Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

Xie Xiaoyi felt a buzzing in his head, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

"Senior, you were able to deduce all this from just the character 'Mo'?"

"No, the compass also helps!" Xie Daoyun twirled a white jade chess piece, his fingertip lightly touching the character "Mo."

"Words are reflections of the heart, and the heart reflects the world. The character '莫' (mò) in ancient times meant 'the sun setting amidst the wilderness.'"

Originally a symbol of "nothingness" and "absence," it conceals the mystery of "the sun sets, the journey is long, and this is not the way home."

He tapped the compass that had been spinning wildly earlier with his fingertip, his voice carrying a hint of etherealness:

"The radical of the character '艹' you wrote is forked, failing to capture the essence of heaven and earth. The character '日' is too oblique, not connecting with the sunlight here."

The most intriguing part is the character "大" (big) at the bottom, which appears stable but is actually rooted in the air—a sign of a wandering destiny, beyond the control of this world.

Situ Rui's eyes narrowed upon hearing this, and he thought to himself.

Master's divinations have never been wrong, but his words today are too shocking.

This Xie Mo... is no ordinary person!

Xie Daoyun raised his eyes and continued, "I have been studying calligraphy for decades, and seeing the characters is like seeing the person."

The character "莫" in your name contains a chaotic energy of "not knowing where it comes from or where it goes," suggesting you are likely a visitor from beyond the borders.

As for whether it is ancient or modern, or from a different universe, that is a matter of destiny, and cannot be fully explained.

Sweating profusely, Xie Xiaoyi curled his fingers and continued to press, "Why did you say I was only 50% a visitor from outside the region?"

Xie Daoyun chuckled and stroked his beard: "Half spirit, half consciousness, half soul, half vital essence."

Xie Xiaoyi was startled again.

I now truly possess the memories of two people, the personalities of two people, and the line between good and evil is blurred.

Is this old man really that amazing?

"Senior, could you tell me who I am now?"

Xie Daoyun shook his head, stared into Xie Xiaoyi's eyes, and said seriously:

"Do you know that things should not be done to the extreme, and words should not be said to the extreme? If everything is taken to the extreme, the relationship will inevitably end sooner."

Xie Xiaoyi lowered his head in deep thought.

What exactly did he mean by this Zen-like insight?

I can't figure it out.

Let's just stop guessing!

A moment later, Xie Daoyun tossed the plain paper aside, and the paper moved on its own without any wind, drifting leisurely to Xie Xiaoyi's side.

"You may not understand the mystery behind these words, but the laws of heaven and earth cannot deceive you. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

Xie Xiaoyi wiped the sweat from his thigh with his palm:

"Could you predict where I will go in the future? Will I be able to return, or will I be trapped and die in this martial world?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Daoyun slapped the white jade chess piece he was holding onto the low table.

"Where to go? The secrets of heaven are best kept secret; divination is more accurate than fortune telling."

After saying that, he gave Situ Rui a wink.

Situ Rui understood immediately, turned around and took out an antique ebony divination tube from a wooden cabinet in the corner of the room.

The tube is engraved with mottled Bagua patterns and contains six copper coins.

Xie Daoyun took the divination tube and handed it to Xie Xiaoyi, his voice carrying a hint of mysticism: "This tube contains the Emperor's copper coins. Hold it with both hands and silently recite the question you wish to ask."

"Shake the divination nine times, pour out the coins, and I will know the hexagram."

Xie Xiaoyi stared at the divination tube, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to take it, his heart beating faster than usual.

Then it was shaken nine times and suddenly flipped upside down onto the low table.

Six copper coins rolled down, five with the yang side facing up and one with the yin side facing up, which is the Guai hexagram.

Xie Daoyun's pupils constricted sharply, and he leaned forward, pressing down on the coin with the dark side facing down: "It's actually the Guai hexagram!"

Situ Rui's face turned deathly pale, and he cried out in a low voice, "Master, this is the most difficult divination to produce, indicating that a major event is imminent, and we must make a decisive decision immediately!"

Xie Xiaoyi looked at the divination result: "Is this divination good or bad?"

