From cute to empress

Chapter 113 A plan within a plan

Deep in the woods, moonlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within me. Hawkeye's plan was too cruel. If it succeeded, war would reignite on the border, and the people would be plunged into dire straits once again! I will never allow this to happen!

"Mengmeng, don't worry, we will definitely find a way." Zhen Youcai held my hand. His palm was warm and dry, which gave me great strength.

"Yeah!" I nodded and looked at the three people in front of me: Zhen Youcai, Fairy Caiyun and Constable Tiemian. They are the people I trust the most and my greatest reliance in fighting Hawkeye.

"Eagle Eye's plan is thorough, but it's not foolproof," Fairy Caiyun analyzed calmly. "If they want to take advantage of the chaos, they must first create chaos. This is our opportunity."

"What the fairy means is..." I looked at Fairy Caiyun and had some vague guesses in my mind.

"We can use their own tactics against them and deliberately spread false information to lure them into the trap." Fairy Caiyun's eyes flashed with a gleam of light. "At the same time, we can set up a dragnet around the capital and wait for them to fall into it!"

"Good idea!" The Iron-faced Constable slapped his thigh. "If they dare to come, they'll never return!"

"Let's do it!" A determination flashed in my eyes, "Let's first..." I lowered my voice and laid out the plan. After listening to it, everyone nodded in agreement.

As the night deepened, the woods were silent, with only the sounds of the four of us whispering together. To ensure the plan was foolproof, we repeatedly considered every detail, striving to make it flawless.

"Let's get started without further ado!" I stood up with a determined glint in my eyes.

"Yes!"

Under the cover of night, four figures quietly departed, leaving behind only the swaying shadows of the trees, as if heralding the coming storm...

The shadows of the trees swayed, the night was as dark as ink. Standing atop a high city wall, I overlooked the silent capital, my heart beating with anxiety. To lure the Eagle Eyes into the trap, we deliberately spread word that a grand ceremony to honor the heavens would be held on the outskirts of the city tonight, and that I, the empress, would personally attend.

"Your Majesty, do you really want to take the risk?" Zhen Youcai stood beside me, with a hint of worry in his tone.

"Don't worry, with you guys by my side, nothing will happen." I patted the back of his hand, signaling him to be at ease. "Besides, this is the only way to catch them all in one fell swoop!"

As the night deepened, the sound of horse hooves drifted in from the distance, becoming clearer and clearer as it neared. I tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword, my gaze fixed intently on the direction of the city gate.

"Here they come!" The iron-faced constable shouted in a low voice, and saw a group of men in black appear at the city gate like ghosts. They held sharp blades in their hands and were murderous. It was obvious at first glance that they were not good people.

"Kill!" The leading man in black gave an order, and the crowd rushed into the city like a tide and headed straight for the suburbs.

"I've fallen into a trap!" I sneered, "Pass the order down and act according to the plan!"

The torches on the towers were lit, illuminating the night sky like day. At my command, the soldiers ambushed in the city rushed out like tigers descending from the mountains, surrounding the men in black.

"Kill! Don't leave any one alive!" Zhen Youcai led the charge, holding a spear in his hand, as if he were in an empty space. Wherever he passed, the men in black fell down one after another.

Fairy Caiyun also displayed her lightness skills, shuttling through the night, with silver needles dancing in her hands, each needle accurately hitting the vital points of the man in black.

I wasn't idle either, brandishing my sword and joining the fray. My swordsmanship wasn't as sharp as Zhen Youcai's, but it was more flexible and versatile, and with the added bonus of the intelligent magic circle, its power couldn't be underestimated.

The battle lasted nearly an hour. The men in black were outnumbered, and we eventually captured them all. Looking at the bodies scattered across the ground, I felt no joy at all. Instead, a deep sense of unease welled up in my heart.

"Mengmeng, what's wrong with you?" Zhen Youcai noticed that something was wrong with me and asked with concern.

I shook my head, suppressing the uneasiness in my heart, and said, "First, detain these people and interrogate them strictly. We must find out who is behind this!"

At this moment, a scream suddenly came from the crowd. I was startled and turned around suddenly. I saw Fairy Caiyun clutching her chest, her face pale as she fell to the ground...

"Caiyun!" I exclaimed, flying over to Fairy Caiyun. Her face was as pale as paper, with a trace of blood hanging from the corner of her mouth, and her clothes were stained red with blood.

"Don't worry, I'm fine..." Fairy Caiyun smiled weakly. She wanted to speak but it aggravated her injury. She couldn't help coughing a few times, and more blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.

