After a while, seeing the two still refusing to give up, Leyang ran out of patience. He had more important things to do.

Suddenly, he feigned panic and dashed into an alley. The two tails hurried after him.

"That kid’s got treasure on him. Go!"

"Damn, he’s wearing something that heavy and still holding up. That kid’s stamina isn’t normal. I’m dead on my feet."

"Quit whining. Once we strip that heavy armor, we can flip it for two or three Large Yala Coins. We’ll be set for a while."

They turned the corner and found a dead end. But the kid was gone. Confusion hit them at once.

"Huh? Where’d the brat go? We lost him!"

"Shit, I tailed him this long and he slipped us. Crafty little bastard."

"Relax. He didn’t run."

A ghostlike voice drifted from above their heads.

A chill ran up their spines. They snapped their heads up. A heavy figure dropped straight down. In an instant, it smashed them both out cold. Stars burst in their eyes as they hit the ground.

"Hmph. Two petty thieves not even Iron-rank dare target this Grandmaster? You’ve got some guts."

Leyang did want to kill them. But this was Camilla City. A killing here would cause trouble. For two blind fools, it wasn’t worth the risk.

Still, you can spare a life but not the lesson. They weren’t getting off easy. Otherwise, they’d keep doing this dirty work. This was for their own good.

Leyang stripped them bare. Then he pulled two ropes from his Spatial Magic Tool and tied them tight together, face to face. He didn’t bother being polite about their weapons. He’d sell them for a bit of cash.

That’s what you call trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice.

Before long, passersby heard cries for help from the alley. They called the guards and rushed over. They found two naked men lashed face to face. The scene was oh-so harmonious and utterly indecent.

Truly, philosophical art.

"This is… this is too tragic."

"That damned brat. We won’t let him off!"

…

Meanwhile, the culprit behind that “art” strolled into the Adventurers Guild.

That’s right. Leyang’s first goal was to become an adventurer. Guild commissions came in all flavors, and the Adventurers Guild held most intel in the Camila Empire. Being an adventurer made money fast, and news flowed fast too.

Right now, Leyang lacked money and information. Becoming an adventurer was the obvious choice. Isn’t adventuring way more fun than those boring, fussy noble etiquette lessons?

"Hello. What procedures do I need to become an adventurer?"

Leyang walked up to a counter and looked up at the young receptionist with her hair pinned up.

"Little brother, why are you here alone? Did you get separated from your family?"

"I’m here to register as an adventurer."

"Sweetie, you want to be an adventurer? There are conditions. For you right now, it’s too hard. Come back when you’re older."

"What conditions?"

Leyang ignored the last part. Being young was a pain. People looked down on you everywhere.

He’d planned to become an adventurer when he came to Camilla City. He’d asked Uncle Ma about age limits and such. Uncle Ma said there aren’t any. As long as you meet the Guild’s requirements, anyone can register. He hadn’t asked for details then.

"First, you need to be an Iron-rank warrior or a magic apprentice. That’s the minimum. Then you pay a registration fee of two Large Dolo Coins."

"I’m already Iron-rank."

Leyang said it earnestly.

"Hehe, little brother, you’re funny."

"I’m not joking."

"Then can you show big sis your Iron-rank badge?"

"Hm? Iron-rank badge?"

Leyang paused. What was that?

"You don’t know? To be officially recognized as Iron-rank, you have to pass the Guild’s assessment. Pass the combat test and you get an honor badge issued by the Guild."

"Where do I take the assessment?"

"Our Adventurers Guild can assess you. See the corridor on the left? Inside are people who handle personal combat checks. Each test has a fee. Iron-rank is two Large Dolo Coins per attempt. Bronze-rank is ten Large Dolo Coins. Silver-rank is three Small Yala Coins, and so on."

It wasn’t busy today, so she didn’t mind chatting. Most days, they dealt with big rough men, some still reeking of blood as they came for commissions. The vibe was… a lot.

"Thank you."

Leyang nodded slightly, then walked off.

"Little brother, where are you going?"

"To take the assessment. I’ll be back to register."

"Eh—eh?! He really wants to become Iron-rank?"

Leyang didn’t care what she was thinking. He headed down the corridor on the left. After about fifty meters, a huge room opened up. A table sat not far away. Beside it was a middle-aged man, a faint but powerful presence rolling off him.

A third-tier Silver-rank warrior?!

Sensing someone enter, the man slowly opened his eyes. He saw a small figure with a still-childish face and paused.

"Kid, what are you doing here?"

"Hello. I’m here for the warrior assessment."

"Hm? You’re here to test?"

The man stared at the child with a strange look. This was a milk-toothed kid if he’d ever seen one.

Leyang didn’t waste words. He pulled out his coin pouch, took out ten Large Dolo Coins, and placed them on the table.

"I want to take the Bronze-rank warrior assessment. Here’s the fee."

"Bronze-rank?! Kid, this isn’t a playground. Go home. Take your money back."

A kid who looked seven or eight saying he’d test for Bronze-rank? You gotta be kidding. If he weren’t a child, with this man’s temper he would’ve kicked him out.

"I’m serious."