Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"Brother Li, your promotion speed is faster than me eating a meal!"

Wu Yu laughed heartily, "You have to treat us today, I want to eat a whole roasted lamb."

Li Yuan accepted the imperial edict, but he felt little joy. The more the emperor valued him, the more he was targeted. He had no interest in officialdom and only wanted to intensify his cultivation as soon as possible.

"Okay, it's on me. You can choose any place you like."

However, he didn't show these words; he just smiled slightly.

"Haha, let's go have a drink."

Wu Yu jumped up happily and invited everyone to go to the restaurant together.

That evening, after the banquet, Li Yuan finally had time to examine the emperor's rewards. Needless to say, the spirit stones and elixirs were all of the highest quality.

He picked up the piece of meteorite iron and weighed it in his hand. It was extremely heavy, completely black, and had a faint metallic luster. His eyes lit up.

"This is good stuff."

It's a top-quality refining material. His nameless sword has some minor flaws, which are perfect for strengthening it.

Once I've finished what I'm doing, I'll find some time to study it properly.

Since taking over the military affairs of Hexi Road, Li Yuan has been busy day and night. Under his painstaking management, the situation has gradually stabilized, large-scale raids by the demon race have stopped, and all supplies have been safely delivered to Longyou.

Two months later, Zhang Tingyu, the new military governor of Hexi, took office. Li Yuan rushed back to Wuwei City to welcome him and take the opportunity to hand over his duties.

Zhang Tingyu was in his forties, with a thin face, refined manners, and slow, deliberate speech, looking like a schoolteacher.

Both men were pragmatists. After meeting, they exchanged no pleasantries, simply handed over their responsibilities, and then Li Yuan led his men back to Suzhou.

Zhang Tingyu appeared gentle, but he was decisive and efficient in his actions. Upon taking office, he initiated a series of reforms, including rectifying military discipline, investigating land ownership, and opening granaries for disaster relief.

His methods were shrewd and experienced, unlike those of a civil servant taking on local government duties for the first time.

When Li Yuan met with him, they had a very pleasant conversation and quickly reached a consensus. Zhang Tingyu directly stated that he would not interfere in the affairs of the Demon Suppression Division and let Li Yuan do his job.

As for other matters, each person will manage their own affairs without interfering with each other, and will contact each other immediately and cooperate when necessary.

Li Yuan admired his style. He had previously worried that the new military governor would be a difficult character, but now it seemed that the emperor had good judgment in choosing people.

After completing their routine border patrol, the group returned to Suzhou, travel-worn. As soon as they arrived, Wu Yu rushed in excitedly.

"Brother Li, guess who's in this reinforcement team?"

Li Yuan assigned Wu Yu to handle paperwork and also put him in charge of receiving visiting cultivators.

"Who is it?"

Each border patrol lasts for ten days or so, accumulating a lot of official business. Li Yuan glanced at the documents quickly in his hand and replied casually.

There are many familiar faces in Chang'an City; perhaps they are former colleagues.

"Senior Brother Li, how have you been?"

A clear, cold voice rang out. Li Yuan was slightly surprised and looked up to see a woman in white standing quietly by the door.

She stood tall and straight, with a cool and aloof expression. Her long, black hair was simply tied back, and a long sword hung at her waist.

A pair of eyes, as cold as a deep pool, gazed at him indifferently.

It turned out to be condensation frost.

Li Yuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "So it's Senior Sister Leng."

"I heard you caused quite a stir in Hexi. I've come to see if you've lost any limbs."

She spoke in a serious tone, yet her manner was familiar, which made Li Yuan laugh heartily.

"Haha, don't worry, I'm perfectly fine."

He stood up to greet him: "Please have a seat."

Leng Ning Shuang nodded slightly and stepped in. Li Yuan carefully examined her for a moment. Her aura was noticeably stronger, but her temperament was not as aloof as before; instead, she had become much calmer.

