There are five countries on the continent of Tianyuan, namely the Heavenly Gold Empire in the north, the Hua Sheng Empire in the south, the Luori Empire in the west, and the Suoyu Federation in the east. In the center of the four major powers, bordering each of them, is a small, hexagonal piece of land that is the most famous Sacred Theocracy on the continent of Tianyuan. Among the four kingdoms, except for the Luori Empire and Hua Sheng Empire having poor relations, the other countries can coexist peacefully. Every year, each country must pay a certain "protection fee" to the Theocracy as its expenses.

  The humans of the Tianjin Empire are almost all white, with tall stature and blonde hair and blue eyes. The Luori Empire and the Hua Sheng Empire are both yellow-skinned, with black hair and black eyes. The only federal state on the continent, the Suoyi Federation, has a more complex racial composition, with whites, yellows, and physically strong blacks, as well as many alien species living within the federation. In terms of overall strength, the Suoyi Federation, composed of six ethnic groups, is the strongest, while the other three countries have roughly equal military power.

  On the mainland, apart from humans, there are some rare species such as the kind-hearted Elf tribe, the irritable Dwarf tribe, the singing and dancing Winged tribe, and the scarce Half-beast tribe that only exists in the dense forest. There is also the most mysterious Dark Magic tribe and the legendary Dragon tribe. These rare species compared to humans are scattered among various countries, and for thousands of years, they have been living in peace with humans. However, due to differences in lifestyle, alien tribes generally exist in remote mountain valleys or forests, rarely coming into contact with humans.

  The Holy See, although occupying a very small area on the mainland, has the highest status on the mainland. Except for a few atheists, almost all humans are loyal believers of the Holy See. Clergymen are the most respected profession, and in the Holy See, the Pope has the highest authority. Under the Pope, there are four Cardinals who assist the Pope in handling the affairs of the Holy See, also known as the Red Robe Bishops. Below the Cardinals are twelve White Robe Bishops, when more than half of the Cardinals and White Robe Bishops believe that the Pope has made a serious mistake, they can impeach the Pope, but since the Popes promotion is very strict, there has never been a case of impeachment since the birth of the Holy See. Below the White Robe Bishops are High Priests, Middle Priests, Ordinary Priests, and Apprentice Priests, also known as monks or nuns. The clergy in the Holy See do not prohibit marriage, but the object of combination must be the most loyal believer of the Holy See. Another reason why the clergy is respected is that they are all light system magicians, to promote to the position of White Robe Bishop, it requires monks to have a level above light system magic, and the magicians on the mainland have never reached three digits. The power of the Cardinals is even more unfathomable, there was once a legend that if the four Cardinals and twelve White Robe Bishops of the Holy See were to use their powers simultaneously, their light magic would be equivalent to the total military strength of any country. The promotion of the Pope is generally selected from among the Cardinals, requiring an extremely strict procedure, after selecting a new Pope, the old Pope will hold a succession ceremony to pass on the special abilities of the Holy See to the next Pope. No one has ever seen what kind of power the Pope really has, because in nearly a thousand years, there has never been a situation where the Pope needed to use his powers. The Holy See generally handles external affairs through the Tribunal, which is supervised by the Bishops, the Chief Judge of the Tribunal has the same rights as the Cardinals, and the judges under him are also known as the executioners of the Holy See, they are the most fanatical believers in God, when dealing with heretics, there is only one word - kill. Unlike orthodox clergy, all members of the Tribunal have no scruples, completely controlled by the Chief Judge, who reports directly to the Pope.

  On the mainland, there is a unified currency, which is a coin engraved with the emblem of the Holy See. The currency adopts a decimal exchange method: 1 diamond coin = 10 purple crystal coins = 100 gold coins = 1,000 silver coins = 10,000 copper coins. The annual income of an ordinary family is generally around 50 gold coins, and it takes about 30 gold coins to maintain the life of a family for a year.

  Four nations each have their own common language, and in some large cities and noble classes of each country, the Imperial Court Language is generally used. Our story begins from a small town called Nino in the northernmost province of Verno in the Heavenly Gold Empire on the north side of the continent.

