Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector
Chapter 36 - 34: Emperor? How Many Heads Does the Emperor Have?

Chapter 36: Chapter 34: Emperor? How Many Heads Does the Emperor Have?

Yang Zhao had completely lost his mind.

He had become hysterical, suspicious of everyone around him. He felt that every official in his court was another Lin Hong, that every single one of them wanted to betray the country.

Just the other day, his most favored Consort had made an offhand joke during a casual conversation. Believing she was mocking him, he immediately ordered her to be beaten to death right in front of the hall.

Her blood-curdling screams sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Now, within the Imperial Palace, the Palace Maids and eunuchs all tiptoed about, not daring to even breathe too loudly, terrified that the slightest misstep would enrage their volatile Monarch.

「Inside Yangxin Hall.」

Yang Zhao’s eyes were bloodshot and his face was gaunt. He was staring with an almost obsessed gaze at a Daoist before him, who carried an ethereal, immortal-like bearing.

"Immortal Master, can the Immortal Formula you spoke of truly grant me... eternal life?" His voice was hoarse, filled with longing.

The Daoist, white-haired yet with a youthful face, held a Duster. He smiled faintly at the question and stroked the three wisps of his long beard.

"Your Majesty is the True Dragon Emperor, entrusted with the Celestial Mandate. Last night, I was observing the stars and saw that the Ziwei Emperor Star had dimmed—a sign that the nation’s fortune is in peril. However, I also received guidance from an Immortal in a dream, who bestowed upon me a Supreme Pill Formula. This formula is prepared precisely for one such as Your Majesty, who holds the Celestial Mandate. Once the pill is refined, dealing with the mere Barbarian Race will be a trivial matter. Even achieving eternal life will not be difficult."

This Daoist was named Master Xuanji. He had been introduced to Yang Zhao a few days prior by several of the Capital City’s Noble Families, who claimed he possessed immense power.

So, Yang Zhao summoned him for an audience. Master Xuanji demonstrated a few Immortal Techniques right before his eyes, instantly winning the trust of the desperate Emperor, who began to address him as Immortal Master.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Yang Zhao shot up from his Throne, his voice filled with excitement. "What ingredients does this Pill Formula require? I will have my men prepare them at once."

Master Xuanji smiled faintly, retrieved a roll of Yellow Silk from his sleeve, and slowly unfurled it.

"To refine this pill, we will need vessels of gold and silver and a base of lead and mercury, supplemented by three hundred and sixty-five types of rare and exotic herbs. But most importantly, it requires a catalyst."

"What kind of catalyst?" Yang Zhao pressed eagerly.

A mysterious smile spread across Master Xuanji’s face. "The blood of one thousand virgins who have reached the age of maturity, combined with a wisp of Yuan Hong from their hearts. Only then can we refine this... Supreme Immortal Pill!"

Yang Zhao was stunned for a moment, but then a terrifying light erupted in his eyes.

He had long been driven mad by power and the fear of death. What did he care for things like ethics or morality?

As long as he could live forever, as long as he could avert this coming calamity, what did a thousand young women matter? What were ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand, in comparison?

In his eyes, they were merely a necessary sacrifice.

"Relay my decree!"

"Order the Military Patrol Station, the Arresting Department, and the Six Gates to immediately scour the city for one thousand women matching the Immortal Master’s description! They must be gathered within three days!"

"Any who defy this order or hide someone will have their entire family executed, down to the ninth degree of kinship!"

With that decree, the entire Capital City instantly became a living Purgatory.

The Soldiers of the Military Patrol Station, the constables of the Arresting Department, and the constables of the Six Gates—these Hawk Dogs of the Government Office who normally maintained a veneer of respectability—now tore off their masks and became a pack of true wolves.

They carried shackles and wore Steel Sabers at their waists, kicking down doors and storming into homes one by one.

They asked no questions and listened to no pleas. The moment they saw a girl of the right age, they would pounce as if they had found a treasure, slap her in shackles, and drag her away.

For a time, the city was filled with heart-wrenching cries.

But before the cold indifference of imperial power, these sounds were utterly insignificant.

Of course, this disaster was ultimately a disaster for the poor.

The constables certainly didn’t dare set foot in the homes of the powerful Noble Families. And the wealthy households with some means had already devised a countermeasure.

They would spend money to avoid calamity.

Suddenly, the Capital City’s human trafficker market experienced an unprecedented boom. The price of a young girl skyrocketed, but even so, countless people waved silver notes, desperate to buy a scapegoat for their own daughters.

The ugliest side of human nature was on full display during this catastrophe.

As for the common folk who were truly desperate, they could only watch helplessly as their daughters were snatched from their arms.

Back in the large courtyard, the atmosphere was just as oppressive.

Fang Tao approached Chen Ye, his expression grim. "Something’s happened."

"What is it?"

"The Colorful Character Sect was raided by men from the Arresting Department. None of the girls got away. They were all taken."

"That Miss Xiaorui... she was among them."

Fang Tao remembered the day Wu Xiaorui had come to the courtyard looking for Chen Ye. Many people in the courtyard had seen them leave together and return very late. Their relationship was self-evident.

In his eyes, the bond between them was anything but ordinary. Now that the fair maiden was in peril, her fate unknown, any hot-blooded young man would be burning with anxiety and completely flustered.

He had prepared a lot of comforting words, but to his surprise, Chen Ye’s reaction was completely calm.

"I know."

He answered faintly, and that was all.

This reaction left all the comforting words Fang Tao had prepared stuck in his throat, making him feel incredibly awkward.

He frowned. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the young man he had practically raised was shrouded in a persistent fog, making him impossible to see through.

"You..." Fang Tao opened his mouth, but in the end, all that came out was a sigh. "Ah, never mind. Let’s just drop it."

After Fang Tao left, Chen Ye returned to his room, his expression cold and severe.

’Some people, after being in high positions for so long, can no longer be called human,’ he thought.

’They lose all empathy. They see only their own power and status, blind to the piles of white bones beneath the throne.’

Emperor!

Hah!

’How many heads does the Emperor have?’

Chen Ye tightened his grip on his saber, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

Late that night, Chen Ye slipped out of the large courtyard without a sound and headed straight for the Imperial City.

Chen Ye had actually wanted to go inside the Imperial City to have a look before, but he never made the trip.

He had always sensed an indescribable danger from it.

It was as if some terrifying presence was hidden within.

Fortunately, after his promotion to Thousand-Faced Thief Saint, that feeling had weakened considerably.

Moving like a phantom, Chen Ye easily avoided the squads of patrolling Imperial Guards on the perimeter, scaled the high palace wall, and landed inside the Imperial City.

He then ducked into the shadows of a corner and waited quietly.

A moment later, a Little Eunuch in charge of the night patrol came ambling over, carrying a lantern and yawning.

’He’ll do.’

Chen Ye struck in a flash, knocking the Little Eunuch unconscious with a single chop to the neck before dragging him into the shadows.

A moment later, a Little Eunuch emerged from the shadows and headed for the depths of the Imperial City.

The deeper he went, the quieter it became. The Palace Maids and eunuchs he passed all kept their heads down, tiptoeing along and not daring to breathe too loudly.

Chen Ye blended in among them, completely inconspicuous, as he moved step by step toward the Core Area of the Imperial City.

He was just about to pass through a garden and reach the vicinity of the Imperial Palace’s Core Area—Yangxin Hall.

But just then, a shrill, sinister voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"What are you doing here?"