From cute to empress

Chapter 226 The Blood Knife Sect Conspiracy

The jade pendant in my hand was cold to the touch, yet I could still feel a faint warmth, much like the palm of the woman I had just touched. The woods were silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind, as if reminding me that what had just happened was not an illusion.

I clutched the jade pendant tightly in my hand and stumbled out of the woods. Before I could figure out the direction, I saw a magnificent palace not far away, built against the mountainside, shrouded in clouds and mist, like a fairyland.

"Where is this..." I murmured, with a vague guess in my mind.

"Lingjiu Palace," a cold voice called out from behind me. Turning around, I saw the woman in white who had just saved me. She walked towards me with light lotus steps, a subtle worry between her brows.

"You... are the Palace Master of Lingjiu Palace?" I asked in surprise. Rumor has it that the Palace Master of Lingjiu Palace is a martial arts master with great abilities, but he is a very low-key and mysterious person. I didn't expect that he would save me from danger today.

She nodded slightly and said seriously, "I know you have many questions in your mind, but now is not the time to explain. Don't worry, since I saved you, I will not harm you."

I nodded, choosing to believe her. Looking around, I lowered my voice and asked, "How's Brother Zhen doing now? And that man in gray..."

"Don't worry, Master Zhen is a man of good fortune. I've already sent someone to send him back. As for those gray-robed men..." She paused, a hint of chill in her tone, "They're just minor figures. There's someone else behind this."

"The person behind this?" I was shocked. Could it be that the matter of Xiayi Villa involved other forces?

Just as I was puzzled, a cheerful voice came from behind me: "It seems I came at the right time."

Looking back, I saw a young man in white clothes, holding a folding fan, walking towards me in a dashing manner. He had a handsome face, a cynical smile on his lips, and a pair of peach blossom eyes that sparkled with shrewdness.

"Master Xiaoyao!" The Lord of Lingjiu Palace and I said in unison.

Young Master Xiaoyao waved his folding fan and walked up to us. He smiled and said, "Why? You two ladies don't seem surprised to see me?"

"Who in the martial arts world doesn't know that Young Master Xiaoyao is well-informed?" the Lord of the Lingjiu Palace said calmly. "Tell me, what is your purpose in coming here?"

Young Master Xiaoyao put away his folding fan and his expression became serious. "I've received news that the incident at Xiayi Villa was not accidental. There seems to be a larger conspiracy behind it."

My heart tightened. It seemed that my guess was correct. There was indeed a bigger secret hidden behind this!

The Lord of the Lingjiu Palace narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a deep voice, "Have you found out who did this?"

Young Master Xiaoyao shook his head, his tone grave. "This matter is extremely secretive. I've only found out..." He paused, his gaze sweeping between me and the Palace Master of Lingjiu. He spoke word by word, "Iron-Blooded Escort Master..." Young Master Xiaoyao's voice was remarkably clear in the silent forest. The words "Iron-Blooded Escort Master" stirred a thousand waves, shaking my heart. My brow furrowed, and I pondered. The Iron-Blooded Escort Master, renowned for his loyalty, was thus implicated in the affairs of Xiayi Villa.

The Lord of the Lingjiu Palace obviously hadn't expected this answer. She frowned slightly and turned to look at Young Master Xiaoyao: "Iron-Blooded Escort? How could the man who always prides himself on protecting the righteous path..."

Young Master Xiaoyao nodded, a mysterious light flashing in his eyes: "Yes, it's him. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg."

My heart was filled with emotion, and I couldn't help but ask, "Who's behind this..."

Before he could finish his words, Master Xiaoyao shook his head helplessly: "As you guessed, there is someone else behind this, and the one who truly controls all this is the Blood Knife Sect's leader."

"Blood Blade Sect Master!" I cried out, shocked. The Blood Blade Sect Master was known as the most evil person in the martial arts world, shameless and ruthless. Who would have thought that he was secretly colluding with the Iron Blood Escort Master and even trying to control the entire martial arts world?

The face of the Lord of the Vulture Palace gradually grew solemn. She lowered her eyes, as if pondering a strategy. After a moment, she raised her head and looked at Young Master Xiaoyao and me. "It seems this matter is of great importance. We must formulate a thorough plan to expose their conspiracy."

I took a deep breath and nodded in response, "We can't just sit there and wait for death, nor can we let the Blood Blade Sect's conspiracy succeed. Palace Master, Master Xiaoyao, we must join forces to expose this conspiracy."

Young Master Xiaoyao folded his folding fan and revealed a hint of appreciation: "Well said, Miss Xiaoniu, I have long seen that you are not an ordinary person."

The Lord of the Vulture Palace smiled slightly, her expression softening slightly. "With you here, we have a chance of success." Then, her gaze grew sharper. "However, we still need more evidence to fully expose them."

"We must be cautious about this matter," Young Master Xiaoyao said after a moment's thought. "I have some clues about the Iron Blood Escort Master and can investigate further, but the Blood Blade Sect's leader is secretive and even more dangerous."

"They certainly won't reveal their true colors easily," I said in a deep voice, already formulating several plans in my mind. "But as long as we know his whereabouts, we can find his flaws."

The Lord of the Vulture Palace nodded slightly: "Your idea is good, but our plan must be foolproof."

Just as we were discussing the plan, we heard a gust of wind in the distance. I keenly sensed several figures approaching quickly, and I felt something was wrong: "Someone is coming!"

In an instant, everyone's expression changed. The Lord of Lingjiu Palace quickly waved his hand, signaling us to take cover. Young Master Xiaoyao quickly pulled a scroll from his bosom, unfolded it, and examined it for several seconds, his brow furrowed.