  Nino City, located in the northernmost part of Birlen Province in the Tianjin Empire, is a small city that belongs to the extreme north of the entire Tianyuan continent. The days are short and the nights are long, and it is always cold. Most people here make a living by fishing in the ice sea next to the small town. The ice sea has floating icebergs all year round, where seals and sea lions are abundant, and their fur is highly sought after by the nobles.

  The dark clouds in the sky floated slowly, as if they would bring another snowstorm. In a dim alley of Nino City, several people wearing tattered cotton-padded jackets huddled together. Among them, a middle-aged man with a scar on his forehead glared at a black-haired and black-eyed girl who was only twelve or thirteen years old and dressed thinly. The little girls body was very thin, her face was pale yellow, and her half-long hair covered the area above her nose, making it impossible to see her features clearly. Her whole body trembled with fear, and her bright big eyes stared at the middle-aged man through her black hair.

  "Slap——" The middle-aged man slapped the little girl to the ground, scolding: "You dead girl, stupid to death, cant even complete such a simple task. If it wasnt for Ah Diao pulling you back, youd still be apologizing to that old lady. I was really blind to have taken you in, this waste who only knows how to eat all day and cant do anything."

  A boy, slightly taller than the girl, stepped forward and helped the trembling girl up, carefully wiping away the blood from her mouth. He then turned to the middle-aged man and said, "Uncle Li, please forgive her just this once. Ill go catch a few more fish later."

  Uncle Li grunted, looking at the boy with the same black hair and eyes, his face stupid-looking. His voice softened a bit as he said, "Ah-Dai, every time you plead for her, just those few fish you brought back, can they feed everyone? In my house, no one gets something for nothing. Girl, Ill let you off this once because of Ah-Dais sake. Next time, humph! Lets go." He led the other children out, but before they reached the alley entrance, Uncle Li turned back and said to Ah-Dai with a pleased smile, "Dont forget what you just said, best bring back some big fish, got it?"

  The silly Ah Diao nodded, and Uncle Li was satisfied and left.

  This group of people were the lowest-level thieves living in Nino City. They couldnt even be considered real thieves, as they could only make a living by stealing small things. What they called "collar fishing" was actually just stealing, and Lǐ Shū (黎叔) was their leader. He had over ten children under him, with only one girl, and all of them were orphans he had picked up from the streets. Among these children, there was a boy named ā Dāi (阿呆) who was particularly capable. At first, Lǐ Shū took him in because he saw that ā Dāi had nimble hands. This child always looked dull and stupid, sometimes even having trouble speaking clearly, and didnt know his own name. He also learned how to steal very slowly, as if his brain wasnt working properly, so everyone called him ā Dāi (which means "fool" or "idiot"). However, despite being foolish, ā Dāi was very persistent. After several months of Lǐ Shūs guidance and his own diligent practice, he finally mastered the skill of "collar fishing", and had even practiced it to perfection. To improve his speed, he would even go out alone onto the cold streets and use his fingers to poke at snowflakes on the ground. The fewer snowflakes that stuck to his fingers, the better his aim was. This method may have been foolish, but it was effective. After several months of practice, ā Dāi finally had a foundation in "collar fishing". What excited Lǐ Shū the most was that ā Dāi was so foolish that he didnt even know what fear was, and didnt understand that stealing was wrong. As long as you gave him steamed buns to eat, he would definitely follow your orders.

  Walking on the street, no one would notice a child with an ordinary appearance and straight eyes. However, in just a split second, their money bag would already be in Ah-Dais hands. When Uncle Li first saw the bulging money bag in Ah-Dais hands, he was shocked and couldnt close his mouth. From then on, Ah-Dai became the most "spoiled" among the group of children. He could eat at least one or two cold hard buns every day, making his companions envy him. Although Ah-Dai is a bit foolish, he is very kind-hearted. He often gives away food to others when he himself is not full, but those companions do not appreciate his kindness and instead often tease him and even snatch his food.

