From cute to empress

Chapter 309 The Thrill of the Dark Night

The cold light of the blade flashed before my eyes, and the breath of death was so close. I closed my eyes and waited for fate to come.

But the expected pain did not come, only a deafening roar echoed in the cave: "Stop!"

I opened my eyes and saw a tall figure standing in front of me, brandishing a hunting knife in his hand with great vigor, forcing the rebels to retreat.

"You bunch of heartless creatures, you even dare to touch Her Majesty the Empress?!" The man who came was Hunter C who showed me the way that day. Behind him was a group of hunters holding bows and arrows, and sticks. They all had fierce looks on their faces and surrounded Prince A, Marquis B and others.

"Who are you? How dare you ruin our good thing!" Marquis B shouted in a timid manner.

Hunter C sneered, "Are you blind? You don't even recognize us? We are hunters from this mountain, blessed by the royal family for generations. Today, we will enforce justice and slay these traitors!"

After saying that, he took the initiative to attack, and the hunting knife in his hand stabbed at Marquis B like lightning. The latter tried to resist in a hurry, but was kicked to the ground by Hunter C.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Hunter C turned around and asked with concern.

I shook my head, suppressing the fear and excitement in my heart: "I'm fine, thank you all for your help!"

"Your Majesty, you're welcome. Protecting you is our duty!" Hunter C said, winking at his companions behind him. "Brothers, go ahead and capture these rebels!"

A melee broke out instantly. Although the hunters were few in number, they were all experienced fighters. In addition, they occupied the advantage of terrain and quickly suppressed the arrogance of Prince A, Marquis B and others.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Prince A said "retreat" and fled with his remaining troops.

I watched them fleeing in panic, feeling a mixture of emotions. Although I was safe for the time being, how could I rest in peace when Zhen Youcai's whereabouts remained unknown, and his life or death was uncertain?

"Your Majesty, are you worried about that general?" Hunter C seemed to see through my thoughts.

I nodded, fighting back tears and asking, "Do you know where they're taking him?"

Hunter C pondered for a moment and said, "As far as I know, there's an abandoned mine fifty miles south. It's easy to defend but difficult to attack. They're probably hiding their men there."

"Mine?" I muttered to myself, a glimmer of hope in my eyes. "There's no time to lose, let's go and rescue him!"

"Your Majesty, please follow me!" Hunter C said, sheathing the hunting knife in his hand, and turned to walk out of the cave. I followed closely behind him, praying silently in my heart: Zhen Youcai, you must wait for me!

Outside the cave, the night was dark, with only a crescent moon hanging on the treetops, casting a little light.

I jumped on my horse and was about to set off when I suddenly remembered the book that contained the secrets of the intelligent magic circle. I asked Hunter C, "Have you ever seen a copy of that..."

Before I could finish my words, Hunter C pulled out a thick book from his pocket and handed it to me: "Your Majesty, are you looking for this?"

I took the book, feeling even more confused. I looked up at him and said, "This..."

"This...where did you get this book?" I took the book in surprise, my fingers gently stroking the familiar lines on the pages, and my doubts grew even more.

Hunter C smiled innocently, "Your Majesty, I found this book outside the cave. Judging from the material and workmanship, I knew it was no ordinary item. I thought it might belong to Your Majesty, so I've been carrying it with me."

I nodded, silent, but a storm of anxiety surged within me. Orion Bing's appearance was too coincidental. Why would he help me? And what exactly did he mean by "royal favor"? A series of questions swirled in my mind, but I didn't have time to dwell on them. Saving Zhen Youcai was the most urgent task.

"Do you know where that abandoned mine is?" I jumped on my horse and asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I know the way." Hunter Bing said, and he also jumped on a strong horse and walked in front to lead the way.

We sped along the rugged mountain road in the dim moonlight. The cold wind howled, stinging my cheeks, but a fire burned in my heart, dispelling all the cold and fear.

After an unknown amount of time, we arrived at a valley. Hunter Bing stopped his horse and pointed ahead, saying, "Your Majesty, the mine is not far ahead."

I looked up and saw a desolate and overgrown area in front of me. Only a few dilapidated houses stood alone in the night, exuding a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere.

"Your Majesty, we can't stay here for long. Let's go in as soon as possible." Hunter C said in a low voice.

I nodded and was about to dismount when suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something flashing coldly under a big tree not far away.

An idea struck me, and I immediately dismounted and walked towards the big tree.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?" Hunter C also dismounted and asked in confusion.

I ignored him and squatted down, pushing aside the dense grass. I saw a dagger lying there quietly, shining with a cold light. On the handle of the dagger was a lifelike scorpion engraved.

