Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector
Chapter 6 - 4: Young Monarch of the Rong Character Sect

Chapter 6: Chapter 4: Young Monarch of the Rong Character Sect

The newcomer was a man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in a worn, blue, short shirt. His face was plain, but his eyes were exceptionally sharp. He was currently sizing up Chen Ye with a scrutinizing gaze.

Behind him followed several sturdy-looking men, all cracking their knuckles and looking hostile.

Seeing this, the noodle stall owner tactfully retreated to the side, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

Chen Ye’s heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained impassive. He quietly gripped the bench under the table and said in a calm tone, "Friend, I don’t know what pier you’re talking about."

The young man grinned, revealing two rows of slightly yellowed teeth. "Friend, since you’re running in our circles, don’t play dumb. That little ’drift’ you pulled at the entrance of the Yuebin Building? You stepped on someone else’s turf."

’Drift? Stepped on someone’s turf?’

Chen Ye’s eyebrow twitched. He vaguely understood what the other man meant. ’This "drift" probably refers to when I "took" the drunk’s Money Bag just now, and "turf" is likely a term for territory or a target.’

"So he’s a rookie. Doesn’t even know the street slang," sneered a man with triangular eyes standing next to the leader.

The leading young man waved his hand, silencing his subordinate’s taunt. He kept his eyes on Chen Ye. "Friend, that drunk you lifted from is a friend of mine. He went back and found his Money Bag missing. It wasn’t much money, but it’s a matter of face, so he came to me."

Chen Ye’s heart sank. He thought he had been discreet enough, but he never expected to be found so quickly.

’He quickly ran through his options. They outnumber me. If they make a move, my only escape is to flip the table, retreat to the front of the stall, and use the pot of boiling noodle broth to fight them off...’

Just as he was calculating his next move, the young man grinned. "Don’t be nervous. We didn’t come here with any ill intent. Let me introduce myself. My name is Fang Tao, the Young Monarch of the Rong Character Sect."

’The Rong Character Sect? Young Monarch?’

Now Chen Ye was truly confused. He knew it was Martial World slang, but the problem was, as a former Little Scholar and servant in the Lin Mansion, he’d never been exposed to any of this.

Seeing his reaction, Fang Tao sighed. "Looks like you really are a greenhorn. Daring to go out ’drifting’ without even knowing the most basic ways of the Martial World... you’ve got some real nerve."

Chen Ye fell silent. He suddenly pulled the money pouch he had just taken from his robes and placed it on the table.

"Here’s the stuff. After I got it, I only bought a bowl of noodles. I haven’t touched another coin."

Unexpectedly, Fang Tao didn’t even glance at the money pouch. Instead, he looked at Chen Ye with great interest.

"Your skills aren’t bad, but your methods are raw. And you don’t know a thing about the ways of the Martial World. Did you learn on your own?"

Chen Ye hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes!"

’It was a Talent granted by my Profession, but I still earned it through my own hard work.’

Fang Tao’s eyes lit up even more. Although he hadn’t seen it himself, the beggars had told him that the kid had gotten up and left in the span of a few finger snaps. They couldn’t even see his movements clearly.

’Looks like this kid really has some Talent.’

"I see you’re promising material. Are you interested in joining my Rong Character Sect? Follow me, and while I can’t promise you a life of luxury, you’ll at least have a full belly and a roof over your head. You won’t have to risk your life for a single meal like you did today."

Chen Ye was a little surprised. He had expected them to come over and teach him a lesson, since he had, after all, encroached on their territory and broken their rules.

He never thought they would actually try to recruit him.

To be honest, Chen Ye was tempted.

It wasn’t just because he had nowhere else to go. More importantly, if he wanted to advance his Profession, he had to keep practicing it.

But fumbling around on his own was too inefficient and far too risky. If he hadn’t been lucky today, he probably would have been caught already.

Joining Fang Tao would not only give him a place to stay, but would also allow him to systematically learn the craft. It was undoubtedly his best option right now.

But first, he had to get some things clear.

"What does this Rong Character Sect do? And what’s a Young Monarch?" Chen Ye asked after a moment of thought.

Upon hearing this, Fang Tao and the men with him all broke into laughter.

"Alright, seeing as you don’t know anything, I’ll fill you in," Fang Tao said.

"There are many schools in the Martial World today, but they can be broadly divided into the Golden Skin and Colorful Hangings, and the Eight Great Sects of Henglan and Ge Rong. As for what trade each sect represents, I’ll explain that to you slowly later. For now, just remember that the Rong Character Sect is the collective name for our Thief Sect."

"As for the Young Monarch... The Rong Character Sect is also divided into four major branches: Fan Gao, Opening the Kiln, Fujia’Er, and thread picker. I am the Young Monarch of the Fujia’Er branch. Understand?"

Chen Ye finally had a general understanding of the current Martial World. He then asked with great seriousness, "What are the rules after joining the sect?"

Seeing him ask this, Fang Tao knew it was a done deal. The smile on his face became a little more sincere. "There are rules, and they’re ironclad. We of the Rong Character Sect have Three Things We Do Not Steal!"

