By evening, the two had returned safely to the camp.
The lieutenant reported: "General, the patrol around the camp today has been completed, and no unusual or suspicious persons were found. The middle-aged man we were tracking earlier has since disappeared."
Then a child came up to me, claiming his father was missing and wanting to enter the camp to look for him. However, for safety reasons, I didn't allow him in and instead turned him away.
Li Xi nodded and said, "You did a good job. Military camps are important places, and no unauthorized personnel should be allowed to enter or leave at will. As for that middle-aged man, since he has disappeared, there is no need to dwell on him anymore. Give the order to have the soldiers strengthen their vigilance. We will begin our training exercise tomorrow."
The lieutenant nodded in agreement and then turned to leave.
As night fell, Li Xi sat alone in his tent, gazing at the starry sky outside the window, his heart filled with ripples of emotion.
Qin Xiaolin walked in, placed a bowl of hot chicken soup on the table, and said softly, "Xiaoxi, have some chicken soup to warm yourself up."
Li Xi snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Qin Xiaolin, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Where did you get chicken soup in this desolate wilderness?"
Qin Xiaolin smiled and said, "It was sent by your maternal grandmother, but she gave me the chicken soup and left, saying she would come again tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Li Xi felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
Since arriving here, she has mostly met people who have been very kind to her.
After drinking the chicken soup, she felt a little drowsy. It seems that feeling sleepy after eating is human nature.
She lay in bed, closed her eyes, and her thoughts drifted like feathers, gently leading her into a dream.
In her dream, she kept swinging her longsword to slay the swarming enemy. With each stroke of the sword, a powerful force was released from the blade, repelling the enemy.
She felt as if she were in a chaotic battlefield, surrounded by flames and smoke.
Suddenly, a piercing scream tore through the night sky. She looked up and saw a huge black monster baring its fangs and claws as it pounced on her.
She was startled, but did not panic. Instead, she quickly adjusted her posture and prepared to fight.
The longsword gleamed coldly in the moonlight. She gripped the hilt tightly, swung it forcefully, and the blade drew a sharp arc.
The monster let out a scream as it was struck by the sword energy. Its massive body swayed a few times before finally collapsing heavily to the ground.
She breathed a sigh of relief, but did not let her guard down. She continued to wield her longsword, engaging in a fierce battle with the enemy.
The battle lasted a long time, and she felt as if her body had been drained, with every muscle and every drop of blood doing its best to support her to continue fighting.
However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not change the fact that her army had suffered a crushing defeat.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and the longsword in her hand was already stained with blood. Almost all of the soldiers she had brought had fallen, and their blood stained the entire land.
She was captured by the enemy and her heart was filled with despair and helplessness.
She watched helplessly as enemy troops surged into the capital like a tidal wave, wantonly slaughtering innocent civilians and marching all the way to the imperial palace.
Her heart was screaming, wanting to break free of her restraints and rush forward to fight the enemy to the death.
However, her body was controlled by a powerful force, rendering her unable to move.
The enemy treated her as a puppet, manipulating her body to break down the palace gates and rush straight towards the emperor's location.
She struggled desperately, trying to resist this strange force, but it was all in vain.
Her internal energy was running rampant and completely out of control.
Wherever she went, no one was spared; whether familiar faces or unfamiliar figures, all became victims of her sword.
Her heart was tormented, filled with pain and regret.
She once swore to protect Jingyuan, but now she has become an accomplice to this disaster.
She could not forgive herself no matter what, and tears flowed like a burst dam, blurring her vision and making the world before her eyes hazy.
The deep sorrow within her heart surged like a raging storm, relentlessly assaulting her fragile emotional defenses.
Ultimately, the enemy forces succeeded in taking control of the entire Jingyuan.
She herself was reduced to a cripple with all her meridians severed and no ability to fight back.
As she lay dying, her thoughts drifted away, and she began to recall the bits and pieces of her past experiences.
However, just as she was lost in her memories, a deep and gentle voice suddenly reached her ears. "Wake up..."
The voice came from Qin Xiaolin, who was softly calling her name, trying to wake her from her unconsciousness.
His voice seemed to possess a certain magic, piercing through the chaos and darkness, gradually pulling her back to reality.
She struggled to open her eyes, and what came into view was Qin Xiaolin's anxious and concerned face.
His eyes revealed deep worry, as if the whole world revolved around her.
"You... how did you get here?" she asked with difficulty, her voice so weak that she could barely hear herself.
It felt like something was blocking my throat, and I had to use all my strength to say each word.
Qin Xiaolin did not answer, but silently walked to her side, gently helped her up, and carefully let her lean against his chest.
His embrace was broad and firm, giving people a sense of inexplicable security.
Li Xi's body trembled slightly, as if she was still immersed in the fear she had just experienced.
She kept her eyes tightly shut, afraid to open them, lest she see those frightening scenes again.
Qin Xiaolin sensed her fear and tightened his grip on her arm, whispering, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
His voice was deep and gentle, carrying an irresistible power.
Upon hearing these words, Li Xi's fear lessened slightly.
At this moment, her thoughts became extremely chaotic.
She began to recall the events of her dream, but the memories in her mind were like beads from a broken string, scattered all over the ground, making it difficult for her to piece them together.
She tried hard to clear her head, but found that the more she thought, the more her head ached.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Xi's breathing gradually calmed down.
She lifted her head from Qin Xiaolin's embrace, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face.
“Thank you… I don’t know why I suddenly felt this way…” she tried to explain.
Qin Xiaolin smiled and shook his head, indicating that she didn't need to worry. "Maybe she's just been too tired lately. She'll feel better after a good rest," he comforted her.
However, a shadow always lingered in Li Xi's heart.
She knew that this nightmare was not just caused by fatigue.
It seemed to foreshadow some unknown danger approaching, but she couldn't see the truth.
This feeling made her very uneasy.
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