From cute to empress

Chapter 242: The Remnants of the Shadow Pavilion Emerge

"Master Xiaoyao!" I could hardly believe my eyes. How could it be him? That gentle and kind young hero who had once lent a hand to me when I was in my humble days, now stood among my enemies with a chilling smile.

"Mr. Xiaoyao, what do you mean?" Zhen Youcai stepped forward, protected me behind him, and asked sternly.

Young Master Xiaoyao gently waved his folding fan, smiling without saying a word. The surrounding black-clad figures automatically stepped aside, clearing a path as if welcoming a triumphant king. He strode gracefully, each step seeming to tread on my heart, suffocating me.

"What? Your Majesty the Empress is now the supreme ruler, but you don't recognize me?" He walked up to me and lifted my chin with his folding fan. His tone was frivolous, but with a barely perceptible chill.

I slapped his folding fan aside and said coldly, "Master Xiaoyao, you're joking. How could I not recognize you? But I don't understand why you went to such great lengths to bring us here?"

"Hahaha, Her Majesty the Empress is truly clever." Young Master Xiaoyao laughed heartily, then stopped smiling and his eyes grew fierce. "As for the reason, I'll naturally let you know. But not now."

After saying that, he waved his hand, and the men in black surrounded him again.

"Want to capture us? That won't be easy!" Zhen Youcai roared, drawing his sword to meet the enemy. The Lord of the Vulture Palace also attacked at the same time, engaging the man in black.

"Let's go!" I made a quick decision, grabbed Zhen Youcai's hand, and took advantage of the chaos to rush towards the road behind Master Xiaoyao.

Young Master Xiaoyao obviously hadn't anticipated our decision to break out. By the time he realized what was happening, we had already run quite a distance. He didn't chase us, but simply stood there, watching our backs with a meaningful smile on his face.

We rushed all the way back to the palace. Without taking a break, I immediately summoned representatives from all parties, including the Sword Heart Sect Leader, the Blood Blade Sect Leader, the Iron Blood Escort, and others, and explained the entire incident in detail.

"What?! There is such a thing!" Everyone was shocked after hearing my story.

"Master Xiaoyao? Why would he do this?"

"What are the origins of those men in black?"

"This matter is of great importance. We must find out the truth as soon as possible!"

For a moment, the entire council hall was abuzz with discussion, and the atmosphere was heavy. I sat on the dragon throne, looking at these renowned figures in the martial arts world, feeling a sense of confusion and unease. What exactly did this sudden change mean? What conspiracy was hidden behind Young Master Xiaoyao?

"Everyone, please be quiet!" I said in a deep voice. "I know everyone is concerned about this matter, and so am I. But the most important thing now is that we unite and face this crisis together!"

My gaze swept across the crowd and finally landed on Sect Leader Jianxin and Sect Leader Xuedao. These two had always been at odds with each other, and at this moment, their faces were filled with solemnity and suspicion.

"Master Jianxin, Master Xuedao, what do you think?" I asked.

Before Sect Leader Jianxin could speak, Sect Leader Xuedao snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, do you even need to ask? I think this matter is clearly..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Sect Leader Jianxin: "Old Monster Blood Knife, stop slandering me! I think this matter is clearly..."

The Jianxin Sect's graying beard trembled with rage. "Old Monster Blood Blade, stop spitting blood! In my opinion, this incident was clearly a drama staged and performed by your own Blood Blade Sect, with the sole purpose of stirring up strife in the martial arts world so you can profit from the chaos!"

The Blood Blade Sect's leader wasn't willing to be outdone. He slammed his hand on the table, causing a loud bang. "Bullshit! My Blood Blade Sect acts with integrity. How could we possibly do something so despicable? It's obvious that you, the Sword Heart Sect, are deliberately framing me in order to dominate the martial arts world!"

"you……"

"Enough!" I stood up suddenly and shouted.

The entire meeting hall suddenly fell silent, everyone's eyes fixed on me. I took a deep breath, suppressed my anger, and said coldly, "You two are both veterans of the martial arts world. Can't you sit down and talk it out calmly? What's the time now? Do you still have the energy to argue here? Do you have to wait until disaster strikes?"

