Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"You wish to see His Majesty?"

"right!"

Lu Ming's eyes burned with madness. "I am the Jiedushi of Hexi, a high-ranking official of the third rank. Without His Majesty's decree, who dares to touch me!"

"What kind of organization is your Demon Suppression Division? This is treason!"

He roared fiercely, trying to intimidate Feng Wuhen with his imposing manner, but unfortunately, his plan failed.

Feng Wuhen glanced at him mockingly, took out a roll of bright yellow silk from his sleeve, and unfolded it in front of Lü Ming.

That was an imperial edict.

It was stamped with a bright red jade seal, the characters of which were vigorous and powerful, exuding an imperial majesty.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Lu Ming, the military governor of Hexi, has disregarded the Emperor's favor and committed rebellious acts... He is hereby ordered to be arrested by the Suppression of Demons Bureau and brought back to the capital for trial. This is the imperial decree!"

"What? How is that possible?"

Lu Ming collapsed to the ground, the hope in his eyes instantly extinguished. Suddenly, he roared wildly, "It's fake! It must be fake! His Majesty is thousands of miles away, how could he issue an edict in time?"

"You must have forged the imperial edict!"

He stared intently at Feng Wuhen. "How dare you! You dare to forge an imperial edict! This is a capital offense punishable by the confiscation of your family's property and the extermination of your clan!"

Feng Wuhen looked at him with pity, as if he were a fool.

"Do you really think His Majesty is unaware of what you did in Hexi?"

He put away the imperial edict, looked down at him, and said, "Lu Ming, you are too arrogant. The reason His Majesty has not taken action against you is simply because the time is not yet right."

"No! Spare me! I can go to the front lines and atone for my sins..."

Lu Ming's face was ashen. He knelt down with a thud, his voice extremely humble. He knew that he was truly finished.

Feng Wuhen turned around: "Cripple his cultivation, put him in shackles and escort him to the capital. Keep a close watch on him along the way, and there must be no mistakes."

"yes!"

A cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm bowed in agreement and pointed to Lü Ming's dantian.

"Aaaaaah!"

Lu Ming let out a piercing scream, his eyes filled with resentment and venom. His decades of hard-earned cultivation had been destroyed in an instant.

Two henchmen stepped forward, grabbed Lü Ming from either side, and dragged him away like a dead dog.

He suddenly struggled to turn around, and with his last breath roared, "Li Yuan, don't be so smug!"

"You think you've won? Sooner or later you'll die a far worse death than me!"

Li Yuan looked him straight in the eye and sneered, "Maybe so, but at least I won't die on my knees like you."

Lu Ming froze, unable to utter another word.

As the sun rises, its rays dispel the chill of the Gobi Desert.

A slight smile appeared on Li Yuan's lips.

He survived.

This time, the injury was too severe. Even with the help of the top-grade Rejuvenation Pill, Li Yuan needed to recuperate for seven days. His internal injuries had healed by about 70-80%, and as long as he didn't fight with anyone, he could walk normally without any problems.

Feng Wuhen returned to Longyou immediately, since that was the front line. If the demons knew he was not there, who knows how much trouble would arise.

Unable to handle affairs, Li Yuan stayed behind to help maintain order, dispersing and reorganizing the remnants of the Anxi army, and also began to purge Lü Ming's confidants and cronies.

During Li Yuan's recovery, Ji Fanghua took care of him, helped him change his dressings, and talked to him.

The two didn't talk much, and they mostly discussed the current situation in Hexi.

On this day, Li Yuan finally took over the affairs of Hexi, and Zhao Wuji retired after achieving his goal, leading his people back to Dayuan.

Although Dayuan is not like the other two protectorates in the Western Regions, which directly border the Demon Court, it is still a strategic location and cannot be left without troops for a long time.

"Senior brother, I'm leaving too."

Ji Fanghua carried a simple bag, dressed in a clean and neat outfit, looking very dashing.

"I send you."

As soon as Li Yuan stood up, Ji Fanghua smiled and said, "No need, Hexi is very busy right now, so don't bother seeing me off."

