Madam, protect me!

Qi State.

The capital is Lincheng.

In the past six months, the continent has seen many changes, including the conflict between Wei and Xia, the deaths of several semi-saints and even a dynasty emperor, and the complete destruction of the Wei Kingdom. However, these events had little impact on the Qi Kingdom.

Even when Wei fell, Qi got a big share of the spoils, and its territory reached its historical peak.

However, in recent days, the atmosphere in the capital has been more tense than usual.

Although the Wei Kingdom was destroyed, the Xia Kingdom took advantage of the situation to rise. After annexing most of the Wei Kingdom's territory, it became the leader among the four dynasties in terms of military strength and land area.

The only flaw of Xia Kingdom is the number of semi-saints.

But when the military force becomes strong enough, the role of a semi-saint will be minimal.

What's more, although there are few Semi-Saints in Xia Country, the few Semi-Saints are extremely powerful.

Right Prime Minister of the Xia Kingdom, the only semi-saint of Confucianism among all the nations.

There are very few Confucian semi-saints in history, but each of them is a famous figure on the continent. The arrow of righteousness ignores any defense. He personally sits on the border between Xia and Qi, and the semi-saint of Qi dare not show up in person.

The Emperor of Xia had been the object of ridicule by people of all countries for many years, but now he unexpectedly killed the Emperor of Wei. He possessed the luck of both countries and had also practiced martial arts. As the number one man on the continent, he led the army in person and forced the State of Chu to spit out the lands it had annexed, one state and one city at a time.

The State of Chu is now forced into a dilemma by him. If the Emperor of Chu also leads the army in person, he will most likely be killed by him on the front line and follow in the footsteps of the Emperor of Wei.

If he hides in the country and does not leave, with the strength of Emperor Xia and the morale of the Xia army, he will be pushed to the capital sooner or later, and then he will be at the mercy of others.

Qi State could not gloat over other people's misfortune. If Chu State was destroyed, they would be the next to suffer.

A year ago, no one would have predicted that the situation on the mainland would change so quickly. Anyone who mentioned the Wei State and the Wei Emperor would have secretly cursed them as "waste" in their hearts. Facing the Xia State, which was far inferior to themselves in strength, they turned the war of invasion into a war of national destruction.

It would have been fine if he had just died, but he also used their flesh and blood to raise a giant creature.

Most of the ordinary people in Qi were still living in a muddle.

But some knowledgeable people are already worrying about the future.

The Imperial Palace.

A closed palace somewhere in the harem.

A figure sat on a stone bench in the yard, staring into space in a daze.

After an unknown amount of time, an old woman with gray hair walked in from outside and said, "Such a pretty face, always looking sad, isn't it a waste of nature's gift? You should smile more..."

Nightingale turned around and glared at her, saying, "You've been locked up here for more than half a year, let's see if you can still laugh!"

The old woman said, "There is nothing we can do about this. You know how important your sister's position is. If we don't lock you up here, if you run back to Chang'an, we can't afford such a loss. With you here, she will be obedient..."

Nightingale sighed softly. If she had known that they would be separated for such a long time, and didn't even know if they would see each other again in the future, she would not have quarreled with her every day.

The old woman let out a long breath and said, "I didn't expect that the Emperor of Xia Kingdom was hiding so deeply. This time, as long as I can accomplish my great cause, even if all the people of Xia Kingdom's Qingluan Society are exposed, I will not hesitate..."

Nightingale glanced at her, a trace of sadness emerging in her heart.

I wonder what will happen if Phoenix is ​​exposed?

By then, I'm afraid not only the Li Mansion won't be able to accommodate her, but even Daxia won't be able to accommodate her either...

well……

Just as Nightingale was worried about Phoenix, on a street outside the palace, a young man squatted in a corner, wrapped a thin black hair around his index finger, and threw out a few copper coins.

The young man looked up in a certain direction and saw a towering imperial city standing there.

Li Nuo's brows knitted slightly.

The location of Nightingale is actually in the Qi Palace.

Except for the palace, Li Nuo could take her away by stealing or robbing, but the palace was a little more troublesome for him.

The Imperial Palace is the most powerful place for the Emperor of Qi on this continent. The Emperor of Daxia is the number one person on the continent, but here, he is no match for the Emperor of Qi.

It was impossible for Li Nuo to steal someone out of the palace without alerting the Emperor of Qi.

There was no way he could just go back like this...

This matter cannot be delayed. If Fenghuang does not take any action for a long time, Qingluan Society will definitely doubt her position. At that time, Nightingale will be in danger. If something happens to her, Li Nuo will not be able to explain to Fenghuang...

