After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

Meanwhile, Ao Tianxin left Chang'an and headed west.

The scenery along the way was more lively than she had expected.

The official road was scattered with human people heading east, carrying their families, bundles on their backs, and leading their children.

Seeing a streak of light flash overhead, he instinctively shrank back, then continued on his way with his head down.

Ao Tianxin looked down at the winding crowd from the air and sensed fluctuations of spiritual energy collision not far ahead.

Below, at a narrow pass, a dozen or so humans were blocked by a group of demons at a bend in the mountain path.

The leader was a jackal demon in the Foundation Establishment stage, who was patting the old man at the front on the shoulder with the back of his knife, forcing them to hand over all their luggage.

Ao Tianxin descended from the clouds, her robes fluttering lightly as they brushed against the pebbles.

The jackal demon that was leading the pack turned its head, and before its pupils could even contract, it was sent flying and embedded in the mountain wall a dozen feet away.

The rest of the demon race scattered in a panic.

The rescued humans knelt on the ground, trembling as they kowtowed.

Ao Tianxin casually opened the wine gourd, took a sip, and said nothing.

They transformed back into streaks of light and soared into the clouds.

The closer they got to the capital, the more refugees there were on the official road.

Some fled from the capital, some came from towns further west, and some traveled from the south, the north, or even detoured through the territory of Sirius, all heading in the same direction.

Changan.

Ao Tianxin has lived for tens of thousands of years and has witnessed the rise and fall of cities like the ebb and flow of tides.

This was the first time she had ever seen a city where countless people scattered across a vast territory could simultaneously head in one direction.

Even Wen Chaosheng, who lived a thousand years ago, did not have this kind of influence.

Lighthouse—the word suddenly came to her mind.

……

The moment Ao Tianxin stepped into the capital, the Tu Shan National Preceptor sensed it.

He was sitting in the side hall meditating when he suddenly opened his eyes and appeared in the main hall in a flash.

Tu Shan Yao was reviewing memorials when he saw this. He frowned and looked up. The Imperial Advisor whispered two words: "Dragon Court."

Tu Shanyao's expression changed slightly, and his fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the pen.

He knew the Dragon Court Queen would come sooner or later, but he didn't know how she would come or who she would cause trouble for.

The two released their divine senses and watched the figure in pure white pass through the city gate, walk along the main street for a while, and then turn into the direction of the Jiang residence.

Tu Shanyao slowly loosened his grip on the pen, leaned back in his chair, and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Luckily, I didn't listen to those people before, and I wiped out the Jiang family."

He then fell silent and said to the Imperial Advisor, "Let's just pretend we didn't see anything. We can't stop her from doing whatever she wants now."

Ao Tianxin walked straight through the gate of the Jiang residence, as if the formation did not exist for her.

Inside the main hall of the Jiang residence, Jiang Wuchen and his mother sat side by side.

She stood in the hall, cleared her throat, and for some reason suddenly seemed a little unnatural.

After calming himself down, he explained his purpose to Jiang Wuchen and his mother.

Jiang Wuchen stood up and bowed: "Jiang Wuchen greets Senior Ao."

Ao Tianxin then recounted Jiang Yan's situation.

When Jiang's mother heard that he was seriously injured and unconscious, her face turned pale for a moment. After hearing that he had woken up, her shoulders slowly relaxed.

Ao Tianxin said he could take them to Chang'an first.

Jiang Wuchen pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"Knowing that Yan'er is safe, we are relieved," he said. "But it seems that Tu Shanyao will not make a move against us. Besides, the entire Jiang family is here. If I leave alone, people's hearts will fall apart. Knowing that Yan'er is safe and sound, I have nothing to worry about. As the head of the family, I cannot leave."

Jiang's mother looked at her husband and said with a smile, "Thank you, Miss Ao. We're alright for now."

Ao Tianxin looked at them, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

After leaving the Jiang residence, she headed towards the royal palace.

As soon as he approached the palace wall, the Tushan National Preceptor appeared before him, his posture respectful and his bow meticulous.

"I am somewhat aware of Senior Ao's purpose in coming," he said. "However, while Tu Shan Ruoshui can be taken away, Tu Shan Lie cannot. This is not merely my intention, but rather a matter of the boundary between the Tu Shan Dynasty and the Dragon Court. Interfering in the fate of a ruler is tantamount to interfering in the internal affairs of a nation. At that point, it will no longer be a matter for Senior Ao alone."

Ao Tianxin frowned slightly.

"Are you threatening me?"

The breath unconsciously spread, and the surrounding air became viscous like mud.

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on the forehead of the Tushan National Preceptor, who bowed deeply.

"This junior had no such intention, but Your Majesty is, after all, the former ruler, so please understand."

Ao Tianxin nodded indifferently.

She also knew that taking Tu Shanlie away was not a realistic possibility.

Deep within the forbidden area, inside the imperial palace.

Ruoshui was sitting on the windowsill, holding the glass lamp in her arms.

Tu Shanlie sat on a chair to the side, his face still a little pale, but his back was still very straight and his eyes were clear.

Tu Shan Yingxue gently massaged his shoulders from the side.

The palace doors were pushed open, and a figure in pure white stepped across the threshold.

Tu Shanlie raised his head and his gaze fell on Ao Tianxin.

He slowly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Senior Ao."

Ao Tianxin nodded and recounted Jiang Yan's situation again.

After hearing this, Tu Shanlie's guilt lessened somewhat.

He leaned back in his chair, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"I knew that kid was tough."

