From cute to empress

Chapter 349: New Challenges Brought by the Sirius Messenger

A blinding white light blinded me, and I closed my eyes uncomfortably. It took me a while to adjust. Looking around, I found we were in a spacious hall, surrounded by towering walls and exquisite murals. The air was filled with the scent of sandalwood.

"Who are you? Why did you trespass into the forbidden area?" The old voice sounded again, and I noticed that in the center of the hall was an old monk in a cassock sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, as if he had been isolated from the world.

"Master, we stumbled into this place by mistake. We didn't mean to offend you," I explained hastily. "We were trapped in a dark place and accidentally triggered a trap that brought us here. Please, Master, guide us."

The old monk slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy gaze sweeping over us, as if he could see right through us. "A dark place?" he whispered, then sighed deeply. "Do you know where that is?"

"We don't know." Zhen Youcai stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Master, please explain."

"That is a cursed place. Only those with a heart of light can escape." The old monk spoke calmly, yet with a hint of indescribable compassion. "The fact that you have come here shows that you still have good intentions in your hearts. However, whether you can break the curse depends on your luck."

"Curse?" I was shocked. Could it be that we have been trapped in a curse? "Master, is there a way to break it?"

The old monk shook his head and said nothing, pointing to the other end of the hall. We followed his lead and saw a huge mural carved on the wall. The people in the mural looked agonized, as if they were experiencing endless torture.

"This..." My heart sank. Could this be the key to breaking the curse?

"Go, children." The old monk's voice sounded again, with a hint of encouragement and hope. "The answer is out there, but whether you can find it depends on you."

Zhen Youcai and I exchanged glances, each seeing determination in the other's eyes. Hand in hand, we walked toward the mural, each step heavy, as if carrying a heavy burden. When we reached the mural, I realized it was crafted from a strange metal, emitting an icy aura.

"There seems to be some kind of text carved on it?" Zhen Youcai said, pointing to a corner of the mural. I took a closer look and found some strange symbols carved on it, like some ancient text, but I didn't recognize any of them.

"Could this be the key to breaking the curse?" A thought crossed my mind, and I tried to touch the symbols. However, as soon as my fingertips touched the metal surface, a powerful force instantly pushed me back... I was flung back repeatedly, and Zhen Youcai quickly caught me. "Mengmeng, are you okay?" He checked my hand anxiously, his fingertips already red and swollen. I shook my head and looked up at the mural, my heart filled with confusion. What secrets did this power, these strange words, hide?

At this moment, the mural suddenly emitted a dazzling light, and those strange symbols began to flow as if alive, and finally converged into a dazzling beam of light, enveloping Zhen Youcai and me.

"Ah!" I couldn't help but exclaim, closed my eyes, and heard a deafening roar in my ears.

When everything calmed down, I opened my eyes and found that we had returned to the place where we first entered the dark space. The surrounding scene was still dilapidated, but the air was no longer filled with the suffocating atmosphere of despair.

"We're out?" I looked at everything around me in disbelief.

"We succeeded!" Zhen Youcai hugged me in his arms, his tone full of excitement and joy.

We returned to the palace, and before we had time to catch our breath, we received news: the mysterious organization was in chaos due to the disappearance of its leader, and it was the perfect time for us to fight back!

"Pass the order down, the entire army will attack!" I gave the order without hesitation.

Zhen Youcai and I fought side by side, leading a massive army in a final assault on the mysterious organization. Without their leader's command, the members of the mysterious organization fled like headless flies and were quickly wiped out by us.

The smoke cleared, and the sun once again filled the earth. Standing on the high city wall, I looked at the thriving scene before me, my heart filled with emotion.

"We finally won." Zhen Youcai walked to my side and gently held my hand.

"Yes, we won." I turned to look at him, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. "We can finally live a peaceful life."

The post-war days were peaceful and beautiful. Under our governance, the country grew stronger, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the country was thriving. My love for Zhen Youcai also became more indestructible after going through countless tests.

However, just when we thought everything was over, the old monk and the weather officer suddenly appeared before us...

The old monk and the weather officer staggered towards us, weary smiles on their faces. I quickly stepped forward to support the old monk and asked worriedly, "Master, are you alright?"

The old monk smiled kindly and shook his head. "I am fine, just a little exhausted. Thanks to the bravery of Her Majesty the Empress and General Zhen, we have been able to completely eradicate evil and restore peace to the world."