  Ya Tou was picked up by Lao Shu from the streets over a year ago. According to Ya Tou herself, she had been living with an old lady since she could remember. Although life was tough, they at least had enough food and warm clothes. Over a year ago, the old lady fell ill and died, leaving Ya Tou without a source of income, forcing her to beg for scraps. Lao Shu took in Ya Tou not because he pitied her, but because he coveted the broken-down hut left behind by the old lady. In the cold city of Nino, what could be better than having a roof over ones head? Ya Tou and Ah Dai were complete opposites - she picked up skills extremely quickly, mastering all of Lao Shus tricks within a month. However, Ya Tou was also the only child who had never managed to swindle anyone out of their money. It wasnt because she lacked skill, but mainly because her heart was too kind. There were several times when she could have succeeded, but upon seeing the anxious expression on the marks face, she couldnt bear to go through with it and ended up returning the item instead. As a result, she got beaten countless times, and each time Ah Dai took the fall for her. The two children, one smart and one foolish, naturally became good friends. They stood out among the group of thieves because they were the only yellow-skinned ones. Perhaps this was also why Ah Dai and Ya Tou developed such a deep friendship. Today, Ya Tou got scolded by Lao Shu again for returning something she had swindled from an anxious woman.

  Lao Shus figure finally disappeared at the end of the alley, and Ya Tou suddenly rushed into Ah Dais arms and burst into tears. Ah Dai stared blankly at the thin body in his arms, wiped away the snot on his face, and gently patted the girls shoulder, saying: "Ya Tou, dont cry anymore. Does it hurt a lot?"

  After a while, the maids crying stopped, and she lifted her frozen, bright red little face, looking at the boy in front of her, with tears in her eyes, saying: "Ah-Dai brother, living is really so painful!"

  Ah-Dai obviously didnt understand the girls meaning, and from his bosom he pulled out half of a hard-as-stone bun and handed it over, saying stiffly: "Girl, eat this, when youre full you wont be in pain."

  The girl looked at the silly but sincere boy in front of her, took the steamed bun from him, sobbed a few times, and said: "Ah-Dai brother, why are you so good to me?"

  Ah-Dai pulled Ya-Tou to sit in the corner, took off his tattered cotton-padded jacket and put it on their shoulders, snuggled up with Ya-Tou and said foolishly: "Am I good to you? Eat the steamed bun quickly, after eating the steamed bun you wont be cold. Later, Ill go catch fish too." As he spoke, he drooled while staring at the half-cold and hard steamed bun in Ya-Tous hand, which looked like a stone.

  Ya Tou looked at Ah Duans silly face and couldnt help but feel a little dazed. With both hands, she forcefully split the half mantou in two and handed one piece to Ah Duan.

  "Ah-Dai swallowed his saliva and said: I... Im not hungry, you eat it yourself."

  The girl stuffed the bun into Ah Diaos hand and said, "I have a small appetite, I cant eat that much, lets eat together." As she spoke, she took a big bite of her own quarter of the bun.

  Ah-Dai let out a sound, wolfing down the quarter of the bun in big gulps. Because he ate too quickly, he choked and let out an "ah" and a low, guttural noise.

  Ya Tou couldnt help but let out a light laugh at Ah Dais beet-red face, and while helping him pat his back, she grabbed a handful of snow from the ground that had been left over from two days ago and stuffed it into Ah Dais mouth.

  The silly Ah Diao worked hard to melt the snow into water, and after half a days effort, he finally managed to swallow the dry rice ball in his throat. He let out a long sigh, patted his own chest, and said, "Thank you!"

  After a while, the little girl finally finished her own bun with great effort and suddenly rushed to Ah Duan saying: "Ah Duan brother, will you marry me when I grow up?"

  Ah-Dai was stunned, thinking hard about the meaning of the word "jia", and after a long time, he stammered: "What is jia?"

  "Alright, it means Ill be your wife and take care of you for the rest of my life! Im taking it that youve agreed, no backing out now. From this moment on, I, Ya Tou, am officially your fiancée, Ah Duan. Youd better treat me well from now on."

