Years turn into wind

After Liu Fu's capture, the palace seemingly returned to calm, but the undercurrent still lingered in Ling Xiaotian's mind. He knew that while the forces at work had been temporarily suppressed, they wouldn't necessarily give up. Meanwhile, news of Cheng Yuwei's development of a new drug caused another stir, especially among the spies trying to uncover Ling Xiaotian's whereabouts.

Cheng Yuwei took this opportunity to amplify the news and deliberately revealed a secret medicine that was a "good antidote". She made her research progress public, claiming that this medicine could not only restrain all known toxins, but could even enhance the physical fitness of soldiers, making the enemy terrified.

Late one night, Cheng Yuwei was busy in the pharmacy, adjusting the formula for a new medicine. As she concentrated on observing the changes in the liquid medicine, she heard a slight noise outside the door. She immediately put away the medicine bottle and called out softly, "Who's there?"

A figure flashed past the door. Cheng Yuwei pretended to walk out of the pharmacy as if nothing had happened, but she keenly noticed a dark figure scurrying away from the corner. She didn't chase after it, but returned to the pharmacy and deliberately placed several bottles of fake medicine in a conspicuous place, pretending they were valuables. Then, she quickly notified Ling Xiaotian and deployed heavy guards around the pharmacy, waiting for the bait to bite.

The next morning, as expected, news arrived that the pharmacy in the mansion had been burglarized and numerous bottles and jars stolen. Upon hearing this, Ling Xiaotian sneered, "It seems the enemy has been fooled."

Cheng Yuwei was also very proud and deliberately said to Ling Xiaotian: "Since they like 'my new medicine', let them have a taste of the 'new medicine'."

Her carefully concocted "antidote" was actually just a harmless colorant, even containing an ingredient that temporarily turned the skin blue. This was designed to mark enemies, causing the user's skin to change color and appearance within a few hours, making them instantly recognizable. She believed that if the enemy couldn't resist using this "new drug," their true colors would soon be revealed.

Sure enough, a few days later, bizarre rumors began circulating: some black market buyers had taken a strange drug, their skin turning blue-black and their appearance drastically changed. Panicked and mistakenly believing they had been poisoned, they sought medical help everywhere. However, there was no effective antidote on the market, so these people began to hide in panic, fearing that their identities would be exposed.

When Ling Xiaotian heard the news, he couldn't help but laugh and praised Cheng Yuwei highly: "Yuwei, your strategy not only exposed the enemy's flaws, but also made them the most conspicuous target. What a brilliant move!"

Cheng Yuwei pursed her lips and smiled: "This way, it will be difficult for those undercurrent forces to sneak in without anyone noticing."

However, the repercussions of this incident went far beyond this. A few days later, news of a sudden change in the situation of one of Ling Xiaotian's rivals, a warlord who had always had close ties with General Xie, surfaced. Rumors circulated that after taking a supposedly "good medicine," one of this warlord's trusted subordinates had experienced a discolored skin and altered appearance, causing unrest in the city and forcing an emergency evacuation.

Ling Xiaotian learned about this and realized that part of the enemy's forces had begun to waver. Cheng Yuwei's "antidote" not only disrupted the enemy's deployment, but also plunged their forces into chaos.

"It seems that our strategy is gradually taking effect." Ling Xiaotian whispered to Cheng Yuwei, "However, we must also respond with caution. After all, the enemy in the dark will inevitably retaliate."

Cheng Yuwei nodded, feeling a little uneasy. "Xiaotian, the enemy has suffered so many setbacks that they're bound to become desperate. We must be vigilant, especially to prevent them from plotting a bigger conspiracy in the mansion."

Ling Xiaotian agreed with this and immediately dispatched more personnel to strengthen the defense of the mansion. At the same time, he set up a tighter intelligence network to monitor all suspicious persons entering and leaving the mansion.

A few days later, a "merchant" claiming to be from the north quietly arrived at Ling Xiaotian's territory. He claimed to have brought a batch of rare military supplies, offering to sell them at a low price in exchange for protection. Ling Xiaotian, noticing his suspicious movements and suspicious of his identity, deliberately played along and arranged a tentative meeting.

Cheng Yuwei, posing as Ling Xiaotian's advisor, met with the so-called "merchant." He appeared calm and measured in his words, seemingly well-versed in military matters, yet details revealed flaws. Cheng Yuwei keenly noticed several place names he casually mentioned during the conversation, which matched enemy intelligence, further convincing her that he was an enemy spy.

After the other party left, Cheng Yuwei whispered to Ling Xiaotian, "There must be something wrong with this person. The material transaction he proposed seems to be beneficial, but it is actually full of loopholes. His intention is to lure you into the game."

Ling Xiaotian nodded and said in a deep voice, "Since he has ill intentions, we should go along with it and give him a 'chance'. Pass the order down, prepare to pretend to make a deal with him, and secretly set an ambush."

That night, the "merchant" arrived with a small group of followers to complete the transaction, secretly planning to take advantage of the opportunity to attack Ling Xiaotian. However, he never expected that what awaited him was an ambush set by Ling Xiaotian himself.

When he sensed something was amiss and tried to flee, he was surrounded by soldiers who had been lying in ambush. Ling Xiaotian stepped forward, sword in hand, his gaze stern, "You've sneaked in disguised as a merchant. I wonder who you are and what your intentions are."

Seeing no escape, the man sneered, "Ling Xiaotian, even though you have the support of the people, you can't resist the power behind you. Do you think your small mansion can stop the turbulent undercurrent? You are destined to be swept up in the storm and destroyed!"

Ling Xiaotian remained calm and said coldly, "I, Ling Xiaotian, am not afraid of storms. If anyone dares to touch my land, I will grind them to dust."

The soldiers escorted the "merchant" and his entourage away. Afterwards, Cheng Yuwei came to Ling Xiaotian's side, gently held his hand, and said softly but firmly, "Xiaotian, no matter how difficult the road ahead, I will be by your side. We will face it together."

Ling Xiaotian held her hand tightly, his eyes soft yet firm. "With you by my side, even if the road is bumpy, I feel at peace. Yuwei, it is a blessing to have met you in this life."

The two smiled at each other, and a warm feeling rose in their hearts. They knew that the road ahead would be more difficult, but no matter how many storms there were, with their mutual faith and tacit understanding, they would be able to walk on together.

At this moment, in a dark room somewhere far away on the border, a man sat in the shadows, his expression gloomy, muttering to himself, "Ling Xiaotian, you've been cautious at every step, but I won't give up. This failure is nothing. The real storm has just begun..."