Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

The guards of the Demon Suppression Bureau, together with the able-bodied young men in the city, were clearing the ruins, moving corpses, and extinguishing the remaining fires.

Women and the elderly were busy caring for the wounded and distributing porridge, and the whole city was shrouded in a somber atmosphere.

Li Yuan did not rest. He led a team of demon-hunting guards to help the people in the city clear the ruins and rescued several survivors who were trapped under the collapsed houses.

He was busy until the moon was high in the sky before the fire in the city was basically extinguished and most of the roads were cleared. Only then did he sit down on the steps of a relatively intact restaurant and catch his breath.

Footsteps sounded, and Li Zhan, carrying a pot of wine and two bowls, walked over and sat down beside him. He placed one bowl in front of Li Yuan, filled it with wine, and then poured one for himself.

"Lord Li, you've worked hard today." Li Zhan picked up his bowl and gestured to Li Yuan. "I won't thank you enough. I'll offer you this bowl."

"I dare not accept such praise."

Li Yuan picked up his bowl, clinked it against his, and the two drank it all in one gulp.

The wine is locally brewed rice wine, with a mellow taste, sweet on the palate, but with a strong aftertaste.

Li Yuan put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and asked, "How long has Captain Li been serving in the Yongzhou Demon Suppression Division?"

"It's been more than ten years." Li Zhan poured more wine for the two of them, his tone tinged with emotion. "I'm a native of Yongzhou. When I was young, I wandered around outside for a few years, but I still felt that my hometown was the best, so I used my connections to transfer back."

"I've gotten used to all the ups and downs over the years."

He paused, then looked at Li Yuan with a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Lord Li, you are so young, yet you are already a Golden Badge Demon-Slaying Guard. You are truly a formidable young man. May I ask where you are from, and who your master is?"

"I'm from Chang'an, and I graduated from Shenwu Academy," Li Yuan said. "It's been less than four years since I enrolled."

"Shenwu Academy..." Li Zhan nodded, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "I have a nephew who also studies at Shenwu Academy. His name is Wu Yu. I wonder if Lord Li knows him?"

"Wu Yu?" Li Yuan was taken aback, then laughed: "Of course I know him. He's my classmate and one of my best brothers."

"We participated in the Four Academies League together and carried out missions together. This time he also came to Jiangnan with me to intercept the overseas demon king in Guangzhou."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhan's face lit up with a delighted smile: "I remember now, it was you! Wu Yu often mentions you in his letters home, saying you're his best brother and how amazing you are."

"Having seen it today, I can confirm its reputation is well-deserved!"

Li Yuan was also somewhat surprised, not expecting that Li Zhan was Wu Yu's uncle. Because of this shared topic, the distance between the two suddenly shortened a lot.

"Kid, since you're that kid Ayu's brother, don't be so formal. I'll take the liberty of calling myself a senior." Li Zhan looked at him with a smile.

"Uncle Li."

Li Yuan clasped his hands in a salute, which made Li Zhan laugh heartily.

They drank and chatted about Wu Yu's various embarrassing incidents at Shenwu Academy, which made the atmosphere much more relaxed.

After a few bowls of rice wine, Li Zhan started talking non-stop.

He sighed and said, "The mongoose demon king that appeared today is one of the demon kings under the Crowned Demon Emperor. Its appearance in Yongzhou City shows that the Crowned Demon Emperor's seal has indeed loosened, and its former subordinates are active everywhere, preparing for its breaking of the seal."

Li Yuan nodded and asked, "Captain Li has been stationed in Yongzhou for many years, so you should know a lot about the Crowned Demon Emperor, right? Could you tell me about its specifics?"

Li Zhan remained silent for a moment, gathered his thoughts, and slowly said, "The true form of the Crowned Demon Emperor is a venomous snake of a different species, which originated deep within the Snow Peak Mountains."

"This snake is extremely rare, and it is said that it is only seen once in a hundred years. Before the war between humans and demons, the people in the Xuefeng Mountain area even worshipped it as a god and built temples for it."

"Temples?" Li Yuan frowned slightly. "People worshipping the Demon Emperor?"

"At that time, it was just a serpent that had gained sentience. Although it had some supernatural powers, it did not do evil," Li Zhan explained. "The local people saw that it could summon wind and rain and protect the area from bad weather, so they worshipped it as a mountain god."

"Over time, it absorbed a large amount of faith power, awakened its intelligence, and its cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, eventually transforming into a demon emperor."

Li Yuan pondered, "The power of faith... no wonder its seal is so difficult to maintain."

"Exactly." Li Zhan nodded. "The power of faith is a very special power. It originates from the human heart and is completely different from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

"Ordinary sealing formations can block spiritual energy, but they are difficult to isolate the power of faith. Therefore, although the Crowned Demon Emperor has been sealed for hundreds of years, he has never truly weakened."

"Now that the energy of heaven and earth is in chaos and the seal is loosening, it has begun to stir."

Li Yuan then asked, "The Crowned Demon Emperor has eight demon kings under his command. Besides Black Feather, Mongoose, and the four in Snow Peak Mountain, there are two others who have not yet shown themselves. Does Lieutenant Li know their origins?"

Li Zhan thought for a moment and said, "As far as I know, the remaining two demon kings are, one of which is the Ink Dragon Demon King, which is said to be a dragon born overseas. It is excellent in swimming and good at stirring up storms. It should be the one that came from overseas this time."

"I once met a rogue cultivator from overseas. He said that he was the illegitimate son of a demon king overseas. Because he was not tolerated by the main wife, he hid in the mainland."

"You must be careful when you encounter it. It may have a lot of treasures, and killing it may attract the hatred of foreign forces."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan was startled and couldn't help but worry about Wu Yu and the others.

"The other one..."

His tone became more serious: "It's the Snow Fox Demon King. She was once the strategist of the Crowned Demon Emperor. She is extremely cunning. During the war between humans and demons, she set traps many times, causing the human alliance to suffer greatly."

"Later, when the Crowned Demon King was sealed away, it also disappeared without a trace. Many people thought it was dead, but I think it should still be alive, and it is very likely hiding somewhere, secretly directing the actions of other demon kings."

Li Yuan's heart stirred. He recalled the standoff he had witnessed at Xuefeng Mountain during the day. Although the four demon kings were trapped by Lou Junbo's formation, they were not in a hurry to break through, but were waiting for something.

If the Snow Fox Demon King is indeed the strategist of the Crowned Demon Emperor, then it is very likely that it is hiding behind the scenes, waiting for the best opportunity to strike.

"This Snow Fox Demon King is quite a troublesome character," Li Yuan said in a low voice.

"Yes." Li Zhan sighed. "Even the most powerful enemies in the open are not scary. What's scary are the enemies that lurk in the shadows, and you never know when they will strike."

The two chatted for a while longer before Li Zhan took his leave to handle the aftermath of the city's events.

Li Yuan sat alone on the steps, gazing at the crescent moon in the night sky, his mind racing with thoughts.

The Ink Dragon Demon King has come from overseas. If it is indeed the illegitimate son of some demon emperor overseas, then this matter is even more complicated.

If Mo Jiao is killed during the interception, it could very well provoke retaliation from the overseas demon king. The Tang Dynasty is currently engaged in a fierce battle with the demon race in the west, and if trouble arises in the south, the situation will become even more dire.