  Ah-Dai nodded and said: "Fiancée? Oh, okay, then Ill give you a little more mantou every day."

  She gave him a white eye and fell into silence.

  After a long time, with the help of the cotton-padded jacket, Ya Tou had warmed up a lot. She put the cotton-padded jacket back on Ah Dais shoulders and said to him: "Ah Dai brother, you quickly go catch fish, or Uncle Li will scold you again. Ill follow you."

  Ah-Dai nodded and helped Ya-Tou stand up, asking: "Ya-Tou, why is your technique better than mine, yet you always return the fish to its owner?"

  The girl sighed and said: "Ah-Dai Ge, dont you know that stealing other peoples things is wrong?"

  Ah-Dai shook his head and said: "But if we dont catch fish, well go hungry!"

  The girl knew that she and this silly guy couldnt be explained, so she didnt say anything. She pulled Ah-Dai out of the alley and the two walked towards the most prosperous area of Nino City. Only there would they find good targets to swindle. The girl secretly decided that today, no matter what, she would help Ah-Dai catch a few more fish to repay his kindness to her.

  They had just walked a short distance when suddenly a voice called out from behind them, "Little girl, stop!"

  ADai was startled, and together with Ya Tou, they turned around to see a luxurious carriage in front of them. The small window on the carriage revealed an old womans face, which Ya Tou recognized as the person she had returned the money bag to today.

  "Little girl, is that really you?" The womans face showed a surprised smile, the carriage door opened, and with the help of the servant, the old woman got out of the carriage. She was wearing luxurious clothes made of fabrics that Ah-Dai and Ya-Tou had never dared to imagine, and on top of that, she was also wearing a sable fur cape.

  "Y-you have something to say?"

  The silly thought that the old woman was going to find trouble for Ya Tou, and hurriedly blocked Ya Tou behind herself, vigilantly looking at the old woman in front of her.

  The old woman smiled and said, "Children, dont be afraid. Little girl, you returned my purse to me just now, I havent thanked you yet! On such a cold day, how come youre dressed so thinly?"

  The girl shook her head and said, "No need to thank you, your wallet was originally stolen by me."

  Ah-Dai was startled, although he was foolish, but he was very clear that if he was caught by the object of his infatuation, there would be consequences. He hurriedly covered Ya-Tous mouth and said: "Ya-Tou, dont talk nonsense."

  The old woman didnt order her servant to beat the young girl as Ah Diao had imagined, but instead smiled and said: "Then why did you return my purse?"

  The girl pulled open Ah Dais hand and, summoning up her courage, said: "I... I see youre in a hurry, so Ill return it to you. Dont make things difficult for him, if you want to hit someone, hit me instead."

  The old woman smiled slightly and said: "Well, youre indeed a honest and kind child. I know you didnt steal on your own accord, right? What about your parents?"

  Her eyes reddened as she said, "I dont have parents, Im an orphan."

  The old woman frowned and sighed, "A good child like you shouldnt be suffering here. Come over, let grandma take a look." She beckoned to the young girl.

  Ah-Dai feared Ya-Tou would get into trouble and hastily said: "Dont go, Ya-Tou, lets hurry up and leave."

  Ya Tou didnt listen to Ah Dais dissuasion, she faintly felt that perhaps the old woman in front of her would change her life. She walked up to the old woman with her head down, standing there somewhat trembling.

  The old woman picked up the dirty little face of the girl, combed her messy hair back to her brain, took out a clean white handkerchief from her own arms and wiped her face gently. She nodded and said: "Well, child, you must have suffered a lot. Are you willing to follow grandma? Grandma can provide you with a good life and let you receive normal education."

  The girls big eyes lit up, she turned her head to look at Ah Duan, Ah Duan looked a bit anxious, standing still in the same place.

  "What? Child, you dont want to come with me? My husband is the governor of Yunmu Province, where the Empire and the Holy See border, a place thats spring all year round. Its really too cold here."

  The girl turned around and looked at the old womans gorgeous and bright clothes, and asked tentatively: "Grandma, can you take this brother with me?"

