A breeze swept in from the broad courtyard outside the window, stirring the white curtains by the French doors.

Greenta bent double, laughing uncontrollably at Gu Xichen, "Robbery? Heavens, forgive these ignorant fools!"

The soldiers who rushed in behind Greenta raised their weapons, aiming squarely at Gu Xichen and his party. Greenta feigned elegance, shook his head, and sighed softly, "Truly indescribable, the lowlife creatures of today. Robbing a royal member in the ever-unsetting city of St. Hiss? Hmm. Dear sister, I think I can engage in some beneficial interaction with you right now!"

A sliver of a smile spread across Greenta's face. He stared fixedly at Jin's heaving chest, chuckling proudly.

The soldiers cautiously closed in on Gu Xichen and Holm. The two psychics roared low and majestically, "Dark-skinned wretch, drop your weapons."

Holm's eye twitched; he hissed under his breath, "Damn it, I like my dark skin. Don't you see how much better the quality of my skin is than yours?" Two large-caliber long-barreled revolvers spun in Holm's hands. Suddenly, a muffled gunshot made everyone's hearts jump with a violent jolt.

The St. Hiss soldiers present felt a sharp pain in their hands. The firearms in their grips were struck simultaneously by Holm's bullets. The immense impact force made them unable to hold onto their weapons. Various guns clattered and rained onto the floor. The hapless soldiers cried out and rapidly retreated, their wrists shattered by the powerful force of the bullets.

"Grab them, kill them! Leave this woman!" Seeing the god-like strike Holm had unleashed, Greenta was instantly terrified and frantically bolted for the exit.

Ten psychics attacked Holm simultaneously. Powerful energy fluctuations pulverized every piece of furnishing in the living room. Amidst Jin's furious curses, several large oil paintings on the walls also turned to ash, and weapons such as evidently antique bronze longswords and pure steel battle axes melted into liquid iron, trickling down the walls.

Holm's gun fired. The ten psychics, having just concentrated their power, were pierced through their brows by ten large-caliber bullets.

Another shot rang out. The soldiers present all spat blood from their chests as they were sent flying. The kinetic energy of the bullets fired from Holm's materialized handgun was astonishing; the soldiers were blasted immense distances, many smashing through the French doors and tumbling into the flowerbeds of the distant courtyard.

Gu Xichen's toe barely moved, his body twisting like a phantom to appear beside Greenta. He seized Greenta by the throat and brutally smashed his handsome face against the wall a dozen times. After muffled impacts, Greenta's chiseled features had become a bloody, unrecognizable pulp. His proud nose bridge was shattered into a ragged strip of flesh, dangling precariously like a small sausage run over by a steamroller.

Tucking the Five Water Dragon Whisker Fan into his belt, Gu Xichen unleashed a furious barrage of punches upon Greenta. The blows were heavy, the force penetrating to the very marrow of the bones. Greenta screamed wordlessly in agony. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, Gu Xichen delivered a flying kick to his mouth, knocking out both rows of his large teeth, all of which he swallowed down his own throat without a single one remaining.

"Clearly, His Majesty Tartar has serious problems with your upbringing!" Gu Xichen berated the half-dead Greenta with feigned heartbreak, "Look, just look. We barely arrived in the ever-unsetting St. Hiss and hadn't even had a chance to clean up before you presented us with such a colossal headache! Bullying others with authority—is this the tradition of your Hiss royalty?"

Sighing deeply, Gu Xichen smiled wryly at Holm and Jin, "The education of the next generation is indeed a major problem!"

Holm nonchalantly blew the smoke from his gun barrel. "Oh, Boss, that's no problem for me! I like women, but I'm not interested in having children!"

Jin blinked desperately, throwing wave after wave of alluring glances at Gu Xichen. "Brother, that's absolutely not an issue. If the child were yours and mine, I would make him the greatest pirate in the Star Alliance!"

"Uh, forget it!" Gu Xichen hurriedly shook his head, refusing politely. "Where do the family rules of the Gu family stand? Gu family sons are dedicated to commerce generation after generation; we must never become bandits!"

