Dapeng's Time Travel Life

Chapter 22: The Fierce Battle Before Dawn

The capital city was shrouded in a thick, inky darkness, oppressively so that it was hard to breathe. Zhang Peng stood on the city wall, overlooking the entire capital, where lights were sparse, like the calm before a storm. Beside him, Xia Lijuan and Zhou Yuan stood solemnly, their hands gripping their weapons, ready for battle.

"Your Highness, all troops are in place and we are just waiting for the traitor to show himself," Zhou Yuan reported in a low voice, his voice filled with tension and anticipation.

Zhang Peng nodded slightly, his eyes sharp as he scanned every street and alley in the capital: "Tonight, we must not let them step out of the capital."

Time ticked by, and the entire capital was deathly silent. Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats shattered the tranquility. Zhang Peng's heart skipped a beat, and he said in a deep voice, "They're here!"

A group of men in black surged in from outside the city like a tide, rushing towards the palace and the treasury. Zhang Peng immediately ordered, "Fire!"

In an instant, a hail of arrows rained down from the city wall upon the men in black. They fell to the ground one after another, but they did not flinch and continued to advance bravely.

"Kill!" Zhang Peng brandished his longsword, leading the defenders down the city wall and engaging in fierce combat with the men in black. Xia Lijuan followed closely behind, her movements nimble, her dagger gleaming coldly in the darkness, each strike precise and ruthless.

On the battlefield, shouts of battle shook the heavens, and the glint of swords flashed. Zhang Peng, as if possessed by a war god, charged left and right through the enemy ranks, and wherever he went, men in black fell. However, the men in black were numerous and well-trained, and they gradually approached the palace and the national treasury.

"We can't let them get near the palace!" Zhang Peng was extremely anxious. He knew that if the palace were breached, the consequences would be unimaginable. He fought with all his might, leading the defending troops in a tenacious resistance.

Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Xia Lijuan discovered a weakness in the enemy's defenses. It turned out that among the men in black was a leader surrounded by a group of elite soldiers. Capturing this man would throw the enemy into chaos.

"Your Highness, I'll capture the king first!" Xia Lijuan shouted and charged toward the enemy leader.

Seeing this, Zhang Peng immediately provided cover for her. With her agile skills, Xia Lijuan moved freely through the enemy ranks and quickly approached the enemy leader.

Sensing danger, the enemy leader brandished his long sword and slashed at Xia Lijuan. Xia Lijuan dodged to the side, then leaped forward, thrusting her dagger toward the enemy leader's throat.

The enemy leader hurriedly parried with his sword, and with a clang, sparks flew. Xia Lijuan engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy leader. Although her swordsmanship was exquisite, the enemy leader was highly skilled, and for a time, the two were evenly matched.

Seeing Xia Lijuan struggling, Zhang Peng was frantic with worry. He fought his way through the enemy lines and charged towards Xia Lijuan. Just then, a cold arrow shot from the shadows, heading straight for Zhang Peng's chest.

"Watch out!" Xia Lijuan cried out in alarm, rushing towards Zhang Peng without hesitation and shielding him from the cold arrow with her own body.

"Lijuan!" Zhang Peng hugged Xia Lijuan, his heart filled with unbearable grief. He looked around angrily and discovered that the archer was none other than Lord Lin.

"Lin, you traitor, prepare to die!" Zhang Peng roared, charging towards Lord Lin like a tiger. Seeing the danger, Lord Lin turned to flee. But Zhang Peng wouldn't let him go; he caught up in a few steps and thrust his sword towards Lord Lin's back.

Lord Lin screamed and collapsed to the ground. The men in black, now leaderless, were thrown into chaos and scattered in all directions. Zhang Peng seized the opportunity and ordered, "Pursue them all! Leave no one alive!"

The defenders were greatly encouraged and launched a full-scale pursuit of the men in black. After a fierce battle, the men in black were finally wiped out.

Ignoring his exhaustion, Zhang Peng quickly checked Xia Lijuan's injuries. He saw that Xia Lijuan was pale and bleeding profusely from her chest.

"Lijuan, wake up!" Zhang Peng held Xia Lijuan's hand tightly, his voice trembling.

Xia Lijuan slowly opened her eyes and said weakly, "Your Highness, I'm alright... Don't worry..."

Zhang Peng was filled with mixed emotions. He carried Xia Lijuan and ran back to the Prince's Mansion. All the way, he had only one thought in his mind: he had to save Xia Lijuan.

Upon returning to the Prince's residence, Zhang Peng immediately summoned the best physician in the city. After carefully examining Xia Lijuan, the physician frowned and said, "Your Highness, Madam's injuries are too severe. The arrow was poisoned, and I can only temporarily suppress the poison. To completely detoxify her, we need a rare medicinal herb."

"What kind of medicinal herb? No matter how precious it is, I must find it!" Zhang Peng said eagerly.

"This medicinal herb is called Ice Soul Snow Lotus. It grows in extremely cold places and is very rare," the doctor said helplessly.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Peng said, "I'll go find the Ice Soul Snow Lotus right now!" He turned to Zhou Yuan and said, "Zhou Yuan, I'm entrusting the aftermath of the events in the capital to you. While I'm away, make sure to maintain order in the capital."

Zhou Yuan nodded: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will not fail in my mission. Please go and return quickly."

Zhang Peng glanced at the unconscious Xia Lijuan one last time, gently kissed her forehead, then turned and embarked on his journey to find the Ice Soul Snow Lotus. He knew the road would be fraught with peril, but for Xia Lijuan, he was willing to go through fire and water.