Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 930: The Dust Settles

Wanyan Liang nodded with satisfaction. These two men had followed him for so long that they finally understood their master’s temperament and knew to capture her alive. In the panic earlier, he hadn’t had time to remind them. If these two fools had killed Daiqisi on the spot, he would have been furious beyond measure.

Such a devastatingly beautiful w0man, capable of toppling cities and ruining nations—it would be a sheer waste not to enj0y her from head to toe thirty or fifty times!

Daiqisi was brought over by the two men. 

Observing her up close, her skin remained as tender as a young girl’s even though she was past thirty. 

Despite Wanyan Liang’s extensive experience with beauties, he was utterly astonished. 

It was worth noting that Daiqisi had previously altered her appearance to conceal her identity, yet she could still rival Gebi, the number one beauty of the Jin Dynasty. Now that she had restored her original appearance, she surpassed all others, possessing beauty that could overthrow cities and captivate nations.

“No wonder she was universally acknowledged as the number one beauty of the martial world back in the day,” Wanyan Liang couldn’t help but marvel.

In truth, the title of “number one beauty of the martial world” wasn’t entirely rigorous. Because the various states stood separate, the martial world was not unified either. Each state’s martial community had its own recognized number one beauty. Moreover, for those who earned such a title, beauty was only one aspect; their status was also a significant factor.

For example, the relatively number one beauty of the martial world in the Southern Song Dynasty was Huang Rong. This wasn’t to say there were no women in the Southern Song whose looks surpassed hers—figures like Xiao Longnu, Wang Yuyan, Zhou Zhiruo, and others were in no way inferior to her in terms of appearance and even had the advantage of youth. If strictly compared, they might very well surpass Huang Rong. 

However, Huang Rong’s status was far too unique. Alongside her husband, she had righteously defended Xiangyang for over a decade, becoming the publicly acknowledged goddess in the hearts of countless people of the Southern Dynasty.

Within the Ming-Qing Dynasty, the  number one beauty was the former Chen Yuanyuan. A significant reason for this was the legend of “a rage toppling a crown for a beauty.” The men who fought over her, whether Wu Sangui or Li Zicheng, were both pivotal figures. Other women, such as Princess Changping Ah Jiu or the Saintess of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, Ren Yingying, paled slightly in legendary appeal compared to Chen Yuanyuan.

Compared to them, the title of number one beauty of the martial world held by Daiqisi relied less on status and more on the overwhelming effect of her sheer beauty.

Wanyan Liang couldn’t resist reaching out to touch Daiqisi’s cheek, but she spat in his face. He wasn’t the slightest bit offended. Instead, he used his finger to wipe the saliva and put it to his mouth to taste, suddenly inspired to compose a poem:

“Graceful, lithe, her form so fine,

Soft as spring shoots, her cheek gleams like jade.

Fragrant nectar and pearly juice entangles her tongue, 

Yet the flute is held, no sound escapes.

Her eyes unceasingly send autumn waves.

When flower-dew thickens in the night,

A silver shaft dances deep and shatters rosy bloom;

Her colour slips, the branches tremble,

By dawn the blossom lies all spent.”

Though neither Daiqisi nor Empress Pei Man were Han Chinese, they were quite familiar with Han culture and naturally understood the meaning of his poem, silently cursing his shamelessness.

Daiqisi, as the female protagonist, was both humiliated and furious. In terms of the poem itself, the one Wanyan Liang recited didn’t even rhyme properly and could hardly be considered a fine piece of literary work. Yet, his words vividly described certain acts, unfolding like a lifelike scroll before one’s eyes.

Daiqisi was inherently a contradictory figure, embodying both deep affection and callousness. Her deep affection was reserved for Han Qianye, while her callousness was directed at everyone else. Even when facing Xie Xun, with whom she had been on good terms in the past, she could turn hostile without hesitation, let alone endure such teasing from Wanyan Liang.

If only her skills weren’t suppressed at this moment, she would undoubtedly have torn Wanyan Liang into pieces to vent her hatred. Simultaneously, she couldn’t suppress her worry. Wanyan Liang clearly was a lu$tful and debauched man. Now that she had fallen into his hands, the fate awaiting her was all too obvious.

Fortunately, Wanyan Liang soon shifted his attention away from her to focus on the other battle. Although he was lu$tful, he understood priorities. The events of today were of utmost importance and allowed no room for error. Thus, even faced with such a devastating beauty, he merely teased her casually for a moment, thinking that there would be plenty of time later as long as they succeeded.

Daiqisi also followed his gaze to look at her companions. Now, she could only pin her hopes on the Persian Envoys achieving a desperate reversal; perhaps then there might still be a chance. Yet, she herself knew how slim that possibility was.

In truth, in terms of individual martial prowess, any one of the Persian Envoys might not necessarily be her match. The reason they had beaten Zhang Wuji—who possessed both the Nine Yang Scripture and the Heaven and Earth Great Shift—into such a sorry state back then was largely due to their bizarre techniques and expertise in combined attacks.

Unfortunately, whether Ouyang Feng or Qiu Qianren, both were great demons tempered in the underworld’s blood and fire. Their combat experience and on-the-spot reactions were far beyond those of the inexperienced Zhang Wuji at that time. They immediately identified the trio’s advantage and, intentionally or not, separated the Persian Envoys, forcing them into the awkward situation of fighting individually.

The Persian Envoys unleashed their strange moves, attempting several times to regroup and support each other, but Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren thwarted them one by one. As for the Moon Envoy, her skills were originally the weakest among the three envoys. Coupled with the injury to one arm from assassinating Da Xingguo earlier, she was at a significant disadvantage against Gongsun Zhi’s Golden Sword and Black Sword.

Thus, although Gongsun Zhi was the weakest among Wanyan Liang’s three men, he had the easiest fight. Seeing victory within grasp, he wasn’t in a hurry to defeat his opponent. Instead, he continuously used his Golden Sword and Black Sword to cut the clothes on her b0dy. As the fight progressed, with garments fluttering, hardly any part of the Moon Envoy’s clothing remained intact.

Wanyan Liang frowned. “Valley Master Gongsun, make it quick!” He understood that delays could lead to accidents. Moreover, today’s affair involved treason and regicide—there was no room for the slightest mistake.

Only then did Gongsun Zhi cease his playful attitude, and his offensive suddenly turned fierce. 

The Moon Envoy could no longer hold out, and within a few moves, he had sealed her acupoints.

Seeing that Gongsun Zhi, the least skilled among them, had taken the lead, Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren snorted simultaneously and each unleashed their ultimate techniques. 

The Wind and the Cloud Envoy, realizing that defeat was certain today, had already grown timid in their hearts. Seeing Daiqisi and the Moon Envoy captured one after another further shattered their courage. As their morale waned and their opponents’ strength grew, they stood even less chance against Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren.

Daiqisi and the Moon Envoy could rely on their beauty to save their lives, but who would show mercy to the Wind and the Cloud Envoy, two grown men from the Western Regions? With two successive cries of agony, they fell one after the other.

Watching this scene, Daiqisi turned her head away. Although she had not been on good terms with the Persian Envoys and had even suffered the humiliation of being captured by them on Spirit Snake Island back in the day, this time they were on the same side after all. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of grief and solidarity, as if mourning a fallen comrade.

Wanyan Liang had no time to attend to Daiqisi at the moment. Instead, he tirelessly issued one command after another, finally revealing a trace of killing intent in his eyes: “Take the emperor’s golden medal to summon Wanyan Zongxian and Zongmin to the palace. Tell them the emperor has matters to discuss with them.”