Qian Chen'an saw his father and Chief Attendant Hu chatting and laughing together, and a smirk involuntarily lifted the corners of his mouth.

"Look, little girl, it's not too late. Just admit you were wrong and come along quietly." He walked over to Di Xuanji, looking at her with the arrogant eyes of a predator sizing up its prey. "As long as you're willing to keep me company, I can forget all about you breaking my finger." He let out a casual laugh. "Men can't always let women get hurt. Sometimes, we have to be the ones to get hurt for them."

"I know you have some skill, but in front of Chief Attendant Hu, you're nothing."

"Do you even know who Chief Attendant Hu is? He's the supervising officer of the Empress's personal guard!"

"His strength is unfathomable, and it's said he's nearly as powerful as a Sky List Strong One!"

As he spoke, he was secretly watching Di Xuanji's expression for any change. He had expected her to be shocked and terrified, to start begging him for mercy. However, her face remained impassive, as if she couldn't care less.

Damn it! he cursed inwardly. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Fine, keep pretending. I'd like to see how long you can keep that act up! You bitch, I'm telling you, it's not too late to regret this. My dad knows Chief Attendant Hu, and I can still put in a good word for you!"

Just as he finished speaking, Chief Attendant Hu hurried over from the other side. Qian Bao followed closely behind him, a broad smile plastered on his face.

Qian Chen'an dutifully stepped aside, chuckling to himself as he imagined Di Xuanji's impending doom.

But in the next moment, Chief Attendant Hu did the unthinkable—he dropped to one knee before Di Xuanji.

"This subject, Hu Qing, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, I knew I would find you here."

Di Xuanji looked at Hu Qing indifferently and asked, "Chief Attendant Hu, does your visit concern official business?"

"In response to Your Majesty, Elder Di Jiao instructed this servant to escort you back to the palace. She said there are several important documents that require your personal signature."

Hearing this, Di Xuanji sighed, clearly annoyed.

At this point, the Qian father and son, along with the crowd of curious diners, were frozen solid, staring as if they had been turned to stone.

"You... you... you are...?"

When the realization finally hit him, Qian Bao collapsed to the ground. His body trembled, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at Di Xuanji as if he had just seen a ghost.

Di Xuanji looked back at him and smiled faintly. "And you think I should show the Qian Family any courtesy?"

"Your Majesty! I was blind! I was a fool who failed to recognize your greatness! I have offended Your Majesty, and I beg for your forgiveness!" Qian Bao scrambled up from the floor and fell to his knees, crying and begging for mercy.

Qian Chen'an immediately followed suit, kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly, his heart filled with endless regret. He could never have imagined that he had just threatened Her Majesty the Empress herself. If he could do it all over again, he swore he would rather die than set foot in this restaurant.

After bowing respectfully, the onlooking patrons watched the Qians with unconcealed glee, finding the scene incredibly satisfying.

"These rich and powerful bastards are always throwing their weight around, terrorizing people and acting like they own the place. They make life miserable for common folk like us. Serves them right for picking on the wrong person this time!"

"Imagine, preying on people and then trying to do the same to Her Majesty the Empress!"

"They totally deserve this!"

"I can't wait to see how they die!"

...

Di Xuanji gazed at the kneeling father and son. "You two enjoy throwing your power around, don't you?" she asked with a placid smile. "Fine. Today, I'll show you what it means to truly throw your power around. I'll show you who holds the greatest power in this land."

With that, she took Luo Xiu's hand and walked out of the restaurant.

...

Inside a luxurious commercial vehicle parked outside, Di Xuanji glanced at Hu Qing, who stood respectfully by the window. "Return to the Audit Bureau and convey my order. Starting today, I want a thorough investigation of every noble family in the nation, large and small. Leave no one out."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Di Xuanji's eyes narrowed slightly. "As for the Qian Family, there is no longer a need for them to exist."

Hu Qing's expression didn't flicker. He simply gave a slight nod. Back in the restaurant, when Qian Bao had foolishly ordered him to seize Di Xuanji, he had already figured out what was going on. Her decision did not surprise him.

Di Xuanji rolled down the window and looked at Luo Xiu beside her. "Little Mule, I have to go back to the palace to sign some documents. You go with Chief Attendant Hu to the Qian residence."

