Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

Waves as high as three or four stories?

Xie Lingyun walked up to Xie Xiaoyi and gave him a sharp rap on the head.

"Do you really think your aunt, who's almost at the Sun-Radiant Realm, is a fool? You think you can fool me with something like that?"

Looking at her stunningly beautiful face, Xie Xiaoyi's heart stirred, and he unconsciously took her hand: "Auntie, please don't ask anymore. Can I not tell you?"

Xie Lingyun froze instantly when his hand was grabbed, and remained stunned for a long time.

After a long while, she withdrew her hand and nodded gently: "Okay, I won't ask anymore."

After that, life returned to normal.

......

Inside the warm pavilion of the Forbidden City, Wang Jiling was sitting at his desk reviewing memorials. The hall was quiet except for the sound of turning pages.

Suddenly, a palace attendant whispered from outside: "Your Majesty, the Second Prince Wang Yu requests an audience, claiming to have a confidential report concerning important matters related to the Imperial Observatory's annotations."

Wang Jiling didn't even look up, and said calmly, "Let him in."

Wang Yu strode in, bowed, and then lowered his voice to say:

"Father, my spies have investigated extensively and found that there is indeed an eighteen-year-old swordsman in the martial world, and this person has even entered the Hidden Dragon List of the World Association."

Wang Jiling suddenly looked up, slowly putting down the memorial in his hand: "What is this person's name? Do you have any evidence to confirm that it is him?"

Wang Yu's expression turned serious, and he bowed slightly, his tone respectful yet firm:

"This man's surname is Xie, and his given name is Mo. My spies obtained reliable information from the Lingxiao Palace, one of the three lower sects of the martial arts world, that Xie Mo has another identity!"

"What is your identity?"

"He was also a notorious womanizer in the 'Heaven on Earth' brothel, one of the three lowest-ranking brothels. He was known in the lower echelons of the underworld as Xiao Yi, the 'Head of the Five Evils'."

Wang Jiling was a little confused and asked, "The Lower Three Gates? The head of the Five Evils, Lesser B?"

Wang Yu calmly explained, his tone steady: "Father, you may not know this, but the martial world is divided into the Upper Three Sects, the Middle Eight Sects, and the Lower Three Sects."

The Upper Three Sects are prestigious and powerful schools, the Middle Eight Sects are also pillars of the martial arts world, but the Lower Three Sects are entirely different.

Wang Jiling tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, a slight smile playing on his lips: "This martial world is quite interesting. What exactly makes the three lower sects different?"

Wang Yu bowed and explained sentence by sentence: "The three lower gates are Heaven and Earth, Hundred Joys Gate, and Lingxiao Palace."

The Paramount Palace is a gambling den with gambling halls all over the martial arts world, while the Lingxiao Palace specializes in assassinations, with countless assassins within its ranks.

The Heavenly Paradise is the most despicable place; most of the male disciples are womanizers, and the female disciples specialize in seduction. Xie Mo is a member of the Heavenly Paradise.

As soon as he finished speaking, the head eunuch standing to the side bowed slightly and whispered a reminder:

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten that Yu Shinan, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, once reported that the person who possesses the aura of the First Emperor must be a person who indulges in romance and women?"

He once said that dragons are lewd and will associate with anyone. Now it seems that this man is just like a notorious womanizer, doesn't that perfectly fit the description?

Wang Yu seconded, "What Eunuch Qin said is also what I thought."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jiling's eyes flickered: "That's right! Exactly!"

He looked at Wang Yu and pressed, "Now that we know his identity, do you know where he is now?"

Wang Yu bowed and replied, "Your subject has made inquiries from various sources and has found some clues. Xie Mo once went to the East Sea to watch Xie Lingyun's sword duel with the Demonic Sect's Moon God.

Later, rumors circulated among martial artists that after Xie Lingyun's sword duel, a young man named Xie Mo was left behind in the East Sea. Presumably, he is currently in the East Sea region.