My pupils suddenly shrank. This dagger... was exactly the one used by the assassin who attacked me that night!

"Your Majesty, do you recognize this dagger?" Hunter C asked, with a hint of subtle nervousness in his tone.

I took a deep breath and slowly stood up, a cold light flashing in my eyes: "Yes, it belongs to an assassin who wants to kill me."

Hunter C's face changed, and he was about to say something, but I raised my hand to interrupt him.

"You take the men to the mine, and I'll go after the assassin. Remember, no one is allowed to act rashly without my order."

After saying that, I ignored Hunter C's dissuasion and turned to chase in the direction where the assassin disappeared.

In the night wind, I seemed to hear Zhen Youcai's anxious call in my ears, I must find you and avenge you!

Deep in the woods, a dark shadow flashed by. I quickened my pace and followed closely behind the shadow.

I chased the dark shadow all the way through the dense woods and over the rugged mountain roads, with only one thought in my mind: catch him!

Finally, I caught up with him on an open meadow.

"Who are you? Why do you want to assassinate me?" I drew the sword at my waist and pointed it at the assassin's throat.

The assassin slowly turned around, and the moonlight shone on his face, revealing a strange face.

"Who sent you?" I asked again, my tone full of anger.

The assassin sneered, "Want to know? Go ask the King of Hell!"

Before he could finish his words, he brandished the dagger in his hand and attacked me.

His movements were swift and fierce, each one deadly, clearly a result of special training. I didn't dare to be careless, dodging his attacks while looking for opportunities to counterattack.

We fought like this in the moonlight, with swords flashing and murderous intent.

Although I was an empress, I had practiced martial arts since childhood and was quite skilled. Coupled with the rage burning in my heart, I unleashed extraordinary strength, fighting the assassin to a standstill.

After a few rounds, the assassin gradually lost the upper hand. He seemed to realize that he was no match for me, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

I seized the opportunity and thrust my sword towards his chest. The assassin was unable to dodge and was stabbed in the shoulder.

He groaned and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground.

I was about to step forward to subdue him, but suddenly I felt a strong wind from behind.

I was startled and quickly dodged to the side.

With a "bang", a sharp arrow flew past my cheek and hit the tree trunk behind me.

I was still in shock and looked up. Not far away, I saw a man in black drawing a bow and arrow, aiming at me.

"careful!"

A familiar voice sounded in my ears, and then a figure flashed by and protected me behind him.

"Zhen Youcai!" I shouted in surprise, my eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"Mengmeng, are you okay?" Zhen Youcai turned his head and asked with concern, his tone full of worry.

I shook my head, grabbed his hand, and said with a sob, "You...why are you here?"

Zhen Youcai smiled slightly and said, "I have always been protecting you in secret, but you just don't know it."

My heart suddenly trembled and a warm feeling surged in my heart.

It turns out that he has been protecting me silently, but I was completely unaware.

Zhen Youcai suddenly pulled me behind him, drew his sword, and fought with the assassins and the men in black.

Only then did I realize that the assassins and the men in black were well-trained killers. They worked in perfect harmony and their moves were ruthless. It was obvious that they wanted to kill us.

Zhen Youcai fought one against two, but he was not at a disadvantage at all. His swordsmanship was extremely sharp, and every move was full of murderous intent, like an angry lion guarding his territory.

I stood aside and watched him fight bravely, my heart filled with emotion and admiration.

I know that I have fallen in love with this man, this man who is willing to give everything for me.

Finally, under Zhen Youcai's fierce attack, the assassins and the men in black gradually lost their strength and were eventually subdued by him one by one.

"Tie them up!" Zhen Youcai ordered.

I immediately stepped forward, cut off their belts with the assassin's dropped dagger, and tied them up.

"Tell me, who sent you here?" Zhen Youcai asked sternly.

The assassin and the man in black looked at each other, a hint of fear flashed in their eyes, but they kept their mouths shut and refused to reveal a word.

Zhen Youcai sneered and said, "You won't tell me? Then don't blame me for being rude!"

As he spoke, he raised the sword in his hand and pretended to chop it down.

"I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" The assassin and the man in black were so frightened that they begged for mercy.

"Who is it?" I asked impatiently.

The assassin and the man in black took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice, "Yes... yes..."

I held my breath, waiting for their answer.

"It's Prince A and Marquis B!"

I was stunned on the spot, my heart was filled with turmoil and I couldn't calm down for a long time.

Zhen Youcai held my hand, and I felt it tremble slightly. We both understood what this meant...