Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 3 Taking Office: The Thief

When Chen Ye opened his eyes again, he was greeted by excruciating pain all over his body.

"hiss……"

Chen Ye gasped, then laboriously looked around.

What came into view was a statue with half its head missing, its body covered in cobwebs, and the compassionate smile on its face looked particularly eerie.

The shrine had long since collapsed, and the surrounding area was a mess of ruins, with a musty smell of dust and decay permeating the air.

This is a dilapidated temple.

He lay on the ground of the dilapidated temple, his whole body aching terribly.

Just then, memories flooded back...

This was a chaotic era at the end of a dynasty.

His predecessor was a pageboy of the young master of the Lin family in the capital.

Three days ago, the third young lady of the manor, Lin Yan, claimed that she had lost a precious hairpin and insisted that it was stolen by her predecessor.

No matter how the predecessor tried to explain, no one believed it. Or rather, no one cared about the truth at all.

The life of a mere servant is less than that of a dog in the eyes of the powerful and wealthy.

So, the former was beaten to death by the servants of the mansion, and his body was thrown like garbage into a dilapidated temple next to this mass grave outside the city.

Damn it, another disastrous start!

Chen Ye gave a wry smile and struggled to sit up.

He examined it and found that the fatal internal injuries had disappeared, leaving only some external wounds.

Fortunately, the situation isn't too bad.

Chen Ye sighed, searched himself, and found that he had nothing but these tattered clothes.

In my memory, my predecessor did not steal that hairpin.

As for why he was targeted by that pampered third young lady, it seems that a few days ago, the original owner overheard the third young lady's private conversation with someone in the garden. Although he immediately hid away, the third young lady may have still noticed him, and that's why she found an excuse to torment him to death.

I would rather kill the wrong person than let him go.

That woman has such a cruel heart!

Through his predecessor's memories, Chen Ye discovered that the dynasty called Da Zhao was indeed in its twilight years.

In the imperial court, powerful officials vie for power, corruption is rampant, and the people suffer. Beyond the dynasty, powerful neighbors lurk, and war is imminent.

However, none of this mattered to Chen Ye at the moment; what he cared about most was how to fill his stomach.

After all, people who can't even afford to eat have no right to be compassionate.

Just then, a notification suddenly appeared.

[Starting the Job]

Chen Ye's spirits lifted, and he immediately focused intently on waiting.

A moment later, a line of light screens slowly appeared.

Name: Chen Ye

【Occupation: Petty Thief (Level 1)】

[Talent: Lingering Fragrance on the Hands (Your hands become exceptionally dexterous during certain activities, and this dexterity is often imperceptible to others)]

[Skill: None]

Chen Ye fell silent.

Because he felt a deep sense of morbid amusement from this profession.

Is this a case of someone who, after being wrongly accused, decided to give up and throw themselves into the sea of ​​crime?

But complaining aside, something is better than nothing.

Chen Ye staggered to the outside of the temple and found that there was a large, chaotic graveyard outside.

It was already afternoon, and the mass grave was deserted, with only the cawing of crows echoing in the distance.

Chen Ye found a small ditch and washed his face. Although he was extremely thirsty, he didn't dare drink the water.

After all, in this weakened state, drinking unboiled water and getting an upset stomach could be fatal.

He had to get back to the city as soon as possible. Staying in this desolate wilderness, let alone wolves and tigers, hunger alone would be enough to kill him. As for going to another city, that was a pipe dream; in his current physical condition, he would collapse before he could walk even ten miles.

The only way to survive is to return to the city.

Of course, it must not be discovered by the Lin family.

Although the Lin family mansion was very large and had many servants, and he was just an insignificant pageboy, and now he had been "beaten to death" and thrown out, so the possibility of being recognized was very small, he still had to be careful.

Having made up his mind, Chen Ye no longer hesitated. Dragging his tired body, he moved step by step toward the city in his memory.

He deliberately took a long detour and entered through another city gate.

Therefore, by the time they entered the city, it was already completely dark.

The streets were sparsely populated, and most of the shops on both sides had closed. Only a few restaurants and eateries still had their lanterns lit, and faint sounds of noise could be heard coming from them.

Chen Ye was so hungry that he felt dizzy and his stomach was on fire. Every step he took felt like walking on cotton.

He saw a few beggars on the street corner and wanted to follow their example and beg for some food. But just as he was about to make a move, the beggars all glared at him fiercely, like wild dogs guarding their food.

Clearly, this land is owned by someone.

Helpless, Chen Ye could only retreat to a dark corner, lean against the wall and slowly sit down, intending to rest first and then look for an opportunity.

His seat was right next to a restaurant, and the aroma of the food kept wafting into his nose, making Chen Ye extremely hungry.

After an unknown amount of time, a swaying figure emerged from a brightly lit restaurant not far away.

He was a man who was completely drunk, reeking of alcohol, cursing and swearing, and unable to walk straight.

Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat.

Then an idea popped into my head uncontrollably.

He suppressed his nervousness, stood up from the shadows, and pretended to be a casual passerby as he walked towards the drunkard.

He didn't even dare to look at the other person's face, just kept his head down, his target clear—the money pouch on the drunkard's waist.

In the instant he brushed past the drunkard, he held his breath and his right hand darted out like lightning towards the drunkard's purse at his waist.

His talent for having a lingering fragrance on his hands made him extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, he "took" the drunkard's money bag.

Then Chen Ye pretended to be calm and left without looking back.

After entering a narrow alley, Chen Ye leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

It wasn't just because of the nervousness of making my first move, but also because my body was really too weak.

Fortunately, the results were remarkable.

Chen Ye opened the money bag with high expectations, only to find that there was nothing inside except a stack of copper coins; the gold and silver he had imagined were nowhere to be found.

Chen Ye wasn't disappointed.

These days, no one has it easy. This drunkard may look well-dressed, but considering he had to walk home by himself after getting drunk, he probably doesn't have much money.

Without further delay, Chen Ye put his money bag away, went around to the other end of the alley, and soon found a noodle stall that was still open for business on the street corner.

"Boss, a bowl of noodles, please!"

"okay!"

Soon, a steaming bowl of soup noodles was served.

The enticing aroma filled his nostrils, and Chen Ye's eyes turned slightly red. He picked up his chopsticks, not caring that they were hot, and began to wolf down the food.

The noodles are smooth and the broth is rich and flavorful.

After sliding down the esophagus into the stomach, a warm feeling instantly spread to every part of the body, dispelling the cold and weakness.

This was the first hot meal he had eaten since he came into this world.

The unprecedented sense of satisfaction and security brought tears to Chen Ye's eyes.

The bowl of noodles was quickly emptied, and not a drop of soup was left. Chen Ye smacked his lips, still feeling unsatisfied, as if he had finally come back to life.

He paid the money and was about to get up and leave to find a place to stay.

Just then, several figures blocked the way, and the leader gave a forced smile and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Friend, which dock are you inspecting?"

(End of this chapter)