Lifting Greenta, who was so beaten he didn't know if he was alive or dead, Gu Xichen managed a bitter smile. "Clashing with two princes right upon entering the Hiss Empire—what kind of start is this? Jin, withdraw and dismiss all the servants here at your residence; otherwise, they are in big trouble."

Sighing deeply, Jin shook her head helplessly. "Father will scold me; his position here is ruined. But, whatever, he has several other overt identities in the Hiss Empire. This damn fellow caused all the trouble!" Jin grit her teeth, rushed forward, and delivered a vicious kick to Greenta's lower body.

Greenta let out a desperate shriek, his eyes rolling back as he passed out.

Jin urgently gathered the butler and servants of the manor and hastily commanded them to escape through the prearranged secret passage. Everyone in the residence was a member of the Broken Hook Gang, including the seemingly frail old butler. All of them slipped away from the scene like hunting lynx without disturbing anyone, taking with them every valuable item in the residence, leaving behind only an empty shell of a structure.

"Very professional!" Gu Xichen stared dumbfounded as the oldest butler, carrying a large package stuffed with sterling silver tableware, vanished in a flash, repeatedly giving a thumbs-up.

"That's professional conduct! If pirates don't even have basic escape skills, how can we get by?" Jin deftly flipped out a large white tablecloth and wrapped Greenta in it. Gu Xichen hoisted him up, and the three squeezed into an antique-style car, speeding away from the manor.

Evidently, due to the attack on Gao Sen on the elevated walkway, the secret police and agents of the Hiss Empire had been mobilized en masse. Within this affluent residential area, numerous police officers in black uniforms and agents in black trench coats, with collars obscuring half their faces, were interrogating homeowners and pedestrians in various residences.

Jin's servants had long since vanished, and Gu Xichen had no idea by what means they had evaded the swarm of police and agents.

However, Gu Xichen's luck was clearly not good. Just as Holm drove the car out of Jin's gate, a menacing squad of agents lunged toward them. Gu Xichen’s sharp ears caught the slightly resentful voice of one agent, "Damn it, how could Prince Greenta risk going out alone? That's a group of vicious thugs! If Prince Greenta encountered them, how would we bear the consequences? Who would bear them?"

The squad of agents almost scraped the tail of the car as they rushed into the courtyard. In the next instant, the agents simultaneously raised their firearms and yelled loudly toward the car containing Gu Xichen: "Stop! In the name of the Hiss Royalty, I order you to stop!" Several high-energy beams zipped past the car, but none of the agents dared to actually shoot at it.

Gu Xichen flicked his finger on the Azure Lotus Ring and casually pulled out over a dozen high-power defensive grenades manufactured by Hardwood Defense Company. He pulled open the sunroof and forcefully tossed the grenades backward.

A massive explosion rocked the entire residential district. More than ten agents were blasted nearly fifteen meters into the air. Even so, one agent shrieked at the top of his lungs, "Prince Greenta has been attacked! The culprits are in that car! Stop them, stop them!" The agent landed heavily on the ground, spitting blood a long distance away.

Gu Xichen slapped the Greenta, who was wrapped in the tablecloth, across the face and sighed wearily, "Such a nuisance. This is completely different from my original plan."

Ahead, thirty or so police officers stood arrayed across the main street. One officer screamed at the speeding car, "In the name of the Hiss Royalty, I order you to stop!"

Holm smashed the car window with a punch. His left hand extended out of the opening, and his large-caliber revolver fired continuously. All thirty-odd police officers were struck simultaneously and sent flying. Amidst piercing screams, a leg was blown clean off each of their bodies; the bullets shattered their thighs, spraying mist of blood several meters away.

The car zipped past the officers. Holm let out an excited cry, "Boss, this is the kind of day I like! Good heavens, you really should have let me follow Banruo to the Paradise Star Combat Zone!"

