From cute to empress

Chapter 243: Uneasy Prelude after the Conference

The gates of the Golden Throne Hall slowly opened, letting in dazzling sunlight, illuminating the densely packed crowd before the hall. Shouts and curses, the clash of weapons—all sorts of sounds mingled together, like a pot of boiling porridge, swirling around my ears. I took a deep breath, stepped outside, and scanned the chaotic scene before me with a hawk-like gaze.

"Who is making a noise in front of my palace?" I asked in a deep voice. My voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone.

The crowd stirred for a moment, then quieted down, all eyes fixed on me. I saw familiar faces: leaders of prestigious righteous sects, leaders of powerful evil factions, and friends I'd made in the martial arts world... Their faces were filled with anger, suspicion, and even hatred.

"Niu Mengmeng! How long are you going to keep pretending?!" A voice shouted from the crowd, "You colluded with the demonic cult and murdered your fellow believers, and now you want to put the blame on us?!"

"That's right! You, the devil girl, must be killed by everyone!"

"Hand over the demonic cult monster, otherwise, I will destroy your palace today!"

Waves of angry voices surged, nearly drowning me. I gripped the Xuanyuan Sword tightly, but my heart remained remarkably calm. I knew someone was manipulating all of this, and all I had to do was find that person and expose the truth to the world!

"Master Xiaoyao, do you have any clues?" I turned my head to look at Master Xiaoyao beside me. He still had that cynical smile on his face, but it made me feel inexplicably at ease.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. The fish has been hooked." Master Xiaoyao said, handing me a note. "This is his next plan, and..." He paused, lowering his voice, "his hiding place."

I took the note, glanced at the contents, and immediately understood.

"General Zhen!" I turned to look at Zhen Youcai in the crowd. He was wearing silver armor, holding a spear in his hand, standing there like a javelin, exuding a cold murderous aura. Hearing my call, he immediately raised his head and looked at me with a determined gaze.

"The general is here!"

"You will lead the imperial guards and follow me to capture the traitors!"

"As ordered!"

……

This is a secluded valley, surrounded by mountains, with only a narrow mountain path leading into it. The dense forest blocks out the sun, shrouding the valley in darkness. The occasional cries of crows add a touch of eerie atmosphere.

Our group sneaked into the valley quietly and, according to the information provided by Master Xiaoyao, quickly found the traitor's hiding place - a dilapidated wooden house.

"Your Majesty, be careful of traps!" Zhen Youcai warned in a low voice.

I nodded and signaled him and others to stand guard outside. I held the Xuanyuan Sword and slowly approached the wooden house.

"Squeak-"

The wooden door made a harsh sound. I took a deep breath, pushed the door open and rushed in.

The cabin was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the smell of decay. A dark figure stood in the center of the room, its back to me, seemingly unaware of my presence.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" I asked in a deep voice.

The black shadow slowly turned around. In the dim light, I couldn't see his face clearly. I could only see a pair of eyes full of resentment.

"Want to know who I am? Haha, you will know soon..." The black shadow laughed strangely, and his figure flashed and pounced towards me.

A fierce battle is about to break out.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the door of the wooden house was knocked open, and Zhen Youcai and the imperial guards rushed in. When they saw the scene before them, they couldn't help but gasp.

The once dilapidated wooden house had been razed to the ground. Several corpses lay on the ground, blood staining the ground red, and the air was thick with the smell of blood. I stood in the center of the ruins, Xuanyuan Sword dripping with blood in my hand, and my clothes were also stained with blood. I looked a little disheveled, but it couldn't hide the king's dominance.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Zhen Youcai hurried forward and asked with concern.

I shook my head to indicate that I was fine, then walked up to the dark shadow and used the tip of my sword to lift his veil, revealing a distorted and unfamiliar face.

"Who is he?" Zhen Youcai asked with a frown, obviously not knowing this person.

I looked at the face full of resentment, and suddenly a feeling of uneasiness surged in my heart. I slowly said: "If I'm not mistaken, he should be..." "If I'm not mistaken, he should be... the abandoned disciple of Kunlun Sect, Duan Chou." I took a deep breath and said slowly.

Everyone present was shocked when these words came out. Kunlun Sect was a well-known and prestigious sect in the martial arts world. How could they have taught such a disciple?

"Duan Chou? Impossible!" An old voice rang out from the crowd, trembling with disbelief. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Sect Leader Jianxin, his face pale and shaking in disbelief. "Duan Chou is a child I watched grow up. He's incredibly talented and kind-hearted. There's no way he could do such a thing!"