Although my tone was harsh, it had little effect. Sect Leader Jianxin and Sect Leader Xuedao simply exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disdain and hostility.

"Your Majesty, you don't know!" The Blood Blade Sect leader said sarcastically, "This old man Jianxin is full of thieves and whores. On the surface, he appears to be righteous, but behind the scenes, he does all kinds of evil things! He..."

"Shut up!" The Sword Heart Sect Leader, unable to bear it any longer, drew his sword and pointed it at the Blood Knife Sect Leader. "How dare you, a perverted demon, slander me! Today, I will enforce justice on behalf of Heaven and eliminate this scourge of yours!"

"Hahaha, you're the only one who can do that?" The Blood Blade Sect leader laughed wildly and drew his own weapon. "Today I'll let you see the power of my Blood Blade Sect!"

Seeing the two about to fight again, I was extremely anxious, but helpless. At this moment, the Lingjiu Palace Master, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, it is best to take a long-term view on this matter."

I was delighted and quickly asked, "What do you think, Palace Master?"

The Lord of the Lingjiu Palace smiled faintly and said, "In my opinion, there may be another hidden story behind this matter..."

Her gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing on me. She said meaningfully, "Your Majesty, please think about this: besides the Sword Heart Sect and the Blood Blade Sect, who else might be trying to interfere?"

The words of the Vulture Palace Master flashed like a bolt of lightning, instantly illuminating my mind. Yes, besides them, there's another person... no, it should be said that there's an organization involved!

My heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling washed over me. Just then, the door to the council hall suddenly opened, and a familiar figure appeared at the doorway.

"Everyone, long time no see." It was Master Xiaoyao, his usual smile on his face, but for some reason, I felt a chill run down my spine. He looked around, finally settling on me, and said slowly, "It seems I've come at the wrong time, but I have some important news for you all..."

Young Master Xiaoyao's sudden arrival heightened the already tense atmosphere. I noticed that even the usually composed Lord of the Vulture Palace had a subtle flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Master Xiaoyao, you're joking," I said, trying to maintain a calm tone. "I wonder what important news you're talking about that would require you to come all this way in person?"

Young Master Xiaoyao gently waved his folding fan, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before finally resting on my face. A meaningful smile played at the corner of his mouth. "Your Majesty, do you still remember the 'Shadow Pavilion' that was wiped out by the combined forces of all the major sects ten years ago?"

"Shadow Pavilion?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the meeting hall erupted in an uproar. Even the Iron-Blooded Escort, who had remained silent until then, couldn't help but gasp. This name was a household name for the people of Jianghu.

Ten years ago, the Shadow Pavilion emerged from nowhere. Within a few months, it swiftly absorbed several small and medium-sized sects, rapidly expanding its sphere of influence to the point where it threatened the very foundations of the major sects. Their ruthless and unscrupulous actions, even resorting to cruelty to achieve their goals, incurred widespread outrage. Ultimately, the Shadow Pavilion was completely annihilated by the combined efforts of all the major sects.

Of course, I've heard rumors about this organization, but I didn't expect Young Master Xiaoyao to suddenly bring it up. Could it be...

"Mr. Xiaoyao, what exactly do you want to say?" I suppressed my inner uneasiness and asked in a deep voice.

Young Master Xiaoyao put away his folding fan and said solemnly, "My people have discovered that the martial arts used by those who besieged us are exactly the same as those used by the Shadow Pavilion back then. Furthermore, I've also received news that a martial arts manual called 'The Book of Shadows' has recently appeared in the martial arts world. It is said that it contains the long-lost peerless martial arts of the Shadow Pavilion."

"You mean, those people are the remnants of the Shadow Pavilion?" asked the Blood Knife Sect leader in disbelief.

Young Master Xiaoyao nodded: "Nine out of ten."

His words were like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves. If those people were indeed the remnants of the Shadow Pavilion, then things would become even more complicated. The Shadow Pavilion had been wiped out by the combined efforts of the major sects, and they must have harbored a grudge. Their return was likely motivated by more than just revenge.

"Your Majesty, this matter is of no trivial importance. We must find out the purpose of those people as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable!" said Master Jianxin with a serious face.