Gu Xichen slapped the continuously screaming and howling Greenta again and sighed helplessly, "Damn it, you warmongering maniac Holm, I need you by my side! Don't worry, once we finish things here, we'll go back, bringing back vast numbers of warships, space motherships, and rare metals. Hmm, Rox and the others will love the gifts I send them."

Holm became even more excited, wildly pulling the trigger to blast away the police and agents blocking the road while enthusiastically wiggling his hips in the driver's seat. "Of course, they'll be happy! Hahaha, Boss, we're going to become the strongest defense company in the entire Federation, aren't we? Aren't we?"

Gu Xichen also grew a bit excited, nodding repeatedly. "Yes, the strongest defense company, and the most technologically advanced! Damn it, I think Beardy Uncle can run for the next Federation President! I hate that scheming little old man, Joann, I hate him!"

The excited Holm merely kept firing his gun, while the excited Gu Xichen thrust his large body halfway out of the sunroof, enthusiastically blasting Palm Lightning at the nearly one hundred police vehicles that suddenly appeared behind them, chasing furiously. Dull thunder sounds erupted continuously, and streams of greyish-white lightning tore through the air, accurately striking the pursuing vehicles. Police cars were smashed, burst into flames, and exploded. The police and agents inside screamed as they leaped out, engulfed in flames.

"I hate the Hiss Empire!" Gu Xichen complained helplessly while excitedly launching Palm Lightning bolts. "This country completely violates my philosophy of life. My guiding principle is harmony brings wealth, but this cursed country insists on me resorting to violence."

Kicking Greenta squarely in the head, eliciting a long, high-pitched scream that soared to the clouds, Gu Xichen angrily declared, "I've decided. Once Hardwood Defense Company has fully absorbed the research data I bring back, once we have enough strength to build true First-Class warships and even space motherships, I will return with an army. The Hiss Empire—I think this territory is perfectly suited to become our Earth Federation's domain in the Star Alliance!"

Holm let out a maniacal laugh, yelling loudly, "Yes, Boss! We have five billion people, hahaha! As long as we persuade the Federation to lift the population restrictions... thirty years from now, how many people will the Geodetic Federation have? One hundred billion? Two hundred billion? We can arm an army of one hundred million and sweep through the entire Hiss Empire!"

"Yee-haw!" Holm screamed wildly in excitement. He smashed the front windshield with his bald head and thrust a large-caliber sniper cannon, which he had just materialized, out of the gap. With a deafening boom, the entire car shook violently, squeaking and grinding as it retreated dozens of meters backward. Two consecutive 50mm high-energy armor-piercing shells blasted two Hiss combat vehicles blocking the path high into the air. The materialized sniper cannon wielded by Holm possessed immense power; the two-foot-thick side armor of the combat vehicles was completely pulverized. The engine units inside were hit, and the two vehicles exploded in mid-air, two massive fireballs covering an area hundreds of meters wide.

"That's right, one hundred million Earth Federation troops sweeping through Hiss!" Gu Xichen roared with laughter, unleashing even more concentrated Palm Lightning bolts that sprayed from his palm, throwing the pursuers into chaos and disarray. Every now and then, he would also hurl two or three minor spells like 'Earth Shaker' or 'Mountain Uprooter,' blasting the smooth, wide, and clean avenue with cracks, potholes, and sunken traps, and causing stone pillars several meters high to suddenly erupt, making things miserable for the pursuing troops.

"Whoosh"—a blast of hot wind hit from above. Holm's car plunged directly into the cloud of fire created by the explosion of the two combat vehicles.

As if telepathically connected, Jin swiftly programmed a random auto-pilot route on the dashboard, setting the vehicle to its maximum speed. Gu Xichen kicked open the door on one side, grabbing Greenta with one hand and Jin with the other, and leaped out of the car. Holm let out a strange cackle as he retracted the sniper cannon, clutching a meter-long revolver in one hand, before darting out of the car right behind Gu Xichen.

