Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

Therefore, over the past two days, whenever Chen Ye had a spare moment, he reinforced the Enslavement Brand he had placed in Li Qingyan’s heart, afraid that something else might go wrong.

But when it all came down to it, his current predicament was due to a lack of strength.

If he had been strong enough not to fear an investigation from the Blood Lotus Sect, he would have fucking killed the woman with a single slash long ago. Why go through all this trouble?

Fortunately, he now had the Spirit Pearl. The next voyage of the Boat of the Other Shore could finally begin.

However, Chen Ye didn’t set off immediately. He looked down at the tattered clothes of a Sinful Person he was wearing, then glanced at the mist-shrouded Black Water Lake, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

He had always treated the Main World as a temporary transit station, a gas station to refuel the Boat of the Other Shore. He would use it and leave, sometimes even with a sense of deliberate evasion.

But Li Qingyan’s appearance this time had revealed the tip of the iceberg of the Blood Lotus Sect’s internal strife, setting off alarm bells in his mind.

The Main World was far more dangerous than he had imagined and was filled with uncertainty.

Although he was a Sinful Person living on the fringes, seemingly unconcerned with worldly affairs, that was merely his own fantasy. Any change could bring about a fatal disaster.

Even though he had subdued Li Qingyan this time, it had only temporarily resolved the imminent crisis. It didn’t solve the fundamental problem.

’I can’t just keep being so passive,’ he thought. ’I need to establish some power of my own. Even if it’s rudimentary and weak, at least it’s a good start.’

Besides, if he made himself important, he wouldn’t be targeted immediately even if the people in charge changed.

After all, Chen Ye understood how these Blood Lotus Sect disciples thought. In their eyes, the Sinful People weren’t even human. If they had any other choice, they wouldn’t waste a single word on them.

But if someone could help them manage the Sinful People and ensure the required quotas were met, they would be more than happy to see it happen.

With this in mind, Chen Ye made his decision. He put away the Spirit Pearl, pushed open the door, and walked straight to Li Qingyan’s residence.

At that moment, Li Qingyan was staring into a Copper Mirror, dazed by the sight of her own face in its reflection, which seemed both familiar and strange.

Just then, the door was shoved open violently.

Li Qingyan shuddered. When she saw it was Chen Ye, she quickly rose and respectfully bowed her head.

"Ma... Master."

Chen Ye strode in and sat unceremoniously in the main seat, his gaze calm as he looked at her.

"I want to be a Steward at the docks."

"What?" Li Qingyan looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with shock.

She had just been imagining all sorts of possibilities. For example, that this man would demand more Cultivation Resources, or make some other humiliating and outrageous request.

But she had never imagined that all he wanted was the lowly Identity of a leader among the Sinful People.

"Is there a problem?" Chen Ye’s voice was devoid of any emotion.

"N-no!" A chill ran through Li Qingyan’s heart, and she quickly lowered her head. "This servant will make the announcement tomorrow."

She didn’t dare to ask why, nor did she want to.

’This man’s mind is as unfathomable as an Abyss. The only thing I need to do is obey.’

The next morning, Li Qingyan appeared once again on the familiar high platform at the docks.

The Sinful People below were no longer as agitated as they had been a few days prior, having reverted to their numb, resigned expressions.

The old system had been restored, but they still had to face the cold lake water and the threat of death every day. Essentially, nothing about their lives had changed.

"To improve the efficiency of Pearl Collection and incentivize excellence, I have decided to appoint a deputy Steward to assist me in managing all affairs at the docks."

Li Qingyan’s cold voice spread across the docks.

All the Sinful People were stunned, looking at each other in confusion.

’Deputy Steward? What kind of position is that?’

Before they could figure it out, Li Qingyan’s gaze fell upon Chen Ye in the crowd.

"Sinful Person Chen Ye, your results in Pearl Collection are outstanding, far surpassing ordinary people. Effective immediately, you will hold this position!"

BOOM!

Her words were like a stone cast into a calm lake, sending ripples through the crowd.

WHOOSH! Every eye in the crowd immediately focused on Chen Ye.

Envy, jealousy, shock, disbelief... A mix of complex emotions spread through the crowd.

’On what grounds?’

’Why him?’

’How did this quiet, unremarkable guy, who was only slightly better at Pearl Collection, suddenly soar to such heights?’

Li Qingyan ignored the crowd’s reaction. After making the announcement, she turned and left, leaving the stage to Chen Ye.

Facing countless complicated gazes, Chen Ye slowly walked up to the high platform.

He wasted no words. His voice was steady, reaching the ears of every person present.

"Starting today, there are three new rules."

"One, Exorcism Talismans will be distributed per person. Anyone who dares to hold any back, I’ll twist their head off."

"Two, the person who collects the most pearls each day will be rewarded with a portion of meat."

"Three, within the docks, private fights and bullying are strictly forbidden. Violators will be severely punished."

His words were simple and direct, but they exploded like bombshells in the deadened hearts of the Sinful People.

’Fair distribution of Exorcism Talismans?’

’We get meat for doing a good job?’

’No more being bullied?’

’Is... is this for real?’

Their long-standing despair had long since numbed their hearts.

