She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

With the military and civilians united as one, they withstood the repeated suicidal and fierce attacks of the Qi Rong people.

Before we knew it, it was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. This day was originally the traditional festival of the Crimson Flame Kingdom—Laba Festival.

Lanxiang had prepared Laba porridge at home early in the morning, but she waited and waited, and Shen Man still did not come home.

These days, war has broken out on the border, and all the able-bodied men in the village have been conscripted into the army. Although the women are at home, they are constantly worried about the safety of their husbands and children and cannot concentrate on their work at all.

Seeing this, Lanxiang simply closed the embroidery workshop temporarily, intending to wait until the war was over before making any further decisions.

Just as Lanxiang was standing at the door looking out again, Fuling, who had gone to town to inquire about news, returned.

"My lady, I heard that the Qi Rong people's offensive has become increasingly fierce these past two days. If reinforcements don't arrive soon, we might not be able to hold our ground!" Fu Ling said to Lan Xiang as soon as she got off the carriage.

"What? Man'er is in danger! I need to go find her..."

As Lanxiang spoke, she began to climb onto the carriage.

"My lady, the young lady and her comrades are currently helping the army camp transfer the wounded to Qiufeng Town. I saw her this morning, and she is doing well. Please don't worry and don't leave the village."

Lanxiang stopped in her tracks upon hearing Fuling's words, her face full of worry: "Are you sure you don't need my help? I can't rest easy just waiting at home."

Fuling stepped forward and took her arm to comfort her, saying, "My lady, since the young lady has said so, she must have her reasons. Besides, things are chaotic outside right now. If you go out and encounter danger, the young lady will be even more distracted."

Lanxiang sighed helplessly and turned to go into the house.

But she was restless all day, glancing every now and then at the path leading to town outside the door.

However, Shen Man still did not appear even after dark.

Lanxiang was unaware that today, the Qirong army had once again rallied and launched a new, frenzied attack on the incredibly sturdy city gate.

A deafening roar resounded as the once impregnable, heavy city gate, after being attacked several times by the Qi Rong people, finally succumbed to the pressure and collapsed!

The rising dust obscured the sky and sun, making it impossible for people to see the scene before them for a moment.

As the city gates collapsed, the shouts of the Qi Rong people and the sound of their horses' hooves echoed through the sky, deafeningly loud.

"Oh no! The city gate has been breached! The Qi Rong people have stormed in!"

The shout rang out like thunder on the city gate tower, and the once orderly soldiers were instantly thrown into chaos.

Fear and panic spread rapidly, and people began to scatter and flee, their shouts echoing through the sky.

Just then, a firm and loud voice rang out: "Soldiers, do not panic! Heed my command, fight and retreat!"

It turned out that Fu Kai stepped forward, brandishing his long sword and slashing fiercely at the Qi Rong people who were surging in like a tide.

He led from the front, displaying unparalleled bravery. Each strike of his sword carried a sharp, swift wind, deterring the enemy from approaching easily.

Fu Kai led his generals to cover the soldiers' retreat. After more than an hour of desperate resistance, they finally made it safely to Tiger Mountain.

Fortunately, two days earlier, after inspecting the extent of the damage to the city gates and walls, Shen Man suggested to Fu Kai that the townspeople and wounded soldiers in the military camp be moved to places like Qiufeng Town or Tongan County.

Between Qiufeng Town and Ling'an Town lies the majestic and precipitous Menghu Mountain. The mountain road is exceptionally narrow, with dense and secluded forests on both sides, making it an impregnable fortress and an excellent ambush site.

Meng Zhuo and his men had lived in the area of ​​Menghu Mountain for many years and were very familiar with the terrain. They were instructed to lead their men to ambush the Qi Rong people there, so that they could annihilate them in one fell swoop once they were discovered.

Fu Kai thought Shen Man's words made perfect sense, so he adopted her suggestion.

Today, after learning that the city gates had been breached, Shen Man handed the wounded over to other doctors for treatment, while she herself joined Meng Zhuo and his ambush team.

However, Fu Kai and the soldiers who escaped were exhausted and covered in wounds.

"General Fu, come up here quickly!"

Upon seeing him, Shen Man immediately called out to him loudly. The Tiger Stronghold, where Meng Zhuo and the others had previously lived, had now become a temporary refuge for the people of Ling'an Town.

Hearing Shen Man's call, Fu Kai rallied his spirits and led his soldiers uphill. Only after everyone entered the village did Fu Kai breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thanks to Dr. Ding's suggestion, otherwise we would have lost even more brothers today." Fu Kai looked at Shen Man gratefully.

Shen Man waved her hand, "Now is not the time to relax. The Qi Rong people could catch up at any time."

Just then, the lookout ran over and shouted, "Something's wrong! The Qi Rong people are coming this way. They're all cavalry, and there are a lot of them."

The atmosphere in the village instantly became tense.

Fu Kai forced himself to stand up, gripping his long sword tightly. "Brothers, we've just been through a great battle and should be resting, but our homeland still needs to be protected. Does anyone still have the strength to fight?"

The soldiers shouted in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Shen Man turned to Fu Kai, her eyes firm and confident, and said, "You can rest here in peace. I have already arranged ambushes on both sides of this mountain road."

Having said that, she deftly drew the gleaming soft sword from her waist, flicked her wrist, and the sword instantly straightened, like a nimble silver snake.

Upon hearing this, Fu Kai gave Shen Man a deep look, his eyes filled with admiration.

He knew that the seemingly delicate woman in front of him was actually very skilled and intelligent. Without her careful planning and deployment, the operation would not have gone so smoothly.

So he nodded and replied, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you, Dr. Ding! Be careful in everything!"

Shen Man nodded in agreement and strode out.

She had just stepped down from the village and hadn't even gotten her footing when suddenly, a cloud of dust rose up, and the figures of the Qi Rong people came into view in the distance.

These Qi Rong people were tall and imposing, wielding sharp weapons, and each of them had a fierce look on their faces, like evil gods and demons.

Facing the menacing enemy, Shen Man showed no fear. Instead, she raised the corners of her mouth and revealed a contemptuous smile.

She shouted, "Brothers, get ready! Pull up the tripwire!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the soldiers who had been hiding in the bushes on both sides of the road responded and quickly pulled the ropes in their hands.

In an instant, thick tripwires rose from the ground, like a giant spider web blocking the Qi Rong people's path.

The Qi Rong horses galloped in, and the first few cavalrymen had no time to rein in their horses, resulting in a chaotic scene of men and horses falling over. The cavalrymen behind them hurriedly reined in their horses, but they too were thrown into disarray.