After staying in the capital of Qi for two days, Li Nuo only gained a little.

He had been guarding the palace gate for the past two days and saw an old woman entering and leaving the palace several times.

Fenghuang had given her a portrait of this old woman. This woman was Fenghuang's boss and a senior member of the Qingluan Society of Qi State who was responsible for Daxia's intelligence. Her master's cultivation was not enough for Li Nuo, but to save Nightingale who was trapped in the deep palace, she could only use her wits, not force...

Not far from the imperial palace, Li Nuo sat at a tea stall on the street, drinking tea and thinking of a solution.

Just as Li Nuo was thinking, there was suddenly a commotion on the street.

Then, the sound of people pointing and talking reached his ears.

"No, why should he?"

"It's a waste of natural resources, it's really a waste of natural resources!"

"No, I'm so angry. What's so good about this guy? He's so ugly, why are so many beautiful women willing to throw themselves at him?"

“It’s really infuriating!”

…

Li Nuo looked towards the source of the riot and saw a luxurious carriage slowly driving through the street.

This was not an ordinary carriage, but an uncovered carriage on all sides. On the soft couches in the carriage lay a man and several women. The man had shifty eyes and was extremely ugly, but the women beside him were all top beauties.

Even Li Nuo felt a little curious.

These beautiful women all looked at the man with a look of infatuation on their faces. That kind of infatuation could not be faked.

Li Nuo couldn't help but wonder what kind of charm this man had that could make so many beauties throw themselves at him and be so infatuated with him.

"Look, look, what are you looking at? If you keep looking, I'll dig your eyeballs out!"

"There's no point in being envious. Look at the way you all look. Go home and play with the fifth girl!"

"And you, what's the point of having good looks? Even if you are good-looking, there is no beauty to be with you..., drink your tea!"

…

Li Nuo was innocently caught in the crossfire just because he was drinking tea. He looked away, intending to think about business first, but his hand holding the teacup suddenly paused.

Just now, his life span suddenly decreased by thirty days.

Even though thirty days of life was nothing to him, this was the first time he had encountered such a thing as his life span being inexplicably shortened.

He didn't do anything to waste his life.

Li Nuo looked towards the carriage passing by him. The ugly man was also looking at him. When he looked at Li Nuo, he was like a rooster that had won a fight, and he raised his chin proudly.

Li Nuo seemed to have thought of something. He stood up slowly, a smile appeared on his face, and he said softly, "Interesting..."

He followed behind the carriage, his fingers flicking in his sleeves from time to time.

Along the way, he was not the only one whose life span was shortened.

On this street, wherever the carriage passed, any handsome man would have his life shortened.

It’s just that their lifespans were not shortened as severely as mine, mostly just one or two days, at most ten days.

The more handsome he is, the faster he dies...

However, the methods used by the ugly man were not those of the Yin-Yang School.

Most people only know that Yin-Yang School can take away a person's life span, but in fact, in addition to Yin-Yang School, there is another school that can do this...

…

The gorgeous carriage passed through the streets, and after being looked down upon by countless people along the way, it finally stopped in front of a luxurious mansion.

"Husband, please come to my room tonight!"

"Go, go, go, I've made an agreement with my husband to favor me tonight!"

"You two, go away. It's my turn now..."

Seeing the women arguing endlessly, the ugly man waved his hands and said, "Stop arguing. I'm going to rest today. I'm tired of pampering you all every day..."

Upon hearing this, the girls dispersed with disappointment on their faces.

As night fell, countless lanterns illuminated the mansion inside and out as bright as day.

There are also teams of guards patrolling the mansion constantly.

It was late at night, and in the interval between the handover between the two shifts of guard, a figure passed over the courtyard wall like a ghost and landed in the courtyard without making any sound.

After the handover, the guards did not notice the figure hidden in the shadows.

But at this moment, in a bedroom in the mansion, a sleeping figure suddenly opened his eyes.

The sleepiness on his face disappeared, revealing an expression of interest. He whispered, "Interesting, his level of wall-climbing is not bad, and he has actually entered the realm. If we cultivate him well, he will have great potential..."

Soon, a very slight sound was heard at his door.

The door bolt was useless and a figure flashed in from outside the door.

The man walked into the room, sat down at the tea table in the middle, and said, "Don't pretend, I know you are awake, Master of the Thieves' Sect."

On the bed, a figure suddenly sat up and asked in surprise, "Who are you?"

Li Nuo said: "It is you."

When the thieves from Daxia and Zhao were wiped out, most of the members and high-ranking officials from the two countries were arrested, but the leaders of the two countries were missing.