The fox ears on the cassette tape that was being listened to instantly perked up and jumped off the windowsill.

"He's awake? Has his injury healed? Are there any lingering health problems?"

Ao Tianxin looked at her bright fox eyes and said, "He's fine. His foundation is intact. He'll recover after a few days of rest."

Ruoshui stood in the center of the hall, holding the lamp, her lips tightly pursed, and nodded vigorously.

The gloom that had been weighing on her eyes all this time finally dissipated at this moment.

Seeing this scene, Tu Shanlie reassessed Ao Tianxin in his mind.

The fact that the ruler of the Dragon Court personally made a trip to the capital for Jiang Yan is enough to show how important Jiang Yan is to her.

Next, Ao Tianxin said that he could take Ruoshui to Chang'an first.

Ruoshui looked back at her parents and shook her head.

"I'm content knowing he's safe." She smiled, her eyes bright. "I want to stay here with my father and mother."

"And I believe he will come looking for me!"

Ao Tianxin glanced at her, then looked at Tu Shanlie.

To her surprise, Tu Shanlie also nodded.

"That rebellious son wouldn't go so far as to kill me," Tu Shanlie said calmly. "It's better for Ruoshui to stay with us for now."

Ao Tianxin had no choice but to give up and nodded.

As I left, I couldn't help but glance at the seemingly harmless little fox, and then at Tu Shanlie, who sat calmly behind the desk.

Those who can become the ruler of a dynasty are indeed no pushovers.

After leaving the forbidden area, she did not immediately return to Chang'an, but instead headed towards the most bustling market town in the city.

I sat down in a corner of a teahouse.

Before the tea was even served, the hushed conversation of several demon men at the next table drifted into my ears.

"Have you heard? Tianlang Xuanyu is also gathering troops."

"What does your gathering of troops to attack Chang'an have to do with you?"

"How can it be alright? Many people in my hometown say that if we really manage to hold Chang'an, our demon race will be in for a rough time."

"It can't be that bad, can he really turn the world upside down in Chang'an?"

"Who knows? We'll just have to wait and see."

Ao Tianxin frowned, then immediately left the city as a streak of light.

……

Inside Chang'an City.

On the military training ground, Jiang Yan stood on the reviewing stand.

Sixty thousand soldiers stood in formation below the stage.

Of his original 50,000 troops sent to conquer the north, only 20,000 reached Chang'an. Including the old troops under Tu Shan Jing, the total number was less than 60,000.

The battlefield was eerily silent, morale was low, and being stabbed in the back by one's own people was harder to heal than being stabbed on the battlefield.

Jiang Yan's gaze swept across the faces of the soldiers, and he exchanged a glance with Tu Shan Jing beside him.

He spoke slowly.

"Gentlemen, you have done your best to fight your way out of such a desperate situation. It is others who have let you down."

A few young soldiers in the audience had a glimmer of light in their eyes, but most remained silent.

"But Chang'an will be in great danger from now on." Jiang Yan changed the subject, pointing to himself, "I can't even guarantee whether I'll survive."

He lowered his hand and calmed his voice: "So, my fellow demon brothers, your home is in Tushan, your families are in Tushan. No matter what Tushan Yao did, if you go back now, no one will specifically investigate. Because you are the victims."

"But if you stay and fight this battle with me, you may never be able to go back."

After speaking, Jiang Yan took a deep breath and bowed deeply to the 60,000 soldiers below the stage.

He straightened up and spoke in a loud voice.

"Those who wish to stay will never betray each other again in this life; those who wish to leave may leave the city now. Jiang Yanyi wishes you a bright future and a promising future."

As soon as he finished speaking, the training ground fell into a deathly silence.

A moment later, people in the queue began to move.

A young fox soldier, head bowed, stepped out of the ranks, looked at no one, and strode quickly toward the camp gate.

It was as if a floodgate had been opened, and more and more soldiers began to move. Some walked out with clenched fists, while others stood in place for a long time before taking their first step.

Several veterans walked halfway, then looked back at Jiang Yan, gritted their teeth, and turned to continue walking.

Jiang Yan stood on the stage, watching the departing figures.

After a while.

Approximately 20,000 people left the training ground.

A cloud of dust rose from the open ground at the camp gate, and the departing figures gradually disappeared into the twilight.

Then, Tu Shan Jing walked over to Jiang Yan and stood there without saying a word.

Lu Zhanshuang stepped forward carrying a heavy sword and patted Jiang Yan's shoulder with his large palm.

Pei Xiao, Lu Fa, Tu Shanye, and Cang Wu followed in turn.

Then came more centurions and chiliarchs, as well as the veterans who had fought alongside him at Outpost No. 3, Broken Monument City, and Blood Banner City.

More and more people stepped forward, and the queue formed a silent, iron torrent.

Some wounded soldiers, who were also seriously injured and had bandages wrapped around their arms and were using crutches, were also moved over one by one.

Lu Fa tried to help, but was pushed aside by an old bull demon soldier with a broken horn, and walked into the queue himself.

Jiang Yan looked at them, her voice a little hoarse: "Have you thought this through?"

An old soldier grinned and said, "My lord, there's no one left in my family."

Another argali sheep demon next to him nudged his horn: "My parents died early, I'm all alone, so it doesn't matter where I go."

Someone else chimed in, "And we believe you."

The voices weren't loud, but they were exceptionally clear in the quiet training ground.

The night wind blew across the drill ground, and the Jiang-character military flag fluttered in the wind.