Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Since the bandit Tie Man led his army to plunder the surrounding villages, the food and supplies of Hesha City have been almost completely looted, and the people are barely surviving on the remaining food each day.

Now that winter is bitterly cold, if we do not launch a counterattack soon, the people in the city may not be able to hold on before the bandits attack again.

Just a few days ago, Gu Jinyan accidentally discovered the bandits' whereabouts.

That evening, as she stood on the city wall to patrol, she saw flickering lights in the valley in the distance. She was puzzled, wondering why ordinary people would risk sleeping in the wilderness in such cold weather.

In addition, several refugees mentioned during the day that they had witnessed a group of people encamped in the mountains, flying the banner of the Iron Barbarians.

She thought to herself that if Tie Man's troops were indeed stationed there, perhaps she could send light cavalry to scout out the enemy's situation, find the bandits' rear camp, and maybe seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack.

After careful consideration, Gu Jinyan decided to risk sending a light cavalry unit to infiltrate the bandit camp, and she chose Liu Yao for this mission.

Liu Yao was not only highly skilled in martial arts and had rich combat experience, but he was also adept at concealing his whereabouts in enemy camps.

He was already prepared. In the cold wind, he clasped his hands and solemnly said to Gu Jinyan, "General Gu, rest assured, I will do my best in this mission and bring back important intelligence."

As night fell, Liu Yao led a few elite light cavalrymen and quietly slipped out of the city gate.

They traversed the forest along the path, the snow crunching under their feet, yet they moved with the agility of ghosts, stopping every so often to listen to their surroundings.

The cold wind stung their faces, and their breath condensed into white mist in the air, but they remained silent, enduring the chill without uttering a sound.

As they approached the bandit camp, Liu Yao stopped and gently waved to signal the troops to halt.

He crouched behind a boulder, observing the situation at the camp ahead.

Several campfires were scattered around the camp, and the bandits were warming themselves in small groups around the fires, sometimes talking in hushed tones, and sometimes laughing loudly.

The strong smell of alcohol and their wild, rude language suggested that their guard was not very high; after all, on a cold night, they seemed to only want to enjoy a moment of warmth.

Liu Yao's gaze swept across the camp, and he suddenly caught sight of a rather conspicuous large tent, from which he could vaguely see figures moving about.

A thought struck him, and he guessed that it was Tie Man's command tent.

It was the dead of night, and most of the bandits lay dozing by the fire, exhausted, with only a few patrolling the perimeter.

He subtly winked at the light cavalry behind him, signaling them to remain vigilant, while he himself crouched low and slowly approached the main tent.

As soon as he reached the tent, he heard low voices coming from inside.

Liu Yao held his breath, pressed himself against the tent, and listened carefully. He could vaguely hear Tie Man's voice discussing the next attack plan with another person.

"The city of Hersha has been crushed to the brink of collapse by us. At worst, it won't last more than a few days."

"Once the city runs out of food, we'll charge in, and those weak defenders won't even have time to put up a fight," Tie Man said in a low voice, his tone full of smugness.

Another voice chimed in, "Yes, once Hesha City falls, we can seize their stored grain. With the harsh winter weather, the villages in this area will not dare to resist, and the grain can be easily taken into our possession."

Upon hearing these words, a cold glint flashed in Liu Yao's eyes. He thought to himself that if he could bring this news back to Hesha City, Gu Jinyan would definitely be able to prepare in advance and set up a defensive formation.

However, just as he was about to leave, a sharp shout suddenly came from inside the tent: "Who's there!"

Oh no! Liu Yao felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that his footsteps might have been noticed by the other party.

He quickly took a step back and turned to retreat, but a commotion broke out in the camp as several bandits surged up from all sides and blocked his way.

The leader was one of Tie Man's fierce generals, a bandit leader nicknamed "Black Wolf".

The black wolf was burly and imposing, wielding a giant axe, with a fierce glint in its eyes.

He grinned maliciously at Liu Yao: "Still trying to run? You spies from Hesha City, do you really think you can come and go as you please in our camp?"

Liu Yao smiled coldly, drew his long sword, and assumed a defensive stance.

A fierce battle is inevitable tonight.

At Black Wolf's command, several bandits surrounded him. Liu Yao swung his sword at them, swift and decisive, the blade flashing coldly as it sliced ​​through the night, heading straight for Black Wolf.

However, Black Wolf was exceptionally skilled. He dodged to the side and swung his axe straight at Liu Yao's chest.

Liu Yao remained calm and dodged to the side, then used the back of his blade to strike the opponent's wrist, slightly forcing Black Wolf's attack back.

The two sides exchanged blows, their swords and axes clashing, sparks flying everywhere.

Several light cavalrymen behind Liu Yao also joined the battle. Amidst the flashing swords and the glint of blades, a chilling atmosphere filled the air.

At this moment, the cold wind mixed with snowflakes lashed against everyone's faces, but no one retreated in the slightest.

Every slash and every punch was like a flame burning in the cold night, intense and fierce.

After a fierce battle, Liu Yao was ultimately outnumbered and his shoulder was slashed by the black wolf's axe, leaving a deep wound that soaked his clothes with blood.

He endured the pain, gritted his teeth, and cut down a bandit who was charging at him.

He whispered to the light cavalryman beside him, "Go, quickly return and report to General Gu!"

The light cavalry obeyed orders and risked everything to cover Liu Yao's retreat, breaking through the encirclement with this valuable intelligence.

Along the way, Liu Yao felt a burning pain in the wound on his shoulder. When the cold wind blew, the pain was unbearable, as if the wound was being torn apart.

Nevertheless, he held tightly to the reins, trying his best to stay awake.

At this critical juncture of life and death, he could not fall, nor could he disappoint the people of Hesha City.