  The old woman looked at Ah Diao, who was wiping the two yellow nasal discharges flowing down his face with his hand, looking silly. A disgusted look flashed in the old womans eyes, and she shook her head, saying: "No way, he just tried to deceive me, not an honest kid, I can only take one of you away. Hurry up and decide, its really cold here."

  The girl hesitated for a moment, looked at the horse-drawn carriage and the old woman in front of her, then looked at the poor Ah-Dai, and nodded resolutely: "Okay, Ill go with you."

  The old woman smiled contentedly and said, "Well, this is a well-behaved good child. Lets go, well get on the horse carriage and first find a place to help you change your clothes. Wearing so little will make you catch a cold."

  "Grandma, wait for me," she said, turning around and quickly running to Ah-Dais side. "Ah-Dai brother, Im leaving, dont blame Ya-Tou, okay? I really cant stand this life of poverty and hunger anymore. Ah-Dai brother, remember what we just talked about, when I grow up, Ill definitely come back to find you."

  "Ah-Dai said: Girl, are you really going? If Uncle Li finds out, hell beat you."

  Two lines of tears fell from the young girls eyes as she choked back a sob: "Ah-Dan, dont worry, he wont have another chance to hit me again. Im leaving now, remember what we just said. If you get the chance, leave Lao-Shu too, hes not a good person. Dont be a thief anymore." Before Ah-Dan could ask how they would eat without stealing, the young girl had already turned and run towards the old woman, who was the first to board the carriage. With the servants help, the young girl also climbed aboard the warm and luxurious-looking vehicle. Just before the curtains were drawn shut, she took one last, deep look at Ah-Dan, as if trying to commit his face to memory.

  The horse carriage disappeared into the distance, leaving Ah-Dai standing in a daze on the spot, watching as it went further and further away. In his heart, Ah-Dai felt a faint sense of loss. For Ah-Dai, Ya-Tou was the only thing more important than mantou.

  …………

  "Bang——" Uncle Lei slapped away the small bags of money from Ah Duans hands, scolding: "You idiot, you just watched as your sister left with someone? ******* , wasting so much food on her, and she hasnt even repaid me yet this dead girl dares to run away, its infuriating, its really infuriating." Uncle Lei kicked Ah Duan to the ground and paced back and forth in the small wooden house.

  Ah-Dai crouched on the ground in agony, sobbing: "No, no, it wasnt me who made her leave, she wanted to leave herself."

  Lui Shu was already furious, and after hearing Ah Dais words, he became even more enraged. He kicked Ah Dai several times with great force and scolded: "If she wants to leave, let her go! Youre stupid to the death! Let you be stupid, let you be stupid." Ah Dai continuously let out mournful cries, while the thieves on the side watched everything with schadenfreude, not one of them coming forward to stop it.

  After a while, Lao Lis anger dissipated somewhat, and he suddenly remembered that Ah Duan was his main source of income. If he messed him up, where would he find another subordinate who listened to him so obediently? With a huff, he picked up the money bag from the ground and scolded Ah Duan: "In the future, be more clever for me!" One person walked out, and all the thieves knew that he had gone to drink.

  Ah-Dai was curled up in the corner, his whole body aching. He couldnt figure out why Uncle Li wanted to hit him when it had nothing to do with him. The words of the servant girl before she left kept swirling around his mind and wouldnt go away.

  Other thieves were eating the leftover rice porridge from a restaurant that Lao Li didnt know where it came from, laughing and chatting about their experiences for the day. When Ah Dai remembered that he hadnt eaten anything all day, there was already nothing left, not even any dregs. His heart felt like it was being pressed down by something, his longing for Ya Tou grew stronger, what Ya Tou said was right, living is really so painful!

  The next morning, Uncle Li gave Ah-Dai a bun with great compassion. After he wolfed it down, he was sent out to start the days fishing trip.

  The snowflakes falling from the sky brought a faint chill to the pedestrians. As he walked slowly on the road, Ah-Dai thought to himself, when would another old woman appear and take him away too? When could Mantou eat his fill and be content? What had become of Ya-Tou? She had left with that old woman, did she get to eat mantou every day?

