From cute to empress

Chapter 304: Life and Death Struggle in the Cave

My heart instantly sank to the bottom. They actually wanted to use me to threaten Zhen Youcai, to trade me for him? Ridiculous, really ridiculous! Do they think I'm the kind of person who's afraid of death and wants to live a life of mediocrity?

"Where are they? Take me to find them!" I stood up suddenly, with only one thought in my mind, which was to rescue Zhen Youcai.

Hunter C quickly grabbed me and said, "Your Majesty, no! Those people are desperate criminals. It's too dangerous for you to go there now!"

"Danger?" I smiled bitterly. "Are we not in danger now? Zhen Youcai has fallen into their hands, and his life or death is uncertain. How can I sit here and wait for news?"

"But……"

"No buts!" I interrupted him. "You don't need to persuade me anymore. I've made up my mind!"

Hunter C saw my firm attitude and knew that it was useless to persuade me any further, so he could only sigh and say nothing more.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. Now was not the time to let my emotions get the better of me. I had to find a way to rescue Zhen Youcai while ensuring my own safety.

I sat cross-legged on the ground, closed my eyes, and carefully recalled everything that happened after I escaped from the palace, trying to find a clue.

Oh, right, a map! I suddenly opened my eyes. I remembered that Zhen Youcai had given me a map before, which marked several hidden strongholds nearby. If I could find one of them, maybe I could contact reinforcements!

I hurriedly pulled out the map from my pocket and examined it carefully in the dim light. Although the map was a little damaged, the markings on it were still clearly visible.

"Brother Hunter," I pointed to a mark on the map and asked, "Do you know this place?"

Hunter C came over to take a look and nodded, "I know. This is Black Wind Ridge, about half a day's journey from here."

"Okay, let's go now!" I put away the map and stood up.

"Now?" Hunter C hesitated. "But it's getting late, and the mountain road is difficult to travel. How about we do it tomorrow..."

"No, we have to get there as soon as possible!" I interrupted him decisively, "The longer we delay, the more dangerous Zhen Youcai will be!"

Hunter C saw that I had made up my mind and stopped trying to dissuade me. He just quietly packed up his things and prepared to leave.

We advanced under the cover of darkness. The mountain path was difficult to navigate, and I nearly fell several times, but Hunter C caught me in time.

"Your Majesty, watch your step."

"Thank you."

We walked in silence, one after the other. I was filled with worry and anxiety, wondering how Zhen Youcai was doing, whether he was injured or abused...

"Mengmeng!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the front. I raised my head suddenly and saw Zhen Youcai standing on a rock not far away, waving at me.

"Talented!" I was surprised and delighted, and ran towards him desperately.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Hunter C exclaimed and tried to pull me back, but it was too late.

My foot slipped, I lost my balance, and fell into the abyss beside me...

"Meng Meng——"

I thought I was doomed, but the pain I expected didn't come. I opened my eyes and found myself hanging in mid-air, a thick vine tightly wrapped around my waist, pulling me back from the brink of death.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Hunter C asked me in shock.

"I'm fine," I shook my head and looked down at the bottomless darkness below, still feeling a lingering fear. "Thank you, Brother Hunter. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid..."

"Your Majesty, you are welcome. This is what I should do." Hunter C said as he pulled me up.

"Youcai, why are you here?" After I stood firm, I immediately looked at Zhen Youcai not far away. He was running towards me anxiously.

"I rushed over when I heard you screaming," Zhen Youcai hugged me in his arms, "Luckily you're okay, otherwise I would..."

He didn't say the rest of the words, but I could feel the fear and relief in his tone.

"I'm fine, aren't I?" I patted his back gently and comforted him, "We're safe now."

"Safe?" Hunter C's expression suddenly changed. "Oh no! We've been discovered!"

"What?" Zhen Youcai and I asked in unison.

Hunter C pointed to the ground not far away, where there were a few fresh leaves scattered, which were obviously marks left by humans.

"This is the secret signal left by the assassins," Hunter C said solemnly, "They have discovered our whereabouts."

My heart sank again. It seemed that after a brief calm, there would be another storm.

"We must leave here as soon as possible!" Zhen Youcai said decisively.

"But it's getting late. Where else can we go?" I looked around. This was an open valley. There was no place to hide except a few bare trees.

"Follow me!" said Hunter C, and led us into the depths of the valley.

We walked through a dense bush and came to a hidden cave.

"I discovered this place when I was hunting before. It's very hidden and we should be able to hide here temporarily." Hunter C said.

We didn't dare to delay and immediately went into the cave. It was very dark inside, pitch dark, and we could only grope our way forward.

"Brother Hunter, do you have a tinderbox?" I asked in the dark.

