Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

This was a middle-aged man with an extraordinary bearing. His gaze fell on Li Yuan, and after looking him up and down, he nodded: "It seems that your injuries are not serious, and you look quite well. Please sit down."

"Student Li Yuan greets Commander Chu."

This would be his immediate superior from now on, so Li Yuan quickly bowed and greeted him.

"No need for formalities. You and Yunhe are classmates and good friends. In private, you can just call me Uncle Chu."

Chu Jinghong waved his hand, gesturing for Li Yuan to sit down, and said in a gentle tone, "That kid Yunhe has been praising you a lot at home."

"At first I didn't believe it, but now that I've seen it for myself, I know he was right. To be able to turn the tables and defeat such a powerful enemy this time, he truly is a formidable young man!"

"Uncle Chu, you flatter me. Brother Yunhe's cultivation is profound and his swordsmanship is exquisite. I admire him very much." Li Yuan also cleverly changed his form of address.

Chu Jinghong smiled, stopped being polite, and got to the point: "Since His Majesty has made an exception for you to enter the Demon Suppression Division, you are now our comrade. However, your situation is special, as you are still studying at the academy. If we arrange things according to the usual rules, it will be detrimental to your cultivation and will only increase the risks."

"Therefore, after discussion, the following arrangements have been made for you: First, you will be listed as a member of the secret police, not recorded in the regular register, and will not be subject to ordinary assignments or transfers."

"Secondly, we will prepare a false identity for you to carry out missions and conceal your whereabouts. Your primary responsibility will still be to focus on your cultivation at the academy. The Demon Suppression Division will arrange some special missions suitable for you."

"What does my dear nephew think?"

Chu Jinghong spoke politely.

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan felt greatly relieved and extremely grateful. The arrangement was very thoughtful and clearly tailor-made for him.

"Uncle Chu and all the seniors have considered things very carefully, and I am deeply grateful." Li Yuan stood up, bowed solemnly, and did not refer to himself as a subordinate, but still addressed him as student.

"No need for formalities, sit down and let's talk." Chu Jinghong gestured for him to sit down, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Remember, never act rashly in the future. If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to me at any time, or send a message through Yunhe."

"From now on, the Demon Suppression Division will be your support."

This statement is tantamount to giving Li Yuan another powerful backer.

"The students will keep this in mind."

Regardless of whether Chu Jinghong had ulterior motives, it was all beneficial to Li Yuan, so he was naturally very grateful.

"Alright, now that we've finished talking about business," Chu Jinghong said with a smile. "Your friend Aji is recuperating at the Si Nei Medical Clinic. Would you like to go see him?"

Li Yuan's eyes lit up and he quickly said, "Thank you, Uncle Chu. I was just about to go see him."

Chu Jinghong nodded, and before parting, he added, "Cultivate diligently in the future, and do not fail His Majesty's expectations."

"Yes, student takes his leave."

The Demon Suppression Division's clinic is located deep within the headquarters, in a quiet and secluded environment filled with the fragrance of herbs.

In a quiet, sunny room, Li Yuan met Aji.

The boy, dressed in clean coarse cloth clothes, sat resting against the headboard of the bed, his face already showing some color.

Upon seeing Li Yuan, he jumped up in surprise, then lowered his head in shame.

"Big brother..."

Aji's lips twitched; he was honest and simple by nature, and now he was even more at a loss for what to do.

"Lie still and don't move."

Li Yuan quickly stepped forward, gently pressed him down, and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking him up and down. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better."

Aji lowered his head, not daring to look Li Yuan in the eye. "Big brother, I'm sorry, it's all my fault... I almost killed you..."

As he spoke, his eyes reddened. Clearly, the memory of being controlled and almost killing Li Yuan with his own hands still haunted him like a nightmare.

Li Yuan sighed inwardly, reached out and patted his shoulder, "Aji, look at me."

Aji's body trembled, and he slowly raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed.

"This is not your fault." Li Yuan looked into his eyes and said, word by word, "Those demons used evil magic to control you. They are the ones who harmed you. You and I are both victims."

"It's a miracle you survived. The one who should apologize is me. I dragged you into these dangerous situations, and I failed to protect you."

"No, that's not it!"

Aji shook his head violently, tears streaming down his face. "It's my fault..."

"Alright, let bygones be bygones," Li Yuan interrupted him. "We're all fine, that's enough. What matters is the future."

Aji wiped away his tears forcefully and choked out, "Brother, how badly are you injured?"

"It's just a superficial wound, it's healed long ago." Li Yuan smiled. "And you, what did the doctor say?"

"The doctor said I'm almost fully recovered," Aji answered honestly. "By the way, he also said that I was forcibly stimulated by sorcery, and for some reason, my muscles and bones were opened up, and I've become much stronger."

"I suppose I'm suited to learning some special body-refining techniques."

"Oh?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly. This was an unexpected joy. Aji had no talent and was unable to cultivate. If he could now protect himself, it would be a blessing in disguise.

Lieutenant Lu, who was standing nearby, also said, "Young Master Li, I was just about to discuss something with Brother Aji."

"Please speak, Lieutenant Lu."

"Si Li wants to recruit Aji as an informant. Now that you're here, you can ask him directly and see if he's willing."

Li Yuan's mind raced. This must be the Demon Suppression Division taking care of him. Knowing that he was worried about Aji, they simply included him in their protection scope legitimately, also to put his mind at ease.

"An informant?"

Aji, however, seemed somewhat bewildered.

"That's good." Lieutenant Lu explained patiently, "You will continue to run the general store as a cover. On weekdays, you only need to provide some intelligence to the department and assist with surveillance, etc."

"Someone within the company will contact you directly, offer you appropriate compensation, and provide covert protection. What do you think?"

Aji was stunned and subconsciously looked at Li Yuan. He had been an orphan since childhood and was not naive or ignorant of the world. He immediately realized that all of this was because of his older brother.

Li Yuan smiled and said gently, "Aji, this matter concerns your own future. The choice is yours."

"Whatever you choose, your big brother will support you."

Aji's eyes reddened again. Joining the Demon Suppression Division, even as a low-level informant, meant that he would no longer be bullied. More importantly, he could do something on his own instead of constantly dragging his older brother down and becoming a weakness for others to exploit.

He gritted his teeth and nodded vigorously to Captain Lu: "I'm willing."

"it is good."

Lieutenant Lu smiled, "I'll report it immediately, and someone will contact you to make arrangements. You should rest well."

After saying that, he said to Li Yuan, "Young Master Li, rest assured, now that Aji has joined our company, we will take care of him secretly and ensure his safety."

"Thank you for your trouble, Commandant Lu." Li Yuan bowed and expressed his gratitude. This arrangement was indeed a good outcome for Aji.

Commander Lu tactfully stepped outside the door, leaving the two of them alone.

Aji seemed to remember something and said to Li Yuan somewhat embarrassedly, "Brother, there's something else. What happened with Sister Ahua is indeed true."

"I have already asked a reliable person to redeem her and temporarily settle her in the shop."

"Don't worry, brother. I'll work hard and pay you back slowly. Sister Hua also said she can help out at the shop without pay, just room and board..."