Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

Xie Daoyun looked at the jade chessboard fragments scattered on the ground, his lips twitched slightly with heartache, then his expression returned to normal:

"Today's sword duel has concluded, and the victor is Lu Fang."

Having said that, she turned to Yan Li and asked in a calm tone, "You don't object, do you?"

Yan Li sheathed his sword, bowed deeply to Xie Daoyun, and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for saving me, senior. I admit defeat wholeheartedly."

Lu Fang tilted his head, laughed heartily, and clasped his hands in a salute: "True Martial Lu Fang greets Senior Xie!"

Xie Daoyun waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so polite, and then lightly scolded:

"With divine punishment unleashed, even ghosts and gods make way. That old bastard Lu actually passed on the Seven Swords Thunder Control Technique to you?"

Lu Fang grinned, tossed "Viewing the Vast Ocean" back to Xie Xiaoyi, and patted the Seven Star Sword Box again.

"receive!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the seven Heavenly Gang Swords that were suspended in mid-air "whooshed" back into their sword cases.

Lu Fang then slowly replied, "Hey, it's all because this junior is quick to understand!"

My master only gave me a few casual pointers, and I've already mastered the Seven Swords Thunder Control Technique.

Xie Daoyun laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, you're just like your master, always boasting!"

Lu Fang chuckled, put his hands behind his head, and stopped talking.

Situ Rui announced loudly, "The World Tournament will determine the victor—Lu Fang of Zhenwu!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand to quell the clamor of the crowd, "It's getting late, the World Society has ended, everyone may disperse."

After speaking, Situ Rui waved to Hai Wuyai.

Hai Wuyai strode out from the crowd, carrying a sandalwood box in his hands. He walked up to Lu Fang and handed it over with both hands.

"This is the prize for the Sword Tournament of the World: the Dragon Essence. You truly deserve it."

Lu Fang, with his hands still behind his head, casually took the wooden box and opened it. Inside, a ball of shimmering white light enveloped a dragon essence the size of a longan, with a faint humming sound of flowing water.

He glanced at it, then casually stuffed the dragon essence into his pocket, as if he were just stuffing a piece of candy into his hand.

The crowd dispersed in response, buzzing with discussion, mainly about the stunning display of purple lightning splitting the sky and Xie Daoyun's nonchalant composure.

Xie Xiaoyi turned to merge into the dispersing crowd when a voice called out to him.

"Your name is Xie Mo, right? Come with me, I have a few words to say to you."

The sound pierced through the gradually subsiding noise in the arena. Xie Xiaoyi paused and slowly turned around.

Looking up, one could see Xie Daoyun standing in the center of the training ground, his Taoist robe fluttering slightly in the wind, his gaze fixed on him.

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately withdrew his steps from the crowd.

"What are your instructions, senior?"

"Come with me!" Xie Daoyun turned and walked towards the exit of the martial arts arena.

Seeing this, Situ Rui gave Shan Wuling and the others a few instructions to clean up the mess, and then he quickly followed.

After a moment's thought, Xie Xiaoyi followed suit.

The three of them, two in front and one behind, passed through the courtyard and went straight to the top floor of the Star Gazing Tower of the Number One Manor Under Heaven.

The interior furnishings were extremely simple, with only a futon, a low table, and a Bagua diagram hanging on the wall.

A bronze compass sat on the table, and a celadon alchemy censer, about half a person's height, stood in the corner.

Xie Daoyun walked to the window and sat down, turning the white jade chess piece he was holding back and forth in his hand.

Situ Rui stood beside the table, his expression respectful.

"Have a seat." Xie Daoyun tapped the low table with his fingertips and gestured with his chin toward Xie Xiaoyi.

Xie Xiaoyi sat down as instructed and asked directly, "Senior, did you call me here for something?"

I rely on!

People in the martial arts world say that the Heavenly Calculator can see a person's fortune and predict their past and present lives. Could he have figured out that I'm a womanizer?

Xie Daoyun twirled a white jade chess piece, his gaze sweeping across the man's face: "I find you pleasing to the eye and wish to divine your fate. Do you know who I am?"

