Capturing the Flower Picking Thief

The Flower Thief flicked his hand, sending several silver needles flying toward Zhu Shi.

In the darkness, Zhu Shi saw the masked man raise his hand and knew something was wrong. He hurriedly dodged aside while swinging his blade in a slash.

But he was still half a beat too slow. Two silver needles pierced his body, and he immediately felt numb all over, his entire body going weak.

The other dozen or so guards surrounded the Flower Thief, but he instantly knocked several of them down before leaping away to escape.

Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue were stationed between the three residences, each less than a thousand meters from the He Residence.

Upon hearing the sound of gongs, the two leaped toward the He Residence.

Xiao Qiuyue was closer to the He Residence, only three or four hundred meters away. With a few leaps, she arrived at the He Residence in less than ten seconds.

Just then, the masked man knocked down several guards and leaped out of the He Residence, only to be blocked head-on by Xiao Qiuyue.

The masked man flicked his hand and sent several silver needles shooting toward Xiao Qiuyue.

In the darkness, silver needles were already difficult to see. Ordinary people would find them extremely hard to guard against.

Xiao Qiuyue truly lived up to her reputation as a Xiantian Eighth Level expert. With a sweep of the longsword in her hand, she formed an impenetrable wall of swords before herself.

Several faint clinks rang out, and all the silver needles fell to the ground.

However, taking advantage of that opening, the masked man fled in another direction.

Xiao Qiuyue pushed her Lightness Skill to the limit and gave chase.

At that moment, Huang Shaojie came racing over from another direction.

He arrived a few seconds later than Xiao Qiuyue, not because his Lightness Skill was inferior to hers, but because he had been stationed several hundred meters farther from the He Residence.

Though there were neither stars nor moon tonight and the night was pitch-black, Huang Shaojie could clearly make out two figures running across the rooftops ahead with his Insight Technique.

Huang Shaojie used Catching Wind and Shadows to leap toward the two figures.

Although Huang Shaojie was only at the Innate First Layer, all the true qi within him had been refined into True Essence Qi, making his energy pure and immense.

In fact, though his cultivation was only at the Innate First Layer, his internal energy had already reached the level of an ordinary Innate Third Layer martial artist.

Coupled with the fact that the Wind God Leg was an unparalleled Lightness Skill, his speed far surpassed Xiao Qiuyue's and that Flower Thief's.

Xiao Qiuyue chased the Flower Thief. Their Lightness Skills were evenly matched, and they remained forty to fifty meters apart.

This left Xiao Qiuyue greatly astonished!

She had never expected this Flower Thief's Lightness Skill to be so impressive that even an Xiantian Eighth Level expert like herself found it difficult to catch him.

The Flower Thief, meanwhile, was even more panicked!

He had always prided himself on his exceptional Lightness Skill. Even experts below the Grandmaster level found it difficult to catch him.

There were quite a few Grandmasters in the world, but what Grandmaster would personally go after a petty Flower Picking Thief?

Thus, after picking flowers for years, more than a hundred times in all, he had never once been caught.

Yet he had never expected the authorities to predict that he would come to the He Residence to pick flowers tonight—and to send an expert.

Not only had she easily blocked his silver needles in the darkness, but her Lightness Skill was no weaker than his.

The Flower Thief knew that his internal energy was lacking, and he could not sustain his Lightness Skill for long. The woman chasing him was clearly far more highly cultivated than he was.

If the pursuit continued for another half an incense stick's time, his internal energy would run dry, and the woman behind him would catch up.

As the two were each lost in their thoughts, a figure leaped in from behind and flashed past Xiao Qiuyue.

Huang Shaojie?

This kid's Lightness Skill is this good?

Xiao Qiuyue was completely dumbfounded!

She was a Xiantian Eighth Level martial artist! And Lightness Skill was not even her weakness, yet this little guard had simply raced past her like that!

By then, Huang Shaojie had already leaped behind the Flower Thief.

The Flower Thief felt the fierce wind at his back and was horrified!