A faint mist of water sprayed from Gu Xichen's body, pushing back the flames overhead. The group sped through the firelight, darting into a small alleyway by the roadside within a few steps. Gu Xichen, carrying Jin and Greenta, moved rapidly through the alley, reaching a secluded alley two blocks away in just a few flashes. Holm followed closely behind Gu Xichen with sharp, wolf-like eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, the muzzles of his two guns slowly drawing subtle arcs around his body in preparation for any contingency.

Seeing the desolate surroundings, Gu Xichen quickly materialized new appearances for Jin, Holm, and the unfortunate Greenta, and retrieved new clothes from the Azure Lotus Ring for them to change into.

"Jin, do you know the way from here?" Gu Xichen asked while menacingly forcing Greenta to change.

"Uh!" Jin's little face instantly turned ashen. She stammered and forced a dry laugh, "Maybe, possibly, I might know?"

"Damn it!" Gu Xichen remembered the infuriating incident of Yuegang Yafei throwing gold coins to ask for directions in the King's Palace! "How did you find your way in the city?"

"We have our gang's markers! They are all along the way; didn't you notice?" Jin grumbled unhappily. "Especially because we were preparing to meet me, their markers are ten times denser than usual!"

"Forget it!" Gu Xichen let out a breath, seized Greenta by the throat. "Esteemed Prince, I'm not joking with you. Because of your arrogance and tyranny, you have brought me great trouble and caused my friend immense loss—at least the loss of a high-end residence. Therefore, first, you must compensate us for all our losses."

Subject to the knife, with nowhere to run, Greenta tearfully agreed to Gu Xichen's demand. Trembling, he handed over all his bank accounts, transferring the entire 2.7 trillion Star Alliance gold coins to Jin's secure account.

The enormous sum greatly confused Gu Xichen. He asked in surprise, "So much money? Even more than what was in Gao Sen's account!"

Greenta looked at Gu Xichen, weeping miserably, "You robbed Gao Sen? Heavens, why am I so unlucky? Wuwu, this is the operational budget for the Royal Secret Investigation Department that Father put me in charge of! All their operational income is deposited into this account. You took it all, I—"

Looking at the pitiful, sniffling prince, Gu Xichen couldn't help but pat his shoulder with pity. "I'm sorry, this act of robbery is wrong, but you were the one who harassed us first, weren't you? Hmm, don't worry. Since I robbed you, I won't leave you with any lingering concerns. As the saying goes, the law does not punish the masses; before we leave, I'll empty out your other brothers too, and then we'll be gone."

Greenta stared blankly at Gu Xichen. After a long moment, he weakly groaned:

"God..."

Gu Xichen, in a much better mood, chuckled and took a handgun from Holm. He pressed the barrel against Greenta's head and said with a smile, "Now, take me to your sleeping quarters. The city is certainly under martial law; I can't think of anywhere safer than your own chambers. Of course, you can choose not to cooperate."

Gu Xichen turned to Holm and said, "Holm, make it silent."

Holm nodded, his eyes glancing at the handgun in Gu Xichen's hand. A faint silver thread flashed and vanished.

Gu Xichen turned the muzzle toward the ground and fired. Silently, a large-caliber bullet drilled a hole the size of a bowl into the ground, seemingly bottomless, yet no sound was made. Gu Xichen then aimed the muzzle at Greenta's head: "Actually, there are many ways to kill you, but I believe firearms have more deterrent power. What do you think?"

Greenta raised both hands; his previous arrogance and tyranny had completely vanished. He looked up pathetically at Gu Xichen and said, "This way, my chambers are next to the Imperial Palace."

The Imperial Palace of the Hiss Empire was a complex of ancient palaces, forming a square cluster covering an area of ten thousand square kilometers, not including the numerous surrounding mountains and gardens. This was not only the residence of the Hiss Royal Family but also the core of the Hiss Empire's power. Essentially, the headquarters of the Empire's most important and secret departments were hidden within this complex.

As a prince born from the rape of an ordinary palace maid by Tartar, Greenta's status within the royal family was awkward. Lacking the support of a powerful maternal clan and without sufficient political backing, Greenta was the dispensable, largely unnoticed type among the many Hiss princes. Even his sleeping quarters were located in an inconspicuous secondary hall in the southwest corner of the palace, covering an area of about one hundred thousand square meters. It was surrounded by broad lakes and rivers, accessible only by a bridge no wider than three meters.