She turned around gracefully as she spoke, "I've remembered everything you told me. I'll write to you when I get to Kucha."

Li Yuan leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, a faint smile on his lips: "When you get there, don't be reckless. If you can't win, just run away. There's no shame in that."

"screw you."

Ji Fanghua couldn't help but laugh, turning back to glance at him sideways, "Why does it sound so awkward coming from you?"

"Haha, I'm telling the truth."

Li Yuan smiled too. Over the past few years, the two had gone through several life-or-death situations together, and their relationship had become quite extraordinary.

He took out a palm-sized jade pendant from his pocket and handed it over.

"What is it?"

Ji Fanghua's heart skipped a beat. Why would someone give her such an ambiguous thing as a jade pendant out of the blue?

"This is a protective talisman I crafted. If you encounter danger, crush it and it can withstand a full-force attack from a peak Qi Condensation Realm cultivator."

"Even if we don't necessarily need it, it's better to have it than not to have it at all," Li Yuan said calmly.

Ji Fanghua took the jade pendant and looked down to examine it closely. She saw that the jade pendant was warm and smooth, with a simple array engraved on it, faintly exuding a familiar aura.

A warmth touched her heart. She held the jade pendant in her hand, looked up, and said earnestly, "Thank you."

There's no need for formalities between us.

Ji Fanghua carefully put away the jade pendant, mounted her horse, and waved to Li Yuan: "Let's go."

Li Yuan nodded.

Have a safe journey.

"drive!"

Ji Fanghua flicked the reins and spurred her horse to chase after Zhao Wuji's group.

Li Yuan stood at the courtyard gate, lost in thought.

"Everyone's already gone, why are you still looking?"

Wu Yu peeked out from behind him and chuckled teasingly.

Li Yuan withdrew his gaze and glared at him irritably.

"Aren't you too free? Have you finished organizing today's official documents?"

Wu Yu immediately looked distressed: "Brother Li, my injury hasn't fully healed yet. Can't I rest for a couple of days before starting work?"

"I can't rest."

Li Yuan stretched his still sore shoulders, walked back into the courtyard, and sat down at the stone table. "The Hexi Circuit is in complete chaos right now. The position of Jiedushi is vacant, the Anxi Army is leaderless, and the local demon-suppressing offices are filled with apprehension."

"If we don't sort these things out quickly, it will be even more difficult when the new military governor takes office."

"Okay, okay, I understand."

Wu Yu sighed. He was impulsive and had the least patience for dealing with official documents, but he was the only person Li Yuan trusted most.

For the next period of time, Li Yuan worked non-stop every day.

He immediately reorganized the Suzhou Demon Suppression Division. After Du Sheng was arrested, Li Yuan carried out a major purge of the division from top to bottom, and all those who had directly participated in the rebellion were isolated and investigated.

In the end, six traitors who colluded with the demons were identified, all of whom were imprisoned and awaiting their fate.

The remaining ordinary demon-hunting guards, unaware of the details, were not pursued and were allowed to remain in their posts.

As the head of the Suzhou Demon Suppression Division, Zhou Hai bears undeniable responsibility. Li Yuan truthfully reported the situation and was escorted back to the capital.

The position of head of the Suzhou Demon Suppression Division became vacant. After much consideration, Li Yuan decided to recommend Xu Sheng and appointed Yuan Yan as his deputy to assist him.

Originally, Yuan Yan was qualified to be in charge, but he was too old and too straightforward, making it difficult for him to coordinate with the new Anxi military commander in the future.

Xu Sheng was different. He was in his prime and had followed Chen Shuo for many years. His experience and cultivation were second to none.

If it weren't for the previous suppression, I would have been promoted long ago.

Upon hearing the news, Xu Sheng was taken aback and waved his hands repeatedly: "Lord Li, this is unacceptable. I, Xu Sheng, am just a roughneck. I may be good at fighting, but I am not good at managing people or affairs."

"Who is born with this skill?"

Li Yuan patted him on the shoulder.