Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Sword Tower City appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath. The government's forceful suppression and control of public opinion, along with the officials leading their subordinates to sweep and arrest people everywhere, have resulted in a peaceful scene in the streets and alleys, where everyone is civilized and polite, and even verbal conflicts are rare.

The chaos was reduced by at least 99%, the tense situation gradually stabilized, and order was quickly restored.

It truly proves the old saying: in this corrupt world, one should fight against Heaven and demons rather than against officials.

Those brave individuals who dared to defy the law have already been beheaded and displayed in the execution grounds. In the dungeon of the Censorate, suspects were gagged, hung up and beaten three times a day, subjected to various torture instruments in turn. Their methods were extremely cruel, bloody, inhuman, and vicious to the point of being appalling.

Suspects were not distinguished by gender; as long as they were not officials, the Censorate officials would show no mercy and act without restraint. They were truly vicious, aiming to kill them if they couldn't. They would even use red-hot iron pliers to artificially sterilize suspects...

The basic procedure is to beat the suspect first and then question them, rather than questioning them first and then beating them. Crucially, there is also a medical team to treat the suspect's injuries and ensure they don't die.

Such ruthless and bloody methods would make anyone avoid their sharp edge and dare not charge headlong into the line of fire.

But is it really calm now? No, it's only on the surface. Illegal and criminal activities still exist behind the scenes, only now they've moved from the open to the shadows, and from the shadows to even darker places. Because for every policy, there's a countermeasure. How can you expect the water to become completely clear?

The black and gray market businesses will never stop; they will only hide deeper.

As long as there is profit to be made, there will never be a shortage of desperate people willing to take the risk.

However, those who make money through black and gray industries are more discreet and dare not be so blatant. These desperados are like rats in the sewers, hiding in dark places to survive, living in constant fear, licking blood from the edge of a knife, and dying a terrible death if they are not careful.

When Fourth Master speaks, it's no joke. Anyone who dares to step into the line of fire at this time is simply asking for trouble.

"Zhou Qingfeng recently sent me a private invitation to the Dragon Ascension Banquet, inviting heroes from all over the world to attend the Millennium Dragon Ascension Banquet." On the Yellow Crane Tower, Qin Xinsu's lips curled slightly as she held a Dragon Ascension Banquet in her hand, standing at the window and gazing in the direction of the Censorate, dressed in a bright red silk robe.

Qin Fu and Qin Yang are both peak cultivators of the sixth realm of Thunder Dao, and thus they serve as Qin Xinsu's protectors.

Ordinary people would not receive this treatment, but Qin Xinsu, the second young lady of the Qin family in Benlei City, is recognized by the Qin family as an unparalleled genius in the path of thunder. Her talent in thunder is terrifying and unmatched. She is the most promising new generation leader who has the best chance of leading the Qin family to reach even greater heights. She absolutely cannot afford to lose her.

Therefore, the two elders, Qin Fu and Qin Yang, accompanied Qin Xinsu on this trip to Jianta Denglong to ensure her safety.

Looking across this turbid and evil world, there are only a hundred families that can produce two sixth-realm protectors.

This is already a very large undertaking.

The elder of the Qin clan said, "Has the young master decided to attend the banquet?"

The Qin Yang clan elder said, "Those who come are not well-intentioned; those who are well-intentioned do not come. This is a trap; young master should not go."

Qin Xinsu held the Dragon Ascension Token in front of her, a wicked smile playing on her lips: "What an interesting scheme set up by Zhou Silang! All the heroes of the world gathered together, tsk tsk tsk, just thinking about it makes me excited, how could I miss it?"

Qin Yang said, "Knowing it's a trap, you still want to go?"

Qin Xinsu stood with her hands behind her back, turned around and glanced at Qin Yang, coldly saying, "Elder Qin Yang, are you teaching this young master how to do things?"

Qin Yang lowered his head slightly: "I wouldn't dare."

Qin Fu said, "Young Master, please calm down. Qin Yang meant well. Please don't take offense."

Qin Xinsu said, "Don't try to act superior in front of me, young master. Remember your place. I'm the head of the Qin family!"

Qin Fu and Qin Yang remained silent, only looking down at their toes, not daring to disobey Qin Xinsu.

