Chapter 511: First meeting with my uncle, save the emperor!

It so happened that on that day, as the Great Chu Emperor Zong Zheng Langri stepped into the forest, the originally clear skies suddenly turned overcast with dark clouds.

The heavy, dark sky seemed as if it would collapse at any moment.

"Your Majesty, the sky changes just like that—suddenly it's pitch black."

"For Your Majesty's safety, we should turn back to the palace today."

The emperor's personal attendant nervously spoke up to ask for instructions.

"As for the hunt, perhaps we should discuss it another day?"

"Once we enter the forest, everywhere are wild beasts; with the slightest carelessness, not to mention tigers, even at ten meters out we can't tell whether it's a person or a beast."

"Now, Your Majesty's safety is the paramount matter concerning the state and the people's utmost wish."

"We earnestly beg Your Majesty to grant permission to return."

Zong Zheng Langri glared at the attendant with a fierce half-turned head: "Shut up!"

"My mind is made up! Do you also want to stop me from going ahead with this day?"

"To let me rid myself of my long-standing ailment, you've become so frightened you're like a cornered dog jumping over a wall?"

"If you dare to speak nonsense and block me again, I'll behead you first!"

The attendant then lowered his head in panic, not daring to block the Chu emperor any further.

The Chu emperor spurred his horse and rode ahead at the lead.

Soon, the surroundings were completely dark to the point of not seeing one's hand in front of one's face.

The attendants all lit torches.

They also dispatched a small squad to go into the forest to first search for tiger tracks.

At that time, it was only just past three quarters past the hour of Wei (around 1:45 pm).

That day, the strangeness made people's hearts creep.

But the more this happened, the more the Chu emperor came to believe Qingyangzi's words.

Dark energy, nightmares.

For the Chu emperor, this truly felt like the beginning of a new nightmare.

Soon enough, they really did find a tiger.

The Chu emperor, bow and arrow in hand, galloped forth on horseback, not expecting they would accidentally venture into the true beast forest.

Unexpectedly, a heavy rain began to pour down.

The torches went out one after another, and everyone fell back into darkness.

Countless pairs of eyes glowed with a faint green light in the darkness.

Low, rolling growls emanated from all around.

They were completely surrounded by the forest's wild beasts!

"Protect His Majesty—"

The attendants shielded the Chu emperor in their midst, preparing to fight to the death to break out.

However, the brown bears, wild wolves, tigers, and poisonous snakes—these wild beasts seemed to have an unspoken agreement, not attacking each other but all lunging at the attendants.

Even bronze walls and iron barriers were instantly scattered.

At this moment, the Chu emperor wasn't thinking about fleeing quickly; he picked up his long bow, intending to seize the opportunity to hunt that tiger.

But he overestimated his own skills, which had lain dormant for years.

Even after he had shot all his arrows, in the total darkness he had no idea whether he had hit a person or a beast.

All around rose wails.

The Chu emperor could only draw his personal treasure sword.

Then, relying on his full confidence, he prepared to break through the encirclement and personally charge at the tiger.

Unfortunately, after finally catching sight of the tiger's shadow and raising his sword to charge, he was again surrounded by three wolves that leapt out.

Meanwhile, that tiger leisurely walked toward him from behind.

"Escort His Majesty, withdraw—"

One attendant had his throat bitten clean through.

At this moment, the Chu emperor's heart was also filled with killing intent and bestial desire, his eyes reddened.

Yet he retained some clarity, only able to spur his horse to flee, not expecting the wild wolves and tiger to give chase from behind.

The horse panicked and bolted; the Chu emperor, sword raised, prepared to cover the rear, not expecting the horse, in its panic, to crash headfirst into a protruding branch.

The horse neighed and ran off, while the Chu emperor was left hanging from the branch.

The tiger and the three wolves then slowly approached together.

The tiger roared, intending to climb the tree and personally bite down the Chu emperor.

The Chu emperor could only wave his still-gripped treasure sword with effort: "Don't come over—save the emperor, save the emperor—"

But the attendants were still fighting to the death in the rear; to rush over and save him now would be too late.

The Chu emperor despondently closed his eyes.

All that flashed through his mind were the days he had spent in the cold palace back then.

Suddenly, a 'puff' sound.

Someone chopped off a wolf's head with a single blow.

"Save them!"

Several youths who looked like ordinary hunters emerged from the woods and timely extended a helping hand to the Chu emperor.

They were precisely the Zhui Yu and Leng Dian accompanying Duan Rongshi, along with several attendants from the Prince Su's manor.

These few naturally possessed extraordinary skill.

Moreover, Duan Rongshi had been watching from the shadows for a long time.

If the moment weren't already ripe, he simply wouldn't have appeared.

They cleanly took down the three wild wolves, then Duan Rongshi leapt onto the large tree ahead and skillfully brandished the axe at his waist.

With one axe strike he severed the branch the Chu Emperor was hanging from, and the Chu Emperor fell heavily to the ground with a 'pak' sound.

Then he turned to face off against the tiger.

Zhui Yu followed behind and jumped up onto the tree.

Leng Dian, meanwhile, led the guards to turn and kill the remaining beasts that had lunged forward.

Naturally, another fierce battle ensued.

The Chu Emperor's guards were down to only three or five still alive.

Duan Rongshi's men, though all injured, had ultimately suffered no loss of life.

And while he was killing the tiger to the bitter end, the Chu Emperor also did not forget to shout: 'Stop——!'

'I… just right, I'll personally come!'

The Chu Emperor picked up his sword, stepped forward, and personally pierced the tiger's throat through and through.

Before Duan Rongshi could turn around, the Chu Emperor raised his sword and thrust it directly into his arm.

'Who are you?'

'Speak! Were these wild beasts all provoked by you?'

'How dare you… harm our lives—do you know what crime you deserve?!'

'Father!'

Zhui Yu and the others immediately wanted to rush forward, but Duan Rongshi stopped them with a raised hand.

Meanwhile, the Chu Emperor's remaining five guards, despite their wounds, stepped forward to shield him, and the two sides glared at each other, tense and hostile.

Duan Rongshi, covering his bleeding arm, gave a cold smile.

'There are still people in this world who don't know gratitude.'

'I don't even know who you are, so how could I harm your life?'

'If I hadn't just intervened, this sir would surely have lost his life to the tiger's jaws; instead of repaying kindness, you repay it with hostility and now seek to blame me.'

'But I don't know if this sir has the confidence to fight my men and carve a way out of this mountain forest.'

It was obvious that Duan Rongshi had more people.

Moreover, his men's martial skills were superior to the emperor's guards.

The outcome would soon be clear, and the Chu Emperor couldn't help but change his expression.

But a monarch is naturally suspicious, and this person's appearance is truly too much of a coincidence.

'How do you know which sir I am?'

'You really don't recognize me?'

'Is today really just a coincidence?'

Duan Rongshi: 'Looking at your bearing, you're not a court official or nobility—could you be of some other station?'

'Although I am merely a son‑in‑law who married into a merchant family, I have seen officials before, so I would not mistake them.'

'As for who you actually are, I truly do not know.'

'But to say it's a coincidence—that's certainly not the case.'

The Chu Emperor's guards stepped forward with their swords: 'Bold! You are truly a conspirator harboring ill intent… after all, things have come to this—hurry up and state your true purpose!'