Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

Li Yuan smiled too.

"Before coming to the camp, I sent someone back to the headquarters. I'll have Lord Ye come and talk to you then."

Wu Yong's pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at Li Yuan's face, trying to find a flaw in his expression.

Li Yuan calmly met his gaze.

"Men, intercept them immediately!"

Wu Yong roared at the top of his lungs.

"It's too late."

"I used the Spirit Vulture. I set off two hours ago and it has probably arrived in Gyeonggi Province by now."

The Spirit Vulture is a flying spirit beast specially trained by the Demon Suppression Division to transmit messages over long distances in emergencies; two hours is enough for it to fly hundreds of miles.

"you……"

Wu Yong was utterly desperate and enraged. Without hesitation, he waved his hand and shouted, "Kill!"

"I want you dead!"

The soldiers were already poised and ready, and upon hearing the order, they immediately pulled the trigger.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Hundreds of spirit-piercing arrows shot densely toward Li Yuan. The spirit-piercing talismans on those arrows lit up, emitting a piercing shriek, their force terrifying.

"Quickly! Form a protective formation!"

Xu Sheng, standing behind Li Yuan, changed his expression drastically and drew his sword, shouting urgently.

Faced with the overwhelming barrage of arrows, Li Yuan smiled coldly and stomped his foot.

"boom--!"

A violent shockwave exploded outwards from him, causing the ground to tremble violently and overturning all the tables, chairs, and desks in the tent.

The barrage of spirit-piercing arrows seemed to be caught in a whirlpool, veering off course and clattering as they fell to the ground.

"What?!"

Wu Yong was stunned. Was this really only the power of a mid-stage Qi Condensation Realm cultivator?

Everyone says that Li Yuan has a level nine talent, but no one can really explain what his abilities are. He always thought it was an exaggeration, but today he has truly witnessed his terrifying power.

The moment the shockwave exploded, Li Yuan's figure transformed into a streak of light, leaving only an afterimage in place.

Before Wu Yong could react, a giant hand had already appeared in front of him.

Wu Yong was shocked. He was also at the early stage of the Condensation Realm, but Li Yuan's speed was so fast that he couldn't even keep up with his eyes.

He was terrified and retreated desperately, slashing at the giant hand with his sword.

"Well--!"

The giant hand completely ignored his attack, grabbed Wu Yong by the throat, lifted him up, and let out a terrified groan.

All his spiritual power vanished completely in that palm, and despair instantly enveloped him.

The surrounding soldiers were stunned; in the blink of an eye, everything had changed.

They were still holding the Spirit-Breaking Crossbows, looking at each other in bewilderment, but dared not fire any more.

"Put down your weapons, or else..."

"die!"

Li Yuan unleashed his full power, his immense pressure enveloping the entire central command tent, causing the soldiers to tremble in fear. Their bows and crossbows clattered to the ground, and they no longer harbored any thought of resistance.

"puff!"

Li Yuan pressed his fingers together and placed a restriction between Wu Yong's eyebrows before releasing his grip and throwing him to the ground with a thud.

Wu Yong was limp and stared in horror at Li Yuan. The dignified leader of the Anxi Army had been defeated in one move by this young man, Li Yuan. In front of everyone, he was crushed like a chicken. It was truly humiliating.

"Li Yuan, even if you kill me, you won't change the whole of Hexi."

Even now, Wu Yong is still threatening through gritted teeth.

"search!"

Li Yuan completely ignored him and simply waved his hand, ordering, "Take away all evidence of his collusion with the demon race!"

"Yes."

Xu Sheng responded and led Zhao Hu and the others to search the tent. Before long, they had found several large boxes of letters and account books.

Wu Yong's face was ashen. He knew that he was completely finished after encountering Li Yuan, this ruthless and unforgiving man.

"Lord Li, we can talk some more..."

Wu Yong finally lowered his head and pleaded, "What do you want? Spirit stones or pills? I can give you anything, as long as you let me go. I'll agree to any condition."

Li Yuan gave him a cold glance: "General Wu, at this point, do you still think I'd make a deal with you?"

Wu Yong opened his mouth, about to say something, when the thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the tent, shaking the entire earth.

A look of glee spread across his face as he glared menacingly at Li Yuan: "Haha, kid, my reinforcements have arrived! You're finished!"

Xu Sheng's face changed color. Judging from the momentum, there were at least tens of thousands of cavalrymen. He immediately rushed out of the camp.

"It's the banner of the Hexi Military Governor! Lord Lü has arrived!"

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. They really came fast. It seemed that the other party had already received the news when he arrested Zhang Ping and the others.

Lü Ming held supreme military and political power over the entire Hexi Circuit, making him the true master of this land.

He not only commanded tens of thousands of troops, but also supported a large number of high-level cultivators, making him incredibly powerful and the undisputed leader in the Hexi region.

Moments later, the Anxi army camp was completely surrounded by tens of thousands of cavalry. At a glance, the armor was gleaming, and the swords and spears were like a forest, exuding a chilling aura of battle-hardened elites.

At the very front of the cavalry formation, a man in a purple official robe rode a tall horse with a composed expression.

His face was round, with three long wisps of beard, and he looked kind and gentle. Even now, he was all smiles, as if he had come to reminisce with Li Yuan.

But Li Yuan knew in his heart that this Jiedushi of Hexi was not as simple as he appeared on the surface. How could someone who could hold down a position on the northwestern frontier for more than ten years be a kind person?

Lu Ming dismounted and slowly walked into the central command tent. He didn't even glance at Wu Yong, who was slumped on the ground, and still had a smiling expression on his face.

"Lord Li, we meet again."

He cupped his hands in greeting to Li Yuan, saying, "I have come here today because I have heard that there is some misunderstanding between Inspector Li and General Wu."

"We're all working for the court, why ruin our harmony? For my sake, let's sit down and talk things over."

"Yes, yes, it's all a misunderstanding."

Wu Yong scrambled to his feet and crawled behind Lü Ming, repeating what he had said.

"Shut up."

Without turning his head, Lü Ming uttered two words, his tone still gentle.

Wu Yong's body trembled, and he immediately shut his mouth, not daring to even breathe.

"Lord Li, you see, you've vented your anger today. In my opinion, let's leave it at that."

"If you're still unhappy, I'll host a banquet and have him apologize to you. We're colleagues, and we still have to stay in Hexi. What kind of compensation do you want? I'll try my best to satisfy you."

These words were half threat and half enticement. If Li Yuan were a seasoned veteran in officialdom, he would most likely have taken the opportunity to back down.

Unfortunately, he ran into a rock that wouldn't budge no matter what he tried.

"Lord Lü, are you really aware of what Wu Yong has done?"

"I know a little bit."

Lu Ming answered casually, not making excuses as Li Yuan had expected, "It's just doing some business with a few demon kings, no big deal."

Li Yuan's gaze sharpened slightly, and anger surged in his eyes.

"He colluded with the demon race, betrayed his own kind, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of cultivators and the loss of countless resources for the Longyou army. Is this really such a small matter?"

"Haha, young man."

Lu Ming smiled, walked to an overturned chair, righted it, sat down leisurely, dusted off his robes, and then looked up at him.

He said slowly, "You are young and promising, with a bright future. I admire you, but there are some things you still don't understand."