Yet, this inconspicuous prince, one with almost no hope of inheriting the throne, held the operational funds for the Hiss Empire's Royal Secret Investigation Department. The implication was clear: everyone looked down on Greenta, so Greenta despised all the royals and nobles. Consequently, the Secret Investigation Department under his command acted like rabid dogs, viciously tearing at those royals and nobles, thereby effectively neutralizing the threat they posed to the throne.

Concealing their figures with the Spirit Charming Talisman of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, Gu Xichen and his party strode boldly across the winding bridge. He smiled appreciatively at Greenta, "Your father is truly skilled at judging character. Choosing you to oversee an agency specifically targeting the nobility was indeed a very wise move."

Greenta could only offer a dry laugh, currently worried about the account Gu Xichen had completely cleaned out. 2.7 trillion Star Alliance gold coins—that was the entire budget for the Secret Investigation Department! It covered over a million secret agents and informants within the Hiss Empire, tens of millions of spies and intelligence peddlers outside the Empire, the maintenance fees for the secret space fleet under the department's command, and even the compensation for the dozens of agents who had just perished—it was all gone!

"If possible, I beg you to also clean out my second brother and seventh brother!" As they neared the entrance to Greenta's chambers, Greenta cautiously made a request to Gu Xichen. "In the next few days, my second brother's maternal uncle and my seventh brother's maternal grandfather have birthdays, and both have come to the ever-unsetting St. Hiss City to celebrate. I can provide their usual travel routes and details of their accompanying bodyguards. With your strength, robbing them would be easy."

With a dry chuckle, Grenta murmured, "They are the frontrunners for the throne, so each of them possesses an administrative star. The annual tax revenue from those alone is an astronomical figure. Robbing them would yield truly splendid spoils for you."

After a moment of deep thought, Gu Xiechen sighed, "Very well. Seeing how pitiful you are, I shall grant you this favor! Now, tell me, is there to be a gathering within the palace these next few days? I mean one of those grand assemblies where all the royalty and nobility congregate?"

Grenta immediately beamed, laughing, "There is! Yes, there is one tonight, a banquet initiated by Father Emperor to celebrate the confirmed pregnancy of his newly enfeoffed consort. Gosen has returned specifically for this event because Father Emperor values harmony among us brothers; presenting small gifts to our unborn siblings at such a gathering greatly pleases him."

The group had already entered Grenta's residence. Under Grenta's guidance, they slipped in without alerting anyone, proceeding directly into his private quarters.

After retracting the Charm Talisman of Seven Emotions and Six Desires, Gu Xiechen cautiously set up several warning formations around the chamber before finally sitting down on a spacious, plush couch with a sense of relief.

Jin Le eagerly attempted to leap over to Gu Xiechen, but he shot her a stern look, shooing her onto a nearby sofa instead.

Holmes made himself perfectly at home, fetching several fine bottles of liquor from Grenta’s cellar. After pouring drinks for Gu Xiechen and Meng, he grabbed a few bottles and stationed himself by the chamber's sole entrance, setting up a heavy-caliber rapid-fire sniper cannon beside him.

Watching Grenta stand timidly before him, Gu Xiechen gently shook his head. What’s the point of all this? He found it hard to muster the energy to be angry at this sort of royal who bullies the weak but fears the strong, lacking any backbone whatsoever. Yet, he supposed this was a common trait among the Hiss royalty; that fellow Hailis was cut from the same cloth.

He gestured toward a sofa opposite him and sneered, "Sit."

Grenta quickly retreated a few steps, obediently placing half his posterior onto the edge of the sofa.

Pondering for a moment, Gu Xiechen nodded. "Will all members of the royal family and nobility be present at tonight's banquet?"