I took a deep breath, looked around at everyone, and said in a deep voice, "The news brought by Master Xiaoyao is indeed shocking. But now is not the time to panic. We should unite and face the upcoming challenges together!"

I paused, then said with a determined look, "Pass the order down. From today onwards, the palace is to be guarded with increased security. No one is allowed to enter or leave at will! Also, send a message to General Zhen, telling him to return to the imperial capital as soon as possible to discuss important matters!"

"According to the order!"

My gaze slowly swept across the crowd, finally stopping at Young Master Xiaoyao: "Young Master Xiaoyao, what else do you know about the Shadow Pavilion?"

Young Master Xiaoyao smiled slightly and was about to speak when his brows suddenly furrowed, as if he had noticed something. He suddenly turned his head and looked outside the meeting hall...

Young Master Xiaoyao's expression froze, and he whispered, "Someone is coming!"

Before he finished speaking, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the palace. Immediately afterwards, a guard ran in in a panic, knelt on the ground, and said in a trembling voice: "Report... Report to Your Majesty, outside the palace... outside the palace..."

"What are you panicking about!" I scolded coldly, "Tell me slowly, what exactly happened outside?"

The guard took a deep breath, calmed himself, and then said, "Your Majesty, a large number of people from the underworld have gathered outside the palace. They claim... they claim they want justice for the Shadow Pavilion incident ten years ago. If Your Majesty doesn't give them an explanation, they will destroy the palace!"

"How dare you!" Sect Leader Jianxin slammed the table and stood up, shouting angrily, "The Shadow Pavilion has committed countless evil deeds, and everyone has the right to punish them. Now they deserve death, but this group of rabble dares to use the banner of revenge for them. Their crime is simply worse than its crime!"

"Master Jianxin, please be patient," the Lingjiu Palace Master said calmly. "In my opinion, these people are just pawns being used. The real mastermind behind this is probably someone else."

My mind raced. The Vulture Palace Master's words resonated with my own thoughts. If these people were truly the remnants of the Shadow Pavilion, then their targets should have been the major sects. Why would they suddenly turn their attention to the Imperial Palace? Furthermore, their timing was a bit too coincidental, right as all the major sects were gathering at the Imperial Palace...

All of this exudes a strange atmosphere, as if there is an invisible hand controlling everything from behind.

"Master Xiaoyao," I turned to look at him and asked in a deep voice, "Do you know who is behind this?"

Young Master Xiaoyao shook his head, gently waving his folding fan, his brows filled with solemnity. "This matter is strange, and it's hard to draw a conclusion at the moment. However, one thing is certain: the other party's purpose is definitely not as simple as provoking strife in the martial arts world. They... may have even greater plans!"

A bigger plot?

My heart sank suddenly.

Young Master Xiaoyao was right. If the other party simply wanted to stir up trouble, they wouldn't have to go to such lengths. They could have simply provoked a few words in secret and reap the benefits. But they chose this most direct and likely outrageous method. There must be something else going on!

"Your Majesty, the most urgent matter is to resolve the current dilemma." The Blood Blade Sect leader said in a deep voice, "There are so many people from the martial arts world gathered outside the palace. If we let them rush in, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"Master Blood Blade is absolutely right," Sword Heart Sect Leader echoed. "Your Majesty, please give the order. We are willing to eliminate these traitors on your behalf!"

I took a deep breath, suppressed the uneasiness in my heart, and slowly stood up. I swept a firm gaze over the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Pass the order down, open the palace gates!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was stunned.

"Your Majesty, you..." Sect Leader Jianxin wanted to say something else, but I interrupted him with my hand.

My gaze was as sharp as a torch, and I said in a deep voice, "I have made up my mind. No need to say more! Today, I want to personally meet these people in the martial arts world to see what they are planning to do!"

I just don't believe they can stir up any more trouble in the face of such absolute strength! I'm going to expose their true colors to everyone's face and let everyone know who's stirring up trouble behind the scenes!

After saying that, I walked out of the hall, leaving everyone looking at each other in confusion.

"Your Majesty, wait for me!" Young Master Xiaoyao followed closely behind with a meaningful smile on his face.