  Just as he was thinking, he suddenly saw a strangely dressed person in front of him. What made him feel strange was that the persons tall figure was completely shrouded in a large cloak, making it impossible to see their face from the outside. Under the cloak, there seemed to be a bulging pouch swaying back and forth, and Ah-Dai decided that this person would be his first target for today. As he thought about it, Ah-Dai quietly followed behind, taking out his sharp little knife from his waistband and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

  Following him, the man in the cloak walked into a luxurious restaurant. The restaurant was decorated with gold and jade from the outside, and its roof was covered with glazed tiles. Ah-Dai thought to himself that if he could eat here, his wallet must be full of money. Thinking about this, he couldnt help but feel secretly delighted. If he could catch some more fish on the way back, maybe Uncle Li would let him have a big meal of mantou (steamed buns). He squatted down in the corner by the restaurant entrance and waited patiently.

  "Go away, go away, where did this little beggar come from? Get out of here." The restaurants doorman kicked Ah Dai and said with a look of disgust.

  The silly Ah Diao was already accustomed to the greedy gaze of the doorman, and hastily nodded and bowed as he ran far away, finding a dark corner that could block the wind and snow before squatting down again.

  Fiddling with the sharp small knife in his hand, Ah-Dai waited patiently, not hurrying at all. After all, when eating, one will eventually come out.

  An hour had passed, and finally, the person wearing a large cloak walked out. Ah-Dai was excited to see that the person was walking towards him face-to-face. Face-to-face was the best way to make a move. He quickly stood up, calmed his nerves, and walked towards the person. The persons build was very tall, and Ah-Dai only reached his belly button. As they approached each other, Ah-Dai scratched his hair with his hand that had a blade hidden in it. Just as they were one meter apart, Ah-Dai tripped and bumped into the person.

  Ah-Dai suddenly felt as if he had run into an iron plate, his whole body aching inexplicably. He inadvertently lifted his head and happened to see the persons face. It was an old and weathered countenance with countless fine wrinkles, looking like it belonged to someone in their seventies or eighties.

  "Im sorry, Im sorry, it wasnt on purpose." Ah-Dai hastily apologized.

  The old man merely grunted and didnt say a word, continuing to walk forward as if he were unaware that his cloak had been cut open with a slit and the money pouch at his waist was gone.

  Watching the other person not making things difficult for himself, Ah-Dai excitedly ran forward, but accidentally slipped on the snow on the ground and fell with his four limbs in the air, which made him twitch constantly due to the injury he suffered from being beaten by Uncle Li yesterday. However, even so, it was hard to conceal the excitement in Ah-Dais heart, as soon as he got the money bag, he found that its weight was unusually heavy, and even if it was all copper coins inside, it would be enough for todays payment. Shaking off the snow, he quickly ran into a small alley. Turning his head to look around and finding no one chasing after him, he couldnt help but let out a sigh of relief, patted his chest, and sat down. However, Ah-Dai didnt know that the person he stole from was engaged in a special profession on the mainland - an alchemist.

  The most revered profession on the mainland is that of clergy, and apart from them, there are several professions in each country that stand above ordinary laborers. These professions have formed their own guilds, becoming a special force on the continent.

  Mercenary Guild, the largest guild in terms of population. Mercenaries are a special profession that executes tasks of varying difficulty as requested by clients, receiving rewards commensurate with the tasks difficulty. The scattered branches of the Mercenary Guild serve as the ideal places for mercenaries to receive tasks. However, the Mercenary Guild does not provide services for free; they charge fees based on the tasks difficulty.

  A group composed of mercenaries is called a mercenary corps. For extremely difficult tasks, clients often prefer to hire powerful mercenary corps, even if it means paying a hefty price. Both individual mercenaries and mercenary corps are divided into six ranks: 4th rank, 3rd rank, 2nd rank, 1st rank, Special rank, and the highest rank of Super rank.

  Due to the large number of mercenaries and mercenary corps, advancing in rank is extremely challenging. Mercenaries of different ranks receive different badges from the Mercenary Guild. In the mercenary organization, higher-ranking mercenaries or mercenary corps are highly respected by their lower-ranking peers.

