Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 10 Opportunity Arrives, Revenge is Plotted

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

The atmosphere became increasingly heated.

Several girls from the Cai Zi Men sect took turns offering wine cups to Commander Zhao in sweet, melodious voices.

They got Zhao, the military commander, completely drunk and disoriented, utterly unaware of what was happening.

As the drinking progressed, Commander Zhao began to speak, his face beaming with pride, "I received an invitation yesterday. Do any of you know who sent it?"

The old man from the Golden Gate immediately chimed in, "Oh? I wonder which family has such a joyous occasion that Commander Zhao values ​​it so much?"

Commander Zhao chuckled, downed his wine in one gulp, and then said smugly, "It's the Lu family of the Ministry of Personnel. Their second son is getting married soon, and the date is set for ten days from now. The invitation was personally delivered to me. You know, that's a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel!"

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of the promotion and transfer of officials throughout the country, and its power was far greater than that of ordinary government offices.

Therefore, a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was definitely a big shot in the capital.

For someone like him to send an invitation to Commander Zhao, he must have considerable influence.

In an instant, a flood of compliments poured in, making Commander Zhao dizzy with flattery and increasingly smug.

Sitting in the corner, Chen Ye listened to these nauseating compliments and felt extremely bored.

I'd rather use this time to practice my lightness skills on the abandoned city walls.

He lowered his head, sipped his drink, and began to calculate his gains for the day.

His skill level improved from level seven to level nine, and his quick-blade skill improved by two levels after competing with Yang Ze.

At this moment, Chen Ye opened the system panel.

Name: Chen Ye

【Occupation: Thief (lv2)】

[Talent: Light as a Feather (Your body becomes lighter, your jumping and balance abilities are greatly improved, and you land silently)]

[Skills: Skillful Hands lv9, Swift Blade lv8, Leaping Roofs lv2]

After more than a month of practice, Chen Ye's thief profession also advanced by one level, but he still felt that the leveling up was a bit slow.

He knew that this was because he had only focused on practicing skills and had not done work that was in line with his profession.

To put it bluntly, you can't just bury yourself in practicing skills; you have to put them into practice.

Just as Chen Ye was planning to find a heartless rich merchant to practice on in a couple of days, Commander Zhao suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Do you know which family's daughter this Second Young Master Lu is going to marry?"

Little did the others know, they all shook their heads.

This was exactly the effect Zhao Dusi wanted. He chuckled, looked around, and finally said, "It's the Lin family, the third young lady of the Lin family."

After saying that, he couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration, "This is truly a powerful alliance! The Lin family is a century-old family, Lord Lu is a rising star in the court, and I've heard that the second young master of Lu is also exceptionally talented and eloquent, and his future is sure to be bright. This marriage is truly the envy of everyone!"

Those who heard this assumed it was just another marriage between wealthy families and echoed it, their words filled with envy.

But to Chen Ye, it sounded like a thunderclap.

The third young lady of the Lin family? Lin Yan!

Damn it, it was this woman!

A sense of absurdity welled up in Chen Ye's heart, and he even felt a little sorry for this Second Young Master Lu whom he had never met before.

Before he even stepped inside, a bright green hat had already been custom-made for him.

After all, Chen Ye had personally witnessed her going to the temple to meet her lover before the Lunar New Year.

Oh, no!

After recalling the incident at Fayuan Temple before the Lunar New Year, Chen Ye suddenly realized something was amiss. Only a month had passed since then, so how could news suddenly spread that the Lin family was getting married off? This didn't seem to fit the style of a prestigious family like the Lin family!

And the wedding date is set for just ten days from now, so hastily?

Given the Lin family's wealth and status, marrying off their legitimate daughter would require starting preparations at least six months in advance, spreading the news throughout the city, hosting a grand banquet, and indulging in extreme luxury.

But this time, the marriage was arranged quietly, and the timing was so tight, as if they were afraid that something might go wrong if they waited too long.

There's something fishy about this place, like... the Lin family is in a hurry to get rid of their daughter, Lin Yan!
Why are you in such a hurry?
A startling thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

Could it be... that Lin Yan is pregnant?

Once this thought came to mind, all the doubts were reasonably explained.

Only this reason can explain everything that is so unusual about the Lin family.

In order to cover up this huge scandal, they had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure: to marry off Lin Yan as soon as possible and find an unlucky guy to take her in!

Thinking of this, Chen Ye's sympathy for that Second Young Master Lu deepened even further.

But at the same time, Chen Ye also became excited.

Because he suddenly realized a possibility.

A possibility of exacting severe revenge on the Lin family.
-
Night had fallen, and the noise in the tavern gradually subsided, leaving only a mess on the floor and a strong smell of alcohol. Commander Zhao was already completely drunk and had to be helped home.

Chen Ye and his group returned to the courtyard. Fang Tao, who had drunk a few cups of wine, was still very excited and praised Chen Ye highly.

The others, including those who stayed behind in the compound, also knew what had happened that day and naturally admired Chen Ye greatly.

Chen Ye responded with a smile to each of these questions.

After a long day of activity, everyone was exhausted, so after chatting for a few minutes, they all went back to their rooms to sleep.

Chen Ye didn't go to the city wall to practice his movement techniques today. He lay in bed and thought about what he needed to do tomorrow before falling into a deep sleep.

The next day, after the sun had risen, Chen Ye left the tenement and went to a clothing store in the East Market to buy a scholar's long gown. After changing into it, his entire demeanor changed, transforming him from a street urchin into a handsome young scholar.

Then, wearing this outfit, he strolled towards the north of the city.

Unlike the bustling and noisy South City, where all sorts of people mingled, the North City was noticeably more imposing and solemn. The streets were wide and clean, and the houses on both sides were grand and imposing, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and majestic stone lions standing in front of the gates. Every now and then, one could see squads of patrolling soldiers passing by.

This place was the residence of high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital; ordinary people rarely came here.

But Chen Ye's scholarly attire became his best protection. The patrolling soldiers saw him and assumed he was either a young master from a wealthy family or a scholar traveling in the capital, and did not question him further.

Chen Ye found the residence of Lu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, without much effort.

The vermilion gate, flanked by two imposing stone lions, and the gilded plaque bearing the inscription "Lu Mansion" hanging above the lintel exuded an extraordinary aura.

He didn't approach, but instead strolled leisurely through the streets and alleys around the Lu residence, fanning himself with a folding fan, like an idle scholar.

His gaze seemed to be admiring the scenery, but in reality, it was like a ruler, rapidly measuring everything around him.

The height of the backyard wall, whether it is made of blue bricks or rammed earth, which section of the wall is in the blind spot of the patrolling guards...

He memorized every detail, constructing a precise three-dimensional map in his mind.

After figuring everything out, Chen Ye slowly turned and left.

Before returning to the courtyard, Chen Ye went to a stationery store and bought the cheapest set of paper and pens.

Then he found a secluded corner where no one was around, took off his long robe, carefully folded it and put it into his bundle, and then slowly went back.

That night, after everyone in the courtyard had fallen asleep, Chen Ye opened the window, saw that no one was around, and leaped into the deep night.

(End of this chapter)