Grenta carefully organized his phrasing before answering cautiously, "Most of the royal family and nobility currently within the Hiss Empire will be attending. Father Emperor enjoys a lively atmosphere. Uh, all the nobles on Saint Hiss Star will certainly be there. But my seventh brother, Hailis Hiss, for instance—he is currently leading a fleet chasing the Queen of a minor nation in the Spiral Sector; he won't have time to return."

"Gosen was robbed, and you were kidnapped. Will this banquet still proceed as scheduled?" Gu Xiechen asked, frowning.

If such a banquet were genuinely taking place, he would be delighted. It would save him a considerable amount of effort. One well-timed shot from Holmes onto the targeted consort, and the commission would be complete. The thought of the ten super-dreadnoughts the Romans had left behind—as Hailis had mentioned—sent a thrill of heat through Gu Xiechen.

"Of course!" Grenta replied dryly. "You don't understand the current Emperor of the Hiss Empire, my father. His prestige matters more than anything. Never mind that I was kidnapped; even if my corpse lay before him, he would ensure the banquet proceeds as planned, likely with even greater pomp and extravagance."

Smiling bitterly, Grenta spoke in a low voice, "If my second, third, or seventh brothers had been kidnapped, perhaps he would fret a little. But as for me... I am just a tool to him, aren't I?"

After a silence, Gu Xiechen stated placidly, "Then, that is excellent."

He looked at the increasingly anxious Grenta and said calmly, "Rest assured, we are not bloodthirsty brutes; we are honorable men seeking wealth. We are experts from the top-ranked consortium in the Star Alliance. Our purpose here is purely financial. Therefore, after the banquet, I will abduct your third and seventh brothers. I will do nothing extraneous. Cooperate with me fully, and you will remain unharmed."

His words were like a soothing balm, calming Grenta's agitated spirit. If both Yulisis and Karukis Hiss were also robbed, the entire Hiss royal family would suffer this humiliation, and Grenta’s personal responsibility would be significantly lessened. If two powerful, influential brothers could be robbed, it was only natural that Grenta would be, too.

Silence reigned. There was little for Gu Xiechen and Grenta to discuss, and as for Gu Xiechen and Jin, he certainly had no desire to exchange many words with her.

The banquet at the Hiss Imperial Palace was set to commence in thirteen hours, which would coincide with the blooming of the Hiss Empire's national flower, the 'Midnight White Sandalwood.' Dignitaries and nobles of the Hiss Empire favored hosting their social functions amidst the splendor, elegant fragrance, and intoxicating perfume of this miraculous flower—it was a symbol of status and standing.

Thirteen hours. Gu Xiechen sighed in resignation. If Fuya Ming were here, he wouldn't fear running out of conversation topics.

Glancing at the timid Grenta and the persistent Jin, who kept sending him alluring glances, Gu Xiechen shook his head, sat cross-legged on the couch, cleared his mind, and slowly sank into the cultivation state of the Taiyin True Scripture.

Powerful Primordial Chaos energy erupted from his cells. Under the refinement of the Taiyin Profound Pearl, the Taiyin Profound Armor within his body grew denser and stronger. The Taiyin Blazing Flame traveled through his meridians alongside the Profound Armor, while Gu Xiechen’s divine consciousness followed the circulation of the true essence, silently observing his physical form.

What a marvel this innate physical body was!

In Gu Xiechen’s spiritual vision, his body resembled a statue cast in pure gold, emitting a faint radiance. However, all this radiance was confined within his body, three inches from the skin. An invisible shackle bound the light emanating from within him.

This shackle was precisely what Gu Xiechen had sensed during his closed-door cultivation a few days prior—the very restraint that trapped his power, preventing him from breaking through to the Void Realm.

"Heh heh, all cultivators only know the how, but not the why. This shackle is the threshold to the Void Realm, the membrane separating mortals from true Immortals! The Taiyin True Scripture truly lives up to its name as a Primordial-level treasure; it allows me to sense this shackle so clearly. Break through it, and I become a Grandmaster of the Void Realm!"

The Taiyin Profound Armor, carrying the Taiyin Blazing Flame, fiercely battered the invisible shackle, causing it to shake precariously. Gu Xiechen could even hear the faint, delicate sound of it fracturing.

