Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

Li Yuan was kidnapped by the Demon King right under his nose, his fate unknown, which caused him great distress.

Xu Sheng sighed and pressed Chen Shuo's shoulder. "Brother Chen, now is not the time to blame yourself. The other party is a demon king, and they have been planning this for a long time. This matter is beyond our control."

"The most urgent task at hand is to defend Tiger Wolf Gorge, wait for Mr. Mo's return, and await the imperial court's reinforcements. If we rashly leave the pass now, not only will we fail to rescue anyone, but we may also fall into the demon race's trap."

Chen Shuo's body trembled, and the bloodshot in his eyes faded. He naturally knew that Xu Sheng was right.

Last night, Silver Wolf disguised himself as a refugee and infiltrated the enemy, working from the inside and outside; his plan was clearly meticulous. The enemy's abduction of Li Yuan must have a larger scheme. At this moment, the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light; a rash attack would only lead to our deaths.

"Do you think they recognized him, or did they kidnap him unintentionally?"

After calming down, Chen Shuo felt more and more that something was wrong.

"That's hard to say. Judging from the situation at the time, it was probably aimed at our entire Demon Suppression Division, not just him alone."

Xu Sheng thought back carefully. There were more than twenty demons who had secretly surrounded their group of nine. However, because Li Yuan had seen through their trick beforehand, by some twist of fate, only he was captured in the end.

Chen Shuo nodded slowly, and just as he was about to speak, a personal guard walked in.

"Lord Chen, Lord Xu, General Hu requests your presence."

Inside the central command tent, Hu Cheng looked at Chen Shuo with a guilty expression. "Captain Chen, yesterday's events were due to our negligence, which allowed the demon to infiltrate and resulted in the abduction of Brother Chen Zhuo and Zhao Lingyun."

Chen Shuo shook his head: "The demon race is scheming and full of tricks. This matter is not the general's fault. I will go out of the pass to find the two after the reinforcements arrive."

He wasn't sure if the rescue would be successful, but Mr. Mo's prolonged absence after leaving the pass made him uneasy.

At this moment, in the Zichen Palace of the Imperial City in Chang'an.

The young Emperor Li Yan sat high on the dragon throne, his face grim. "The Longyou Circuit has sent over a dozen urgent reports, indicating a large-scale invasion by the demon race, requesting reinforcements from the court. What are your thoughts?"

Since the signing of the Wei River Alliance a century ago, there has been no major war between the Tang Dynasty and the Demon Court. Now, the chaos in Longyou Road has cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.

"Your Majesty, does this demon race intend to break the Wei River Alliance?" an old minister asked.

"If this is indeed the case, then our Great Tang Dynasty is in grave danger!"

"With the late emperor gone and several great generals no longer here, the Tang army now lacks its pillars of strength. How can it possibly withstand the demon race's offensive?"

……

Upon hearing this news, the civil and military officials below discussed it animatedly, most of them looking alarmed, while the emperor's face grew increasingly grim.

Suddenly, he slammed the memorial in his hand onto the imperial desk with a loud bang, startling all the civil and military officials in the hall into silence, who hurriedly shut up.

"A demonic court! What a demonic court! Do they truly regard our Great Tang Dynasty as nothing?"

The emperor's voice was icy cold, "Since he intends to break the alliance and reignite the war, how can our Great Tang Dynasty allow himself to be slaughtered like a fish!"

Where is Commander Luo of the Demon Suppression Division?

An elderly man with white hair stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your subject is here."

The commander of the Demon Suppression Division, who never usually attends morning court sessions, suddenly appeared in the main hall today, clearly indicating that he had received prior notice.

"I order you to immediately dispatch elite troops to reinforce Liangzhou. At the same time, issue an order to all demon-suppressing offices across the land to raise their guard and strictly prevent demons from infiltrating and causing trouble!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Minister Wu of the Ministry of War!"

Minister Wu hurriedly stepped forward to receive the order.

