Years turn into wind

Chaoyang City had just experienced a moment of tranquility, but Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei both knew that this was only the brief peace before the storm.

One morning, Cheng Yuwei was busy at the pharmacy when she suddenly felt a vague sense of unease. She noticed a furtive-looking man lingering not far behind her, seemingly monitoring her movements. To avoid alerting the enemy, she feigned composure. After distributing the last dose of herbal medicine to the soldiers, she slowly walked towards the Marshal's residence, where she noticed the man quietly following her.

Not far away, Ling Xiaotian, who had been lying in ambush, had already received her hint and quietly followed them with several trusted men. Cheng Yuwei slowed her pace and gradually led the man into a secluded alley, where he was instantly surrounded by Ling Xiaotian's trusted men.

Seeing this, the man snorted coldly, quickly took out a dagger, stared at Cheng Yuwei with sharp eyes, and whispered, "Doctor Cheng, I've heard that you are an excellent doctor, but I didn't expect you to become Ling Xiaotian's accomplice."

Cheng Yuwei's eyes were cold: "Who sent you?"

The man smiled sarcastically: "Doctor Cheng is so naive. You will never be able to change the upcoming fate."

As soon as she finished speaking, the man suddenly pounced towards her at an astonishing speed. Cheng Yuwei subconsciously stepped back, but at this critical moment, Ling Xiaotian's figure suddenly blocked in front of her and forced the man back with a sword.

Ling Xiaotian stared at him coldly and whispered, "Whose people are you? Were you sent by Liu Jingyao, or is there someone else behind this?"

The assassin sneered, clearly not intending to reveal any information. He raised his hand and swung it, releasing a handful of tiny poisonous needles from his palm, aiming directly at Cheng Yuwei. Ling Xiaotian stepped in front of Cheng Yuwei, swiftly swinging his sword to block the attacks, but several of the poisonous needles still narrowly missed.

Seeing no hope of success, the assassin quickly fled deeper into the alley. Ling Xiaotian wanted to chase him, but he saw that Cheng Yuwei looked slightly pale. He quickly turned around to support her and asked softly, "Are you okay?"

Cheng Yuwei shook her head, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes: "This is just a test, there must be a bigger conspiracy behind it."

After returning to the Marshal's residence, Ling Xiaotian urgently summoned the generals to investigate, hoping to prevent further enemy infiltration. Cheng Yuwei, hiding in her study, carefully analyzed the poison needle used by the assassin. The toxin in this needle was extremely rare, a secret poison from the Western Regions that she had heard of while studying abroad.

This made her vaguely aware that the forces behind the enemy were more complicated than they had expected. It was not even just Liu Jingyao alone, but a huge force hidden in the dark.

When Ling Xiaotian learned of this, his anger intensified. "If they dare to come to Chaoyang City and cause trouble, they will never return!"

Cheng Yuwei gently took his hand, her tone gentle but firm: "Xiaotian, impulsiveness will not solve the problem. We need a solid plan. Only by finding the mastermind behind this can we completely eradicate the hidden dangers."

Ling Xiaotian took a deep breath and nodded slowly: "Yuwei, I will act with caution, but this time they dared to put a knife in front of you, which is really too much."

Cheng Yuwei listened, her heart warmed. She gently held his hand, her eyes gentle but firm: "Xiaotian, no matter what we face, I am willing to fight alongside you. But you must be careful."

Ling Xiaotian looked at her and whispered, "With you by my side, everything is worth it." He gently embraced her, and the two of them hugged each other silently, as if they had gained infinite strength from each other.

A few days later, Ling Xiaotian's covert informant reported that Liu Jingyao was indeed hiding in an abandoned temple outside Chaoyang City, plotting a new plan. Her new ally also surfaced: a mysterious figure from the Western Regions, skilled in poison and disguise.

Upon learning of this, Cheng Yuwei decided to take action personally and go to the abandoned temple with Ling Xiaotian to investigate the enemy's movements in order to grasp Liu Jingyao's plan in one fell swoop.

They quietly infiltrated the abandoned temple and carefully observed the enemy's deployment. In the night, the lights inside the temple flickered, and several figures shuttled back and forth, with the vague figures of Liu Jingyao and the mysterious man visible. Cheng Yuwei's heart tightened, and she whispered to Ling Xiaotian, "We must proceed with caution and not alert the enemy."

Ling Xiaotian nodded, and the two of them skirted the temple's flanks, carefully sneaking inside. The night was as dark as water, and the air was filled with a faint medicinal aroma that made one feel drowsy. It was clearly some kind of sleeping potion.

Cheng Yuwei quickly covered her mouth and nose and whispered to Ling Xiaotian, "This fragrance has a hypnotic effect. Be careful not to inhale too much."

The two quietly approached the main hall, and just as they were about to take a step further, they heard whispers from within. Liu Jingyao was discussing a secret plan called "Operation Night Owl" with the mysterious man, who was discussing a plan to launch an attack at night in the next few days to completely disrupt Chaoyang City.

Cheng Yuwei's heart tightened, and she secretly noted their plan, intending to return to the city as soon as possible to deploy defenses. However, just as the two were about to evacuate, a low laugh suddenly came from behind them.

"Marshal Ling and Doctor Cheng are honored to have visited us. I'm sorry for not welcoming you in person." Liu Jingyao stood at the door of the hall, looking at them coldly, her eyes full of sarcasm and malice.

Ling Xiaotian instantly drew his sword, shielding Cheng Yuwei behind him, and said coldly, "Liu Jingyao, at this point, you still want to do evil? If you know what's good for you, surrender now."

Liu Jingyao sneered, a hint of pride in her eyes: "Ling Xiaotian, you are too confident. Since I dare to show up, I am not afraid of what you can do to me. Today, I will make sure that you two will never return."

Before he could finish his words, several black-clad assassins armed with sharp blades emerged from all directions, surrounding the two of them in the hall. Ling Xiaotian's eyes turned cold, and he gripped his sword tightly, blocking Cheng Yuwei and whispering, "Yuwei, don't worry, I will protect you."

Cheng Yuwei held his hand tightly, her eyes firm as she said, "I won't hold you back. Let's break through together."

The two joined forces to fight, Ling Xiaotian wielding his sword to fend off the enemy while using his body to protect Cheng Yuwei. Cheng Yuwei, on the other hand, used the medicine she carried with her to continuously apply anesthetic powder, temporarily stunning the enemy and giving Ling Xiaotian a chance to catch his breath.

At this moment, Liu Jingyao stood at the door of the palace, sneered and shouted: "Cheng Yuwei, I will watch you fall in front of me with my own eyes!" She took out a crossbow from her sleeve and shot at Cheng Yuwei.

At the critical moment, Ling Xiaotian rushed forward to stand in front of Cheng Yuwei without hesitation. The crossbow arrow grazed his shoulder and passed through, and blood instantly dyed his sleeves red.

Cheng Yuwei felt a pang of pain in her heart. She supported him, her eyes full of worry: "Xiaotian, how are you?"

Ling Xiaotian endured the pain and smiled slightly: "I'm fine, don't worry."

The two of them eventually fought off the assassin together. Just as they were about to evacuate, Ling Xiaotian's cry for reinforcements came from outside the hall. Seeing this, the enemy quickly retreated and disappeared into the night.

Back at the Marshal's Mansion, Cheng Yuwei bandaged Ling Xiaotian's wounds with her own hands and couldn't help but whispered, "Xiaotian, don't do this again in the future. It's not worth getting hurt for me."

Ling Xiaotian gently held her hand and whispered, "You are more important to me than anything else.