The following morning, Liu Yao returned to Hesha City covered in wounds.

Gu Jinyan had been waiting at the city gate. When she saw Liu Yao return wounded, a hint of heartache flashed in her eyes, but more than that, she felt relieved.

Liu Yao dismounted, endured the pain, knelt down, clasped his hands, and said, "General Gu, the Iron Barbarians have planned to launch an attack while our city is running out of food. We need to prepare for this operation as soon as possible."

Although his voice was weak, it still conveyed an indomitable determination.

Gu Jinyan nodded, his eyes revealing a determined light: "Liu Yao, thank you for your hard work. Next, I will arrange for everyone to cooperate in the preparations."

"With your protection, the people of Hesha will surely overcome this crisis."

Her gaze swept over the wound on Liu Yao's shoulder, and she sighed softly before helping him up. "Go and heal your wounds first. We'll face the rest of the battle together."

This time, she was no longer alone, no longer shouldering all the responsibility by herself.

Every citizen and every soldier in Hesha City is her strongest support.

Night had fallen, and a biting wind was blowing, with gusts of cold air occasionally swirling in through the gaps in the military tents.

Outside the tent, the campfire flickered, illuminating the faint silhouettes of soldiers on night watch.

Inside the tent, Liu Yao lay quietly on the simple wooden bed, his brows slightly furrowed, a trace of blood covering the quilt beside him.

He was seriously wounded in the battle with the enemy; the skin on his waist and left shoulder was torn open and bleeding profusely.

Ling Xia'er approached quietly, carrying a small bucket of hot water with a few herbs floating in it.

She placed the bucket beside the bed, gently stirred the water, and let the warm medicinal aroma fill the air, diluting the bloody smell inside the tent.

She was the military doctor of Hesha City. After Gu Jinyan took charge of the reconstruction of Hesha City, he invited her to serve as the military doctor.

He was specifically responsible for taking care of the soldiers' injuries and illnesses.

Although she was already numb to the carnage of the battlefield, Ling Xia'er's heart still clenched slightly when she saw Liu Yao's pale face.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, picked up the gauze, soaked it in warm water, gently wrung it out, and slowly applied it to the wound on Liu Yao's shoulder.

The warm water touched the wound, and he frowned, letting out a suppressed groan.

Ling Xia'er quickly comforted her in a low voice, "Bear with it. If it hurts, just hold on tighter to the blanket next to you."

Although the words were soft, they carried a reassuring power, which made Liu Yao breathe a sigh of relief.

Ling Xia'er's movements were skillful and meticulous, her fingers light and steady. While cleaning Liu Yao's wounds, she secretly pondered how to treat the injury.

The wound on my left shoulder wasn't deep; the problem was on my side, where the muscle was torn so deep that the bone was visible.

If such an injury is not treated properly, it may become inflamed and suppurate, and may even threaten his life.

"Liu Yao, you're really risking your life this time."

As she applied the herbs with a medicated cloth, she spoke softly, her tone carrying a slight reproach.

Liu Yao slowly opened his eyes, a weary smile on his face: "There was no other way. If we hadn't charged forward, we would have been killed by the bandits long ago."

Ling Xia'er looked at his smiling face, but she didn't feel at ease.

She sighed softly, carefully applied the prepared medicated cloth to his wound, and then took out a thin needle and thread, slowly threading it through the skin and flesh at the edge of the wound.

Her movements were extremely gentle, her gaze focused, as if she were holding not a needle, but an extremely precious object.

The tent was so quiet that only breathing and the faint sound of needle and thread cutting through muscles could be heard.

Liu Yao's fingers gripped the corner of the blanket tightly, and a bead of sweat appeared on his face as he endured the pain, but he didn't make a sound, letting her sew it up little by little.

"I once said, don't always try to be strong. No one in the military will blame you for being weak."

Ling Xia'er stitched up his wounds one stitch at a time, her tone calm but filled with undisguised concern.

"How dare I show weakness in front of you?"

Liu Yao gave a wry smile and responded in a low voice, as if he was challenging himself, or as if he was deliberately trying to coax her.

His eyes appeared gentle and indistinct in the dim light.

Ling Xia'er didn't say anything more, but just quickened her pace.

Liu Yao said these words intentionally to lighten the mood. On the battlefield, military doctors and wounded soldiers talk about everything, and their mutual trust surpasses everything, but she was somewhat unwilling to say more at this moment.

She told herself that all she needed to do was focus on saving him.

Before long, she finally finished stitching up the wound, tied the last knot, gently cut the thread, and breathed a sigh of relief.

She then picked up the medicine bowl beside her, carefully blew on it to cool the liquid down slightly, and then brought it to Liu Yao's lips.

Liu Yao frowned slightly, as if he was extremely reluctant to look at the bitter medicine.

"We have to drink it, even if it's bitter."

Ling Xia'er mercilessly held the medicine bowl to his lips, but her eyes held a hint of mockery. "If you don't drink it, I don't mind feeding you spoonful by spoonful."

Liu Yao was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled and took the medicine bowl, drinking it all in one gulp. The bitter taste made him frown involuntarily.

Looking at his expression, Ling Xia'er couldn't help but chuckle softly, her face softening slightly.

After putting the medicine bowl back, she gently wiped the cold sweat from his face with a cloth, her movements as gentle as a spring breeze.

Liu Yao looked at her quietly, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and reluctance, as if he wanted to remember this moment forever.

Ling Xia'er was unaware of his gaze and focused on tidying up his blankets and pillows.

"Gu Jinyan made the right choice in selecting you as the military doctor," Liu Yao said softly, his voice slightly hoarse.

Ling Xia'er paused, lowered her eyelashes, and said softly, "This is the duty of a military doctor. General Gu trusts me, so I will naturally do my best."