Wang Jiling ran his fingers along the corner of the table, his eyes darkening, and his tone carrying a hint of reminiscence: "Xie Lingyun... I know this person all too well."

She was once the most beautiful woman in the land, and I even used her name to secretly plot many things back then. What has become of her now?

No sooner had he finished speaking than the head eunuch standing nearby quickly bowed and added, "Your Majesty has an excellent memory. This Xie Lingyun is no longer known solely for her beauty."

She is currently one of the four grandmasters of the martial arts world, ranked fourth on the Tianlong Ranking, and her strength should not be underestimated. She is recognized as one of the top ten masters in the world.

Wang Jiling turned to look at him, his tone as kind and gentle as possible: "Qin Banban, how does Xie Lingyun's martial arts compare to yours?"

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Yu interrupted, his tone carrying a hint of flattery: "Your subject believes that Eunuch Qin Huaiyu's cultivation level is definitely above Xie Lingyun's."

When the results were announced, the World Calculator said that even the Heavenly Calculator couldn't see Qin Gonggong's true strength, saying he might be ranked tenth, or perhaps, he might be number one in the world.

The leading eunuch was none other than Qin Huaiyu, one of the top eunuchs on the Heavenly Dragon List.

He smiled upon hearing this, bowed slightly to Wang Yu with a humble expression, and said softly, "Second Prince, you flatter me."

He then turned around, bowed his head, and cupped his hands in return to the emperor:

"Your Majesty, if we were to fight her in the capital, this old servant would be 70% confident of defeating her. But if we were to fight in the East China Sea, this old servant would not dare to speak rashly."

Wang Jiling nodded without saying anything more, clearly understanding the situation.

Seeing this, Wang Yu stepped forward to ask for instructions:

"Father, Xie Mo has been left in the East Sea by Xie Lingyun. If this Grandmaster-level expert is protecting him, it won't be easy to capture him. Please advise us on what to do next?"

Wang Jiling looked up at him, his tone firm: "This matter is still entrusted to you. Take men and arrest him!"

"Father, if this person resists arrest, what should I do?"

"Hmph! Better to innocuous than to let the guilty go free; better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty go free!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

"Very good! Yu'er, you've done a good job. How many people do you plan to take? I'll issue the decree."

"Father, Xie Lingyun has long resided in Fuyu Mountain in the East Sea. The terrain there is unique, and having too many people would actually hinder his actions. I will lead a thousand elite armored soldiers, which will be sufficient to accomplish our mission."

Qin Huaiyu, who was standing to the side, stepped forward half a step, bowed his head, and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive this old servant for speaking so frankly—"

Xie Lingyun has already reached the Moon Void Breaking Dust Realm, and her martial arts are unfathomable. Although a thousand armored soldiers are elite, they will likely be unable to subdue her.

Wang Jiling raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with disbelief: "A thousand armored soldiers couldn't even handle a mere martial artist?"

Qin Huaiyu raised his head slightly, his eyes solemn: "Does Your Majesty still remember Mei Xingyao from back then?"

He once single-handedly defeated over ten thousand armored soldiers with just his sword, and even slaughtered three powerful vassal kings, causing rivers of blood to flow.

Although Xie Lingyun's cultivation level was one realm lower than Mei Xingyao's Sun-Radiant Profound Realm back then, his Grandmaster-level skills were still beyond the capabilities of ordinary troops.

"Mei Xingyao?" Wang Jiling murmured the name, his expression suddenly changing, clearly recalling the bloody battles of the past.

"Then, in your opinion, what should be done?"

Qin Huaiyu bowed and replied, "This old servant is willing to accompany my adopted son Qin Zhong."

With this old servant keeping Xie Lingyun occupied, Your Highness the Second Prince can focus on taking down Xie Mo; it shouldn't be a problem.

The fierceness in Wang Jiling's eyes subsided slightly, and he decisively said, "Granted!"

Wang Yu's face immediately lit up with joy, and he bowed and said loudly:

"With Eunuch Qin accompanying us, this matter is sure to succeed! Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail you and will bring Xie Mo back alive!"