But Chen Ye’s three rules were like a faint glimmer of light, piercing through the thick darkness and allowing them to see a sliver of something called hope.

In the crowd, the eyes of some newcomers who had been subjected to bullying began to quietly shift from initial jealousy to a trace of reverence.

However, in a corner of the docks, the faces of several old-timer Sinful People were so grim they looked like they could drip water.

The leader was a One-Eyed Dragon with a hideous scar on his face, known as Gui San.

He stared intently at Chen Ye on the platform, his single eye filled with undisguised venom and jealousy.

Chen Ye’s promotion had directly smashed their rice bowl!

Skimming Exorcism Talismans, snatching the newcomers’ rations, and lording over the docks—these were the ways they usually lined their pockets.

Now, Chen Ye had cut off all of it with just a few words!

"Fuck, some kid who got lucky dares to shit on my head?" Gui San spat on the ground and said in a low voice to his cronies, "Tonight, let’s teach him a lesson. Show him who’s really in charge of these docks!"

Chen Ye naturally noticed the hostile gazes from Gui San and his gang, but he just gave them a brief glance and paid them no mind.

’They’re just a bunch of clowns, not worth any of my attention.’

He stepped down from the platform and moved into a larger, cleaner, standalone wooden cabin by the docks.

This was standard for a deputy Steward.

He closed the door, shutting out all prying eyes.

Chen Ye let out a breath of turbid air, feeling the small bit of peace his new Identity brought.

’Finally, a decent place to live.’

But late that night...

"KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!"

A dull knocking suddenly sounded at the door.

Chen Ye opened his eyes, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

’They came after all.’

He opened the door. Standing outside were five or six burly men, led by the One-Eyed Dragon, Gui San.

"Kid." Gui San squinted his single eye, looking Chen Ye up and down with a contemptuous tone. "I don’t know how you became a Steward, but let’s mind our own business. Stay out of things that don’t concern you. Got it?"

Chen Ye leaned against the doorframe, watching him without expression.

"Get lost."

The smile on Gui San’s face instantly froze, then twisted into a ferocious scowl.

"You’re asking for it! Get him! Break his legs!"

Before the words were even out of his mouth, the burly men behind him lunged forward like hungry wolves.

Chen Ye moved.

His figure vanished from his spot in an instant, like a phantom.

The next second.

CRACK!

The crisp sound of breaking bones.

The man at the very front now had his wrist twisted at a grotesque angle, and he let out a pig-like squeal of agony.

Then came the second, the third...

Chen Ye didn’t even use any profound Martial Arts. Relying solely on the combat instincts from the Martial Dao Realm and his superhuman physical strength, he took down the entire group of so-called tough guys in the span of a few breaths.

The whole process was fluid and decisive.

The ferocity on Gui San’s face turned to terror. He wanted to run, but his legs felt as if they were filled with lead, refusing to obey him.

A hand gently landed on his shoulder.

"Wh-what do you want?" Gui San’s voice trembled uncontrollably. "I’m telling you, if you dare touch me, the lords from the Blood Lotus Sect won’t let you go!"

"Oh?" Chen Ye’s voice, tinged with amusement, sounded by his ear. "Which lord?"

Gui San tried to say more, but Chen Ye’s fingers had already closed around his throat, lifting him completely off the ground.

The sensation of suffocation immediately overwhelmed him.

Gui San’s face turned the color of pig liver as his feet kicked uselessly in the air. His single eye was filled with absolute terror and pleading.

"CRACK!"

A soft snap.

Chen Ye had effortlessly snapped Gui San’s neck. His head lolled limply to the side.

Chen Ye casually tossed the corpse to the ground like a piece of trash.

He walked over to the terrified cronies with their broken arms and legs, his voice icy. "If you dare cause trouble again, you’ll end up just like him."

The men nodded vigorously like chickens pecking at rice, tears and snot streaming down their faces, wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.

"From now on, you will keep a close eye on all the Sinful People for me, as well as any new developments from the outside. Report to me immediately if you notice any sign of trouble," Chen Ye commanded.

"Y-yes! My lord!" the men answered, scrambling over each other. Then, like stray dogs, they desperately fled the cabin and disappeared into the night.

After dealing with these troublemakers so decisively, Chen Ye closed his door.

Now, it was time to set off.

He sat down cross-legged, took the dark blue Sixth Grade Spirit Pearl from his clothes, and swallowed it without hesitation.

A vast and pure Energy instantly exploded within his body!

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the ancient-looking canoe erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant light. One by one, profound Runes on its hull lit up as if it had been fully awakened.

The familiar sensation of dizziness washed over him, and the scenery around him began to warp and fade.

Suddenly... Chen Ye opened his eyes and was hit by the thick stench of blood.

He found himself sitting in a dilapidated temple, the cold stone floor beneath him.

Not far from him, Moonlight streamed down through the ruined roof.

An ape-like monster covered in green fur had its back to him, its head bowed as it gnawed on something.

"CRUNCH... CRUNCH..."

It was the sound of bones being chewed to pieces.

At the monster’s feet lay a mangled corpse.

Just then, the monster seemed to notice the movement behind it and slowly turned its head.