The Qin family has three sons. Qin Dalang is an extraordinary prodigy, whose talent in thunder magic may even surpass that of Qin Xinsu. Unfortunately, he gave up his position as the first in line to inherit the title of Lord of Benlei City and instead publicly announced that he was joining the Renxin Sect, which greatly hurt the entire Qin family.

Under normal circumstances, the direct line of the Qin family would be considered useless in this generation, and they could only hope that new talents would emerge in the next generation.

However, Miss Qin the Second was also a super genius. However, she was domineering, arrogant, and haughty, and regarded all the heroes in the world as prey. No one in the Qin family dared to go against her wishes. The key point was that the Qin family head also let her have her way and spoiled his daughter quite a bit.

Qin Wanli, the third son of the Qin family, is a well-known "big shot" in the world. He made a name for himself in the battle of the Heavenly Ranking, kneeling down and begging for mercy in public, which shocked the world and almost made the Qin family lose face. In the end, it was Qin Xinsu who turned the tide and made it back on the Heavenly Ranking.

However, it seems that the two prodigies of their generation have exhausted the Qin family's fortune.

In this generation of the Qin family, only Qin Xinsu is capable of shouldering great responsibilities. She is the undisputed Lord of Benlei City. Who in the Qin family would dare to defy her?

It means that Qin Xinsu is going to lead her group in a rebellion.

The head of the Qin family would have to clap his hands and say it was well done, wonderfully done, absolutely fantastic. Come, here, you can sit in the city lord's seat, and your father will be your assistant.

Otherwise, what could be done? The eldest brother didn't become the city lord but instead became a thief, so the only option was to kill off the entire eldest brother's faction. The third brother was a well-known good-for-nothing, with no civil or military officials to his side, so he was no threat. That left only the second brother.

The entire power in Benlei City sided with the second-in-command, who, though without the title of city lord, held the power in reality.

It's no longer something that the Qin family head can simply depose or replace at will.

Having more children wouldn't make a difference; it would just mean having a few more good-for-nothings to raise. It wouldn't threaten Qin Xinsu's position at all, because Qin Xinsu is the eldest daughter of the Qin family. As long as she has this status, no matter how many younger brothers and sisters she has, they can't shake Qin Xinsu's position in the slightest.

Unless the Qin family head is blinded by greed and destroys his own defenses, leading to another bloody purge, the situation is unsolvable.

"The Millennium Dragon Ascension Banquet, Zhou Silang, hehehe..." Qin Xinsu ignored the two elders, Qin Fu and Qin Yang, put her hands behind her back and looked out the window. Her red lips parted slightly and she let out an incomprehensible laugh. Her eyes became more and more sharp, and she gripped the Dragon Ascension Talisman in her palm with increasing force.

Qin Xinsu harbored a deep resentment for missing out on the top spot on the Heavenly Ranking back then. She knew that her arrogance had caused her to miss out on the top spot, and she wanted to confront Zhou Qingfeng head-on until the very end. However, Zhou Qingfeng never even glanced at her and never regarded her as an opponent.

This deeply hurt Qin Xinsu, severely damaging her self-esteem, and she regretted it for many years.

Occasionally, when she thought of Zhou Qingfeng's unparalleled charm at night, she felt resentful and genuinely angry. She desperately wanted to find another opportunity to spar with Zhou Qingfeng. She wanted to let Zhou Qingfeng know that she, Qin Xinsu, was a formidable opponent worthy of serious consideration, not some nameless nobody.

Now that the opportunity has come, how could she miss it? Even if she knew it was Zhou Qingfeng's scheme, she still wanted to test her skills against him.

She wanted this proud man, as dazzling as the sun, to remember her name, Qin Xinsu.

Only by defeating such an arrogant and overbearing man can one gain a long-lost sense of accomplishment.

Moreover, the journey to the Millennium Dragon Ascension Banquet will indeed allow us to gather more information about the Ancient Path of Godhood, making it worthwhile.

Of course, there's no need to discuss these matters with the two elderly men who have recovered from their illnesses.

Because Qin Xinsu's entire life was about doing things the way of a tyrant: those who obey me prosper, and those who oppose me perish. She never needed to explain herself to anyone!