From cute to empress

Chapter 301 Hunting Shadow

"Roar!" The deafening roar nearly shattered my eardrums. I looked up and saw a huge lion with a mane like burning flames leaping out of the bushes, its fierce eyes fixed on me as if I were its easy prey.

Panicked, the guards drew their swords and surrounded me. I tried to calm myself, my years as an emperor allowing me to remain calm in the face of danger. I dismounted and calmly removed the bow and arrows from my back.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Hunter C stood in front of me, the hunting knife in his hand shining coldly.

I motioned him to stand back, drew my bow, and aimed at the lion's eye. The bowstring vibrated, and the arrow pierced the air, piercing the lion with unstoppable force. However, the beast reacted incredibly quickly, dodging my attack by dodging sideways.

"You beast, stop being so arrogant!" I roared, drawing the sword from my waist and facing the fierce wind. I dodged the lion's claws and let the sword graze its forelimb, leaving a bloody mark.

The lion, in pain, became even more furious, and lunged at me with its bloody jaws wide open. I dodged deftly, but was still knocked to the ground by its immense force.

At the critical moment, Hunter C jumped high and stabbed the lion's back with his hunting knife. The lion let out a painful wail and fell to the ground.

I climbed to my feet, my chest heaving violently, still in shock. If Hunter C hadn't intervened in time, I'd have been killed by the lion.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Hunter C asked with concern, his face full of worry.

I shook my head to indicate that I was fine, but my eyes fell on the lion that had already fallen silent on the ground, and a complicated look flashed in my eyes.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on the official road, Zhen Youcai was galloping on his horse. He was secretly returning to the capital to prepare an important gift for me, but he was unexpectedly ambushed by an assassin on the way.

"Kill!" The assassins were wearing black clothes and masks, holding sharp blades, and rushed from all directions. Their moves were ruthless, and they were obviously well-trained killers.

Zhen Youcai remained fearless in the face of danger, brandishing his sword and engaging in a fierce battle with the assassins. Although he was a skilled warrior, he could fight many of them alone, but gradually he felt overwhelmed.

Finally, he found an opening, broke free, and rode away, the assassins in pursuit, their arrows raining down upon him.

Zhen Youcai gritted his teeth and persevered, but was still hit by a hidden arrow in the shoulder. He groaned, endured the severe pain, and continued to gallop until he had shaken off the pursuers behind him.

He dismounted and hid in a dense forest, tending to his wounds, his face pale as paper. He knew the assassin wouldn't give up easily, and he had to rush back to the capital...

As night fell, the bonfires in the royal hunting grounds burned brightly, illuminating the excited faces of the people. Prince A and Marquis B returned home with a bounty of rare and exotic animals, each of them capturing the attention of the crowd.

I sat in the upper seat, looking at the smug expressions on their faces, but my heart remained calm.

"Congratulations, my royal brother. You have made a great harvest today!" Prince A raised his glass and said to Marquis B beside him, with a subtle hint of provocation in his tone.

Not to be outdone, Marquis B raised his glass in response, "No, no, my brother is still the better one!"

I watched them feigning composure, a cold smile curled up at the corner of my mouth, and slowly said, "Tomorrow, continue..."

On the second day of hunting, Prince A and Marquis B worked even harder, eager to bag all the prey. Within an hour, each of them was followed by a team of men, magnificently displaying their "fruitful" haul.

I remained calm on the surface, but inside, my disgust for these two people grew. This wasn't hunting; it was clearly a childish display of affection. I put down my bow and arrow, excused myself from feeling unwell, and returned to the tent.

The maid brought me tea, but I had no appetite. The lion's death weighed heavily on my heart, suffocating me. Its dying eyes were filled with resentment and anger, but it showed no resentment towards me, which only made me more uneasy.

I caressed the sachet around my waist, a token of love Zhen Youcai had given me. It contained the perilla he had picked himself, emitting a delicate fragrance. Thinking of him, I felt a little more at ease.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?" The maid asked with concern when she saw that I was pale.

"Nothing, I'm just a little tired." I shook my head and motioned for her to leave.

After the maid left, I paced the tent alone, replaying the hunting scene in my mind. The lion's appearance was too sudden, and it seemed to be targeting me. Could there be something fishy going on?

I walked over to the map and carefully examined the surrounding terrain. I'd been to the Royal Hunting Grounds many times before and knew the terrain like the back of my hand. However, the place where the lion appeared was a dense forest I had never set foot on before.

My heart moved, and a thought suddenly flashed through my mind: Could it be that someone deliberately lured the lion in front of me and wanted to kill me with a borrowed knife?

Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. If this was true, then this person's goal was definitely not just hunting; he wanted my life!

I forced myself to calm down and began to search the tent carefully, hoping to find some clues. Finally, I found a small metal fragment in the corner of the bed, on which was carved a lifelike spider.

I was shocked. I had seen this spider pattern before. It was... the symbol of Assassin Ding!

"Someone come!" I suddenly opened the curtain and shouted outside, "Call Hunter C to me!"

Hunter C arrived quickly. He stood awkwardly before me, head bowed, his rough hands rubbing the hem of his shirt nervously. I suppressed my inner uneasiness and asked calmly, "Do you recognize this pattern?"

He raised his head and took a look at the metal fragment in my hand. His face turned pale and he stammered, "Your Majesty, I have never seen this before..."

I stared at him coldly, a hint of majesty in my tone: "Hunter C, I'll give you one more chance. Tell the truth! This concerns my life!"

Hunter C fell to his knees with a thud, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Your Majesty, spare me! I... I have indeed seen this pattern before. It... It is the symbol of the Black Spider Gang!"

"Black Spider Gang?" I was shocked. I had heard of this notorious assassin organization before, but I didn't expect that they would dare to extend their hands to the Royal Hunting Ground!

"Do you know why they came?" I asked.

Hunter C shook his head and said in a trembling voice, "I don't know. The Black Spider Gang acts in secret. They never reveal their whereabouts easily, let alone their purpose..."

I waved him off, but my heart grew even more restless. The Black Spider Gang's presence cast an even more eerie shadow over this hunt. I realized I was in danger, and that those princes and nobles, seemingly respectful and obedient, might be hiding in the shadows, observing my every move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike a fatal blow.

Night fell, shrouding the royal hunting grounds in darkness. I sat alone by the campfire, the flickering flames illuminating my restless face. I had dismissed the maids, leaving me alone in the vast tent.

I pulled the sachet from my pocket, placed it to my nose, and sniffed. The familiar scent of perilla brought a sense of peace to my heart. Zhen Youcai's figure emerged in my mind, his resolute eyes, his warm smile, and his promise: "When I come back, I'll marry you."

However, he is now at the border thousands of miles away, and I am in deep crisis. Can he still come back in time?

The howls of wolves echoed in the distance, piercing the stillness of the night, and my heart sank in my chest. When and how would the Black Spider Gang's assassins appear? Was this hunt a stage for a power struggle, or a deadly trap?

I tightly grasped the sachet at my waist and silently prayed in my heart: Youcai, you must return safely...

Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the tent, followed by a familiar voice: "Your Majesty, I..."