"It seems that Senior Sister Leng has also entered the Qi Condensation Realm. Congratulations."

Leng Ningshuang was four or five years older than Li Yuan. In her early twenties, she had already entered the Condensation Realm. If it weren't for Li Yuan's outstanding achievements, she would have been a peerless genius who shook the cultivation world.

"Just lucky."

Leng Ning Shuang smiled faintly. Back in the Four Academies League, the two were actually rivals, but later in the secret realm, they joined forces to fight against the enemy, and could be considered to have shared life and death together.

"I heard you had stayed on to teach at the university, so why are you suddenly planning to go to the Northwest?"

Li Yuan was somewhat curious. With Leng Ning Shuang's talent, how could Tai Xu Academy bear to send her to the front lines? If something were to happen to her, the loss would be enormous.

"It was my own choice to go."

Leng Ning Shuang didn't hide anything, "After reaching the Condensation Realm, if you want to advance further, simply staying behind closed doors to cultivate is probably not very useful. That's why I thought of going to the battlefield to gain some experience."

This reason is quite valid, and Li Yuan, being a fellow cultivator at the Condensation Realm, deeply agrees.

"It is a joyous occasion to meet an old friend. Let me host the dinner today and show my hospitality."

Leng Ning Shuang has a cold and aloof personality, and the two of them have never had much to say to each other. However, since an old friend has come from afar and this is his territory, Li Yuan naturally has to make a gesture.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Junior Brother Li."

That evening, Li Yuan hosted a banquet for Leng Ningshuang and her entourage at a restaurant, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely.

The next day, the reinforcements were supposed to set off for the border, but a sandstorm delayed them for a few days. When they were about to set off again, Li Yuan was about to go out to inspect the border again, so he gave them a ride.

The wind was strong on the Gobi Desert, whipping up clouds of yellow sand that stung people's faces.

Li Yuan rode at the head of the group, with Leng Ningshuang and the others bringing up the rear. In the evening, the group stopped at an oasis to rest and replenish their strength.

This oasis is a poplar forest surrounded by a clear spring, making it exceptionally precious in the vast Gobi Desert and a regular stop on the westward journey.

Li Yuan sat under the poplar tree, took out his water bag and drank a couple of sips. Turning his head, he saw Leng Ningshuang walking alone to the edge of the oasis, her back to the others, gazing absently at the rolling sand dunes in the distance.

When he saw Leng Ningshuang this time, he felt that she had changed a lot. Although she used to be cold and indifferent to everything, she was also frank and insightful. Now, there was a gloomy look in her eyes, as if she had something on her mind.

However, he only glanced at it and didn't make a fuss. The two weren't close enough for him to pry into each other's privacy.

At night, the team set up camp behind a sheltered sand dune. After dinner, most of them went into their tents. Li Yuan arranged for the people on night watch, then returned to his own tent, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

Because he was in the wild, Li Yuan still sent out a wisp of his divine sense while he was in meditation to keep an eye on his surroundings in case of any unforeseen events.

Suddenly, he sensed a faint fluctuation of energy, which vanished in an instant.

There's an eerie aura about it.

The aura was so faint that he could hardly detect it if he hadn't been exceptionally perceptive.

Li Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed the nameless knife with one hand, and silently slipped away.

The camp was quiet. Two demon-hunting guards sat by the campfire. Li Yuan frowned, not wanting to disturb them, and followed his senses, chasing after the demonic aura.

The scent disappeared near a tent on the edge of the camp.

Li Yuan's gaze sharpened; it was Leng Ningshuang's tent, and there were clearly people inside.

"Senior Sister Leng."

He hesitated for a moment, then called out in a low voice, "If a demon clan really breaks in, Leng Ning Shuang's cultivation level is not afraid at all."

The breathing inside the tent paused for a moment, then Frostbite's voice came through: "Who's there?"

"It's me, Li Yuan."