He held up three fingers.

"First, we do not steal life-saving money."

"Second, we do not steal a virtuous woman’s hairpin."

"Third, we do not steal gift money from weddings or funerals."

"These three are the ironclad laws passed down by our founder. Anyone who dares to violate them will be punished according to the sect’s rules. For a light offense, a finger is cut off. For a heavy one, your hands and feet are crippled, and you’re cast out of the sect!"

As he finished, Fang Tao’s expression turned extremely serious.

Chen Ye felt a chill, but it also showed that these people weren’t entirely bad. At least they had a moral baseline.

So he nodded. "Alright, I’m willing to join."

"Good!" Fang Tao laughed loudly and clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, I’ll take you to see our home."

Fang Tao led Chen Ye through several dark alleys to the front of a rather spacious, multi-family courtyard.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and from within came specks of lamplight and a clamor of voices.

When they pushed the gate open, they saw that the courtyard was bustling with activity.

Many people lived here, both old and young.

At the moment, people were gathered in twos and threes. Some were drinking and talking, others were playing chess and chatting.

In addition, a few middle-aged women were mending and washing clothes under the lamplight.

The scene left Chen Ye somewhat stunned. This didn’t look like a den of thieves at all; it was more like a large, lively family.

Upon seeing Fang Tao, everyone stood up one after another. "Young Monarch!"

"The Young Monarch is back!"

"Yes. Let me introduce you all. This is a new brother. His name is..."

"My name is Chen Ye!" Chen Ye introduced himself.

"Right, Chen Ye. From now on, we’re all family. Everyone, please look after him."

"You got it, Young Monarch!" the crowd replied in agreement.

The people seemed accustomed to new arrivals. After a few pleasantries, they went back to what they were doing.

Afterwards, Fang Tao arranged a small room for Chen Ye in a corner of the courtyard and gave him a set of bedding that wasn’t too old.

"Get some good rest. Tomorrow, we’ll start teaching you the skills."

With that, Fang Tao turned and left.

Chen Ye lay on the hard wooden bed, listening to the noisy yet lively sounds from the courtyard. He let out a long sigh.

’At least I have a place to stay now.’

...

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

As night deepened, the multi-family courtyard was still bustling.

"Brother Chen, come on! There are some new girls in the dark alley. A few of us brothers chipped in. Want to go have some fun?" a man with a scar on his face said, draping his arm over Chen Ye’s shoulder with a lecherous grin.

Chen Ye was no longer the scrawny boy he had been half a year ago.

Over the past six months, he had eaten well and slept soundly. Although the food was simple, his body had developed rapidly.

Not only had he grown much taller, but his features had also matured. His handsome face now held a scholarly air, making him seem somewhat out of place among this group of rough men.

He smiled and politely declined, "No thanks, Brother Li. You guys go ahead."

"Worried about the money? Don’t be. You won’t have to spend a dime. It’s on me, your big brother!" the scar-faced man laughed.

Just then, another young man nearby joked, "Hah, with Brother Chen’s looks, why would he ever need to spend money? If he just stands in that dark alley, won’t the girls be begging to pay him instead?"

The crowd burst into another round of laughter.

Chen Ye just smiled and said nothing more.

After the group left with their arms around each other’s shoulders, the courtyard became much quieter. Chen Ye returned to his small room and closed the door.

The light from the oil lamp in the room was dim, but he paid it no mind.

He brought over a basin of freshly boiled water, steam rising from its surface. He took a deep breath, pulled a copper coin from his robes, and with a flick of his finger, sent it falling with a PLOP into the scalding water, where it quickly sank to the bottom.

Chen Ye’s gaze sharpened. His index and middle fingers shot out, quick as lightning, and plunged into the boiling water. He precisely pinched the copper coin at the bottom of the basin and instantly withdrew his hand!

The entire process took but the blink of an eye. His fingers weren’t even damp with steam, let alone scalded.

This was a Dharma Gate designed to train finger dexterity and speed, known as Boiling Water Money Collection.

He practiced dozens of times until the water in the basin gradually cooled, only then did he stop.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, a Small Knife—no more than three inches long, thin as a cicada’s wing, and incomparably sharp—appeared at his fingertips.

The Small Knife darted nimbly between his fingers at incredible speed. At times it was like a fish flicking its tail, at others like a spirit serpent flicking its tongue. The glinting of cold light was dazzling to behold.

He hadn’t slacked off once in the past six months. During the day, he learned techniques from the old thieves, and at night, he secretly put in extra practice.

But he always hid his true abilities, only ever displaying an above-average level of skill in front of others. He never revealed his real strength.

Just as he was immersed in his practice, the familiar screen of light suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Chen Ye]

[Profession: thief (Level 5)]

[Talent: Aromas on the Hands]

[Skills: Skillful Hand (Level 7), Fast Blade (Level 6)]

[Prompt: thief (Level 5) has reached max Level. Proceed with class promotion?]