He had never imagined that an even more formidable expert was pursuing him. Without time to think, he pulled out a handful of silver needles from his robes and was about to fire them backward.

However, it was already too late.

A fierce leg shadow struck like lightning.

Bang!

The Flower Thief was kicked squarely in the back by Huang Shaojie. Three of his ribs broke on the spot, and he flew four or five zhang away, spraying out a mouthful of blood before tumbling off a rooftop.

Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue both leaped down from the roof and arrived before the Flower Thief on the ground.

"Flower Destroyer Gentleman, so you have this day too!"

Huang Shaojie sneered and tore off his mask, revealing an ugly, gaunt face covered in pockmarks.

"Lecherous Thief, you have violated countless young maidens and committed monstrous crimes! Today, I will first punish you on behalf of those girls."

After saying that, Xiao Qiuyue raised her leg and viciously kicked Flower Destroyer Gentleman between the legs.

Pop~crack!

"Aah—"

Flower Destroyer Gentleman let out a miserable scream. Clutching his groin in agony, he passed out cold on the spot.

Huang Shaojie felt a chill between his own legs and instinctively squeezed them together.

Xiao Qiuyue noticed this movement.

She shot Huang Shaojie a glance, then burst out laughing. "I didn't kick you. Why are you squeezing your thighs so tightly?"

Huang Shaojie gave an awkward laugh. "It's a man's natural reaction. Hearing those two crisp cracks made my balls ache."

The topic was rather embarrassing, and a faint blush rose to Xiao Qiuyue's exquisite face. Fortunately, beneath the cover of night, it was not easy to notice.

What she did not know was that Huang Shaojie's Insight Technique had already noticed the slight redness on her face.

Who would have thought Battalion Commander Xiao, usually so cold and aloof, had such a bashful side?

"Let's go. Take this Lecherous Thief back to the Imperial Guard office."

Xiao Qiuyue spoke, then leaped forward.

Huang Shaojie picked up the unconscious Flower Thief from the ground and caught up with Xiao Qiuyue.

Seeing that Huang Shaojie could still keep up with her while carrying someone, Xiao Qiuyue was even more astonished.

"Huang Shaojie, what realm has your martial arts reached?" Xiao Qiuyue could not help asking.

"This subordinate does not know either." Huang Shaojie played dumb.

"Hmph. Fine if you won't say."

Xiao Qiuyue naturally did not believe his nonsense. She gave a cold snort and sped up toward the Imperial Guard office.

Yet even after pushing her Lightness Skill to its utmost limit, Huang Shaojie still followed calmly behind her with the Flower Thief in hand.

I have to say, Battalion Commander Xiao's figure is seriously something!

Of course, he only said that in his heart.

Huang Shaojie followed one meter behind Xiao Qiuyue, admiring the beauty Xiao's full, shapely rear.

Wrapped in her purple fitted outfit, her round, pert curves swayed enticingly with the movement of her long legs.

The two returned to the Imperial Guard office and temporarily locked the Flower Thief in a prison cell, intending to hand him over to the Suzhou Ministry of Justice for disposal the next day.

"Huang Shaojie, you deserve the greatest credit for capturing the Flower Thief this time. Tomorrow, I will truthfully ask Commander Niu to reward you."

After leaving the prison cell, Xiao Qiuyue said this to Huang Shaojie.

Huang Shaojie cupped his hands and said, "It was all due to Battalion Commander Xiao's excellent leadership. This subordinate dares not claim credit."

Xiao Qiuyue stopped, turned back to look at him, and smiled. "No need to stand on ceremony with me. With your martial arts and talent, being a mere guard is wasting your abilities. I will recommend to Commander Niu that you first become a Banner Officer."

"Many thanks to Battalion Commander Xiao for promoting me!" Huang Shaojie bowed to Xiao Qiuyue again.

"All right, it is nearly the fourth watch. Go home and rest. You need not report for duty tomorrow."

"Yes, my lady."

With that, Huang Shaojie mounted his horse and returned home.