"Didn't you say the Qian Family had some nice things? Now that they're about to be wiped out, you can take whatever you want."

Luo Xiu looked at her with a strange expression. "Is it really okay to just wipe them out on a whim like that?"

Di Xuanji said coolly, "You can't think of these ancient martial families as people, nor can you compare them to ordinary citizens. The moment they displease me, I can eradicate them."

"..."

Afterward, Luo Xiu got into another car with Hu Qing and headed for the Qian residence. Inside the vehicle, Hu Qing sized Luo Xiu up for a long time but couldn't place the refined-looking young man. However, seeing how close he was to the Empress, he didn't dare show the slightest disrespect.

"Um, may I ask for your name, my young friend?"

"Chen Shuisheng."

Hu Qing respectfully clasped his fists. "Mr. Chen." He was intensely curious about the relationship between this Chen Shuisheng and Her Majesty the Empress, but he knew better than to pry into her private affairs.

Luo Xiu asked, "Chief Attendant Hu, are you going to seal up the Qian Family's assets tonight?"

"That is Her Majesty's will." Hu Qing nodded, then sighed with emotion. "These ancient martial families are truly lawless. It's high time they were brought to heel! Things are at least under control in the Capital City. Our Empress is a firm ruler. As soon as she took power, she used overwhelming force to bring all the major and minor clans to heel, completely subduing them. She even imposed special laws, allowing her to eliminate them at will."

"But who knows how many heinous crimes have been committed over the years by those ancient martial families far from the Capital City and Her Majesty's reach? Take Chen Xuanbao, for instance. Stationed in Henghai, he amassed his own forces and acted like a warlord. He was like a malignant tumor, but thankfully the Audit Bureau has now removed him!"

"Although our Empress is young, she is the most outstanding Emperor in the history of the Di Family, for she was taught by Ghost Valley! I am certain that under her rule, Hua Country will thrive in an era of peace and prosperity!"

Thinking of his Eldest Senior Sister, Luo Xiu felt a surge of pride and profound respect.

...

Sometime later, Hu Qing's team arrived at the Qian Family headquarters, surrounding and sealing it off with swift, decisive action.

After a quick word with Hu Qing, Luo Xiu wandered off on his own. He had no interest in what Hu Qing was about to do. He came to the Qian Family residence interested in only one thing...

"Big brother, it looks like we came to the right place," Lin Tong's voice said in Luo Xiu's mind. "That malevolent object is definitely here! And almost everyone in the Qian Family has been tainted by its baleful energy."

Luo Xiu asked internally, "Can you sense where the source of the baleful energy is?"

"Go a little further inside, big brother," Lin Tong replied in his head. "I can sense it... and it feels somehow familiar."

...

A moment later, Luo Xiu walked into the Qian Family's main hall.

"Big brother, this is it! It's that stone statue up ahead!" Lin Tong's excited voice echoed in his mind.

Luo Xiu looked up at the statue in the center of the hall and slowly approached it. It appeared to be a hybrid of a human and a beast, resembling a demon from Hell, and it exuded an intensely evil aura. This statue was the source of the baleful energy Lin Tong had sensed.

"I can't believe this family was foolish enough to keep such a malevolent object in their home," Lin Tong said mockingly in his mind. "Were they tired of living and wanted to speed up their own destruction?"

Luo Xiu chuckled. "Perhaps the bad luck from this malevolent object is why the Qian Family ended up provoking my Senior Sister and getting wiped out."

As they spoke, Luo Xiu reached the statue. After observing it for a moment, he threw a punch, shattering it instantly. As the stone fragments tumbled to the floor, he saw a piece of metal gleaming with a strange light.

"This... this... this is the Spirit-Communicating Staff!" Lin Tong suddenly cried out in his mind.

Luo Xiu asked, puzzled, "You recognize it?"

"Recognize it? Big brother, that *is* my magic wand!" Lin Tong's voice was filled with overwhelming excitement. "No wonder I felt such a sense of familiarity when we arrived. I never thought I'd see the Spirit-Communicating Staff again after all these years!"

"When the Spirit Realm was destroyed back then, my magic wand and I perished along with it. Who would have thought... that my magic wand would be hidden inside a statue? I wonder who's been using it all these years."

...

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