This wondrous sensation was something ordinary cultivators could never perceive. They only knew practice, practice, cultivation year after year, constantly elevating their realms and power until, one day, achieving a breakthrough naturally. Only by cultivating techniques on the level of the Taiyin True Scripture could one clearly know why they cultivate and why they must cultivate in this specific manner!

This shackle resembled a serpentine, nine-coiled golden dragon, stretching from Gu Xiechen's Sea of Consciousness throughout all his meridians and spiritual orifices. Several extremely ancient runes flickered faintly upon the shackle.

Gu Xiechen's divine sense gently swept over these runes. Traces of primeval, ancient aura continuously merged with his consciousness from the runes, causing his spiritual sense to gradually strengthen and solidify—like a sapling slowly transforming into a towering tree capable of withstanding storms and tempests.

"Heavenly Dao..."

Two tears tracked down from the corners of Gu Xiechen's eyes, and his heart suddenly leaped. He instinctively opened his eyes.

The invisible, traceless shackle could no longer be sensed. Gu Xiechen turned his head toward the entrance of Grenta's chamber. The warning formations he had set had been triggered; someone was outside the door.

With a wave of the Charm Talisman of Seven Emotions and Six Desires, Gu Xiechen cloaked the figures of his group.

A dozen men and women, clad in ancient court uniforms, walked slowly into the chamber, led by a gray-haired elder. The elder's legs moved like the two legs of a compass, taking stiff, mechanical steps as he entered. He swept a dignified gaze over the furnishings of the chamber.

"Move this painting screen away. Be careful," the elder instructed. "His Majesty specifically requested this antique for decorating the venue; it must not suffer the slightest damage." The elder pointed to a large screen painted with elaborate, exquisite watercolors tucked into a corner of the chamber. Two male and female servants rushed to the screen, cautiously approaching the twelve-meter-wide, two-meter-tall panel. As they moved it, they revealed a circular, rose-pink plush couch behind it. Several items of distinctly feminine lace lingerie lay scattered on the couch—all made of a light, sheer pink material.

Gu Xiechen glanced at Grenta with surprise. Grenta shrugged.

"What unlucky timing for the boy," Gu Xiechen muttered with resignation. News of Grenta's abduction must have reached Emperor Tartar of Hiss, yet His Majesty was still busy organizing a banquet and was now extracting "antiques" from his kidnapped son's quarters to decorate the venue.

The main body of the screen was crafted from some sort of pale yellowish-brown, translucent carapace material, upon which a landscape of rugged mountains and dense peaks was painted with detail akin to high-precision photography. The frame of the screen was made of a dark, lustrous wood that seemed to shimmer with metallic light. The entire screen appeared immensely heavy.

Yet, these servants lifted the screen without the slightest sign of strain.

"Strange!" Gu Xiechen scanned the screen with his divine sense, surprised. He hadn't noticed the screen earlier, but now he realized it was highly peculiar. A screen this large should have significant weight, yet these ordinary servants lifted it as if it were weightless.

As his divine sense passed over it, the clouds and winds atop the painted mountain peak suddenly stirred, and the entire screen emitted a faint yellow light.

The old man suddenly laughed, "Oh, this is truly marvelous! It is worthy of being an ancient relic treasured by our Hiss royal family. This painting technique is utterly incredible. What material possesses such a beautiful luster? What artistic master could achieve such lifelike brushwork?"

Gu Xiechen gaped in astonishment, wishing he could stuff a grenade directly into the old man’s mouth.

What nonsense about painting technique! The landscape within the screen was a projection of a real landscape captured using divine ability. Though the scenery appeared ethereal, once the 'Thousand Miles Image, Inch-Court Universe' divine ability within it was activated, the painted scene would instantly transform into genuine mountains and rivers.

