Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"You dare not?"

Zhao Wuji chuckled, "Lord Lü is the Jiedushi of Hexi, a high-ranking official of the imperial court. How dare I, a mere fourth-rank official, touch you?"

"However, someone has accused you of colluding with the demon race to harm your fellow countrymen and attempting to assassinate an official of the imperial court. We have been ordered to invite you back to assist in the investigation."

He gave a mocking smile: "Lord Lü, if you cooperate, we'll leave politely; if you don't..."

He patted the hilt of his sword, his smile wicked. "Then I'll have to ask you to go back."

Lu Ming's face alternated between pale and flushed. He knew he had failed today, but he was still unwilling to accept it. He struggled to say, "Your Demon Suppression Division has overstepped its authority. I am the Jiedushi of Hexi. Even if you want to investigate me, it is not your Demon Suppression Division's place to do so!"

"I want to see His Majesty! I want to file a complaint with the Emperor!"

"To file a complaint with the emperor?"

A cold voice came from behind him.

Lu Ming turned around abruptly, and Feng Wuhen appeared behind him at some point, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at him expressionlessly.

His steps were unhurried, as if he were strolling leisurely, and with each step he took, Lü Ming felt an invisible pressure.

"Lu Ming, you colluded with the demon race, betrayed your compatriots, robbed the imperial court of war supplies, and even openly murdered an official, intending to rebel. Each of these acts is enough to warrant your death ten times over. And you still want to appeal to the emperor?"

Lu Ming's face darkened. He wanted to retort, but found himself speechless. Although many military governors did these things in private, if they were to be brought into the open, no one could protect him.

He was unwilling to accept that his decades of hard work had been so easily defeated by a young man.

"You framed me!"

Lu Ming roared, "That little brat Li Yuan has been plotting against me from the very beginning! He deliberately forced me to take action; it was all part of your plan!"

"So what if it is?"

Feng Wuhen's voice was calm and even, "If you are not greedy or evil, even if a hundred traps are set, they cannot harm you."

"Lu Ming, you can't blame anyone else for how things have turned out this way; you can only blame yourself."

"Hahaha……"

"Now that I'm in your hands, you can fabricate whatever charges you want against me!"

Lu Ming laughed wildly, showing no remorse whatsoever. In his mind, he had simply been caught off guard by Li Yuan, who played by no rules whatsoever.

"This is Hexi, and I won't let you have your way!"

"Anxi army, heed my command! Kill them all!"

Even if we capture him, what good will it do? They only have a handful of men; don't even think about taking control of Hexi Road.

"Boom!"

Just then, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves came from afar, rolling in like thunder, shaking the earth.

Soon, a black line appeared on the horizon—a massive army, with banners waving, swords and spears like a forest, and armor reflecting a cold light, resembling a moving steel jungle.

At the head of the banners was a large banner inscribed with the words "Protectorate of Dayuan".

Upon seeing the flag, Lü Ming's pupils constricted sharply, and the last trace of color drained from his face.

The Dayuan Protectorate was one of the three major protectorates in the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, governing the vast land west of the Hexi Corridor.

Both were important officials on the frontier, but they belonged to different camps and had always been at odds, engaging in open and covert struggles for many years.

Unexpectedly, Li Yuan even brought the army of the Dayuan Protectorate, which was to completely cut off all his escape routes.

The army halted on the outskirts, forming neat military formations that completely surrounded the Anxi army's garrison.

A general clad in golden armor rode out of the formation, approached Feng Wuhen, dismounted, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Qin Wu, Commandant of the Vanguard under the Dayuan Protectorate, has come to await Lord Feng's command on the orders of the Protectorate!"

"Commander Qin, you've worked hard."

Feng Wuhen nodded.

"Wu Yong, the military commander of Anxi, colluded with the demon race. The evidence is conclusive. Jiedushi Lü Ming protected his subordinates and intended to kill an official of the imperial court. He has now been brought to justice."

"We request that Commander Qin assist the Demon Suppression Division in taking over the Anxi Army's garrison, incorporating the surrendered soldiers, and maintaining order."

"This subordinate obeys!"

Qin Wu responded loudly, and with a wave of his hand, the Dayuan army immediately poured into the camp and began to collect weapons.

The Anxi army, leaderless and having witnessed Feng Wuhen's terrifying strength, had long lost its fighting spirit. Now, seeing the army pressing in, they completely gave up resistance, dropped their weapons, and knelt down to surrender.

A fierce battle that hadn't even begun was abruptly halted, without even a single bubble forming.

After a short while of recuperation, Li Yuan finally mustered some strength and, with Wu Yu's support, walked up to Feng Wuhen.

He was severely injured, with several ribs broken, his right chest pierced, his left arm almost useless, and his internal energy completely depleted.

Even so, he stood ramrod straight and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Thank you so much, Lord Feng, for saving my life."

"You're welcome."

Feng Wuhen's eyes showed admiration. "You did very well. In such a desperate situation, you were able to severely injure Lü Ming. This has exceeded my expectations."

He took out a jade bottle from his robes, poured out a fragrant pill, and handed it over: "Take this."

What he casually took out was actually the top-grade healing pill, the Rejuvenation Pill, of flawless quality.

Li Yuan accepted the pill without hesitation and swallowed it.

The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and a warm current flowed down his throat into his body, beginning to repair his damaged meridians. His complexion regained its rosy hue at a visible speed.

After his complexion improved, Feng Wuhen finally asked the question that had been bothering him: "How can you be so sure I'll arrive in time? If I'd been even a fraction off, you would have died here today."

"I can't be sure, I was just taking a gamble and doing my best to buy time."

Li Yuan raised his hand and wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, then smiled nonchalantly.

"bet?"

"According to the rules of the imperial court, if the inspector encounters a problem that he cannot solve, he has the right to request assistance. If the Demon Suppression Division of Longyou Road can get your help, we will definitely be able to get there in time."

Feng Wuhen's eyebrows twitched slightly: "Oh? Then how can you be so sure it was me?"

"Because," Li Yuan smiled slyly, "Lord Ye told me that she had already spoken to the Left Envoy, instructing me not to hold back at crucial moments."

"Haha, you little rascal..."

Feng Wuhen pointed at him and smiled helplessly, "As expected of someone trained by Ye Hongyu, he has no martial ethics just like her."

"However," Feng Wuhen changed the subject, "you were able to do this not just because of luck, but also because you were able to think of using the Dayuan Protectorate, which shows both courage and resourcefulness."

He looked at Li Yuan and nodded with satisfaction: "Li Yuan, you passed."

"qualified?"

Li Yuan was taken aback.

"His Majesty placed you in the Hexi region as a test of your abilities."

Feng Wuhen said calmly, "If you can resolve the Hexi problem alive, it will prove that you are qualified to shoulder greater responsibilities."

The Demon Suppression Division is the sharpest knife in the emperor's hand. Now that the world is in chaos, Li Yan naturally wants to stabilize the situation and must vigorously cultivate his own power.

"Alright, you focus on recovering. I'll take care of everything here."

Feng Wuhen waved his hand, turned around and walked towards Lü Ming, who was lying on the ground, covered in blood and in a sorry state.

Seeing Feng Wuhen approach, he raised his head, supporting himself with his remaining left arm, and roared angrily, "Feng Wuhen, even if I am guilty, your Demon Suppression Division has no right to detain a high-ranking official!"

"I want to see His Majesty!"

Feng Wuhen stopped and looked down at him, his eyes filled with pity.