  The Magicians Guild, magicians on the continent are second only to clergy in terms of profession. Due to the extremely high requirements for cultivating magic on ones own quality, the number of magicians is extremely rare. Among them, those who cultivate light system magic are almost all recruited by the Holy See, making magicians even more precious. They are often hired at high salaries in the military, and almost all mid-level or higher magicians will be enfeoffed as nobles by their respective kingdoms. Therefore, the magician profession is also the most yearned for by ordinary civilians, representing reputation and power.

  Magicians are divided into primary magicians, intermediate magicians, advanced magicians, great magicians, magic conductors, and magic masters. Since national subsidies are their main source of income, magicians generally go to the Magicians Guild to obtain badges corresponding to their level in order to receive corresponding compensation. Of course, obtaining a badge requires passing the Magic Guild assessment.

  The Magicians Guild is also the only guild that gives money without requiring payment.

  The Alchemist Guild, although not numerous, is highly respected in every country. The guilds of each country are often bought out by the state because the weapons refined by alchemists are far superior to those forged by blacksmiths, making them the best choice for equipping high-level armies. The Tianjin Empire got its name precisely because it has the largest Alchemist Guild among the four countries. Alchemists actually belong to a branch of magicians; they mostly excel at fire magic and have a deeper understanding of various minerals and medicines than magicians do. Powerful alchemists can often forge high-level divine weapons, which are almost priceless and highly sought after by royal families and even the Sacred Court. Alchemists are also one of the wealthiest groups among all professions, second only to assassins. Alchemists are divided into apprentice, primary, intermediate, advanced, special, and master levels. Although alchemists have a universal badge corresponding to their level in each country, higher-level alchemists often disdain to receive them.

  The Assassins Guild, with the smallest number of people and also the most mysterious guild on the mainland, is also known as the Assassin Group. Although there are not many members in the Assassins Guild, they all have very high abilities. They accept assassination tasks through some underground channels and receive high commissions. The organization of the guild is extremely strict, and there are only two ways to join: one is to go through various difficult tests, and the other is that every year, the Assassins Guild will announce a very difficult task. If someone can complete this task, they will be absorbed into the guild as a member. Of course, the difficulty of completing this task is absolutely much higher than those difficult tests, and it is very likely to pay with ones life. Due to the intrigue and power struggles between humans, this guild that ordinary people dare not mention has always been able to survive on the mainland. Assassins also have obvious level distinctions, divided from low to high into Assassins, Dark Assassins, Stealthy Assassins, and Annihilators. These assassins are uniformly managed by the Assassins Guild, and their identities are extremely secret and unknown to outsiders. They do not belong to any country, and their number has never exceeded one hundred people, but they are a fairly terrifying force. There are very few magicians among the assassins.

  The Thieves Guild, in short, is a gathering of high-level thieves. Some nobles hire guild members to steal valuable items they desire. The Thieves Guild is not open to every thief; its membership requirements are strict, although not as severe as those of the Assassins Guild. Only thieves with exceptional skills and qualities are accepted.

  Thieves are ranked from lowest to highest as Thief, High-level Thief, and Acquirer. Those who reach the level of Acquirer have typically stolen treasures worth a citys fortune multiple times and are honored among their peers. They are also the most feared group among nobles.

  The Thieves Guild has one strict rule: absolutely no killing is allowed. This is why they have not been eradicated by national armies. To better complete tasks assigned by clients, the guilds intelligence network is highly developed. Like the Assassins Guild, the Thieves Guild is a dark force on the continent.

  ……

  He pulled out a heavy pouch, and Ah-Dais heart was filled with joy. The pouch was exquisite, made of leather, with a six-pointed star embroidered on it in gold thread. Ah-Dai had never seen such a beautiful pouch before, and he hastily untied the cord at the top, reaching inside to feel around. He fantasized that if there were a few purple crystal coins inside, how wonderful that would be! In his over a year of experience, he had only stolen one purple crystal coin once, and he remembered that time, Uncle Li was so excited that he rewarded him with a big chicken leg, making all the other companions jealous. He had never tasted such delicious food before, and in the end, he shared it with Ya-Tou, even eating the bones. The wonderful taste still lingered in his mind to this day.

