Years turn into wind

As autumn deepened across Jiangnan, Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei finally found a long-awaited peace and quiet, their lives seemingly returning to normal. Cheng Yuwei continued to toil away at the pharmacy, and with her help, Ling Xiaotian gradually adjusted to civilian life. He even helped her with chores and occasionally lent a hand at the pharmacy. These ordinary days were precious to the two of them.

That day, Cheng Yuwei was sorting the freshly picked herbs when Ling Xiaotian came over with a bowl of steaming hot tea and gently placed it in front of her: "I've been using these herbs a lot recently. Thank you for your hard work."

Cheng Yuwei smiled slightly, raised her head and looked at him, with a hint of teasing in her eyes: "I didn't expect our Marshal Ling to be so thoughtful and considerate, even serving a bowl of hot tea so well."

Ling Xiaotian coughed lightly and looked at her with a smile: "It's all because of your good teaching."

Just as the two were chatting casually, a secret guard suddenly hurried in and reported solemnly, "General, a number of unfamiliar faces have recently appeared in the border areas near Jiangnan. Initial investigations suggest they are from General Xie's forces in the south. They seem to be planning some action."

Ling Xiaotian's smile faded, and his brow furrowed slightly. General Xie was the most ambitious of the Southern factions. He had repeatedly attempted to incite Ling Xiaotian to rebellion and had even sent spies to seize Cheng Yuwei's prescription, but all attempts had failed. However, General Xie's deployment of so many personnel this time clearly meant more than simply gathering information.

Cheng Yuwei put down the herbs in her hand, walked over to Ling Xiaotian, and said with a frown: "Xiaotian, they should have made some preparations. We must not take it lightly. Maybe they want to use more covert means to obtain information about me."

Ling Xiaotian nodded, patted her shoulder gently, and said firmly: "Don't worry, I will protect you and won't let anyone disrupt our lives again."

A few days later, a "commoner" claiming to have fled from the south arrived at the pharmacy. Dressed in rags, he claimed to have been oppressed by southern warlords and forced to flee south. Cheng Yuwei, moved by his plight, personally treated his wounds and even provided him with food and medicine.

However, after staying at the pharmacy for several days, this "fugitive" mysteriously disappeared. Meanwhile, Ling Xiaotian received news from the secret guards that General Xie had received a detailed layout of the Jiangnan Pharmacy and a list of recipes that Cheng Yuwei had recently used.

After Cheng Yuwei found out, a trace of shock and self-blame appeared on her face: "Could it be that he is spying on us? Is he really just an ordinary citizen?"

Ling Xiaotian's eyes flashed with anger, and he said coldly, "These people are so despicable as to use their civilian identities to obtain intelligence. However, this time, we will not let them succeed so easily."

Cheng Yuwei secretly vowed in her heart that she would no longer easily trust any strangers with suspicious identities. However, her inner worries became more and more serious. She knew that the southern forces had made such a thorough move this time and would definitely not stop here.

That night, Ling Xiaotian summoned several reliable secret guards and began to plan a counterattack. They decided to first lure General Xie's forces to a remote area, then deliberately leak some false prescriptions and military intelligence to create chaos and disrupt General Xie's plans.

At the same time, Cheng Yuwei also stepped up her precautions in the pharmacy. She began to study some special potions to cooperate with Ling Xiaotian's plan to deal with various situations that might arise in the future.

A few days later, news arrived—the false intelligence General Xie had received had caused chaos within his ranks, fueling mutual suspicion and even leading to a fierce conflict. Ling Xiaotian listened to the report coldly, a sneer flickering in his eyes. "They've reaped what they sowed. This is the price of shaking the morale of the army."

After hearing the report, Cheng Yuwei felt a little relieved, with a look of satisfaction on her face: "Xiaotian, we finally taught them a lesson this time. Perhaps they will be afraid and won't dare to act rashly again."

Ling Xiaotian gently held her hand and said softly, "Yuwei, no matter how many threats lie ahead, I will protect you. Since we have chosen this path, let's face it together."

Cheng Yuwei nodded, her eyes full of trust and determination. The two smiled at each other, their hearts filled with the courage to move forward.

Just when they thought everything was settled, another long-hidden force quietly surfaced. This was an even more secretive organization with intricate ties to the local forces in Jiangnan. It was adept at manipulating people's hearts and minds, specializing in profiting from turmoil.

A secret letter quietly appeared in Ling Xiaotian's study. The letter contained only one sentence: "If you want to protect her, come to the Jiangnan River to see her."

Ling Xiaotian held the letter with a solemn expression. He knew that the letter meant a new threat, but he was more worried about whether the "she" implied in the letter referred to Cheng Yuwei.

Cheng Yuwei noticed his uneasiness and asked with concern, "What happened?"

Ling Xiaotian was silent for a moment, and finally whispered, "Yuwei, someone asked me to meet someone. I'm afraid it's another conspiracy. But I have to find out, otherwise I won't be able to live in peace."

Cheng Yuwei gently held his hand and said firmly: "No matter what we face, I am willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with you. Let's go together, don't let me wait alone anymore."

Ling Xiaotian hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Okay, let's go together. No matter what means they use, I won't let you get hurt."

As night fell, Cheng Yuwei and Ling Xiaotian followed the instructions in the letter and arrived at the banks of the Jiangnan River. All around them was hushed and silent, as if countless eyes were lurking in the dark, watching from the shadows. They approached cautiously, Ling Xiaotian clutching his sword, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

Suddenly, a man in a black robe walked out from the shadows of the trees by the river. His face was stern, and he slowly raised a small bottle in his hand. "General Ling, I heard that the woman beside you has extremely high medical skills. I wonder if she can detoxify the poison in my hand?"

Ling Xiaotian's eyes turned cold, and he said in a cold voice: "Who are you? Why are you pestering us?"

The man smiled strangely. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that my master has been watching you for a long time. As long as you are willing to hand over the prescription, we can retreat. Otherwise..."

The man's words were threatening, but Cheng Yuwei smiled coldly and said without showing any weakness: "The prescription is not a tool for power. I will not let it fall into your hands."

Seeing this, the man's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He quickly waved his hand, and several men in black rushed out from all sides, surrounding them. Ling Xiaotian's eyes were firm, and he whispered to Cheng Yuwei, "I'll cover you later. Get out of here as soon as possible."

Cheng Yuwei shook her head firmly and stood beside him fearlessly: "I won't abandon you. We will advance and retreat together."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Xiaotian drew his sword and rushed towards the men in black. Cheng Yuwei followed closely behind, using her medical knowledge to sprinkle the anesthetic powder she carried on her at the enemy, instantly disrupting the men in black's movements.

After a fierce battle, the men in black fell one after another. The man in the black robe also retreated a few steps in embarrassment, his face ashen. "Ling Xiaotian, Cheng Yuwei, your courage is indeed admirable, but this is not the end. We will be back."

After saying this, the man in black robe quickly retreated with his remaining men and disappeared into the night.

Ling Xiaotian put away his knife and turned to look at Cheng Yuwei, with a hint of tenderness in his eyes: "Yuwei, you saved me."