As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

The morning light shines through the window lattice onto Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan's faces, and a new day begins.

They thought that after surviving the disaster, a peaceful and happy life was waiting for them, but unexpectedly, the calm mirror-like surface of the lake was soon broken.

Almost every morning, along with the first ray of sunshine, there was the slightly apologetic yet extremely firm knock on the door by the court painter Li.

"Master Ding, Miss Xiaoxuan, it's time to strike a pose."

Painter Li was ordered by the emperor to paint a huge scroll for Ding Chen and Xiao Xuan depicting their legendary deeds.

The emperor admired their courage and wisdom and wanted to pass their stories on to future generations to inspire the people of the world.

This should have been a supreme honor, but for Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan, it became a sweet burden.

Xiaoxuan would change into elaborate clothes every day and strike various poses as required by Painter Li. Sometimes they were heroic fighting postures, and sometimes they were gentle and virtuous in daily scenes.

She was originally proficient in medicine, not martial arts, and the long hours of posing made her very tired.

Those eyes that were once bright and lively were now filled with helplessness.

She couldn't refuse the emperor's order, so she could only endure it silently.

Ding Chen's situation is even worse.

He is free by nature, but now he is like an eagle trapped in a cage, having to repeat boring photo shoots every day.

The annoyance in his heart grew day by day, and finally broke out on this day.

"Painter Li, can you come here less often? We have our own lives to live too!" Ding Chen said in a firm tone, with a hint of suppressed anger.

Upon hearing this, Painter Li showed an embarrassment on his face.

"Master Ding, this... this is the emperor's order, and I dare not disobey. Please see if you can..."

"The emperor's order? Can the emperor's order disturb our lives at will?" Ding Chen's anger grew even stronger. He snatched the paintbrush from Painter Li's hand and threw it to the ground.

"I'm telling you, I've had enough!"

Painter Li was startled by Ding Chen's sudden action. He hurriedly picked up his brush and explained humbly, "Master Ding, please calm down! Please calm down! I am only following orders. You are doing this... I am also in a difficult situation..."

The two men were deadlocked, and the air was filled with tension.

Seeing this, Xiaoxuan gently pulled Ladinchen's sleeve, signaling him to calm down.

However, Ding Chen was filled with anger at the moment and could not listen to any advice.

He shook Xiaoxuan's hand off, glared at Painter Li, and said word by word, "I'll say it again, I don't want to pose anymore!"

Painter Li's face turned pale and his lips trembled, but he didn't dare to say another word.

He silently packed up his painting supplies, lowered his head, and slowly left the room like a defeated rooster.

Ding Chen looked at Painter Li's departing back, his chest heaving violently.

He turned to look at Xiaoxuan, but saw that Xiaoxuan's eyes were full of disappointment and helplessness.

"Ding Chen, you..." Xiaoxuan just opened her mouth when she heard a familiar voice coming from outside the door...

Master Ding, Censor Su requests an audience...

Censor Su came upon hearing the news, and after hearing the whole story, his brows furrowed.

He knew Ding Chen's temperament well and understood the depression in his heart.

As an imperial censor, he decided to speak up for Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan.

He went straight into the palace, reported the matter to the emperor, and cleverly advised: "Your Majesty, Master Ding and Miss Xiaoxuan have made great contributions to the country and the people, but now they are annoyed by the frequent interruptions of the painter. In the long run, it may affect their physical and mental health. I think it would be better to reduce the number of visits by the painter so that they have more private space, so that they can rest assured and prepare to better serve the court in the future." After hearing this, the emperor felt that what Censor Su said made sense, so he ordered Painter Li to reduce the number of visits and only paint on specific days.

Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a long-lost smile appeared on their faces.

However, the story does not end there.

At a palace banquet, amidst the elegant people and the clinking of glasses, undercurrents were stirring.

Some noble children were jealous of Ding Chen's achievements and reputation. They gathered together, whispering, their eyes full of disdain and hostility.

After three rounds of drinks, a young man in gorgeous clothes staggered up to Ding Chen and said sarcastically, "Mr. Ding, I heard that you have been very popular recently. Even the emperor praises you. But I am curious, what real ability do you have, or are you just lucky?" Ding Chen put down the wine glass in his hand, looked at him sharply, and sneered, "I don't need to prove my ability to you. But you, who are idle all day long and have no skills, still have the nerve to question others here?" As soon as he finished speaking, the noble children around him were stunned. They did not expect Ding Chen to refute so directly, and for a moment they didn't know how to respond.

Seeing this, another young man stepped forward and joined in: "Ding Chen, you are just a commoner. What qualifications do you have to challenge us here?" Ding Chen sneered and asked: "So what if you are a commoner? Does a noble birth mean you are capable? Although I am a commoner, I have won the emperor's appreciation through my own efforts. What about you? Apart from the protection of your ancestors, what else is there to be proud of?" His words were like a sharp knife, piercing the sore spots of these noble children, leaving them speechless and blushing.

Everyone around was impressed by Ding Chen's wit and eloquence, and cast approving glances at him.

After the banquet, Ding Chen took Xiaoxuan to the Imperial Garden.

The moonlight is like water and the fragrance of flowers is everywhere.

Xiaoxuan gently took Ding Chen's hand and said softly, "Ding Chen..." After the banquet, Ding Chen took Xiaoxuan to the Imperial Garden.

The moonlight is like water and the fragrance of flowers is everywhere, which makes Xiaoxuan's face look like jade.

She gently took Ding Chen's hand and whispered in his ear: "You performed so handsomely today." Ding Chen looked at Xiaoxuan's gentle eyes, and the smile in his eyes deepened. He couldn't help but hug her in his arms, enjoying this moment of warmth.

However, this peaceful and beautiful atmosphere was fleeting.

A strong wind came through the air, breaking the silence of the night.

A group of black-clad assassins appeared out of nowhere, like ghosts, rushing towards Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan with a clear target.

They were agile and their moves were deadly. They had the upper hand from the start, and their gleaming blades reflected a cold light in the moonlight.

Ding Chen reacted quickly, protected Xiaoxuan behind him, drew out the dagger he carried with him, and fought with the assassin.

Although he was not proficient in martial arts, he had quick reactions and flexible moves, and for a while he was able to fight the assassins to a standstill.

Xiaoxuan was protected behind Ding Chen, looking at the thrilling scene in front of her with fear and trepidation, her heart in her throat.

At this moment, an angry roar was heard: "Who are you, the villain, who dares to commit murder here!" General Lin rushed over upon hearing the sound. He was wearing armor and holding a spear. He was like a god descending to earth, extremely brave.

With just a few moves, he repelled several assassins.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the assassins began to use hidden weapons. For a moment, poison needles, darts, and other hidden weapons rained down, and the scene was very tense.

General Lin and Ding Chen stood back to back, cooperating with each other to resist the assassin's attack.

With their joint efforts, the assassins gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Just when they were about to subdue all the assassins, one of them suddenly swallowed a mysterious pill. His body instantly swelled up, his muscles bulged, his strength increased greatly, and he roared like a wild beast.

He broke through the defenses of Ding Chen and General Lin, staring at Xiaoxuan with his scarlet eyes, and pounced on her like a hungry wolf seeing its prey.

Xiaoxuan was terrified. Looking at the ferocious face that was getting closer and closer, she felt like her breathing had stopped and her mind went blank.

Seeing this, Ding Chen's eyes were bloodshot and he roared, "Xiaoxuan!" He pushed General Lin away with all his might and rushed towards Xiaoxuan...

"No!"