The meteorologist also bowed and congratulated: "Congratulations, Her Majesty, the Empress! Congratulations, Her Majesty! This catastrophe is finally over. Our dynasty has ushered in a truly peaceful and prosperous era!"

I was deeply moved and quickly invited them to a seat. I recounted their efforts in detail. It turned out that the old monk had foreseen this catastrophe years before. Through his painstaking efforts, he finally found a way to break the curse and guided us to the entrance to the dark realm. The meteorologist, drawing on his years of astronomical research, identified the perfect opportunity to weaken the mysterious organization, creating the perfect opportunity for our ultimate victory.

"Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to achieve victory so smoothly," I said sincerely. "You are heroes to the country and benefactors to the people!"

"Amitabha, saving people from suffering is our responsibility." The old monk put his hands together and said calmly.

To celebrate this hard-earned victory and the love between Zhen Youcai and I, we held a grand ceremony in the imperial palace. People came from all directions, singing and dancing, and their cheers resounded through the sky.

"Mengmeng, do you see it? This is the country you protect, and this is the peace you exchanged for your life!" Zhen Youcai stood beside me and said excitedly.

I looked at the bustling scene before me, my heart filled with happiness and satisfaction. Yes, it was all worth it. Not only did I protect my country, but I also found love. What could be happier than this?

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhen Youcai took my hand, knelt on one knee affectionately, took out a dazzling ring from his bosom, and said affectionately: "Mengmeng, will you marry me? Let me protect you and our country forever!"

"I do!" I answered without hesitation, tears blurring my eyes.

Thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd once again. Amidst everyone's blessings, Zhen Youcai and I slowly put on the rings that symbolized our love and commitment. At that moment, I felt like the happiest woman in the world.

We stood side by side on the heights of the palace, overlooking the prosperous country, the afterglow of the setting sun stretching our figures out. I gently leaned on Zhen Youcai's shoulder, feeling the tranquility and happiness of this moment.

"Talented..."

"Ok?"

I raised my head and looked into his deep eyes, wanting to say something but stopping myself...

"Talent..." I called his name softly, an indescribable emotion welling up in my heart.

"Hmm?" He looked down at me, his deep eyes reflecting the golden glow of the sunset, as gentle as ever.

I wanted to tell him that I suddenly felt uneasy, as if something was about to happen. However, looking at the peaceful scene before me, the people living and working in peace, the children chasing and playing in the streets, I really couldn't bear to disrupt this hard-earned peace.

"Nothing." I shook my head, suppressing the inexplicable uneasiness in my heart, and said, "I just feel like this is all a dream."

He gently put his arm around my shoulders and held me in his arms, his warm breath brushing my ears: "Yes, we have been through so much, and finally ushered in this prosperous and peaceful era. Mengmeng, you deserve all this."

His voice was deep and powerful, carrying a reassuring force. I rested my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and my heart gradually calmed down. Yes, with him by my side, what could be scary?

We hugged each other quietly, watching the sunset and the lights come on. The glazed tiles of the palace shone softly in the night, and bursts of cheerful singing and laughter came from the distance. Everything seemed so beautiful and real.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the night is getting cold, let's go back to the palace." The voice of the personal maid sounded behind him.

I nodded slightly, interlocked my fingers with Zhen Youcai, and turned to walk towards the palace.

As soon as I entered the bedroom, I felt a strange energy fluctuation. My heart tightened and I subconsciously held Zhen Youcai's hand.

"What's wrong?" He keenly noticed my abnormality and asked with concern.

I shook my head, signaling him to stay calm, then closed my eyes, released my mental power, and carefully sensed the movements around me.

The energy surged stronger and stronger, as if something was trying to connect with me. I focused my attention, following the guidance of the energy, and walked step by step to the desk, my eyes falling on an unassuming wooden box on the desk.

"Is this the thing?" Zhen Youcai asked.

I nodded, took a deep breath, and slowly opened the wooden box.

There was a crystal clear crystal lying quietly in the wooden box, with a strange light flashing inside the crystal, as if it contained infinite energy.

The moment I touched the crystal, it suddenly burst out with dazzling light, and a beam of light shot up into the sky, forming a huge light curtain in the air.

A strange face appeared on the screen. He looked anxious and said hurriedly, "I am an envoy from the Sirius system. We are under attack by dark forces. Please support me, please support me..."

His voice stopped abruptly, and the light curtain disappeared, leaving only the crystal still emitting a faint light.

Zhen Youcai and I looked at each other, our hearts filled with shock.

The Sirius system? Dark forces? What's going on?