Peerless Divine Doctor in the City of Flowers

"Bang!"

A thick plume of smoke drifted away.

It carried a pungent, foul stench.

This move was beyond everyone’s expectations.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Xia Ju was already running quickly towards the outside of the courtyard.

"Leave a survivor!"

Ni Yan’s usually indifferent face.

Now held a trace of anger.

To be chosen as close guards, they were carefully selected.

Each one had accompanied her for many years.

Especially this Xia Ju, who held a significant post.

Her betrayal was more severe than many others.

"Yes!"

The remaining close guards quickly vaulted over the wall and leaped out.

Ni Yan was also preparing to give chase.

But she realized that Lin Xuan had not moved.

"What are you standing there for, don’t you want to investigate the situation with the sword?"

Ni Yan was somewhat puzzled.

Clearly, Lin Xuan was very concerned, but why wasn’t he moving?

"It seems I already know the answer."

He was not pursuing because Lin Xuan was squatting on the ground.

The powder that had spurted out from the explosive device earlier.

Had made him detect something unusual.

"What do you mean?"

Ni Yan walked over to Lin Xuan.

She saw him squatting on the ground, pinching the white powder with his fingers.

He sniffed it near his nose.

"This is a smoke bomb used by Woguo ninjas, but this one is different, mixed with many kinds of secret medicines, it is said to even contain human ashes. Initially, people who smell it won’t notice much, but soon they will become weak and fall to the ground, giving the fleeing ninja a chance to turn around and counterattack."

Lin Xuan tapped the medicinal powder off his palms.

His words instinctively made Ni Yan step back two steps.

"And yet you knew, but you still smelled it."

"This small amount is ineffective against me, but it’s strange that this matter is related to Woguo."

Lin Xuan looked towards the continuously bursting smoke bombs in the distance.

The Xia Ju from now should be in hurried flight, no time left for a counterattack.

"Damn it, it’s these scoundrels again!"

Originally, one would think that Ni Yan, who had long resided in the caverns, wouldn’t bear any ill feelings towards the people from Woguo.

Yet unexpectedly, her icy eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"Could it be... the fire in the caverns is also related to Woguo?"

Lin Xuan instantly thought of the previous Holy Maiden’s affair.

It was unimaginable that this paradise was also tangled in it.

You have to admit, each generation from Woguo really has a knack for being extremely detestable.

But it’s truly rare.

"This has nothing to do with you!"

Ni Yan ignored Lin Xuan.

Like a streak of white lightning, she bolted out of the courtyard.

In an instant, she leaped over the crowd and charged ahead ferociously.

At this moment, the street was in disarray.

Wherever the white smoke passed.

Many innocent passersby were affected and collapsed to the ground.

Even a few guards were now kneeling on the ground, powerless.

They could only watch helplessly as Xia Ju disappeared from sight.

"Xia Ju, where do you think you’re going!"

In just a few moments, Ni Yan stood in front of Xia Ju.

Facing the sister she had spent years together with.

Her eyes were filled with cold sharpness.

"Ni Yan, today I must leave, and you can’t stop me. But I will tell you, I will come back soon, and I’ll bring our army with me. Then, the cavern will become our base, and our dream of shared prosperity will not be abandoned."

The previously somewhat panicked Xia Ju suddenly burst into laughter.

She simultaneously grabbed two smoke bombs and smashed them fiercely on the ground.

Taking advantage of the situation, she unexpectedly dove into a nearby cave.

"Holy Maiden, we must not pursue!"

Just as Ni Yan was preparing to chase.

A distant guard shouted loudly.

Inside the cavern, there were numerous secret passages.

Interweaving endlessly.

All the channels were naturally formed.

This was the marvel of nature’s craftsmanship.

But only a few were passable by people.

And in them, there were all sorts of hidden, secretive crevices.

A slight deviation, and one could be trapped in there forever.

The rest of the secret passages led directly to underground water sources or featured complex terrain.

Over the years, the number of explorers in the cave system who had died or been injured was countless.

To venture into an unknown tunnel.

That was no different from seeking death.

"I can’t worry about that now!"

The truly infuriated Ni Yan, of course, knew the dangers involved.

But the betrayal by the guards was something she couldn’t tolerate.

Moreover, she still held her secrets.

So, the person had to be captured today.

"Holy Maiden!"

As they watched Ni Yan disappear into the pitch-black cave,

a few guards stood outside the cave, overwhelmed with anxiety.

This act, akin to suicide, they dared not attempt.

But just then, another figure burst forth.

"Lin Xuan, you’re insane!"

Zhao Jiaqi was dragging her feeble body.

She couldn’t stop Lin Xuan in time.

By the time she reached the mouth of the cave,

there wasn’t a single sound inside.

"It’s over, this is going to be troublesome now..."

Everyone stood anxiously outside the cave.

Now they were powerless to act.

"What’s the rush?... Don’t forget, I am a disciple of Banshan Taoist!"

Just then, Zhao Jiaqi’s words calmed the guards somewhat.

Thinking of her master, who was a remarkable figure,

"Right, Jiaqi, your master is Banshan Taoist, who had originally found seven or eight cave entrances and exits, so hurry up and go save the Holy Maiden!"

"What’s the rush!"

Unexpectedly, Zhao Jiaqi just sat down on the ground.

She waved her hand, utterly devoid of strength: "This darn woman’s smoke is toxic; I’m completely out of strength right now, just wait till I recuperate a bit, then I will come up with a plan."

......

Dark.

The endless darkness.

Ni Yan had intended to follow the footsteps of the other.

But after a few steps, she realized the footstep sounds were being obscured by the faint sounds of an underground river.

It was then that she discovered she was lost.

Thinking of retracing her steps, the way she had come had already vanished without a trace.

"Who’s there!"

Suddenly, footsteps from behind made her body tense.

Instinctively, she turned back and thrust out a palm, purely a self-defense reaction.

"Come on, I come to save you, and you still want to hit me!"

Luckily, Lin Xuan’s skill in identifying positions based on sounds was excellent.

He deflected the incoming palm with one hand.

With the other, he directly grabbed her waist.

The two bumped into each other fully in the narrow cave.

"What are you doing here?"

Ni Yan never expected Lin Xuan to have followed her.

In the pitch-black tunnel without the slightest hint of light or shadow,

even though the fragrance hitting his face was palpable, he couldn’t see her face.

Lin Xuan could only ask helplessly, "Of course, I came to help."

"I have my reasons to pursue, why must you come in and court death."

Ni Yan felt the security of his solid arms.

She suddenly felt a trace of fear towards the pitch darkness,

a feeling she had never experienced before.

"Court death? Did you truly not know the ways in and out of this cave and just charged in!"

Lin Xuan had thought that they hadn’t gone deep into the tunnel.

Ni Yan should know something.

"I told you, I can never leave this cave temple in my entire life; I definitely don’t know these passages."

As she spoke, Ni Yan slightly leaned into Lin Xuan’s embrace.

The warmth of the contact was quite comforting.

"Well, it looks like dying beneath the peony pavilion is indeed a romantic way to go."

Lin Xuan shrugged helplessly.

This time, it really was troublesome.

"We’re not dead yet; you better take your hand off my chest first."