From cute to empress

Chapter 112 Braving the Dragon Pond

Night fell, covering up the palace's opulence and my whereabouts. Suppressing my pounding heart, I blended in with the food delivery team and successfully exited the palace.

According to the information provided by the Scholar of Wonderful Hands, Hawkeye's base was located in a secluded manor on the outskirts of the city. I carefully avoided crowds and patrolling soldiers along the way, and finally, when the moon was high above the willows, I found myself near the manor.

The manor's outer walls were high and heavily guarded, with teams of guards patrolling at regular intervals. I hid behind a sturdy banyan tree, carefully observing the guard changes and patrol routes, silently calculating the best time to sneak in.

About an incense stick of time later, I spotted an opening, crouched down, and quickly slipped into the manor.

The manor, with its rockery, ponds, pavilions, and towers, was nothing like the eerie and terrifying scene I'd imagined. However, I knew that the more beautiful the surface, the more dangerous the truth. I didn't dare slack off, clinging to the corners and, under cover of darkness, sneaking deeper into the manor.

Along the way, I encountered several waves of patrolling guards, but I cleverly avoided them with my agility and extraordinary courage.

Finally, I arrived at a brightly lit courtyard. Outside the gate, two guards, swords in hand, watched the surroundings vigilantly. I hid in the shadows and observed for a moment until I noticed a plaque hanging on the gate, inscribed in large letters: "Conference Hall."

"This should be where Hawkeye and his gang are plotting," I thought to myself, "If I can sneak in, maybe I can find some valuable clues."

I took a deep breath and decided to take a chance. I pulled out a packet of drugs from my pocket and threw them at the two guards while they were not paying attention.

The drug took effect quickly, and the two guards felt dizzy and fell to the ground. I immediately stepped forward, dragged them to a secluded corner, hid them, then gently pushed open the door of the meeting room and slipped in.

The meeting room was empty, save for a large, round mahogany table in the center, scattered with documents and maps. I quickly walked over to the table and carefully leafed through the documents by candlelight.

Suddenly, my eyes fell on a parchment scroll. Inscribed on it were the four characters "Tianshu Project," and alongside them were some symbols and patterns I couldn't understand.

"Project Tianshu?" I thought, "Could this be the plan that Hawkeye and his mysterious organization are plotting?"

I reached out to pick up the scroll, and at that moment, a sinister laugh suddenly came from behind me: "It seems that my distinguished guest can't wait any longer..."

I turned around suddenly and saw Hawkeye, wearing a black robe and holding a folding fan, standing at the door with a smile on his face. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk, as if he could see through any disguise.

"When did you find me?" I forced myself to remain calm and put the parchment scroll into my sleeve without making a sound.

"From the moment you stepped into the manor." Hawkeye waved his folding fan and walked towards me step by step. "I knew you would come, so I specially prepared a big gift for you."

"Just you?" I sneered and drew the soft sword from my waist. "You underestimate me too much!"

Before I could finish my words, I swung my soft sword and attacked Hawkeye. However, Hawkeye parried every one of my sword moves. He was so ghostly and lightning-fast that I couldn't get close to him.

"A mere trifle!" Hawkeye snorted coldly, and suddenly opened the folding fan in his hand, shooting out several silver needles.

I dodged quickly, but a silver needle still grazed my arm. A sharp pain came over me, and the soft sword in my hand almost slipped out.

"Did you think I wouldn't be on guard?" Hawkeye chuckled smugly. "This silver needle is laced with a deadly poison. Within half an incense stick of time, your entire body will be paralyzed, leaving you vulnerable to my slaughter!"

I was shocked, knowing that I was in great danger today. But I couldn't just sit there and wait for death. I had to find a way to escape and hand over the "Tianshu Plan" to Zhen Youcai!

I endured the severe pain in my arm, while dealing with Hawkeye, looking for a chance to escape. Suddenly, I noticed an inconspicuous secret door in the corner of the meeting room.

"Now!" I said to myself, and took advantage of Hawkeye's unpreparedness to rush towards the secret door.