I was silent for a moment, and threw the blood-stained cloth in my hand in front of Master Jianxin. It was searched from Duan Chou, and it was embroidered with the logo of Kunlun Sect. It was obviously a token of the disciples of Kunlun Sect.

"Master, do you recognize this piece of cloth?"

Sect Leader Kenshin picked up the piece of cloth with trembling hands and examined it carefully for a moment. His expression suddenly became even uglier. He moved his lips but could not speak.

"Duan Chou was expelled from the Kunlun Sect for stealing forbidden techniques. He harbored a grudge, so he orchestrated this series of events, attempting to provoke war between the major sects and profit from it himself." I gazed coldly at Duan Chou's corpse, speaking word by word. "He used the name of the Demon Sect to commit evil everywhere, blaming the righteous for the crime. He also deliberately left clues to lead you to kill each other, so that he could reap the benefits."

"This..." Sect Leader Jianxin's face turned pale as he slumped to the ground, seemingly unable to accept this fact. He had always prided himself on being a role model of righteousness, teaching his disciples to be upright and honest. He had never expected to raise such a ruthless and cruel disciple. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to him.

"Hahaha... ahem..." The Blood Blade Sect leader nearby suddenly burst into laughter, his voice filled with irony and sadness. "How ridiculous! My Blood Blade Sect has dominated the martial arts world for hundreds of years, and in the end, we're fooled around by a brat!"

"Although Duan Chou is a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, his actions are all personal and have nothing to do with the Kunlun Sect." I looked at Sect Master Jianxin and Sect Master Xuedao and said in a deep voice, "Now that the truth is out, the grudge between the two elders should be settled."

Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Jianxin and Sect Leader Xuedao were both stunned, looking at each other with complicated expressions. They had fought for most of their lives, their hatred for each other was as deep as the sea, but now, because of a common enemy, they felt a little awkward.

"Ah..." After a long silence, Sect Leader Jianxin sighed, slowly stood up, and bowed to Sect Leader Xuedao, "Brother Xuedao, I was wrong about you before. Please forgive me."

The Blood Blade Sect Master also sighed and returned the greeting, "Brother Jianxin, you are too kind. I was too impulsive."

"It is a blessing for the world of martial arts that the two seniors can put aside their past grudges." Seeing this, I felt relieved.

"Your Majesty, the martial arts world has been peaceful for so long, and now something like this has happened. I'm afraid..." The Lingjiu Palace Master, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up, his eyes sweeping across the crowd, and he said meaningfully, "I think it's time..."

The Vulture Palace Master hadn't finished her words, but the people present understood the meaning behind them. While the martial arts world appeared calm on the surface, undercurrents were surging. Duan Chou's incident was merely the trigger.

"Palace Master, what you said is absolutely right." I nodded. After a moment's silence, I said loudly, "I have decided to hold a martial arts conference in the Imperial City in seven days. At that time, all major sects in the martial arts world will gather together to discuss strategies for maintaining peace in the martial arts world!"

As soon as I finished speaking, everyone present began to discuss. The martial arts conference hadn't been held in decades, the last one being to counter the invasion of the Demonic Cult.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Sect Leader Jianxin was the first to respond, and the leaders of other sects also echoed him.

Seven days later, the martial arts conference was held as scheduled.

The Imperial City was bustling with activity. Indigenous people from all corners of the world had gathered here, including many renowned martial arts masters. They were all in high spirits, their auras calm and composed, clearly well prepared.

I was wearing a dragon robe and a phoenix crown, and surrounded by Zhen Youcai and a group of palace maids, I slowly walked up to the high platform built in the palace square.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" In the square, the dense crowd knelt down in unison, and the roar of thunder and waves resounded through the sky.

I raised my hand to signal everyone to stand. My eyes swept across the faces below, some familiar and some unfamiliar, and I spoke loudly, "Heroes, I have summoned you all here today because..."

I told everyone the whole story of the Duan Chou incident and his conspiracy to sow discord.

After listening to my story, there was an uproar in the audience. Everyone was talking about it, and many people showed expressions of shock and anger on their faces.

After everyone calmed down a bit, I continued, "Jianghu is the foundation of the martial arts world. Right now, it's in turmoil, and we need all the heroes to join hands and overcome this difficult time!"