Xie Daoyun didn't respond, his fingertips tracing the copper coin, his gaze deep and unfathomable: "The hexagram 'Guai' signifies decisiveness. You are originally a traveler from beyond this realm, your destiny hanging in the balance."

This divination indicates that the path ahead is either to break free and return home, or to be trapped and die here; there is no third way.

He paused, then gently touched Xie Xiaoyi's brow with his finger before quickly withdrawing it: "Observing the flow of your qi, I will give you a word of advice."

Xie Xiaoyi quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Senior, please give me your guidance."

Xie Daoyun held the white jade chess piece in his hand, speaking slowly and deliberately, his voice carrying a hint of mystery:

"The third watch gong sounds, the time has come."

Xie Xiaoyi didn't understand at all, and then asked, "Senior, what does it mean when the gong sounds at midnight?"

Xie Daoyun looked up at the flowing clouds outside the window and said, "The secrets of heaven are three parts calculation and seven parts concealment."

The phrase "the gong sounds at midnight" represents an inescapable tribulation in your destiny, a karmic connection.

After saying that, he turned to look at Situ Rui, who was standing beside him with his hands at his sides, and said in a deeper voice, "It's getting late, let's see young friend Xie down the mountain."

Situ Rui quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, Master."

He then turned to Xie Xiaoyi, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Young Master Xie Mo, please follow me."

......

Xie Xiaoyi left the number one manor in the world, passed through the clouds and mist halfway up the mountain, and remained silent the whole way.

Xie Daoyun's words, "Heaven's secrets are hard to fathom," were still echoing in his ears. The phrase "When the gong sounds at midnight, the time has come" was like an invisible thread, making his heart feel heavy.

For the past two weeks, he has indeed had an indescribable feeling every night around midnight, and that feeling is becoming increasingly difficult to suppress...

As the stone steps leveled out, the mist from the lake and the smoke from cooking fires wafted towards us.

Xie Xiaoyi kept walking, crossing the gravel path at the foot of the mountain, and soon returned to the inn where he was staying.

As soon as I lifted the curtain and entered, I saw two figures sitting opposite each other at the square table by the window.

One of them was wearing a green Taoist robe and carrying the Seven Star Sword Box on his back; he was Lu Fang from the Zhenwu Taoist Sect.

The other is a handsome, innocent, and bald little tiger-and-rhinoceros monk.

The two men looked up at the sound of the voice. Lu Fang was the first to raise the wine pot in his hand. "Heh! What a coincidence, Brother Xie, you've also settled into this inn?"

Xie Xiaoyi's lips curled up. "There are only a few inns within a ten-mile radius, so it's not surprising to run into one."

"Brother Xie, you've returned just in time! I just bought two jars of fruit wine, and I was waiting for you to take a seat!"

The little tiger-rhinoceros monk grinned and patted the empty stool beside him:

"Thank you, benefactor, please have a seat! I said I would return to Dajue Temple tonight, but Master Lu said, 'Who travels at night?'"

Xie Xiaoyi smiled, narrowing his eyes: "I've never heard of anyone traveling at night."

Lu Fang clapped his hands together. "How about it, Master Tiger Rhinoceros? I told you everyone would agree with me."

The little tiger-rhinoceros monk blinked his beautiful big eyes and retorted crisply:

The Buddha said, "There is no fixed Dharma." There is no absolute right or wrong in the world; they are just different manifestations of causes and conditions coming together.

What you say may not be true, and what I do may not be false!

Lu Fang took a sip of wine and flicked the sleeve of his Taoist robe:

The Taoist patriarch said, "Tranquility is the foundation of order in the world." Although all things in the world change due to causes and conditions, there is a fundamental principle governing the world.

If we cannot distinguish right from wrong, or good from evil, wouldn't we be disrupting the natural order?

He tapped the table with his index finger, his eyes clear and bright. "'Observe the Way of Heaven, act in accordance with the Way of Heaven.' The righteous path is the righteous path, and reckless action is reckless action. What is there to be ambiguous about?"

Xie Xiaoyi was completely bewildered. This wasn't a casual conversation; it was clearly a debate between Buddhism and Taoism.

No, it should be Buddhists and Taoists arguing.