On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

On the western foot of the Yin Mountains, the wind and snow are even more severe.

The lead-gray clouds hung low, making it hard to breathe.

The fine snow foam was picked up by the strong wind, like billions of ice needles, whipping the exposed skin, bringing biting cold and sharp pain.

Visibility was extremely low, and figures were blurry ten steps away.

On the rugged mountain road, a flatbed cart covered with thick oilcloth and pulled by two strong mules was moving forward with difficulty.

The wheels rolled over the frozen soil and gravel, making a dull creaking sound, which was almost inaudible amid the whistling wind.

The driver was an old farmer wrapped in a thick sheepskin coat and a worn felt hat. He had a hunched back and his face was covered with scars of wind and frost, revealing only a pair of cloudy but extremely alert eyes.

Behind him followed two young men who were also dressed in tattered clothes and had their necks hunched. They looked like his sons or servants.

The three men were silent, their heads down, and they were on their way, just like the peddlers who occasionally appeared in these desolate mountains and wilderness.

On the flatbed truck, under the tarpaulin, there is no ordinary cargo.

Several heavy pottery jars carefully sealed with wet mud were firmly fixed in a special wooden frame, and the space between the jars was filled with thick cotton wool and hay.

The clay pot was cold, and even in the cold wind, it exuded a faint, extremely light bitter smell of almonds.

Gu Beichen had already changed out of his purple robe and was now wearing a coarse cotton coat with plaster smeared on his face. He was mixed in with the two "guys", with his head lowered, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, scanning through the gaps in the wind and snow for every shadow around him that might hide danger.

In his arms, he clutched the crucial clay pot, covered in wet mud, as if it were a venomous snake poised to bite back at any moment. Black-robed assassins, scattered dozens of paces in front and behind, also disguised as mountain dwellers and woodcutters, stood guard.

"Prime Minister, the Eagle's Beak Stream is just ahead." A soldier disguised as a servant lowered his voice, his voice muffled by the wind. "After crossing the Stream, we'll be close to Broken Dragon Cliff."

Gu Beichen nodded slightly without saying anything, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cold wall of the pot.

Success or failure depends on this.

This "poisonous saliva" must be safely delivered to the core area of ​​the Fenlei Division.

Lin Zhen, your death is near.

At the same time, at the outpost on the eastern foot of Yinshan Mountain.

The battle was drawing to a close. Helian Bao's feint attack force, reinforced by Mao Mengji's main force, suffered a devastating blow.

The corpses of the remaining bandits were scattered all over the ground. Helian Bao himself was hit by several arrows and his left leg was pierced by a lead bullet from a musket. Blood was gushing out. With the desperate cover of several personal guards, he fled into the depths of the mountains and forests in a panic, leaving the ground in a mess and a strong smell of blood.

"Chase! If he's dead, I must see his body!" Mao Mengji's eyes were blazing with murderous intent, his long knife was dripping with blood, and the scar on his skinny face was wriggling hideously in the firelight.

"General!" A blood-soaked scout from the Falcon Camp galloped over, dismounted, and knelt on one knee. His voice was rapid and hoarse, "Urgent news from the west gate. At three quarters past midnight, traces of a small group of people and horses were discovered in the Black Water Gorge, west of Ghost Crying Ridge. The tracks extend southeast towards Broken Dragon Cliff, and they are suspected to be Gu Beichen!"

Mao Mengji reined in his horse fiercely, his eyes flashing with ferocity: "West Gate? Southeast? Broken Dragon Cliff?"

Helian Bao's crazy feint, Gu Beichen's cunning and insidiousness, and Chu Xiling's description of the extreme danger of the "oily substance" flashed through his mind.

"Lure the tiger away from the mountain! The venomous snake is targeting Fen Lei Si!"

His bony fingers cracked, his voice like ice falling: "Order! First Battalion! Continue to wipe out the remaining Helian Bao troops! Second Battalion, Third Battalion! Follow me to Broken Dragon Cliff! Fourth Battalion! Seal off all exits from Blackwater Gorge! Kill anyone suspicious! Quick!"

"Yes!" The messenger responded loudly and galloped away on his horse.