Xie Xiaoyi smiled slightly, stood up and cupped his hands: "Senior must be the Heavenly Calculator Xie Daoyun."

Xie Daoyun's lips curled into a slight smile: "Now that you recognize me, do you believe in my divination skills?"

"Your reputation is well-established, so I naturally trust you." Xie Xiaoyi said confidently, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness!

I thought the trick had been exposed. I just witnessed his skill in throwing the chessboard. If he really tried to take me down, I'd be dead meat.

But Xie Daoyun closed his eyes slightly and looked at Xie Xiaoyi: "Concentrate and do not use your internal energy."

Xie Xiaoyi's heart tightened, as if the other person's gaze could penetrate his flesh and reach straight into his soul.

Then Xie Daoyun slowly said, "I observed your qi through divination, and the qi channels around your body are quite peculiar—"

Above are two clear and vigorous yang energies, like blue clouds supporting the sun, which represent the hidden righteous path and opportunity in this life.

Below, the sky was shrouded in gloom and darkness, its color a dark, somber blue, a clear sign that the lingering karma from this life had not yet been eradicated.

Xie Xiaoyi was shocked; this was no small matter.

This life is a righteous opportunity, but the lingering karma of this life has not been eliminated. Doesn't this mean that my identity is wavering between good and evil?

Xie Daoyun lightly tapped the low table with his fingers, and the pointer of the bronze compass trembled slightly: "The Guan hexagram says, 'Wind sweeps across the earth, observing all things.'"

These four yin and somber energies are not malevolent; on the contrary, they carry the frivolousness of "the wind of Xun penetrating everywhere" and the obsession of "the earth of Kun bearing".

In this life, you are destined to wander far and wide, pursuing beauty and desire. Though you will not commit any great evil, your frivolous actions will deplete your virtue, causing your great fortune to turn into demonic thoughts.

Xie Xiaoyi felt a chill run down his spine. His identity as a flower thief seemed to have been revealed, yet not quite. He was at a loss for words.

"Okay." Xie Daoyun gave Situ Rui a wink.

Situ Rui immediately took out a piece of plain paper and a piece of charcoal pencil and placed them in front of Xie Xiaoyi.

Xie Daoyun's voice was calm, yet exuded an undeniable confidence: "After observing the qi, write down a single character. It doesn't matter what it is, just write whatever comes to mind."

Xie Xiaoyi stared at the plain paper for a moment, then raised his hand, grasped the charcoal pencil, and wrote the character "Mo" stroke by stroke before pushing it toward Xie Daoyun.

Xie Daoyun picked up the plain paper and examined the character "Mo". Suddenly, the bronze star compass under his hand vibrated with a "hum".

The pointer in Tianchi Lake first trembled slightly and didn't return to its center, then in an instant it spun wildly like a top—

Sometimes it pointed directly at Xie Xiaoyi, the tip of the needle gleaming white, and sometimes it turned towards the dangerous spot by the window, back and forth.

Situ Rui's expression changed slightly, and he was about to speak when Xie Daoyun raised his hand to stop him.

This treasured artifact, used for measuring stars and determining auspicious energies, has never made a mistake. Yet now, both the "rotating needle" and the "twisting needle" are appearing simultaneously, a strange phenomenon has suddenly arisen.

"Interesting." Xie Daoyun's voice was deep, his gaze piercing through Xie Xiaoyi, reaching straight to his soul. "An aura of foreignness..."

Having said that, he tapped the plain paper heavily with his fingertip, his eyes churning with an unfathomable turmoil.

"The character 'Mo' is hidden in emptiness, meaning your destiny is outside this world. I am 50% certain that you do not belong here."

Xie Xiaoyi was startled.

impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

This is fucking amazing!

Could he possibly have figured out that I was a time traveler?

Composing himself, he looked up and asked, "So, senior, where do you say I come from?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Daoyun suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily:

"Thousands of years ago, thousands of years later, or perhaps eighteen years ago, or even from someone from another universe."