Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"The Demon Court has repeatedly tried to assassinate me. It would be impolite not to retaliate. Shouldn't I give them a surprise too?"

"A surprise? What do you want to do?"

"The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor tried to kill me twice, but I escaped each time. Zhu Yan even ordered me to be taken to the Demon Court. The demon race is narrow-minded and will surely not be able to swallow this insult."

Li Yuan smiled slyly, "If they knew I was seriously injured and alone, they would definitely be unable to resist coming to take advantage of me."

Mr. Mo was slightly taken aback, then understood what he meant: "You want to use yourself as bait?"

"They want to kill me, and I want to kill them too." Li Yuan smiled. "Perfect, let's lure them out of their hole."

Mr. Mo squinted and thought for a moment.

"That does sound feasible. Do you have any specific ideas?"

"Of course."

After saying that, Li Yuan revealed his initial plans.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Mo frowned: "This is no child's play. How confident are you?"

"Not much, at most fifty percent." Li Yuan laughed. "If things develop to the worst possible situation, we'll have to rely on your help then."

Mr. Mo smiled helplessly: "You little rascal, you even managed to scheme against me."

"There's no other way," Li Yuan said. "If we really stir up a hornet's nest, I can't defeat so many demon kings by myself."

"Alright, just go ahead and do it boldly. Feng Wuhen and I will back you up from the bottom."

The two discussed it for a long time and finalized the details one by one.

On that day, an urgent military report bearing the secret seal of the Exorcism Bureau was sent from Yuezhi to the capital.

During the journey, the military report was mysteriously intercepted and then quietly reappeared in its original location. The contents had been copied word for word and sent to the Demon Court's Dark Pavilion.

Soon, this intelligence was delivered to the Zhu Yan Demon Emperor.

"Li Yuan has suffered a serious injury and is about to be secretly escorted back to the capital by Liu Hongyan?" He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is this information reliable?"

The envoy from the Dark Pavilion knelt below and respectfully said, "Reporting to Your Excellency, the military report was intercepted from the Demon Suppression Division's secret network, and the seal is correct."

"In addition, our spies planted in Yuezhi have reported that Li Yuan has not shown up since returning. The defense of Yuezhi City is being managed by the deputy general. Liu Hongyan has also indeed left the battlefield of Anxi City, and her whereabouts are unknown."

Zhu Yan remained silent for a long while before ordering, "Summon Ying Sha and Ju Li."

Before long, two figures entered the tent one after the other.

Shadow Fiend's body was shrouded in gray smoke, and his aura was much weaker than before. He was seriously injured and would not be able to recover in a short time.

The powerful demon emperor has even changed his appearance. His previous physical body was destroyed, and only his original spirit escaped. He has found another demon body from somewhere, but its strength cannot be compared with the original body.

Zhu Yan threw the secret report in front of them and said coldly, "You went to intercept Li Yuan, only to end up in such a sorry state. How badly was he injured?"

Two demon emperors attempted to ambush a cultivator at the Condensation Realm, but suffered a crushing defeat. This enraged the Zhu Yan Demon Emperor, who considered it an unprecedented humiliation since the start of the war.

However, this further confirms what the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor said: Li Yuan is very likely the one who made the prophecy.

A hint of hatred flashed in Ying Sha's eyes: "My lord, my blade is coated with the venom of the Snow Mountain Kui Serpent. Once it enters the body, it will corrode the meridians, and even those at the Dao Realm will find it extremely difficult to remove."

"Even if he had miraculous medicine, he couldn't recover in a short time."

"My subordinate struck him on the back with a hammer, shattering his protective energy and damaging his dantian. If he hadn't ambushed me with a magic weapon, I would have captured him long ago."

The Demon Emperor's strength had greatly diminished, and fearing punishment from Zhu Yan, he hurriedly spoke.

Zhu Yan pondered for a long time. He knew about the Snow Mountain Kui Serpent's venom, which was extremely insidious and domineering. Even the Demon Emperor would have a headache if he was poisoned by it, let alone a human cultivator like him who was at the Condensation Realm.