"Yes, here." Hunter C fumbled to take out a tinder from his arms, blew on it a few times, and finally lit a torch.

With the faint light of the fire, I finally saw the situation in the cave clearly. The cave was not big, only able to accommodate a few people. The cave walls were damp and cold, and some unknown insects were crawling around.

"Although it's a bit simple here, it's better than sleeping in the wild." Zhen Youcai comforted me.

I knew he was telling the truth. Now was not the time to be picky. It was good enough to have a safe hiding place.

Hunter C inserted the torch at the entrance of the cave and began to set traps at the entrance. Zhen Youcai and I also helped to move stones and strengthen the fortifications.

"I hope they don't catch up." I prayed as I moved the stones.

"Don't worry, Mengmeng, I will protect you even if they catch up with us." Zhen Youcai held my hand and said firmly.

I nodded, feeling a little more at ease.

Time passed minute by minute, and the cave was silent except for our heavy breathing and the occasional chirping of insects.

Suddenly, I heard a slight sound of footsteps coming from outside the cave, and the sound was getting closer and clearer.

My heart tightened and I quickly signaled Zhen Youcai and Hunter Bing to be quiet.

"They're coming." I said in a low voice.

Zhen Youcai gripped the sword tightly in his hand, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Hunter C picked up a stone from the ground and prepared for battle.

We held our breath and waited quietly, waiting for the fatal blow.

The flickering firelight lengthened our shadows and illuminated the solemn expressions on our faces.

The footsteps stopped at the cave entrance, and a dark shadow loomed over...

It was a tall figure, almost obscuring the entire cave entrance. He moved nimbly and flashed past. The next second, in the dim light of the fire, I saw the cold light in his hand—it was the dagger commonly used by assassins!

"Protect His Majesty!" Zhen Youcai shouted, stepped forward, and rushed forward with his sword.

The narrow cave entrance instantly transformed into a battlefield, with swords flashing and sparks flying. I clutched Orion C's arm tightly, my heart pounding like it was about to burst out of my throat.

Zhen Youcai's swordsmanship was sharp and swift, and every move went straight to the vital point. The assassin obviously did not expect that there were other people in the cave, and he did not expect Zhen Youcai to be so skilled. For a moment, he was at a disadvantage.

"Who are you and how dare you trespass here!" Zhen Youcai shouted sternly while attacking.

The assassin didn't say anything, but just groaned and his moves became more brutal. It was obvious that he wanted to end the battle quickly and get away as soon as possible.

But how could Zhen Youcai give him this opportunity? He seized a flaw in the assassin's moves and, with a flick of his sword, knocked the dagger out of the assassin's hand. The dagger hit the stone wall with a crisp sound and fell to the ground, rolling to an unknown place.

The assassin lost his weapon and the situation became more critical. He dodged Zhen Youcai's attacks while looking for a chance to escape.

"Want to run?" Zhen Youcai saw through his intentions and sneered. He turned the sword and pointed it directly at the assassin's throat. "Do you think you can escape today?"

The assassin knew he was no match for his opponent, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes. He suddenly turned around and ran out of the cave desperately.

"Chase!" Zhen Youcai shouted and gave chase relentlessly.

"Your Majesty, please wait here, I will be back soon!" Hunter C also picked up his bow and arrow, ready to chase after him.

"Wait!" I pulled him back. "Brother Hunter, be careful, there's a trap!"

Hunter C hesitated for a moment, and finally stopped.

Outside the cave, silence fell again, with only the whistling wind and our tense breathing.

I waited anxiously, time seemed to be stretched infinitely, and every second felt like a century.

Suddenly, I heard fighting and screaming outside the cave, and my heart rose to my throat again.

"Youcai, how about you?" I couldn't help but shout.

"I'm fine!" Zhen Youcai's voice came from outside the cave, with a hint of fatigue, but also full of the joy of victory, "I've caught the assassin!"

I breathed a sigh of relief, and my heart finally settled down.

"Quick, bring him in!" I couldn't wait to see who this assassin was and why he wanted to kill me.

The light at the cave entrance dimmed, and Zhen Youcai walked in escorting someone.

The man was tied up and his face was covered in blood, so his true appearance could not be seen clearly.

"Tell me, who sent you?" I walked up to him and asked coldly, "Why do you want to kill me?"

The assassin raised his head and stared at me viciously, but said nothing.

"You won't tell me, right?" I sneered. "Do you think I won't know if you don't tell me? I want to see how stubborn you are!"

I turned my head sharply and said to Zhen Youcai, "Take him back and interrogate him strictly. We must pry his mouth open!"

Zhen Youcai nodded, turned around and walked out with the assassin. When he reached the cave entrance, he suddenly stopped and looked into the darkness...