"Immediately mobilize troops stationed in all prefectures, ready to be dispatched to the Northwest for reinforcement at any time. I want to see just how much this demon court is worth!" the emperor said sternly.

"My lord, I obey your order!"

Minister Wu bowed and replied, his face full of bitterness.

"Court adjourned!"

The emperor, his face grim, turned and left. However, he did not return to the inner palace. Instead, he changed into civilian clothes and, accompanied only by a few guards whose auras were completely concealed, quietly left the imperial city and went straight to Huangjue Temple in the west of the city.

Huangjue Temple was the number one royal Buddhist temple in the Tang Dynasty. Its abbot was an old prince who did not usually receive ordinary worshippers. It mainly served royal sacrifices.

After entering the temple, the emperor first met with the abbot, gave him a few brief instructions, then dismissed his attendants and walked alone through the many halls to the deepest part of the temple.

Here lies a secluded and tranquil Zen temple, hidden among towering ancient trees, where the faint sound of a wooden fish being struck can be heard.

Li Yan climbed the steps and stood at the door of the meditation room. Instead of pushing the door open and entering, he bowed respectfully.

"Li Yan requests an audience with Master Jueqing!"

The sound of the wooden fish continued, and the emperor stood there bent over, not daring to move. After a long while, an old voice finally came through.

"Come in."

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, gently pushed open the wooden door of the meditation room, and went inside.

Inside the meditation room, an old monk with a gaunt face, dressed in a gray-white old robe, sat cross-legged on a futon with his eyes closed, slowly turning the prayer beads with one hand and gently tapping the wooden fish with the other.

He looked no different from an ordinary old monk, but upon closer inspection, his aura seemed to blend seamlessly with the entire courtyard, exuding a sense of returning to simplicity.

The emperor straightened his clothes, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your unworthy son, Li Yan, pays his respects to Father Emperor."

Father!

This old monk was actually the late emperor who had passed away many years ago?

The old monk slowly opened his eyes, glanced at him indifferently, without much emotional fluctuation, and said, "Your Majesty is the most honored person in the world, while I am a person outside the secular world, having long since severed all ties with it."

Li Yan's body trembled, and it took him a long time to straighten up, his eyes showing pain.

"Your Majesty, has your visit been concerning the disturbances caused by demons in the Northwest?"

Jueqing asked slowly.

Li Yan's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, he knew everything. He respectfully bowed his head and replied, "Indeed, this time the demon race has launched a large-scale invasion of Liangzhou. Your subject suspects that the demon court may have torn up the Wei River Alliance and intends to invade eastward."

"Please... Master, give me your guidance."

Jueqing remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "As long as the one from the Demon Court has not made a move, this old monk cannot act. This is the agreement from back then."

"But they broke the alliance first, so why should we abide by it?"

The emperor suddenly raised his head, his voice trembling with excitement.

Jueqing shook his head. "You did a good job. You can pass on the message to the four major academies and ask them to send experts to reinforce us. If something does happen, I will not stand idly by."

"Your Majesty, I understand." Li Yan suddenly stepped forward and knelt down. "The border is in grave danger, and the affairs of the state are perilous. Your Majesty... I humbly request that Your Majesty return to the palace to oversee the situation and reassure the people!"

The old monk paused slightly as he moved the prayer beads, then looked up at the emperor, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I have already dedicated myself to Buddha, and my heart is devoted solely to the Great Way. You have done very well these past years. As for returning to the palace... there is no need to mention it again."

"Father!"

Li Yan's voice choked slightly. He crawled two steps on his knees and hugged Jue Qing's arm tightly. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Your subject knows that his talent and virtue are shallow. Over the years, I have been trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice, for fear of failing the trust of the Emperor and the legacy of our ancestors."

"Now the northwest is in chaos, and there are undercurrents in the court. I also miss my father and feel exhausted. I only ask that my father return to the palace. Even if it is just so that I can see my father more often, it will bring me some peace of mind."

"Father, Mother, even on her deathbed, kept thinking of you..."

He rested his head on the old monk's knees, his shoulders trembling.