  When Ah-Dai took out all the coins from his money bag, he was stunned. Because in the money bag, there were not only the "chicken legs" he had been thinking about for a long time, but also dozens of golden coins, and even a blue coin that shone with dazzling light, which he had never seen before. Looking at the small pile of purple coins, this was enough to make him full for several days! "I can eat my fill now, I can finally eat my fill." Ah-Dai exclaimed excitedly.

  Just as he was getting excited, the golden six-pointed star on his money bag suddenly lit up, and then an old voice sounded in his ear, "Have you ever eaten your fill?"

  ADais whole body shook, the coins in his hand scattered all over the floor. This voice, where did it come from? He looked around, but there was no one nearby. "Heavenly gods protect me, heavenly gods protect me." ADai clasped his hands together in front of his chest, continuously chanting.

  "Do you think the gods will bless a thief?" The old voice sounded again, and this time Ah-Dai heard it clearly. The voice seemed to be coming from that exquisite purse.

  "Ah——" Ah-Dai exclaimed, throwing the money bag away, his whole body involuntarily trembling slightly. This was the first time he had encountered such a strange thing, and as a child, fear seeped out from the bottom of his eyes. The sparse snowflakes continued to fall, and the sky remained dark. At this moment, Ah-Dais tattered cotton-padded jacket seemed unable to bring him warmth anymore, and a chill quickly rose up from the bottom of his heart.

  A faint glow emanated from the purse that had fallen not far away, and on the beautiful golden six-pointed star, a soft, dreamy golden light flickered. Under Ah-Dais terrified gaze, the golden light suddenly intensified, and a blurry human figure appeared above the purse. The figure gradually became clear, and it was the old man who had been wearing the large cloak earlier.

  A strange and low voice kept coming from the cloak, if Lishi were here, he would have discovered that this old man was chanting magic spells. Finally, his body completely turned into a solid, lightly floating down to the ground.

  The old man fell beside the money bag, he slowly bent down and picked up the money bag on the ground, sighed: "Its been a long time since I used this spell, its really rusty!"

  Seeing the object of his fishing appear in such a strange and ominous manner, Ah-Dai knew he was in big trouble. He never thought that after four months without losing his grip, he would be caught by the boss while successfully reeling in a big fish. He curled up into a ball on the ground, his body trembling nonstop, thinking that what awaited him must be a brutal beating, something he had encountered before. The last time he was caught, the big man almost broke his hand; if it werent for Uncle Li appearing just in time to scare off the other guy, Ah-Dai probably wouldnt have been able to fish anymore, let alone eat his favorite mantou.

  The old man threw the purse in front of Ah Diao and said lightly: "Pick it up for me and put it back."

  "Yes, yes." Ah-Dai carefully picked up the money bag and took a deep look at the six-pointed star embroidered with gold thread on it. He couldnt understand why someone could "drill" out of the money bag. His whole body trembled as he carefully put the coins back into the money bag one by one, which took quite a while. Strangely, the old man didnt urge him, and his eyes under the hood kept sizing Ah-Dai up with piercing glints.

  "Alright, here you go." Ah-Dai tried to make himself look more pitiful, holding out the money bag with both hands and presenting it to the old man. Maybe if he looked weak enough, the other person would hit him more lightly later on. Ah-Dai had never thought of resisting; how could he, with his "weathered" body? Even if the other person was an old man.

  The old man took over the money bag, neither moving his hand nor letting go of Ah Diaos meaning, still standing in front of him, looking at this slender child in front of him.

  Ah-Dai lowered his head and crouched down, his frozen red hands covering his head, his whole body curled up as much as possible, waiting for the arrival of the storm.

  "Ah, your hands are indeed very good-looking, slender fingers and thick palms. No wonder even I didnt notice things being stolen. You still havent answered my question from earlier, have you?"