Stealing the Yuri Protagonist Harem

— Immortal Nation + Royal City —
A full day had passed since Luo Wusheng’s tribulation in the Wandering Immortal Inn.
Now, rumors were spreading like wildfire in this Immortal Nation’s capital. The events of the previous day had already reached every corner of the city, and even those arriving today could hear countless versions of the story from gossipmongers scattered throughout the city.

Advancing to Nascent Soul Realm, the Empress herself provides protection, the tribulation’s self-destruction, heaven-shaking vision—
Each event was a perfect topic for lively conversation.
Yet, most people shared a common question:

Did the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect successfully break through to the Nascent Soul Realm?
Although many people had witnessed the tribulation firsthand, some observant individuals noticed that Luo Wusheng seemed a bit unusual near the end of the vision. However, under the overwhelming power of heavenly might, ordinary people couldn’t determine whether the Holy Saint, as the tribulation-taker, had truly achieved his breakthrough.
What’s more, the fact that he disappeared immediately afterward left them without any proof.

This sudden silence extended to those associated with the Holy Saint within the Royal City.
The Demon Artifact Pavilion, which had been gaining significant ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) attention in the Royal City, announced a temporary closure. The Demon Sect’s members, who had been staying in the city, also showed no activity.
Even the movements of the Royal City’s Six Gate Bureau, which should have been keeping an eye on the sect, had become somewhat strange.

This gave rise to countless speculations among the city’s residents.
Some of these speculations turned into rumors that spread among the populace.
The most widely accepted theory suggested that during the final moments of the tribulation, the Holy Saint was targeted by a retaliatory attack from a powerful Netherkin figure—this was retribution for assisting the Immortal Nation in dealing with the Netherkin’s hidden threats.

As for his sudden disappearance, it was said that a Demon Sect powerhouse had immediately intervened, clashing with the Netherkin expert and using great magical powers to take the Holy Saint away for healing.
However, this incident had disrupted the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm, leaving it incomplete.
Still, this was all just conjecture, and few treated it as the absolute truth.

What had become an undeniable fact, though, was this:
The Holy Saint of the Demon Sect now had the qualifications to advance to the Nascent Soul Realm.
An eighteen-year-old Nascent Soul cultivator… Such talent had only been seen among the founding ancestors of the three human Ancient Sects!
Yet, no one doubted this possibility.

The events of the past few days had already convinced people that the Holy Saint was, indeed, extraordinary.
The term peerless genius seemed to have been created specifically for him in this era.
However, amid their admiration, the residents of the Royal City heard another kind of rumor about the Holy Saint—one that added a unique twist to his story.

“Tsk tsk, Pavilion Lord Luo truly is a role model for us all. Not only is his talent unmatched, but he’s also surrounded by so many beauties. It’s hard not to feel both envious and bitter…”
“Hm? What do you mean by that? The Holy Saint’s extraordinary talent is well known, but wasn’t it previously rumored that he avoided women altogether?”
“Avoided women? More like he avoided ordinary women! Do you think just any woman is worthy of Pavilion Lord Luo’s attention? Take yesterday, for instance. According to someone who happened to be passing by the inn at the time… Tsk tsk, not only was the Demon Sect Holy Maiden present, but there was also a sword cultivator whose beauty was said to rival hers!”

“What?!”
“And that’s not all! You know about how Her Majesty personally protected him during his tribulation yesterday, right? Breaking the rules to allow a tribulation within the Royal City, and personally acting as his guardian—do I even need to spell out what that means?”
“This…”

“And they say among these women, the least striking in terms of appearance was none other than the famed top courtesan from the Red Blossom Pavilion, who sells her art but not her body. Even so, she’s considered the pinnacle of mortal beauty. To think she also has ties to Pavilion Lord Luo…”
“Really? No wonder the courtesan has been refusing visitors recently, citing illness. It turns out she’s been keeping company with the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect… Are you sure this information is reliable?”
“It’s the talk of every street and alley. Even if some details are exaggerated, it can’t be far from the truth. Come to think of it, there have long been rumors about Her Majesty’s close relationship with Pavilion Lord Luo. Looking at it now, it’s clear they were all true…”

“I see… I never expected the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect to be such a charismatic figure…”
The ordinary-looking man who had been listening to the gossip bowed to the informant and quickly made his way off.
Then, at a corner, the man donned a black-and-white mask.

<+>
— Six Gate Bureau —
“Hmm? Another secret report has arrived?”

Night Crow touched the mask on his face, glancing at the intelligence in front of him. His gaze flickered slightly.
Just as he was about to examine the contents, his attention shifted toward the doorway.
A cold and composed figure stepped out from the void.

“…Have there been any updates on his location?”
Kirin’s voice was as calm as ever, her words as direct and efficient as usual, without the slightest hint of hesitation.
Night Crow let out a bitter chuckle.

“The world is vast, and finding one person is easier said than done. Most of our Six Gate Bureau’s spies are stationed in various provincial cities. If he’s in a hidden realm or some remote place, the chances of locating him are incredibly slim…”
He sighed again. “If he were in a provincial city, it would be much easier to track him down.”
Despite being the head of the Six Gate Bureau’s intelligence division, Night Crow is somewhat feeling helpless.

The recent movements of the Netherkin Nation hidden soldiers had already stretched their resources thin. And now, the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect had caused yet another major incident.
On top of handling intelligence related to the Netherkin, he now had to manage intelligence about the Holy Saint, adding even more to his already overwhelming workload.
Still, the intelligence regarding that young man was at least interesting, offering a peculiar sort of relief amidst the chaos.

‘And Wutong wasn’t wrong… Based on the intelligence from yesterday, it’s clear that Her Majesty has shown some special attention to that Holy Saint of the Demon Sect…’
It’s no wonder both Wutong and I have privately deemed him the best candidate for Her Majesty’s consort!
I had wanted to hear Kirin’s opinion on our covert decision, given she’s been in contact with the Holy Saint even earlier than I have and knows him better.

But just as I was about to bring it up, we received that intelligence, and I had to make a trip to the imperial palace… which somehow ended with me being turned into a human kite.
Sigh. Her Majesty must have been displeased with me.
It’s probably because of that thoughtless comment I made during the night of the Netherkin Extermination Operation—It shouldn’t have anything to do with the gossip Kirin and I shared about Her Majesty back then, though. After all, I rushed straight to the palace at full speed, leaving Kirin no time to report anything to Her Majesty.

Thinking about it this way, Kirin really is on my side. I should rope her into our plan to invest in the Holy Saint as Her Majesty’s future consort.
With that, we’d have three Golden-Ranked members of the Six Gate Bureau supporting him from behind. When the people’s will aligns with Her Majesty’s inclinations, wouldn’t the position of consort be practically guaranteed?
With the aid of such a brilliant and peerless talent—perhaps the next invincible figure after the late emperor—how could the Immortal Nation not prosper?

As for us Golden-Ranked members of the Six Gate Bureau driving this effort? We’d go down in history, gain promotions and honors, and reach the pinnacle of success—
It’s perfect!
Just as Night Crow was reveling in his thoughts, he finished reading the newly received intelligence. His hands trembled slightly.

“Not good…”
“Hmm?”
Kirin noticed the concern in his tone and the slight unease in his demeanor. Without hesitation, she extended her hand. Night Crow passed the document to her, not intending to hide anything.

Miss Kirin accepted it, curious to see what kind of information could make her colleague lose composure.
But the moment she read the information, her grip on the paper tightened.
Night Crow gave her an understanding look.

“You see it too, don’t you?”
“Indeed! The fact that the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect is surrounded by so many women is highly disadvantageous to Her Majesty!”