My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!

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Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

The sound of knocking came from outside.

The pattern was three long knocks followed by two short ones; a person ran forward and opened the door, smiling and saying, "Boss, you're back..."

Zhao Wu nodded, looked behind him, and said with a smile, "Little brother, come in."

The young man standing at the door glanced into the small courtyard, his expression visibly hesitant. After a moment, he took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and stepped inside.

Zhao Wu chuckled. This youngster was really cautious.

The young man entered the Thief Sect's stronghold and quickly swept the place with his gaze.

Aside from the man who had opened the door, there were a few others standing in the courtyard: four men and a woman.

At first sight, no one would associate these people with thieves—there was a farmer with a straw hat, a woman in a plain dress and a headscarf, a scholar in blue clothing, a peddler carrying his load...

Zhao Wu led him into an inner room and poured him a cup of tea, saying, "Sit."

After sitting down, the young man hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "How should I address you, big brother?"

Zhao Wu smiled and said, "In our line of work, we can't tell our real names. I go by Zhao Wu; you can call me Brother Wu from now on."

The few people standing outside listening were utterly surprised; the boss was being so polite to this newcomer. It seemed they would have to start ingratiating themselves with him, too.

The young man thought for a moment and said, "Brother Wu can call me Song."

Zhao Wu nodded and said, "Song, now that you've joined our Thief Sect, there are a few rules I need to tell you about."

Song replied, "Please, Brother Wu, go ahead."

Zhao Wu began, "First and foremost, the most important thing is that the items you steal must be submitted for centralized distribution. Hiding any loot for yourself could get you expelled from the Thief Sect..."

Song nodded.

Zhao Wu continued, "That is the most important point. What I'm about to say next, you also need to remember well. Our Thief Sect is organized and rule-bound, not like those loner thieves. The Thief Sect has its own code, Stealing Technique, and we must apply principles to our thefts..."

Song asked in confusion, "What principles?"

Zhao Wu confidently explained, "Do not steal from the old, the young, the ill, the handicapped, the poor, the kind, the beggars, the widows, and orphans, the officials, and the nobles...These are the ten 'Do Nots' of theft."

Song exclaimed in surprise, "That many 'Do Nots'?"

Zhao Wu elaborated, "Those who reach out to the old, the young, the ill, and the handicapped are the scum of scum; in this harsh world, the poor already have it tough enough, and stealing from them could push a whole family to the brink; good people accumulate limitless virtue, and stealing from them invites retribution; beggars have already fallen on the hardest times, stealing from them would be heartless; orphans and widows are pitiable enough, anyone with a shred of humanity wouldn't target them; as for officials and nobles, it's for our own good not to steal from them. If caught by them, exile would be the least of our worries, and you could end up losing your life...

Besides, there are other smaller rules, such as 'steal wealth, not life', 'take objects, not souls'... You must remember all these well."

Song nodded solemnly and said, "I've got it."

In fact, these principles boiled down to not stealing from the weak, as it could be the last straw that leads to their demise.

Nor should you steal from the strong, because if your theft fails, the one who dies would be you.

Those with some wealth but little power are the best targets.

Zhao Wu sipped his tea and, looking at Song, curiously asked, "Song, your skills are exceptional for someone so young. How did you come by them?"

After pondering for a moment, Song said, "It's a long story. Actually, I didn't know any of this until one winter when I remember a heavy snowfall. An old man collapsed at my doorstep. I helped him into the house, gave him a bowl of hot soup, and he stayed with us for a while. Out of gratitude, he taught me these things..."

He sighed, his tone complex, "I thought I'd never need to use these skills in my lifetime, but, alas..."

Zhao Wu patted his shoulder, consoling him, "Being forced by life's circumstances is no disgrace. This damned world, why should some toil from dawn to dusk and barely scrape by, while others do nothing and are born to endless privilege? We earn our keep with skills, with sweat, nothing disgraceful about that..."

After consoling Song, he reflected and said, "It seems that the old man you helped must have been a Thief Sect expert. You've inherited his mantle. Work hard; your future is limitless. Perhaps one day, Brother Wu might rely on you, and by then, you'll have to call me Little Wu..."

Song replied with earnest trepidation, "I wouldn't dare..."

"Hey, one must have dreams and never belittle oneself," encouraged Zhao Wu. Then, changing his tone, he said, "Right now, there's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right in front of you. Today our Thief Sect will hold a competition. Usually, only stewards and senior Thieves may participate, but your Stealing Technique is exceptional, and I would like to recommend you..."

Afterwards, Song, having listened to him, hesitated for a bit and then shook his head repeatedly, saying, "Me, joining the Thief Sect competition? No, no, I can't do that, I've only just begun..."

Zhao Wu earnestly said, "Don't sell yourself short. I'll tell you straight from the heart, I can't match your skills. Participating in this competition, even if you don't win, will still get you noticed by higher-ups. If they take interest in you, your rise in rank will be rapid. Just don't forget to bring your brothers along once you're up there..."

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