Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

The number of people was no less than a hundred, and these people had a calm demeanor and agile steps, clearly indicating that they were all well-trained elites.

"Form ranks and protect the carriage!"

Chen Shuo roared and swung his sword at the men in black who were at the front. The sword flashed and blood spurted out. Two men in black fell to the ground.

But more men in black surged in and instantly surrounded the group.

A fierce battle ensued.

Although most of these people were at the Qi Refining Realm, their advantage lay in their large numbers, excellent teamwork, and fearlessness, giving them a military air.

Chen Shuo's heart sank. He was entangled by more than a dozen experts and could not break free for a time.

Seeing that the defensive line was about to be breached, and that several men in black were already slashing at the carriage with their knives, he became extremely anxious and was about to rush over desperately.

"choke--!"

A long spear suddenly appeared, piercing through one of the men in black, and with undiminished momentum, flew towards a second man.

"boom!"

The two men were impaled by gunfire and crashed backward, raising a cloud of dust.

What overwhelming power!

Chen Shuo looked up and saw a red figure flying towards him, arriving in front of him in an instant. It was Liu Hongyan.

But after she landed, she casually drew her spear, spraying blood as she did so. With a whirlwind, the spear shot out like a dragon, instantly sweeping down a group of people.

"Instructor Liu! What brings you here?"

Overjoyed, Chen Shuo immediately brandished his sword, forcing the two men back, and shouted at her.

"Mr. Mo sent me a message asking me to come and meet him. Luckily, I arrived in time," Liu Hongyan replied while typing.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar. Chen Shuo was startled and looked up.

Then a troop of cavalrymen clad in gleaming armor rolled in from the official road. The leader was a burly man, none other than Commandant Luo of the Chang'an Demon Suppression Division.

"Lord Chen, I'm late!"

"kill!"

Commander Luo shouted and flicked his long spear, sending one of the men in black flying. The cavalry behind him immediately spurred their horses and charged into the men's ranks, breaking up their formation in an instant.

Upon seeing the reinforcements arrive, the men in black lost all fighting spirit. Liu Hongyan forced the enemy back with a single shot, lifted the carriage curtain, and her gaze fell on Li Yuan, whose face was blank.

Seeing that he was not injured, Liu Hongyan breathed a sigh of relief, but looking at his expressionless face, she couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"withdraw!"

The battle turned in an instant. Knowing that all was lost, the leader of the men in black gave a whistle, and the remaining men immediately fled into the dense forest for their lives, leaving behind only corpses scattered all over the ground.

Chen Shuo grabbed one of the injured men in black. "Speak! Who sent you?"

The man glared at him fiercely, then tilted his head, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He immediately committed suicide by poisoning himself.

The remaining wounded immediately followed suit and all of them bit the poison and committed suicide.

"Looks like they're suicide squad members."

Captain Luo examined the corpse on the ground and found that there were indeed no traces left.

These assassins were usually kept by high-ranking officials in the court to do shady things for them; they were all desperate criminals.

Chen Shuo felt a heavy weight in his heart. Who exactly had Li Yuan offended that they wanted to kill him?

"Let's go, let's get to the post station first."

Liu Hongyan jumped onto the carriage, extended two fingers, and gently placed them on Li Yuan's wrist pulse, closing her eyes to sense it for a long time.

After a long while, she released her grip, a complex look in her eyes.

"How is it?"

Chen Shuo asked expectantly, "Liu Hongyan is Li Yuan's mentor, so she should know his situation best."

Liu Hongyan remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook her head: "His soul was not damaged; on the contrary, it was more solid than before. However, his consciousness seems to be trapped by something. I can't tell the specifics."

Chen Shuo couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Along the way, he had long regarded Li Yuan as his brother.

"By the way, you said it was Mr. Mo who sent you the message? Has he already returned to Longyou Prefecture?"

"Yes, I rushed over immediately after receiving Mr. Mo's message."

Hearing that Mr. Mo had finally escaped his predicament, Chen Shuo felt somewhat relieved. With him in charge of Longyou Road, there shouldn't be any major trouble.

"By the way, are you planning to take him back to the Demon Suppression Division?" Liu Hongyan asked, turning her head.

"Yes, he's one of our Demon Suppression Division members, and he was injured while on a mission..."

Liu Hongyan raised her hand to interrupt him, "Li Yuan is a student of the academy. In his current condition, going to the Demon Suppression Division will not help. You should hand him over to me and take him back to Shenwu Academy."

"Back to the academy?" Chen Shuo was taken aback. "But what about His Majesty..."

"I will explain to His Majesty myself." Liu Hongyan frowned, her tone firm. "There is an array left by Mr. Mo in the academy, which is more suitable for his recuperation."

Chen Shuo opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately nodded. Liu Hongyan was Li Yuan's instructor, and her concern for Li Yuan was second to none. Moreover, what she said made sense; Shenwu Academy was indeed more suitable for Li Yuan's current situation.

"Then I'll leave it to Instructor Liu." Chen Shuo solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Liu Hongyan nodded, said nothing more, jumped onto the carriage, and drove it herself, heading towards Chang'an.

Chang'an, the imperial city, the Taiji Hall.

The atmosphere at the morning court session was noticeably more somber than usual. Emperor Li Yan sat high on the dragon throne, his face grim.

Battle reports from Longyou Road came like snowflakes. Although Xuansuo Pass had temporarily stabilized its position, it suffered heavy casualties. The demons gathered in large numbers to harass the troops, constantly changing locations, keeping the defenders busy.

Currently, demons have appeared in many prefectures and counties of Longyou Road. They are eating people indiscriminately, causing great panic. People on the border are now flocking to the interior of the pass.

"His Majesty!"

An elderly minister dressed in a deep purple python robe stepped forward and declared, "The chaos in the Northwest is escalating rapidly. If no measures are taken soon, it could lead to a great disaster!"

"I believe that an order should be immediately issued to expand the army and prepare for war, with the Demon Suppression Divisions of each prefecture fully cooperating with the border troops! At the same time, disciples from major sects should be conscripted into the army to bolster the strength of the cultivators within the ranks!"

The speaker was none other than Grand Secretary Yang, who had been in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War for many years and wielded immense power in the court, with his protégés and former officials spread throughout the country.

His stance on the demon race has always been firm.

"Your Excellency Yang is mistaken."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gaunt-faced old man responded, saying that he was none other than Grand Secretary Wang, who was also the second-ranking official in the court. He was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice, and the two had always disagreed on political matters.

"Although the chaos caused by the demons in the northwest is severe, as far as I know, those demons do not have a unified command and are more like fighting their own battles. If we rashly expand our army on a large scale, it will not only be extremely costly, but may also cause panic among neighboring countries, making them think that our Great Tang is about to launch a major military campaign."

He smiled slightly, "This old minister believes that we should first send an envoy to the Demon Court to negotiate with the Demon Emperor and find out his intentions. If we can resolve this peacefully, why resort to war?"

"negotiation?"

Grand Secretary Yang sneered, "Negotiating with the demon race? Grand Secretary Wang, have you been living in peace for too long and forgotten how the Wei River Alliance was signed back then?"

"The demon race is notoriously fickle; they might negotiate today and tear up the alliance tomorrow. Rather than relying on their credibility, we should strengthen ourselves and use our power to intimidate them!"

"Your Excellency Yang is mistaken again. Weapons are instruments of violence, and sages only use them as a last resort. If we wage war year after year, taxes will inevitably increase, and the people will become increasingly resentful. I'm afraid we'll be in chaos before the demon race even invades!"