Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

The boss glanced at Li Qiaoyun, then raised his hand to stop his eager subordinates behind him.

He stepped forward, his face showing no anger, and instead cupped his hands in a respectful greeting to Xie Xiaoyi:

"My friend, I am Gao Lie, the owner of Qianjin Pavilion."

I heard there's been a minor disagreement about the betting here, so I came to check it out. Would you do me the honor of telling me what happened?

Xie Xiaoyi waved the stack of silver notes between his fingers:

"Mr. Gao, you're too kind! I don't mean anything by it, I just want to redeem that girl. I wonder if Mr. Gao could do me the favor?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lie's smile faded slightly. He glanced at the timid Yang Hongyu behind him and slowly said:

"You flatter me, sir. I, Gao Lie, am not someone who cares about money when I'm in this world."

"I've taken a liking to this girl; I want to keep her in the pavilion as a concubine to warm my bed."

"So that means there's no room for negotiation?" Xie Xiaoyi frowned, then continued:

"Although your Paramount Ballroom is considered one of the lowest-class establishments in the underworld, it is different from Heaven on Earth and the Lingxiao Palace."

The sect leader, the gambling master Gao Jin, never bullies men or women, and he adheres to the rules of the martial arts world, earning money based on the principle of accepting the consequences of one's bets.

Gao Lie was surprised after hearing this.

It's surprising that he knows so much about the Paramount Ballroom; he's young but a seasoned veteran.

He said he didn't care about money, but the 160,000 taels in Xie Xiaoyi's hands really stung him.

If we follow the old practice of waiting until he leaves and then sending someone to rob him, we can get the silver notes. But today's commotion is so big that once the news gets out, the reputation of Qianjin Pavilion will be ruined.

It would be better to go along with it and save face, so you can get both a good deal and a banknote – a win-win situation.

As for that girl Yang Hongyu?

snort!

If you have money, why would you lack women?

At worst, we can go to a brothel and let my second brother open it. Although the experience will be different and we won't get that forced pleasure, it will save us a lot of money!

Thinking of this, Gao Lie looked up and laughed:

"Very well! Your high praise is well-deserved; if I were to argue further..."

That would make me, Gao Lie, seem ungrateful. Leave the silver notes in your hand, and you may redeem this girl!

Xie Xiaoyi had already planned it all out.

These 160,000 taels of silver notes were indeed substantial; he had never seen so much money in his entire life.

If he were to act solely out of selfishness, pocket the silver notes, and turn around and leave, the people of Qianjin Pavilion might not be able to do anything to him, given his martial arts skills.

But when he caught a glimpse of the pitiful state of Li Qiaoyun and her daughter out of the corner of his eye, that fleeting thought vanished.

If he were to give up halfway for money now, Li Qiaoyun and her daughter would lose his buffer, and Gao Lie would definitely take his anger out on them, making their situation even more tragic.

Fine, I've never been a good person in my life, so I'll be a good person to the end this time!

Xie Xiaoyi casually handed over the silver note in his hand, tossing it directly to Hu Bazi, who was still standing there dumbfounded.

"Take it, Steward Hu. I can't be this rabbit anymore."

Since the boss, Gao Lie, had spoken, Hu Bazi dared not utter a single word of objection. He immediately bowed and scraped forward, hurriedly taking the stack of silver notes.

On the other side, Gao Lie raised his hand and gave a wink to the men holding Yang Hongyu captive.

The two guards immediately released their grip and subconsciously took a half-step back.

"Hongyu!" Li Qiaoyun broke free from the people blocking her way and almost stumbled as she rushed over.

Yang Hongyu's eyes were already red, and her slender body, like a fledgling bird returning to its nest, rushed towards her mother's direction.

She choked out a soft, broken cry of "Mother!", her voice filled with endless grievance.

Xie Xiaoyi stood aside, not disturbing the mother and daughter who were reunited. He simply looked up at Gao Lie and said calmly, "Boss Gao is so straightforward. Shall we take our leave now?"

"Wait!" Gao Lie gestured for a stop, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

Before you leave, you have to show off your skills!

My men are all very discerning; if you don't have real skills, they're afraid they won't be convinced.

"If word gets out that I, Gao Lie, was intimidated by a few words and disgraced Qianjin Pavilion, that won't do!"

Xie Xiaoyi curled his lip: "It's just a fight, how do we fight? Are you all ganging up on me, or am I taking on all of you one-on-one?"

A dim-witted gambler nearby chuckled, "What you just said all meant the same thing, is there a difference?"

Xie Xiaoyi tilted his head and smiled at him with narrowed eyes: "Of all these people, you're the smartest."

Gao Lie ignored their teasing, turned around abruptly, and shouted into the dark mass of people behind him:

"Left Star! Right Moon! You two come out here! Let's have a go at this young man!"

"If he can withstand twenty of your moves, we'll consider ourselves friends, and we'll be even. Let him go with his men!"

Gao Liegang had just finished speaking.

The crowd immediately parted to both sides, and two figures, one in black and one in white, walked out slowly with steady steps.

Zuo Songxing on the left swings his arms powerfully, clearly demonstrating a high level of skill in boxing.

The right-hand man, You Songyue, moved with steady steps and focused his energy in his legs, clearly a master of the lower body techniques.

The two walked up to Gao Lie, bowed slightly in unison, and performed the same gesture.

Some people in the crowd gasped, and the gamblers whispered among themselves.

"Left Star and Right Moon! These two are the top guards of Qianjin Pavilion. I've heard they're incredibly skilled in martial arts, and they've never lost a two-on-one fight!"

"That's right! I heard that if the two of them team up, their punches and kicks will be flawless, and their power will be several times stronger!"

"This 'tyrant' is definitely going to suffer today. If he's smart, he'll quickly ditch Li Qiaoyun and her daughter and make a run for it!"

Amidst the murmurs, Zuo Songxing and You Songyue slowly walked towards Xie Xiaoyi.

Zuo Songxing was the first to shout in a deep voice, "Everyone, make way!"

Upon hearing this, no one in the gambling den dared to delay. In the blink of an eye, they cleared a space, and the tables and chairs were moved aside by the thugs.

You Songyue stepped forward, stomped her foot hard on the ground, and with a "crack," the blue brick beneath her feet split open.

"Two of us against one person is two against one, ten people are two against one, and a hundred people are still two against one."

Zuo Songxing echoed the booming voice, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and the muscles in his arms bulged.

"Since our debut, my brother and I have never fought apart. We've always been inseparable, so this doesn't count as bullying you!"

The two sang in unison, instantly silencing the entire audience.