The Empress glanced at him and smiled. "What do the lives of cultivators like you have to do with this palace?"
"This..." Bai Min was struck dumb, unable to answer.
"Many thanks, Senior!" Zhang Qingxiao cupped his hands and was about to fly away when the Empress spoke coldly again. "Did this palace permit you to leave?"
"This..." Zhang Qingxiao hesitated as well, unable to fathom what the Empress meant.
"Xiao Hua, what are you doing?" Dai Er naturally could not let the Empress speak first. She asked curiously, "Why did you stop talking when you saw the Empress?"
"Hehe!" Xiao Hua gathered his thoughts and said apologetically, "This junior suddenly thought of something else. Please forgive me, Empress!"
"Hmph, you've already established your foundation, yet you've cast the Empress's words behind your ears? If this servant had not accompanied the Empress past this place, would you not have sent out your Jade Water Chestnut?" Dai Er stole a glance at the Empress and scolded him.
Xiao Hua was greatly alarmed and hurriedly bowed. "Please allow this junior to explain, Empress..."
But before Xiao Hua could finish, the Empress waved her hand and said coldly, "This palace merely asked what happened here. Say nothing else!"
"Yes!" Knowing that the Empress was angry, Xiao Hua hurriedly looked around and said, "This junior does not know what happened either. However, I saw that the fishermen aboard these two ships were about to be buried in the bellies of fish, while their families on the shore were grieving as though their hearts had been torn apart. This junior could not bear to see such a tragedy of heaven and earth unfold, so I intervened, wishing to save these fishermen! As for what these two families were doing, this junior truly does not know,