Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector
Chapter 3 - 1: Pearl Collector

Chapter 3: Chapter 1: Pearl Collector

He couldn’t help but swallow, forcefully suppressing the urge.

Only after the Ninth Grade Spirit Pearl was placed into a bag by the Blood Lotus Sect disciple did Chen Ye let out a long breath. Then, a storm raged in his heart.

’What’s going on?’

’Why would I feel such an intense craving?’

While Chen Ye was silently wondering, the man who had been disemboweled twitched a few times on the ground and then breathed his last.

But his body would not go to waste. Soon, a few constables, who were also Sinful People, came forward and carried the corpse away.

Word was that it was taken to be used as fertilizer for flowers. As for what kind of flowers needed corpses to grow, nobody knew.

Because of this scene, the dock fell silent. Everyone stood in line, quiet as mice, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Soon, it was the turn of the middle-aged man standing in front of Chen Ye.

"Sun Zhe, you’ve failed to meet your quota for three consecutive days. Demoted to Level one," the Sinful Person in charge of records said coldly.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man collapsed to the ground, unable to even speak.

To prevent slacking off, the Blood Lotus Sect had established a rule for the Pearl Collectors. Aside from management, everyone had a daily quota. Failure to meet it first meant reduced food rations, and then a demotion in Level.

Being demoted to Level one meant that this middle-aged man named Sun Zhe would become part of the lowest stratum. Unless his luck was heaven-defying, he would soon be dead.

Just then, someone grabbed Sun Zhe by the hair and dragged him away.

Seeing this, many felt a pang of sympathetic fear. After all, no one could guarantee that Sun Zhe’s fate today wouldn’t be their own tomorrow.

Finally, it was Chen Ye’s turn. When he handed over the Eight-Pointed Spirit Pearl, the Sinful Person responsible for inspection was clearly startled, then shouted loudly, "Chen Ye, one ungraded Eight-Pointed Spirit Pearl."

The Sinful Person in charge of records also looked up, a faint smile breaking across his face. "Chen Ye, is it? The points you’ve accumulated recently are enough to level up. Starting today, you are a Fourth-level Sinner."

As he spoke, he handed over a token engraved with the number four.

In that moment, everyone’s eyes focused on Chen Ye. Their gazes were filled with envy, jealousy, and even some malicious scrutiny.

After all, here, Level meant everything. Food, lodging, and even so-called dignity were all tied to that little token.

Chen Ye’s expression remained impassive, as if he weren’t the one who had just been promoted.

He took the new wooden token, handed in his old Third-Level Wooden Token and Spiritual Shovel, and then collected the provisions for a Fourth-level Sinner: a small bag of fine rice, a pouch of dark but substantial wheat cakes, and even a few pieces of cured meat.

These provisions were a significant improvement over what he had before.

After stowing his supplies, Chen Ye turned and left the dock under the weight of those complicated stares.

Behind the dock was a small town.

The Sinful People had basic needs, too. This was especially true for the High-level Sinners, who had surplus supplies. This, combined with the new arrivals of Sinful People every few days, had given birth to this misshapen little town.

His newly assigned residence was on the outskirts of this town. Chen Ye kept his head down, walking briskly along the muddy road.

Everything seemed normal, but Chen Ye’s pace grew faster and faster. Upon entering the town, he suddenly ducked into an alley.

Just as he turned into the alley, three people who had been following him quickly gave chase, only to find it empty.

The dilapidated alley was completely empty. There was no trace of Chen Ye.

"Where’d he go? How’d he vanish in the blink of an eye?" one of them, a man with sharp, monkey-like features, asked in confusion.

"The kid’s got the nose of a dog. We were so careful tracking him, but he still spotted us," another man with triangular eyes said, his face full of frustration.

The leader was a large, heavily bearded man. He scanned the alley with a dark gaze and said in a low voice,

"This kid’s no simpleton. I’ve been watching him for over a month. He finds a Spirit Pearl almost every day, and they’re always of decent quality. I suspect he’s found a nest where Spirit Clams gather."

As he said this, a flash of greed crossed his eyes.

"It doesn’t matter that he got away this time. He can run, but he can’t hide. I refuse to believe he can escape us again tomorrow."

These three were all High-level Sinners. Their leader, the bearded man named Zhao Qiu, had lived here for several years. It was said he had good connections with the management, making him a true local bully.

Since they were in town, Zhao Qiu and his men didn’t dare cause too much of a scene. After confirming there was no sign of Chen Ye, they could only leave resentfully.

After they left, the gate to a small courtyard in the alley was pushed open a crack, silently.

Chen Ye slipped out from behind the gate, his expression grim.

He had noticed someone was following him on the road earlier.

So, after turning into the alley, he had put on a burst of speed, using both his hands and feet to scramble over the wall into this courtyard with extreme swiftness, barely managing to shake his tail.

He had also overheard every word of Zhao Qiu’s conversation with his men.

’So, I really was being watched.’

’For the past two months, I’ve relied on my Spirit Clam Sensing ability. My harvests have been stable, and I leveled up too quickly. In the end, it drew unwanted attention.’

’I managed to escape this time, but what about next time? Am I just going to keep hiding?’

’It seems I need a way to protect myself.’

Chen Ye secretly clenched his fists. The image of the Ninth Grade Spirit Pearl from the dock involuntarily surfaced in his mind, along with the intense, soul-deep craving he had felt at that moment.

’That feeling was too real. It’s definitely not normal.’

’Could it be... that the activation condition for the Boat of the Other Shore is related to these Spirit Pearls?’