Chapter 1437

Ma Chao approached and asked softly, "Miss, has this place been affected by the war?"

The woman looked up and saw that it was a spirited general; a flash of surprise crossed her eyes, and she immediately answered, "General, although this place is remote, it is hard to avoid being affected somewhat. Fortunately, with the protection of all the soldiers, the villagers have been able to be tranquil."

Ma Chao heard this, and a sense of responsibility surged in his heart. He said, "Miss, rest assured; with me, Ma Chao, here, I will definitely ensure this place is safe."

The woman smiled slightly, and that smile was like a spring breeze brushing her face, making Ma Chao's heart warm. She said, "General is heroic, and this little woman is deeply grateful. If the General does not mind, this little woman is willing to cook a pot of tea for the General to express her gratitude."

Ma Chao originally wanted to refuse, but seeing that the woman's eyes were full of sincerity, he nodded. Thus, he followed the woman to a simple yet tidy small hut; the furnishings in the room were simple, but there was a different kind of warmth.

The woman skillfully cooked the tea, and the fragrance of tea overflowed, intertwining with the scent of books in the room, creating an indescribable harmonious atmosphere. Ma Chao sat on the side, watching the woman's busy figure, and a kind of tranquility he had never experienced before actually arose in his heart.

After the tea, Ma Chao stood up to leave, but heard the woman say softly, "General, war is chaotic, and life is short. May the General take care of your body and return in triumph soon."

Ma Chao heard this, and a warm current surged in his heart. He turned back to look at the woman and said, "Miss, I, Ma Chao, will definitely not fail your expectations. When the war subsides, I will definitely come to this place again to enjoy this mountain scenery with you."

The woman smiled slightly without saying more, just watching Ma Chao leave. In her heart, a seed of hope was also quietly planted.

In the days that followed, whenever Ma Chao had free time, he would come to this small village to spend time with that woman. They walked in the mountains together, enjoying the sunrise and sunset, and drank tea and discussed the Dao together, talking about the great affairs of the world. In those tense days filled with slaughter, this unexpected romance became the gentlest comfort in Ma Chao's heart.

However, good times did not last long; Cao Cao's influence stirred again, and a great war was imminent. Ma Chao had to temporarily put down this romance and devote himself entirely to the fighting.

At the moment of parting, Ma Chao came to the woman's small hut, his eyes full of reluctance. He tightly held the woman's hand and said, "Miss, the war is urgent, and I have to leave temporarily. But please believe that I, Ma Chao, will definitely return to spend the rest of my life with you."

A flash of tears crossed the woman's eyes, but she endured the sorrow and smiled. "General, I will wait for you. No matter how long, I will be here waiting for you to return."

Ma Chao looked at the woman affectionately, then resolutely turned and left. His heart was filled with firmness and conviction; he knew that for the sake of this unexpected romance and for the tranquility of the land of Jiangnan, he must defeat Cao Cao and return in triumph.

In the days that followed, Ma Chao fought bravely on the battlefield and made repeated meritorious services. In his heart, there was always a conviction supporting him, and that was to end the war early and return to that tranquil small village to spend the rest of his life with that woman.

Finally, under Zhuge Liang's careful planning, Cao Cao's main army was thoroughly defeated, and the land of Jiangnan returned to peace and tranquility again. Ma Chao also returned to that small village as he wished and found that woman who had been waiting for him all along.

They embraced each other, as if time had stopped at this moment. Ma Chao knew that he had found his own destination, and that was this tranquil small village and that gentle woman. They decided to join hands to spend the rest of their lives, jointly writing a legendary story belonging to them. And this unexpected "peach blossom luck" also became the most precious memory in Ma Chao's life.

The life of Ma Chao and that woman, at first, was as beautiful as he had dreamed. They lived a simple and tranquil life in the small village, far from the noise and slaughter of the battlefield. Ma Chao gave up his status as a general, choosing to become an ordinary farmer, farming the land with the woman and enjoying the fun of an ordinary life.

However, fate always seems to love to tease people. Just when Ma Chao thought he had finally found a happy destination, an unexpected truth broke this tranquility.

That day, Ma Chao went to town to buy daily necessities as usual, but encountered a mysterious traveler on the way. That traveler saw Ma Chao and approached him with a strange expression, saying in a low voice, "General Ma, do you know the true identity of your sweetheart?"

Ma Chao heard this, and a sense of foreboding surged in his heart. He frowned and asked, "Why do you say that? She is just an ordinary village girl; what true identity could she have?"

The traveler chuckled and said, "General Ma, do you know that she is actually a spy sent by Cao Cao? She has been secretly collecting intelligence and has caused you quite a bit of trouble."

Ma Chao heard this, and his heart shook. He recalled every bit of his time with the woman but had not discovered any abnormalities. He shook his head and said, "Impossible, she would definitely not be a spy. I have been with her for a long time, and her every word and action were all sincere."

The traveler saw this, took out a secret letter from his bosom, and handed it to Ma Chao. "General Ma, this is a secret letter I intercepted from Cao Cao's army; it details her identity, mission, and how she used you to obtain intelligence. If you don't believe it, you can check it yourself."

Ma Chao took the secret letter and unfolded it to see; it detailed the woman's identity, mission, and how she used Ma Chao to obtain intelligence. Every word was like a sharp sword piercing Ma Chao's heart, making him suffer unspeakably.

Ma Chao tightly gripped the secret letter, and a sense of anger and pain of being betrayed surged in his heart. He recalled every warm moment he spent with the woman, but it turned out to be a trap she had carefully laid. He felt as if he had fallen from the peak of happiness into an endless abyss.

Ma Chao endured the pain in his heart and decided to find the woman to ask clearly. He returned to the small village, found the woman, threw the secret letter fiercely in front of her, and questioned, "Is this true? Are you really a spy sent by Cao Cao?"

The woman saw this, and a flash of panic crossed her eyes, but she soon calmed down and sneered, "That's right, I am indeed a spy sent by Cao Cao. But do you know? I also truly like you. It's just that my identity and mission left me with no choice." ===== CHAPTER 1438 =====