Niu Niu's face turned deathly pale; she felt her heart stop beating. The magistrate before her, though his face remained calm, revealed an indescribable heaviness in his eyes. He slowly said, "Yes, it is the Black Knight. The mark on the arrow is exclusive to the Queen."
Instantly, the image of the mysterious black-clad warriors flashed through Niu Niu's mind. Those warriors, clad in black armor and expressionless, always appeared with astonishing power and unparalleled loyalty. They were the Queen's personal guards, the most mysterious figures in the palace. But how could these black-clad warriors be here, and how could they be involved in this matter?
"Alright, shouldn't we be thinking about how to ensure the Emperor's safety? Sir, you should take the constables and go find the Emperor before the Black Knights."
The magistrate frowned, knowing he bore a heavy responsibility. He looked at the loyal constables around him, a firm resolve rising within him. He straightened his back and commanded loudly, "You lot, come with me to find the Emperor! We must find him before the Black Warriors and protect his safety."
The constables immediately responded and followed closely behind the magistrate. The group strode briskly through the bustling streets under the cover of night. Their steps were firm, as if carrying an unstoppable force. Moonlight shone on them, casting resolute shadows.
During the long journey, the people along the way turned their heads, their eyes drawn to the hurried procession. Their hearts were filled with awe, and they silently prayed for the emperor's safety.
Liang Shuyan looked at Niu Niu, her clear eyes filled with comfort. She gently stroked Niu Niu's head and whispered, "It's alright, Princess. With the magistrate here, I believe the Emperor is safe too."
Niu Niu looked up at Liang Shuyan, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes. She knew that this gentle woman was doing her best to comfort her, easing the fear in her heart a little.
They walked along the winding path, the wheat fields swaying in the wind, as if silently blessing them. The sunlight shone on them, warm and peaceful, as if telling them that everything would be alright.
Jin Erniu frowned, noticing Niu Niu's mood, and said, "Princess, don't worry, this humble subject will lead the martial arts school to help the magistrate, please rest assured, Your Highness!"
"Second brother, isn't Niu Niu your beloved little sister since childhood? Now, just because my status has changed, you all treat me so coldly?"
Niu Niu's voice trembled slightly as she looked at Jin Erniu, her heart filled with mixed emotions. This older brother, who had always doted on her when she was little, now felt distant from her because of her changed status.
Jin Erniu frowned, looking at Niu Niu with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calm, "Princess, you misunderstand. I have never changed my opinion of you, it's just that the current situation is special, and I have to act more cautiously."
A hint of confusion flashed in Niu Niu's eyes; she didn't understand Jin Erniu's meaning. Just then, a gust of wind blew by, ruffling Niu Niu's long hair and scattering her thoughts. Watching Jin Erniu's departing figure, a strange sense of loss welled up in her heart.
Liang Shuyan didn't know how to comfort Niu Niu, so she took Niu Niu's arm and said, "Now, we don't know what's going on in the palace. Doesn't the Crown Prince know about this either?"
Liang Shuyan was filled with confusion and worry. Looking at Niu Niu's pale face, she didn't know how to comfort her. She gently took Niu Niu's arm, trying to give her some strength with her warmth.
"The situation is indeed unclear, and we cannot draw conclusions hastily," Liang Shuyan said gently but firmly. "The Crown Prince may not be aware of the situation; he is in the palace, and his information network may be limited."
Her words were like a warm breeze blowing through Niu Niu's heart, and a glimmer of light flashed in Niu Niu's eyes. She looked up at Liang Shuyan, her once bright eyes now filled with confusion and helplessness. Liang Shuyan held her hand tightly, as if conveying a force, telling her that she was never alone.
The magistrate, accompanied by his entourage, arrived at a small road in the suburbs when a dark figure suddenly flew towards the carriage. Fortunately, he was accompanied by yamen runners, and was closely protected by martial arts school personnel, which saved him from disaster.
The carriage swayed violently, and the magistrate, still shaken, gasped for breath, staring in terror at the dark figure that had just flown past. He felt his constables tightly protecting him and could hear the martial arts school members on high alert. Tension and fear filled the air; everyone's nerves were taut, ready to face any sudden danger.
Suddenly, a silver streak flashed across the night sky, heading straight for the dark figure that had just flown by. Immediately afterward, a scream rang out, and the figure was struck to the ground. Everyone gasped in shock, and the county magistrate turned deathly pale. A guard from the martial arts school stepped forward, bound the figure, and handed him over to the yamen runners.
Before everyone could recover from their shock, the bound figure suddenly foamed at the mouth and bit off his tongue, committing suicide.
The county magistrate watched this scene with a pale face, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
At this moment, a guard from the martial arts school stepped forward, knelt before the magistrate, and said, "Your Honor, this man is dead. I failed to capture him alive. Please punish me."
The magistrate waved his hand, signaling the guards to stand up.
By this time, it was already late, and the magistrate ordered his constables to take the body back to the yamen for disposal.
Seeing that things had come to this point, the crowd dispersed. The magistrate stood alone in the night, thinking to himself, "This case is quite troublesome; it seems I need to send more people to find out the truth."
As sunset approached, a faint voice came from inside: "It's bad, Your Excellency! It sounds like a low murmur is coming from the dilapidated temple. Should we go and take a look?"
The magistrate frowned, pondered for a moment, and then nodded: "Alright, take some men and come with me to take a look."
The group hurried to the dilapidated temple, where the setting sun cast its last rays upon the ruins, making the place appear even more desolate.
They cautiously pushed open the door and found the inside in a mess, as if a fight had just taken place there.
The magistrate carefully examined the area and found a man curled up in a corner, groaning in pain. He went up to him and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
The man looked up at the magistrate and replied weakly, "My name is Li Si, and I'm a blacksmith from the city. I came here to rescue someone, but when I woke up, that person was nowhere to be found."
The magistrate nodded after hearing this and then ordered his yamen runners to take Li Si back to the city for treatment.
Just as everyone was about to leave, a masked man suddenly jumped out from the shadows, wielding a sharp blade and charging towards the magistrate.
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