alley, gazing at the brilliantly lit Duke An’s Mansion not far away, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

-----------------

「The next day, at Duke An’s Mansion.」

Li Chunfeng awoke amidst luxurious silk quilts, his head splitting from a hangover.

He irritably rubbed his temples and glanced to his side.

On the bed, a scantily clad young woman was curled up, her body covered in purple and blue bruises. Her eyes were vacant, her face stained with fresh tears, like a broken doll.

This was a pretty young maiden he had abducted from the street three days ago. She was not yet married and had a fiery personality, which had made her quite entertaining for him.

But now, he was bored of her.

"Drag her out," Li Chunfeng said, waving his hand impatiently as if shooing away an annoying fly.

Two sturdy female servants immediately entered from outside, deftly wrapped the woman in a quilt, and dragged her out like a dead dog.

Whether the woman lived or died after being sent back was not something that Eldest Young Master Li needed to concern himself with.

He stretched, hummed a little tune, and was just about to head for breakfast.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted outside.

Li Chunfeng’s brow furrowed, and his mood instantly soured.

"What’s going on? What’s all this noise so early in the morning?"

At that moment, one of his personal attendants came scrambling in. "Young... Young Master..."

"Spit it out!" Li Chunfeng barked impatiently.

"Outside... on the outer wall..." The attendant stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

"Useless!"

Li Chunfeng shoved him aside and decided to go see for himself.

The moment he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he froze.

There, on the vermilion courtyard wall of Duke An’s Mansion, a line of large, flamboyantly written characters had appeared!

[In three days, I will take Li Chunfeng’s head.]

Signed: Stepping Moon.

Li Chunfeng was stunned for a moment, then erupted in fury. "Which blind bastard dares to challenge me?! Find him! Drag him out here! I’ll have him cut into a thousand pieces!"

He thought it was the work of some Noble Youth with whom he had a grudge.

By this time, a growing crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the mansion gates. They pointed at the line of text, their faces a mixture of shock and excitement.

Seeing this, Li Chunfeng was so enraged he was practically fuming. He immediately ordered his servants to disperse the crowd and wash the writing off the wall.

Just then, people from the Six Gates arrived. When they saw the writing on the wall, and especially when they saw the signature "Stepping Moon," the color drained from all their faces.

Because as the situation had developed, the name "Stepping Moon Hero" had already spread widely among the common people, referring to none other than the mysterious master thief who had robbed two noble houses in two days, throwing the entire upper echelon of Capital City society into chaos.