Something amiss

"That's good. It seems the Imperial Family has forgotten my relationship with the Mittel Family. They're quite ruthless in their actions. In that case, I'll have to have some fun with the Imperial Family!" Xiao Yu said, glancing at Jian Qian.

Jian Qian squinted at Nalan Jie and shouted angrily, "Nalan Jie, I see you as a meritorious official of the empire, which is why I am so respectful to you, but what do you mean by saying this?"

"Tell your young master to get out here and see me!" Xiao Yu shouted coldly, his voice carrying a surge of Dou Qi that whipped up a gust of wind as he swept towards the Jian Family!

Jian Qian's eyes narrowed, and his Dou Qi surged. A faint grayish-brown Dou Qi spewed from Jian Qian's withered palm. With a light wave of his arm, a grayish-brown blade slashed fiercely towards Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu gently clenched his fist, and pale green Dou Qi surged out, instantly creating countless green vines in mid-air. These vines intertwined and formed a giant green fist, which slammed fiercely towards the flying earthen blades.

Bang! Bang bang!

The earthen knives shattered one after another upon encountering the vine-like fist, which then continued its attack on Jian Qian after disintegrating.

Upon Jian Qian this scene, Jian Qian was startled and quickly formed a hand seal, shouting, "Mysterious Earth Shield!"

A massive earthen shield appeared before Jian Qian, but the originally soft vines became as hard as steel blades, piercing deep into the earthen shield. Xiao Yu moved, suddenly disappearing in mid-air, and then abruptly reappeared in front of Jian Qian's earthen shield. His fist, wrapped in a thick, light green Dou Qi, slammed into the earthen shield.

The earthen shield crumbled instantly, but Xiao Yu's fist continued its momentum, slamming hard into Jian Qian's chest. Boom!

Jian Qian felt an irresistible force coming from his chest. Two cracking sounds rang out, and Jian Qian's figure was sent flying by a punch, crashing to the ground and kicking up countless clouds of dust.

Nalan Jie stood aside, somewhat stunned. Jian Qian was Nine-Star Peak Dou Wang, just one step away from Dou Huang expert, yet he couldn't even withstand a single move from Xiao Yu!

The loud thud as Jian Qian crashed to the ground stunned everyone in the Jian Family below. Xiao Yu looked at the people standing around the courtyard and asked, "Where is the young master of the Jian Family?"

These people were all collateral relatives and servants of the Jian Family. After witnessing Xiao Yu's abilities, one of them said tremblingly, "The patriarch is taking the young patriarch to the palace to see His Majesty!"

Inside a grand hall of the imperial palace.

A middle-aged man stood there with a pale-faced, unsteady-stepping young man. At the head of the hall, an elegant woman in a magnificent brocade robe sat, her beautiful face causing the young man below to gaze with infatuation.

This woman is none other than Her Majesty Queen Yao Ye of the Jia Ma Empire. At this time, Yao Ye has become the mastermind of the Jia Ma Empire, and she looks more dignified!

The middle-aged man respectfully looked at Yao Ye at the head of the table and said, "Your Majesty, I have brought my son here today because there are two things I wish to report to you!"

Yao Ye's cold voice rang out in the hall. "Jian Family, Patriarch. Speak!"

"Yes!" After the Jian Family head responded, he continued, "Your Majesty, many of the Mittel Family Mittel Family auction houses within the Jia Ma Empire are now operating at a loss, and some have even closed down. The situation is very favorable now, so why not just swallow the Mittel Family whole?"

Upon hearing the Jian Family head's words, Yao Ye's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she asked, "Is the Mittel Family, as the number one business family in Jia Ma, really this all the strength you have? How are things going with the marriage alliance with the Mittel Family?"

"No matter how strong the Mittel Family is, with the Empire and our Jian Family joining forces, their space for survival is getting smaller and smaller. As for the marriage alliance, Teng Shan and Ya Fei have both directly refused without any intention of discussion!" A gloomy look flashed in the eyes of the Jian Family head, seemingly indicating his great dissatisfaction with the Mittel Family!

Yao Ye glanced at Jian Xueqing behind the Jian Family head and noticed the lewd look in his eyes. She felt disgust and anger, but since the Jian Family was still useful to her, she forced herself to speak, "Let Jian Xueqing continue to propose marriage to the Mittel Family. You continue to suppress the Mittel Family!"

Just then, a report came from outside.

Nalan Su rushed in from outside, glanced at the Jian Family father and son standing to one side, and then respectfully said to Yao Ye, "Your Majesty, Xiao Yu has returned!"

"What? You mean Xiao Yu is back?" Yao Ye stood up in surprise.

Nalan Su found Yao Ye's reaction somewhat strange, but still nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, Xiao Yu is currently at the Jian Family!"

"At the Jian Family? What are you doing at the Jian Family?" The Jian Family father and son, standing to the side, looked at Nalan Su with some puzzlement and asked.

Nalan Su spoke the truth, "They might be here to cause trouble for the Jian Family!"

"What?" The Jian Family's expression suddenly changed, and he then looked at His Majesty.

Yao Ye looked at the Jian Family head and said, "You go back first, I will be there soon!"

"Yes!" Upon hearing this, the Jian Family head immediately led Jian Xueqing out of the main hall.

Immediately, Yao Ye looked at Nalan Su and said, "You should go back first. Keep Xiao Yu calm and make sure there's no conflict!"

"Yes!"

After they all left, Yao Ye got up and walked towards the back of the palace. She walked all the way to a large hall next to the back garden, dismissed everyone, and gently rotated a stone platform inlaid with a luminous pearl with her slender hand.

Click! Click-click!

A sound of stones scraping against each other rang out, and a hidden door leading underground appeared before Yao Ye's eyes. Without hesitation, Yao Ye walked down.

The underground space was vast. When Yao Ye saw an elderly figure sitting on a central futon, he respectfully called out, "Great-Grandpa!"

The old man was none other than the Imperial Family's number one expert, Peak Nine-Star Dou Emperor, Jia Xingtian!

Jia Xingtian slightly opened his eyes, his fighting Dou Qi gradually dissipating, and looked at Yao Ye, asking, "What's wrong?"

Yao Ye looked at the old man in front of her, a trace of heartache flashing in her beautiful eyes. If Xiao Yu could stand here, he would definitely be able to see a ball of black energy floating on Jia Xingtian's forehead. And that black energy was also very familiar to Xiao Yu, because it was exactly the same as the aura on the Soul Hall people!

Xiao Yu probably never expected that Jia Xingtian would now be involved with the Soul Hall. Moreover, Jia Xingtian was currently exuding a powerful and sinister aura, which was even stronger than Yun Shan's aura before!

"Great-grandfather, Xiao Yu from the Xiao Clan is back!" Yao Ye said, looking at Jia Xingtian.

Jia Xingtian hearing Yao Ye's words, Jia Xingtian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, then disappeared again, and he simply said indifferently, "I understand, you may leave now!"