"Not good!" He lowered his voice, but it was filled with anxiety. "It seems our plan has been discovered by the Blood Blade Sect Master, and he has sent people to attack!"

The Lord of the Lingjiu Palace's expression changed slightly, and he quickly decided, "We can't act separately for the time being. We must work together to deal with this!"

As soon as he finished speaking, faint footsteps were heard among the woods, and hostility seemed to spread in the air.

Young Master Xiaoyao rolled over to my side and whispered, "Be careful, they will show up soon. Prepare to fight!"

My heartbeat quickened. I gripped the jade pendant tightly in my palm, a determined glint in my eyes. I held my breath, gripping the pendant tightly, and surveyed my surroundings warily. The shadows of the trees swayed, the wind howled, and a chilling atmosphere hung in the air.

"Swish, swish, swish—" Several dark figures darted out of the dense forest like ghosts, surrounding us. They were dressed in night clothes, their faces covered with black cloth, revealing only pairs of cold eyes. The gleaming swords in their hands showed that they were not friendly.

"Protect His Majesty!" Young Master Xiaoyao shouted softly, and the folding fan in his hand opened with a "swish", turning into a silver light, blocking the attack of a man in black head-on.

The Lord of Lingjiu Palace was not to be outdone. He was as light as a swallow and his palms were fierce as he fought with another man in black.

I knew I couldn't just stand by and watch. With a thought, the intelligent magic circle instantly activated, forming an invisible barrier around me. I mobilized the energy of the formation, condensing it into several blades of light, and attacked the men in black.

The battle was about to break out, with flashes of swords and cries of killing. Xiaoyao Gongzi's folding fan was unpredictable, sometimes like a snake spitting out its tongue, sometimes like a tiger descending from the mountains, each move fierce and forcing his opponent to retreat repeatedly. The Lingjiu Palace Master's palm technique was light and graceful, yet concealed murderous intent, each strike hitting the vital point, making it impossible to defend against.

Although I didn't possess their high martial arts prowess, I was able to withstand the attacks of the men in black with the help of the intelligent magic circle. However, these men in black were clearly well-trained assassins, working in perfect harmony. Their attacks continued in wave after wave, and I gradually felt somewhat overwhelmed.

"Miss Xiaoniu, be careful!" Young Master Xiaoyao warned me, and I subconsciously dodged to the side. A cold light almost brushed past my nose.

With a crisp "clang" sound, a dart lodged itself into the tree trunk behind me, its tail feathers still trembling slightly. I broke out in a cold sweat and looked up to see a man in black holding a crossbow, staring coldly at me.

"Hmph, you guys think you can become enemies with the Blood Knife Sect? You are overestimating yourselves!" The leading man in black sneered and swung the long sword in his hand, aiming straight at my face.

At the critical moment, a figure suddenly appeared and stood in front of me.

"Dang—" The sound of metal clashing rang out, sparks flying everywhere. I looked closely and saw it was the Iron Blood Escort! He was dressed in black, holding a long steel sword, his eyes stern, and he was fighting with those men in black.

"Iron-blooded Escort, what do you mean by this?" the leading man in black shouted angrily.

"Hmph, I've said it before, I'm only loyal to my conscience!" The Iron-Blooded Escort snorted coldly, and slashed at the man in black with the long sword in his hand without mercy.

I watched this scene, my heart perplexed. Why did the Iron Blood Escort suddenly come to my aid? Could it be that he wasn't part of the Blood Blade Sect?

At this moment, I accidentally caught a glimpse of a familiar birthmark on the wrist of the Iron-Blooded Escort. The shape and color coincided with an event in my memory.

A flash of lightning flashed through my mind, and a name that had been forgotten for many years came to my mind: "It's you! The second in command of the Black Eagle Village, Zhao Tianxiong, the 'Soul-Chasing Knife'!"

Hearing what I said, the Iron-Blooded Escort, no, it should be Zhao Tianxiong's body suddenly stiffened. He turned his head abruptly, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said coldly and turned to join the battle.

However, his reaction spoke for itself. It dawned on me: he was the second-in-command of the Black Eagle Village, who had been wiped out by the righteous forces of the Jianghu years before. He'd narrowly escaped, and now, disguised as a master escort, had re-emerged as a master of iron-blooded armor, all to secretly aid the Blood Blade Sect!

The battle continued, but I had lost all desire to fight. My mind was full of thoughts, and Zhao Tianxiong's appearance made me realize that this conspiracy was more complicated and dangerous than I had imagined.

With a muffled "puff" sound, the Lord of Lingjiu Palace hit a man in black in the chest with his palm. The man screamed and fell to the ground dead.

"Retreat!" Seeing that the situation was not good, the leading man in black ordered a retreat.

The men in black retreated like a tide and soon disappeared into the dense forest.

Although we won the battle, the atmosphere became more solemn.

"It seems that we have really stirred up a hornet's nest this time." Master Xiaoyao put away his folding fan and said in a serious tone.

The Lord of Lingjiu Palace had a gloomy expression on his face. He looked in the direction where Zhao Tianxiong had escaped, with a cold glint in his eyes.

I took a deep breath, knowing that now was not the time to investigate Zhao Tianxiong's identity. The most urgent task was to find out the conspiracy of the Blood Knife Sect and stop them from causing trouble in the world.

I took out a flare from my pocket, lit it, and watched it rush into the night sky with a sharp whistling sound, exploding into a dazzling ball of fire.

"This is..." Young Master Xiaoyao looked at me in confusion.

My face was solemn, and I said in a deep voice, "I need more helpers, especially..." I paused, "I need him."

The light of the flare illuminated my face and also illuminated the only hope in my heart. Could he sense my call from thousands of miles away?