บท 5: Chapter 1 Cold Small Town_6
The Assassin's Guild, though having the fewest members, is the most mysterious guild on the continent. Some people refer to them as the Assassin's Group. The members of the Assassin's Guild might be few in number, but they all possess a high level of competency, accepting assassination contracts via underground channels and charging exorbitant commissions. The structure of the guild is extremely rigorous, with only two paths to membership. One is to go through numerous difficult tests, and the second is to complete a very challenging task announced by the guild each year. Naturally, the difficulty of completing this task is much higher than passing the various tests, and it is highly likely that one might end up paying with their life. Due to human intrigue and power disputes, this guild, feared by common folk, has always managed to survive on the continent. Assassins have clear rank distinctions, from low to high are assassins, killers, stealth killers, and exterminators. These assassins are managed by the guild, and their identities are incredibly secretive and unknown to others. They do not belong to any nation, and their numbers have never exceeded a hundred, but they represent a terribly potent force. Almost no magicians are found among the assassins.
The Thieves' Guild, plainly speaking, is a collective of high-level thieves. Some nobles, in order to get their hands on valuable items, would hire thieves from the guild to steal them. Not every thief can join the Thieves' Guild. While the admission requirements are not as stringent as the Assassin's Guild, there are still various assessments to pass, accepting only those thieves of high quality and superior professional skills. There are also distinct levels amongst thieves, ranging from thief, high-grade thief, and procurer. It is quite a honor to have procured treasures numerous times. They are typically the nightmares for most nobles. The Thieves' Guild has one absolute rule which forbids killing. It's precisely for this reason that they have not been exterminated by the armies of different nations. To perform their tasks best, the Thieves' Guild has the most extensive intelligence network. They, like the Assassin's Guild, are part of the dark powers on the continent.
With the hefty money sack in hand, Ah Dai was filled with joy. The money sack was exquisitely made from leather, with a hexagram stitched on it with a gold thread. Ah Dai has never seen such a beautiful money bag, and he quickly undid its top to check inside. He began to fantasize, how wonderful it would be if there were a purple crystal coin inside! During his one year-plus career, he had only stolen purple crystal coins once. Uncle Li was so thrilled that time that he unexpectedly rewarded him with a chicken drumstick, which made his comrades envious. He had never tasted something so delicious. In the end, he shared it with the maid, even eating the bone. That wonderful taste still lingered in his mind till now.
When Ah Dai emptied all the coins from the money sack, he was stunned still in surprise. Inside the sack were not only his longed-for "chicken drumsticks" but also dozens of gold coins, and even a luminous blue coin that he had never seen before. Looking at the small pile of purple coins, equivalent to over a dozen "chicken drumsticks", "I can finally have my fill," Ah Dai excitedly yelled.
At the height of his excitement, the golden hexagram on the money bag suddenly lit up, and then, an old voice rang in his ear, "Have you never had your fill before?"
Ah Dai's body jolted, and the coins in his hand fell to the ground. Where did that voice come from? He looked around but there was no one in sight. "May the Sky God protect me, may the Sky God protect me," Ah Dai chanted nonstop, clasping his hands to his chest.
"Do you think the Sky God would protect a thief?" The old voice sounded again. This time Ah Dai realized the voice seemed to be coming from the beautifully crafted money sack.
"Ah--" Ah Dai cried out in surprise, flinging away the money bag. His body started trembling uncontrollably. He had never encountered anything so eerie before. After all, he was just a child, and it was evident from his eyes that he was terrified. The flurries of snow were still falling steadily, the sky still gloomy. The worn-out cotton-padded jacket he wore no longer seemed able to keep him warm as a chill rose from the pit of his stomach.
The thrown money sack landed not far away, emitting a faint radiance, its beautiful golden hexagram illuminating like a dreamy golden glow. As Ah Dai watched in horror, the golden glow suddenly flared, and a blurred silhouette appeared above the bag. The silhouette gradually became clear, and it was of the elderly man in the large cloak who he had seen earlier.
The strange and low sound continued to come out from under the cloak. If Uncle Li were there, he would have realized that the old man was casting a spell. Finally, his body solidified entirely, floated gently, landing on the ground.
The old man landed next to the money sack, bent over slowly, and picked it up, sighing, "It's been a long time since I used this spell. I have become rusty."
Seeing the target of his theft appear in such a bizarre manner, even the dull Ah Dai knew he was in big trouble. He never would have thought that despite having 4 successful months without any mishaps, he would be caught by his victim, just as he was about to bag a big fish. He crouched on the ground, his body quivering. In his experience, he was going to take a brutal beating, something he's already experienced before. The last time he got caught, a grown man nearly broke his hand. If Uncle Li had not shown up in time to scare off the man, he would have lost his ability to pickpocket and would not manage to eat his favourite steamed bun.
The old man threw the money sack in front of Ah Dai and said faintly, "Pick them up and put them back."
"Yes, yes." Ah Dai carefully grabbed the money sack, took a deep look at the hexagram on it, and couldn't help but wonder, how could a person "climb" out of a money bag? His whole body was shaking as he carefully put the purple crystal coins back into the money bag. The process took quite a while. Strangely enough, the old man did not hurry him and kept studying Ah Dai under the sparkling eyes beneath his cloak.
"Okay, it's done. Here, here you go." Ah Dai tried to look as submissive as possible, holding out the money bag to the old man with both hands. Maybe if he behaved meekly, the beating he was about to receive would be less severe. Ah Dai never thought about resisting. How could he with his cold and starving body? Even if the other party was only an old man.
The old man took the money bag and neither made a move on Ah Dai nor let him go, just standing in front of him, looking at the thin child before him.
Ah Dai squatted down, bowed his head, and kept his hands, red from the cold, over his head. He curled himself up tightly, waiting for the storm to arrive.
"Well, your hands are pretty nice. Long fingers, broad palm. No wonder I didn't notice when you stole my things. You haven't answered my previous question yet, have you?"
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