He was well aware of the power of Ju Li's hammer blow; a direct hit would either kill or cripple the person.

In summary, there is a very high probability that Li Yuan will return to Beijing after his injury.

"Someone, summon Chi Yan."

However, these two guys in front of us are basically useless. If we want to intercept Li Yuan, we have to find someone else. The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor is the best choice.

Before long, an urgent voice came from outside the tent: "Chi Yan requests an audience!"

"Come in."

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor strode into the tent, his face filled with impatience. "Lord Zhu Yan, I have heard that Li Yuan has returned to the capital injured. I am willing to lead troops to pursue him and capture him!"

Zhu Yan stared at it coldly: "Do you want to capture him, or do you want to kill him?"

A hint of panic flashed in Chi Yan's eyes: "My lord, you are wise. I do have a personal grudge against Li Yuan, but I know even more that he has a great secret."

"What I said before should have been verified by you, sir. If we can capture this person alive and extract the truth from him, it will definitely benefit our demon race's great cause."

"Hmph! I will grant you permission to lead the team, but..." A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and an immense pressure swept over him, making Chi Yan shudder. "What I want is prisoners. If you dare to kill yourself, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor was secretly delighted, but outwardly he respectfully replied, "Your subordinate obeys!"

As he left the tent, a sinister smile crept across Chi Yan's lips.

Alive? Once the person is brought back, whether they live or die is entirely up to them.

As long as we can pry the secret out of Li Yuan and then kill him with one blow, what can anyone say?

It turned its head to look west, its gaze cold and sinister. Li Yuan, is he trying to escape back to the capital?

dream.

Two days later, on the ancient trail of the Pamir Mountains.

This is a narrow road winding through towering mountains, with steep cliffs on one side and a bottomless canyon on the other.

The road is so narrow that only one horse-drawn carriage can barely pass through at its narrowest point. It is one of the vital passages connecting the Western Regions to the Central Plains, and also the area most vulnerable to ambush.

A group of more than twenty people are slowly making their way along the ancient road.

Among the procession was a carriage with its curtains tightly closed, obscuring the view inside. Around the carriage, a dozen or so demon-hunting guards stood in close proximity. Wu Yu, dressed in military attire, followed closely beside the carriage.

At the very front of the procession, Liu Hongyan, dressed in red, rode a chestnut horse, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the mountain walls on either side.

"Lord Liu, the terrain ahead is becoming increasingly treacherous," Shi Yong said in a low voice as he rode forward. "Should we rest for a while before continuing, so as not to injure you, sir?"

"This is not a good place to rest. Pass down the order: everyone be on high alert, maintain formation, and do not scatter."

"Yes."

The procession continued onward.

As they reached the mouth of a canyon, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.

A dozen or so demonic wolves sprang out from the shadows of the mountain wall and pounced on the vanguard of the group. Their cultivation levels were not high, all being at the demon soldier level, but they were extremely fast and came on fiercely, appearing to be just ordinary demonic beasts harassing the mountain.

Liu Hongyan didn't move; instead, she retreated to the side of the carriage.

"Shi Yong, you lead the men to kill them. Wu Yu, guard the rear and prevent any sneak attacks."

The demon-hunting guards quickly formed a battle formation, drew their swords, and prepared to fight. Liu Hongyan coldly watched the demon wolves, and with her divine sense extended, she discovered a hidden aura in the distant canyon.

"Ahem!"

A coughing sound came from inside the carriage, and then the curtain was lifted slightly, revealing Li Yuan's pale face.

"There are many monsters in these mountains, so be careful."

He gave his instructions in a weak voice.

"Oh, we're involved in all of this, what are you worried about? Just focus on recovering."

Wu Yu gave him an exaggerated smile, her voice loud.

"it is good."

Li Yuan lowered the carriage curtain and couldn't help but roll his eyes. This guy, he's addicted to performing, isn't he?