Mao Mengji turned his horse abruptly, his black cloak drawing a sharp arc in the wind and snow. "My men! Follow me to kill the poisonous snake! Protect my workshop!"

"Kill!" An earth-shaking roar rang out!

Hundreds of cavalrymen started moving instantly like a black steel torrent!

The heavy horse hooves crushed the ice and snow, raising snow foam all over the sky, and rushed towards the Broken Dragon Cliff like a landslide and tsunami!

The earth trembles under the iron hooves!

At the foot of Broken Dragon Cliff, in the Abyss Workshop.

The dim light of fluorite and the whale oil torch intertwined, illuminating Chu Xiling's cold and focused profile.

The newly put into use No. 3 reactor runs smoothly, the copper stirring paddle rotates at a constant speed, the ice-water layer circulates continuously, and the mercury thermometer liquid column is stable.

The craftsmen moved slowly and with focused expressions, and the air was filled with the smell of sulfur, saltpeter and an indescribable chemical agent.

"Master Chu, there is a slight fluctuation in the pressure gauge of cauldron No. 3." A craftsman stared at the copper pressure gauge on the cauldron, his voice a little nervous.

Chu Xiling stepped forward quickly, her eyes sharp as lightning behind the glass goggles: "Fluctuation range?"

"Up and down half a grid, the cycle is about ten breaths." The craftsman's voice was tense.

Chu Xiling carefully observed the subtle fluctuations of the pressure gauge needle and listened attentively to the sound of the stirring paddle inside the kettle. "The stirring shaft may be slightly off-center or the bearing may be insufficiently lubricated," she said calmly. "Stop the kettle, cool it down, open the inspection hatch, and check the bearings!"

"Yes!" The craftsman started working quickly.

The huge kettle slowly stopped running, and the pressure relief valve made a slight hissing sound.

The inspection port opened and a stream of warm air gushed out.

The craftsman carefully inserted a specially made long-handled tool to inspect it.

"Report!" A guard rushed in, his voice tinged with panic. "Master Chu! The guard post on the east side of the valley has spotted unidentified individuals spying. The number of people is unknown, and their movements are cunning. They have retreated into the woods!"

Chu Xiling frowned slightly: "Increase the vigilance, double the sentries, and activate the outer defense system!"

"Yes!"

"Report!" Another guard rushed in. "We've spotted a suspicious mule cart at the west entrance of the valley. Disguised as a mountain goods dealer, they're demanding to enter the valley to avoid the snow. The guards inspected it and found unusually deep ruts. The cart is definitely not carrying mountain goods!"

Chu Xiling's heart was filled with alarm!

Deep ruts?

Definitely not mountain products?

Gu Beichen's venom?

"Close the valley entrance, raise the drawbridge, man the crossbows on the wall, and put the musketeers on alert. No one is allowed to enter the valley without my order!" Chu Xiling's voice was cold and decisive. "Notify the 'Fen Lei Wei' to prepare for battle at level one!"

"Yes!" The guard rushed out.

The atmosphere in the workshop suddenly became tense!

The craftsmen stopped their work and looked nervous.

The guards quickly gathered, bows and crossbows were strung, muskets were loaded, and a cold murderous aura filled the air.

Outside Broken Dragon Cliff, at the narrow valley entrance.

The heavy wooden suspension bridge slowly rises, isolating the inside and outside.

On the towering stone wall, the soldiers of the Jinwu Guard, the "Fenlei Guard", holding powerful crossbows and muskets, stared coldly at the lonely mule cart and three "mountain people" outside the valley.

"General! Please be merciful! The wind and snow are too strong! Let us go in and take shelter!" The soldier dressed as an old farmer hunched his back and pleaded in a hoarse voice.

"What's in the car?" the captain of the guard asked sternly.

"Just...some mountain products...mushrooms...dried fruits..." another "guy" answered stutteringly.

"Mountain goods?" the captain sneered. "The ruts are so deep? Open the tarpaulin and check!"

"It's snowing so hard, I'm afraid the goods will get wet if we open the gate..." The old farmer's eyes flickered.

"Stop talking nonsense and open it!" The captain unsheathed his long sword half an inch, and a cold light flashed.