During the day, he visited the Qi State's Thieves Sect and found out that the sect's leader was indeed in Qi State.

Li Nuo learned from those high-level officials that the leader of the Thieves' Sect was also an incoming thief.

Li Nuo originally thought that the other party should be at the same level as him, at the level of a beginner. Unexpectedly, no one below the leader of the Thief Sect had entered the country, but the leader himself was a half-saint of the Thief Sect.

The life span of a man on the street today was inexplicably reduced, and the other party did not use any Yin-Yang tactics, so Li Nuo guessed his identity.

When a thief reaches the highest level of practice, he can not only steal things, but also steal hearts and lives. No matter whether the things are tangible or intangible, they can all be stolen.

No wonder those beautiful women fell deeply in love with this sneaky guy. This guy must have used such dishonorable means on them.

The person on the bed didn't speak, but Li Nuo's life was decreasing rapidly.

One month, two months, half a year, one year, ten years, fifty years, one hundred years...

In the darkness, the man with a sly look was sitting on the bed, staring straight at the young man sitting there.

Gradually, sweat began to pour down his forehead and his face was filled with fear.

He had already stolen a hundred years of the other person's lifespan. If it were an ordinary person, he would have died of old age on the spot, but his face had not changed at all, as if these hundred years were only a very small part of his lifespan.

Even the life span of a half-saint cannot withstand such theft!

Li Nuo looked at the man sitting on the bed and asked, "Have you stolen enough?"

The next moment, Li Nuo found that the life span he had just lost was returned. The man trembled and got off the bed, and said in a trembling voice: "I stole your things without knowing the real man. I have returned them all to you. May I ask what advice you have for coming here so late at night..."

Li Nuo sighed slightly, some of the rules of this world are actually absurd.

The Yin-Yang School is the one who knows how to play with fate the best, but they can only exchange lifespan for lifespan. Stealing lifespan has nothing to do with fate at all, and not only can the stolen lifespan be used by themselves, but it can also be returned at any time.

What's even more absurd is that the emperors of the five dynasties, who are invincible under the saints, only have a lifespan of a few decades, and they do all kinds of crazy things just to live a few more years, while the half-saints of the thieves who they can crush to death with just one finger can achieve immortality...

Li Nuo waved his hand, and the glass lamp on the table was lit.

He looked at the leader of the Thief Sect and said, "Today on the street, you stole a month of my life for no reason. How are we going to settle this account?"

"It's you!"

When the leader of the Thieves' Sect saw his face clearly, his expression changed. He had never expected that his habitual actions during the day would bring him such a big disaster.

No matter how high the Dao family's cultivation level is, he is just a thief. He does not have the powerful strength of a warrior. Therefore, over the past few hundred years, he has always been very cautious. He only steals a small amount of life from different people each time. Every ten years, he will move to a new place. However, an oversight today has caused him to fall into the hands of such a powerful man.

He immediately returned the one month of his life and said, "I was blind and didn't recognize the great man. Please don't blame me..."

Li Nuo said calmly: "Just because a thief is caught and returns the things, can we pretend that nothing happened?"

Facing this half-saint who stole the family, Li Nuo had no need to be polite.

Speaking of which, the abilities of the Dao family and the Yin-Yang family are somewhat similar, and even their limitations are very similar.

The Half-Saint of the Thief Sect can steal the lifespan of those of the same level, but he can only steal lifespan.

Although he does not need to pay the price of his own life like the Yin-Yang School, they have no other means except this trick. Moreover, there is an upper limit to the life span they steal. This upper limit is far from Li Nuo's lifespan, which can be said to be his natural nemesis.

The leader of the Thief Sect said resignedly, "What should I do in order for you to let me go..."

Although he is also a semi-saint, there is a gap between semi-saints. A Confucian semi-saint can fight several people alone, while a thief semi-saint, like other thieves, has to hide on weekdays. If people knew that he stole other people's lifespans to gain eternal life, I'm afraid no one in the world would tolerate him...

Li Nuo thought for a moment and said, "If you help me do one thing, we will be even."

The leader of the Thief Sect breathed a sigh of relief and immediately asked, "What's the matter?"

Li Nuo said: "I want you to steal a woman's heart."

The leader of the Thief Sect was completely relieved and said, "Don't worry, sir. Just tell me the woman's name, age, and where she lives, and I will take care of the rest..."

Li Nuo said: "Her name is Bai Hui, she lives in the capital, and she is fifty-three years old..."

The leader of the Thief Sect nodded and said, "Bai Hui..., that's a nice name. It's even more convenient if you live in the capital. Nian Fang - how many is Nian Fang!"