"Want to run? Not that easy!" Hawkeye saw this and immediately chased after him.

I pushed the secret door open and slipped in. Behind the secret door was a long and narrow passage. I ran all the way, and the footsteps behind me were getting closer and closer.

"Damn it!" I cursed in my heart and ran forward desperately.

At the end of the passage was a secret room, in the center of which stood a massive bronze tripod. Without time to think about anything else, I rushed to the tripod and gave it a strong push.

With a loud rumble, the bronze tripod slowly shifted, revealing a dark hole. Without hesitation, I jumped in, hearing Hawkeye's furious roar: "Don't let me catch you! Otherwise..."

……

I closed my eyes tightly and let my body fall rapidly. I don't know how long it took before I fell heavily on a pile of soft hay.

"Ouch," I rubbed my aching butt, struggled to my feet, and looked around. It was a secret room, its walls inlaid with night-shining pearls, emitting a faint glow. In the center stood a stone table, piled high with books and scrolls.

"It seems that this should be Hawkeye's study," I thought to myself, "Maybe I can find something useful here."

Just as I was about to flip through the books on the table, I suddenly heard a light cough behind me. I turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a blue shirt looking at me with a smile. He had a thin face, a long beard, and a book in his hand.

"You are..." I asked warily.

"I am a skilled scholar and have long heard of the great name of Her Majesty the Empress." He smiled slightly and bowed to me.

"A scholar with wonderful hands?" I was moved and remembered that Zhen Youcai had mentioned this person. It was said that he was resourceful, proficient in the art of Qimen Dunjia, and a well-known figure in the world.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I have been entrusted to come and meet Your Majesty," said the Scholar, pointing to a tunnel in the corner of the secret room. "Your Majesty, please follow me."

I nodded and followed him into the tunnel. It was pitch black, pitch dark, but I could sense the Scholar in front of me, his steps light and steady, as if he knew the terrain like the back of his hand.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, we finally saw a glimmer of light ahead. We emerged from the tunnel and were greeted by a view of dense forest.

"Your Majesty, we are safe now." said the scholar with wonderful hands.

I breathed a sigh of relief, looked at him gratefully, and said, "Thank you, sir, for saving my life."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is what I should do." The Scholar with Wonderful Hands waved his hand. "Your Majesty, please forgive me for my excessive words. Hawkeye is a cunning man. Your Majesty was fortunate to escape this danger, but..."

He suddenly paused, a serious look on his face.

"What's wrong?" My heart tightened, and I felt something was wrong.

"Just now, I received news that Hawkeye has begun to take action." Miaoshou Shusheng said in a deep voice, "They will tonight..."

"What?!" My face suddenly changed.

The Scholar's face was solemn, and his tone was urgent: "They will launch a surprise attack on the border city tonight, trying to provoke a war and seize the chaos..." My heart sank suddenly, and the scene of displaced people and the raging battles on the border surface emerged in my mind. No, I absolutely cannot let Hawkeye's conspiracy succeed! I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself, and asked, "What is their specific plan? When will they act?"

Seeing my composure, the scholar's eyes flashed with admiration. He lowered his voice and revealed Hawkeye's plan. Upon learning this, a raging rage ignited within me. "Hawkeye, how dare you be so audacious!" I vowed to myself that I would never let them succeed.

"Time is running out. I must stop them as soon as possible!" I stood up suddenly, my eyes determined. The Scholar looked at me worriedly, "Your Majesty, you are alone now. Why don't you return to the palace first..."

"It's too late," I shook my head, a determined glint in my eyes. "Since Hawkeye dared to act so brazenly, he must have made every possible preparation. Now, the only way is for us to be one step faster than him!" I looked up at the Scholar with Miraculous Hands, "Sir, are you willing to lend me a hand?"

The scholar nodded without hesitation: "Your Majesty, rest assured. I am willing to serve you!" I nodded, turned and walked deeper into the woods, my voice firm: "Let's go and meet Hawkeye!"