"You said you were fine, but now you're like this!" I helped her up with heartache, inputted my true energy to check her injuries, and found that her chest was stabbed by a sharp blade, injuring her lungs. Her condition was very critical.

I didn't dare delay and immediately pulled out my treasured healing elixir from my bosom and fed it to her. I had stumbled upon this elixir from an intelligent magic circle, and it had the power to bring the dead back to life, but it was in such short supply that I had been reluctant to use it.

After taking the elixir, Fairy Caiyun's face gradually regained some color, and her breathing became more stable. She held my hand and said gratefully, "Mengmeng, thank you..."

"Between you and me, do we even need to say thank you?" I shook my head, my eyes determined as I said, "Just rest and recover. This time, I'm determined to catch Hawkeye and his gang in one fell swoop and rid the people of this evil!"

Zhen Youcai also came over and asked worriedly, "Caiyun, how do you feel?"

"Much better, I won't die." Fairy Caiyun smiled, turned to look at me, and said, "Mengmeng, this time it's thanks to you that you arrived in time, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous. It seems that Hawkeye has already known our plan. We must act quickly, otherwise there will be more trouble."

I nodded and said solemnly, "You're right. We can't delay any longer. I've already found the location of Hawkeye's lair. We're going to catch them off guard tonight!"

"Okay!" Zhen Youcai and the Iron-faced Constable said in unison.

At night, we disguised ourselves and quietly came to a dense forest outside the city. According to the tip-off, Hawkeye's lair was hidden in an abandoned manor deep in the forest.

"Everyone, be careful. There are traps everywhere here. Don't act rashly." I reminded them in a low voice, and at the same time turned on the scanning function of the intelligent magic circle to take in the surrounding environment.

We advanced cautiously, passing through dense woods, and finally arrived in front of the abandoned manor. The manor had long been dilapidated, with mottled walls and overgrown weeds, exuding a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere.

"This is it." I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on the hilt of the sword. "Get ready for action!"

However, just as we were about to rush in, the gate of the manor suddenly opened, and a cold voice came from inside: "Haha, I've been waiting for you for a long time..."

"Looks like we've fallen for a trick!" My heart sank, and I tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword. Hawkeye had anticipated our arrival; this was clearly a trap!

"Haha, Niu Mengmeng, you're nothing special!" Hawkeye, wearing a black robe and with a sinister smile on his face, walked out calmly, followed by a large group of people, all holding sharp blades and full of murderous intent.

"Hawkeye, you have done so many evil things, today is the day you die!" Zhen Youcai shouted angrily, drew out his sword and pointed it at Hawkeye.

"Just a bunch of you rotten fish and shrimp?" Hawkeye snorted disdainfully, his gaze falling on Fairy Caiyun behind me, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes, "Fairy Caiyun, if you are willing to submit to me, I can spare your life!"

"Don't even think about it!" Fairy Caiyun's face turned cold, and she shook the long whip in her hand, pointing it directly at Hawkeye. "Today, it's either you die or I die!"

"If you don't accept my toast, I'll punish you!" Hawkeye's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he waved his hand, "Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the men in black behind him rushed towards us like a tide.

"Kill!" Zhen Youcai and the Iron-faced Constable were not to be outdone, and they led their own men to fight. For a moment, the flashing of swords and the shouts of killing shook the sky.

"Protect Caiyun!" I whispered to the guards beside me, then flew up and headed straight for Hawkeye.

"Hmph, you overestimate your abilities!" Hawkeye snorted coldly, and suddenly a black scimitar appeared in his hand, slashing towards me.

I didn't dare to delay and quickly swung my sword to block. With a loud clang, a powerful force came from the sword, which made my palm numb and my body unstable.

"Haha, is this your strength?" Hawkeye laughed triumphantly and attacked me again with the scimitar in his hand, each move was ruthless and deadly.

I didn't dare to take the blow head-on, so I could only dodge it with my agility. However, Hawkeye's strength was far superior to mine, and I was quickly at a disadvantage, suffering multiple injuries.

"Mengmeng!" Zhen Youcai was extremely anxious when he saw me in a tough fight. He wanted to come over to help, but he was entangled by several men in black and couldn't get away at all.

"Haha, Niu Mengmeng, today is the day you die!" Eagle Eyes saw that I was exhausted, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes. The scimitar in his hand stabbed towards my chest with a sharp murderous intent...

"Am I really going to die here today?" My heart was filled with despair and I slowly closed my eyes.

"Stop--" At this critical moment, a loud voice suddenly came from a distance.