Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector
Chapter 30 - 28: Praised by the People, Fury in the Imperial Court

Chapter 30: Chapter 28: Praised by the People, Fury in the Imperial Court

Yang Zhao was acting this way because, quite simply, he was afraid.

The reasoning was simple: If this Stepping Moon Thief dared to break into Duke An’s Mansion to commit murder today, would he dare to storm the Imperial Palace tomorrow?

The thought had him on pins and needles, hence his fury.

And the Emperor’s wrath was, of course, thunderous.

The nation’s power was in decline, and he had gradually lost control over its major strongholds. But this was the Capital City, right under the Emperor’s nose. Thus, before the sun had even risen, his orders had been delivered to all relevant authorities.

In an instant, the city gates were shut tight. The streets, usually bustling with activity, now echoed with only the cold clang of patrolling guards’ armor. Even the air was thick with a chilling, grim atmosphere.

Meanwhile, news of the shocking bloodbath at Duke An’s Mansion spread through the streets and alleys of the Capital City at a speed that far exceeded what the authorities had anticipated.

In the taverns and teahouses, although constables patrolled back and forth, the patrons would still lower their voices and animatedly discuss last night’s earth-shattering case after the guards had moved away.

"Did you hear? Duke An’s Mansion was nearly burned to the ground!"

"That’s not all! My cousin works at the Military Patrol Station. He said the Stepping Moon Hero cut off Li Chunfeng’s head right in front of Six Gates, and even Li Jun was almost blown to bits."

"So satisfying! Truly satisfying. I have to have a couple of extra drinks today."

The common folk’s words were filled with admiration and reverence for this Stepping Moon Hero.

And those families who had been bullied and harmed by Li Chunfeng were overcome with mixed emotions upon hearing the news.

In a courtyard in the southern part of the city, the young girl who had been tortured by Li Chunfeng to the point of wanting to die was now staring blankly out the window.

Her mother walked in carrying a bowl of hot porridge. Her eyes were red, but her voice held an irrepressible joy.

"My girl, that beast is dead! The Stepping Moon Hero killed him last night. We’ve been avenged!"

The girl’s body trembled slightly. She slowly raised her head, and a glimmer of life finally returned to her empty eyes.

She looked at the complex expression on her mother’s face, a mixture of tears and smiles. At first, she only shed silent tears, drop after drop rolling down her cheeks without a sound.

Then she threw herself into her mother’s arms and began to wail, her cries heart-wrenching.

It was as if she was trying to vent all her grievances and humiliation in this one outburst.

The people cheered, while the imperial court seethed with rage.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye had already returned silently to the sprawling courtyard compound.

He sat cross-legged on his bed. With a mere thought, he summoned the system panel.

[Name: Chen Ye]

[Profession: Nightwalker (Level 4)]

[Talent: Shadow’s Son (You are a child of the shadows, born to merge with the darkness. Your presence, sound, and form are greatly concealed in the shadows, making you almost impossible to detect.)]

[Skills: Skillful Hand Level 10, Fast Blade Level 10, Roof Walking Level 10, Stealth Level 4]

[Stealth]: An exclusive Skill for the Nightwalker Profession. You can actively merge into shadows, completely concealing your form and presence for a short time, as if vanishing into thin air. The higher the skill Level, the longer the duration and the fewer the flaws.

[Throwing Level 1]: Passive Skill. Greatly enhances the user’s accuracy, power, and range with thrown weapons. This skill affects all ranged projectile attacks, including but not limited to Flying Sabers, archery, and hidden weapons.

Three whole levels!

What’s more, his Stealth Skill had shot up from Level 1 all the way to Level 4!

And the newly appeared Throwing Skill was an unexpected bonus.

Chen Ye figured this was probably related to him using the Stone-Throwing Rope to hurl a Burning Bottle last night.

This skill was practically tailor-made for him, strengthening all of his ranged attacks.

In the future, whether he used Flying Sabers or a Crossbow, it would be a huge help.

All in all, the rewards from this adventure had far exceeded his expectations.

Chen Ye exited the panel with satisfaction, lay down on the bed for a short nap, and then got up and walked out of the room.

In the courtyard, Fang Tao was sitting with a group of his men. Excitement was written all over their faces as they passionately discussed something.

"You guys should have seen it! The flames lit up the entire southern sky."

"I heard that Old Chief Constable Cheng Ming from Six Gates, and his granddaughter, the one they called the top expert of the younger generation, were both killed!"

"Good heavens, this Stepping Moon Hero is on another level. But it’s a good thing. Now those bastards in the Capital City will have to sleep with one eye open."

Chen Ye impassively ladled a bowl of porridge, squatted to one side, and slurped it down while listening to the men embellish his own glorious deeds.

Finally, it was Fang Tao who said with a sigh, "This Stepping Moon Hero is unbelievably strong, but we have to be careful too. The heat is on outside; there are officials everywhere. So starting today, nobody goes out. Just stay put in the courtyard, so we don’t get arrested as thieves."

The men all roared in agreement.

Chen Ye naturally had no objections. After finishing his food, he went back to his room to catch up on sleep.

But he had barely lain down when a loud "BANG! BANG! BANG!" came from the courtyard gate.

"Open up! Arresting Department business! Everyone inside, get the hell out here!"

Chen Ye’s eyes narrowed, and he immediately rolled off the bed.

Soon, the courtyard gate was opened, and a pack of fierce constables flooded in. The man in the lead was none other than Governor Zhao An of the Arresting Department.

Zhao An’s face was ashen. He had clearly been pushed into a corner by his superiors.

’In his view, how could the master thief behind such a monstrous crime possibly be hiding in a den of petty thieves?’

But the orders from above were absolute: search the entire city, leave no stone unturned. He could only brace himself and go through the motions.

"All of you, line up! I’m questioning you one by one! Where were you last night and what were you doing? Spit it out!"

The Fujia’Er in the courtyard had never seen such a display. They were all pale with fright, silent as winter cicadas.

The interrogation proceeded quickly. When it was Chen Ye’s turn, an idea struck him. He put on a nervous and slightly awkward expression and answered haltingly.

"Sir, I... I went to eat at the Big Wine Vats with a friend last night. Then... then I came back not long after. The guys in the courtyard can all vouch for me."

Zhao An sized Chen Ye up, finding him a bit familiar. Then he remembered—wasn’t this the kid from the Art Discussion Conference whose skills were actually decent?

’Just a petty thief who hangs around the marketplace.’

The last shred of doubt in his mind was completely dispelled. He waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, next!"

The search, of course, turned up nothing. Zhao An left, his head spinning with problems. It wasn’t just him. The three government offices—the Arresting Department, Six Gates, and the Military Patrol Station—had practically turned the entire Capital City upside down. They interrogated every registered person in the Martial World and questioned countless citizens, yet they still came up with nothing.

Forget catching the man, they couldn’t even find a single hair belonging to the Stepping Moon Thief.

In no time, the heads of the three government offices were so worried their hair was turning white. An absurd rumor even began to circulate in private—that Stepping Moon was not a man at all, but a ghost or a god!

Just as everyone was bracing for the Emperor’s thunderous fury, a top-priority dispatch arrived from the northern border.

The Barbarians of the Grassland were on the march again, their armies driving south, aimed straight for the Capital City!