This divine ability was meticulously documented in the Great Wilderness Scripture; it was a treasure used by true ancient powerhouses to furnish their cultivation retreats, nurture their beloved exotic birds and beasts, or conduct other clandestine affairs. Although this screen could contain a world spanning hundreds of miles and support tens of thousands of living beings—making it inferior to the Buddhist concept of mustard seed becoming Mount Sumeru—it was still a formidable display of divine power.

The material forming the screen was also unique: the main body was composed of the spiritual turtle carapace found only in the abyssal depths thousands of miles down; the frame was crafted from 'Spirit-Guiding Wood.' This spiritual turtle carapace was nearly indestructible, ensuring that even if someone accidentally knocked the screen over, the small world contained within would not be destroyed. The 'Spirit-Guiding Wood' was even more miraculous; though shaped into lumber, it retained vibrant vitality, constantly absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and storing it within the screen to nourish the beings inside.

No wonder Grenta's chamber had felt slightly mystical when they first entered—the concentration of spiritual energy inside was slightly higher than the outside world. That was the effect of the Spirit-Guiding Wood.

Watching the old man direct the servants carrying the screen away with a cold gaze, Gu Xiechen turned to the ashen-faced Grenta and mocked him, "Your father treats you quite well."

Grenta stared blankly for a moment, then finally managed a bitter smile. "Actually, he's been okay to me too. This antique screen is a very famous 'delicacy,' well-known in noble circles across many nations. Several Five-Star Civilization royal families have even borrowed this screen from Father Emperor to display at their large banquets."

Grenta grimaced slightly and continued blandly, "Among all my brothers, I am the only one Father Emperor gifted such an antique. Although there are seventeen such artifacts in the Hiss Imperial Palace, Father Emperor bestowed this one only upon me."

"Seventeen of them?" Gu Xiechen clicked his tongue.

Grenta narrowed his eyes and chuckled, "These antiques are extremely famous; they are treasures our Hiss royal family has gradually collected over the years. Once, another monarch offered my Father Emperor an entire planet in exchange for one of them, but Father Emperor refused. Their value is beyond description; even 'priceless' fails to capture their true worth."

Looking at Grenta, Gu Xiechen found the situation amusing. "Are you encouraging me to cause trouble at the banquet?"

Grenta spread his hands, adopting a sincere expression. "The other sixteen exquisite artifacts are usually stored in Father Emperor's private chambers; you wouldn't be able to obtain them from there."

Observing Grenta's eyes darting about, Gu Xiechen suddenly laughed. "Oh, then I shall indeed cause trouble at the banquet. If I accidentally kill a few nobles or royals there and then unfortunately get captured, can I claim that you incited me to do it?"

Grenta's face instantly turned deathly pale. He gasped, "No, you can't—"

Thump. Holmes brought the butt of his gun down hard on the back of Grenta's head. Grenta’s eyes rolled back, and he slumped over, cleanly knocked unconscious.

Gu Xiechen glanced at Jin, who replied obediently, "You've been sitting in that strange posture for quite a while now. The banquet is about to begin."

"Excellent!"

Stomping heavily on Grenta's head once more, Gu Xiechen strode out of the chamber.

"I'll teach you to flirt with me!" Jin delivered a vicious kick to Grenta's groin, then snatched up an antique floor lamp stand nearby and smashed it violently several times onto Grenta's head.

"No one who dares flirt with me ever comes to a good end! For the next three months, the main operations of the Broken Hook Syndicate will be focused on your Hiss Empire! Hmph!"

Gnasihing her teeth, Jin snatched the heavy-caliber revolver from Holmes's hand and fired a round directly into Grenta's lower abdomen. Only then, satisfied, did she hurry out after Gu Xiechen.

"Poor boy! God will protect you!" Holmes looked pityingly at the fate of the man lying on the floor, crossed himself hastily over his chest.

Staggering to the chamber door, Holmes muttered to himself, "But can God even reach here? That's crossing a boundary!"

Sighing, Holmes quickly chased after Gu Xiechen.

Guided by Gu Xiechen's divine sense, the trio marched boldly through the Hiss Imperial Palace, sheltered by the concealment of the Charm Talisman of Seven Emotions and Six Desires.