"I hope that from today onwards, everyone can put aside their differences, work together sincerely, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the martial arts world!"

As soon as I finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience. The leaders of the major sects also stood up, expressing their willingness to respond to the court's call and promote peace in the martial arts world.

Finally, with the joint efforts of the imperial court and the major sects, the martial arts conference was a complete success. The major sects reached an agreement on peaceful coexistence at the conference, promising not to invade each other and jointly maintain the order of the martial arts world.

Looking at the smiles on the faces of the audience, I was filled with relief and hope. The world is peaceful, the people live and work in peace, and my goal seems to have been achieved.

However, just after the martial arts conference concluded, I received a mysterious letter revealing a secret about Zhen Youcai... I clutched the letter tightly, my heart awash with anxiety, unable to calm down for a long time. What was going on? Was all this just the calm before the storm?

The successful holding of the martial arts conference gradually brought peace to the once turbulent martial arts world. As night fell, the imperial city seemed to celebrate this hard-earned tranquility. From the high platform, I watched as wave after wave of martial artists departed, their faces brimming with the joy of peaceful coexistence.

At this moment, a palace maid hurried to my side and whispered, "Your Majesty, there is a letter specially sent to you."

I took the letter with suspicion, opened it, and my brows furrowed. It mentioned a secret about Zhen Youcai, and my heart sank. Zhen Youcai, the passionate young man who had fought alongside me and whom I trusted so deeply, actually had a secret?

The letter read: "Your Majesty, Zhen Youcai carries a dark secret. Perhaps he is not as innocent as you think. If you want to know the truth, please visit the old farmer Tian's home outside Beijing."

My heart was filled with anxiety, but I remained calm. Zhen Youcai had always been someone I trusted, and the contents of this letter were difficult for me to accept and filled me with doubt. Returning to my bedroom, I put the letter away, clutching it tightly in my hand, my worry lingering.

"Mengmeng, what's wrong with you?" Zhen Youcai looked at me as he walked in from the wide palace gate, his brows slightly furrowed. His voice was as gentle as ever, as if there had never been any barrier between us.

I took a deep breath, raised my head, and smiled at him, "Nothing, just a little tired. After all, the martial arts conference just ended, and I need some time to adjust."

Zhen Youcai nodded, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, but he didn't ask any more questions. He pulled me to the window, looked at the dazzling stars in the night sky, and said softly, "Mengmeng, no matter what difficulties you encounter, I will be by your side and face them together with you."

The cold night wind blew gently, but my heart remained restless. Zhen Youcai's words had made me feel safe, but the contents of the letter were like a thorn, nagging me. After much deliberation, I decided to personally travel to the outskirts of Beijing, find Tian Laonong, and uncover the truth.

The next morning, I quietly left the imperial city in casual clothes, accompanied by a few guards, and headed towards the outskirts of Beijing. No one knew the purpose of my trip, and I didn't want to add any more burdens to Zhen Youcai.

After walking a few miles, a small village surrounded by thick rice fields appeared before my eyes. The village was simple and peaceful, making it hard to believe that it was connected to any complex secret. I approached an elderly man and asked, "Where does Mr. Tian live?"

The old man pointed to a thatched house not far away and said, "That's the home of Mr. Tian. You came so early, he should have gone to the fields to work."

I thanked the old man and walked towards the thatched house with my guards. Sure enough, the old farmer was working in the fields, his hoe turning up layers of loess, his sweat soaking through his tattered clothes. Seeing us, he put down his hoe, a look of suspicion on his wrinkled face.

"Laonong Tian, ​​I have something important to ask you. This matter concerns the national affairs and my friend Zhen Youcai." I walked up to him and looked straight into his eyes.

Old Farmer Tian glanced at me, looked around, and nodded, "Okay, then follow me." Although he was old, he walked very fast and led us through a field, and finally stopped deep in a dense bamboo forest.

Old Farmer Tian slowly turned around, his face solemn, and he lowered his voice and said, "The matter you want to ask has actually been buried for a long time, and not everyone can know it." He took a deep breath and continued, "This is related to a shocking conspiracy that Zhen Youcai had back then, involving..."

Before he even finished speaking, my heart began to beat violently, as if I had a premonition that the truth about to be revealed would completely change my understanding. However, Tian Laonong's face showed a complicated expression, as if he couldn't immediately reveal all the heavy secrets. He sighed deeply and finally said, "I'm afraid you should be mentally prepared for this story..."