From Beggar to Emperor: My Profession Has Its Own Characteristics

"Begging is about asking for money, not demanding it; it's about getting people to willingly give you money."

"If you just squat there with a stern face like you're collecting debts, who's going to give you money?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuan understood that the old beggar was about to impart his begging experience to him.

At that moment, he immediately appeared to be receptive to instruction.

The old beggar then pointed to his leg and said, "My leg is indeed lame, but I've been lame for twenty years, and it doesn't hurt anymore."

But every time I climbed over, I had to grimace so that people who saw me would think, "This old man is so pitiful, I can't live without giving him a penny."

Are you sick?

Zhu Yuan shook his head.

"Then pretend to be sick, clutch your stomach, frown, and groan occasionally. Remember not to be too loud, or you'll annoy people."

Are you injured?

Zhu Yuan shook his head again.

"Then you can fake an injury. Find a rag, wrap it around your hand, and get some mud on it to make it look like you just fell. But don't wrap it too tightly, or you'll actually hurt yourself."

In this way, Zhu Yuan learned a lot about being a beggar from the old beggar.

Before we knew it, more than half an hour had passed.

"The most important thing for a beggar is to know who will give and who won't."

"Don't count on wearing silk. They'll think you're dirty, unlucky, or blocking their way. If you go up to them, they might kick you away. But if they're with women, and one of them is kind enough to secretly give you a coin, you should take it and quickly back away so the man doesn't see you."

"Those wearing short tunics are just like us, very poor. If they give you money, it's because they see you and think of their own miserable lives. But these people give little, a penny at most. You have to thank them, thank them loudly so that the people around can see, that's called 'leading others to do good.'"

"Among scholars who wear long gowns, there are more poor than rich. Poor scholars can't even feed themselves, so don't expect them to. But if you encounter one who has just finished an exam and looks smug, it means he did well and is in a good mood. If you go up to him and shout 'Sir, you've passed the exam with flying colors,' he might just give you a few coins."

"Old ladies are the most soft-hearted..."

"..."

"Finally, there are martial artists with abundant qi and blood. It's best to stay away from these kinds of people. If you encounter one with a bad temper, they might kill you! Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

Zhu Yuan learned a lot throughout the noon.

The ancient books in my mind have also undergone new changes.

The records on the right show that his professional experience has been steadily increasing.

[Old Liu will impart his experience as a beggar to you, professional experience +15.]

[Old Liu will impart his experience as a beggar to you, professional experience +8.]

[Old Liu will impart his experience as a beggar to you, professional experience +13.]

……

-

Occupation: Beggar

Level: Lv2 (160/200)

-

I need 40 more experience points to upgrade my profession to level 3.

If I work hard today, I can unlock the second trait of the beggar profession.

The old beggar is gone.

After reading the ancient books, Zhu Yuan began begging with great enthusiasm.

Perhaps because of the ancient books, the begging experience the old beggar had taught him was deeply imprinted in his mind, and he couldn't forget it even if he wanted to.

Having been taught the ropes, Zhu Yuan's begging began to go much more smoothly.

Each time you beg, the probability of receiving coins increases significantly.

As he begged, he kept taking notes from the ancient books in his mind.

[You begged and said some kind words. [Someone] glanced at you, found you rather likable, and gave you a coin. Your professional experience +2.]

[You actively begged, feigning pitifulness, but [the system] remained unmoved. You received no money, but your professional experience increased by 1.]

[You pretended to be sick and asked for alms. ■■■ saw this, thought for a moment, and ultimately gave you a coin. Professional experience +2.]

……

Over time.

Zhu Yuan begged from twenty-six people using various methods.

Of the twenty-six people, none were compassionate, and none were devoid of compassion.

Twelve of them did not give him money.

The remaining fourteen people each gave him a penny.

When the fourteenth almsgiver gave him a coin, Zhu Yuan clearly sensed the change in himself.

He knew that the professional beggar had already reached level three.

His eyes seemed to brighten, and his gaze towards people appeared different.

When he had begged from the twenty-seventh person, Zhu Yuan thought to himself:

This person will probably give me alms.

Now he not only uses experience to judge people, but also uses his intuition.

The beggar's day's work is over.

This afternoon, he begged fourteen coins in front and a full thirty coins behind!

Of the thirty coins he begged for afterward, two kind people gave him seven and ten coins respectively, but he only begged from eighteen people after that.

In other words, of the eighteen people who begged later, only three did not give him any money.

"Quickly check the changes in the books in my mind."

As Zhu Yuan pondered this, he found a corner, sat down with his back to the wall, and began to delve into the ancient books in his mind.

-

Occupation: Beggar

Level: Lv3 (30/400)

Feature 1: Begging (Gray)

Feature Two: Judging People by Their Eyes (White)

Feature 3: Unlocked at Lv5 (White)

-

"Knowing People Through Eyes" (White): [With enough experience begging, your eyes have become sharper, allowing you to better discern which people are more likely to receive money from you.]

Zhu Yuan looked at the effects of unlocking the second professional trait.

He has already given it enough time to verify.

After unlocking the second career trait, his efficiency in accumulating wealth through begging has been greatly improved.

Zhu Yuan glanced at the begging records in the book.

[You begged and feigned pitifulness. [Someone] felt sorry for you and gave you a coin. Your professional experience +2.]

[Congratulations! Your profession level has been raised to Lv3. You now have a better understanding of how to be a beggar and have unlocked the second profession trait: "Knowing People Through Their Eyes" (white).]

[You pretended to be sick while begging, and [someone] took pity on you and gave you a coin. Your professional experience +1.]

...

[You begged, feigning pitifulness, but [someone] glanced at you and looked away. You gained no copper coins and no job experience.]

……

"After your job level increases by three, you will no longer gain any experience from normal begging. You will only gain experience from begging for money, and even a single coin will give you a little experience."

Upgrading from level three to level four requires 400 experience points, which is equivalent to begging for 400 coins. Following the previous pattern of experience gain for level increases, upgrading from level four to level five should require 800 experience points.

Zhu Yuan thought about it for a moment, then the thought left his mind, and he closed the ancient book again.

He begged for nine coins in the morning and forty-four coins in the afternoon.

Daily income of fifty-three coins!

This far exceeds the target of twenty coins set yesterday.

Today he begged from three compassionate people and received twenty-three coins from them. Even after deducting those twenty-three coins, he still had an income of thirty coins.

Thirty coins a day, fifty days would be one thousand five hundred coins!

We can eat better food from now on.

There was at least one fragrant white steamed bun at every meal.

On the second day after arriving in the world, Zhu Yuan was very satisfied with the improved meals.

The saying goes, "Contentment brings happiness."

It's time to pay today's sun tax.