At night, a chilly wind blew in Luoyang. The demons that once swarmed around Luoyang had long dispersed. The Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals were all dead. Only the cries of ghosts could be heard in the vast Eastern Capital.
In the deepest part of the Ten Miles River, Hei Jiao was covered in wounds. The Demon Seed under its reverse scale had materialized, revealing the rotting form of An Lushan. The scene was extremely strange. It was as if a black "human" covered in rotten flesh had grown out of the throat of a giant dragon.
As the sound of footsteps rang out, the Black Flood Dragon's eyes suddenly opened. The Flood Dragon's eyes emitted a blood-red light that shone in front of it.
A man in black slowly walked over. Hei Jiao suddenly held its breath. The cave was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.
"Looks like the separation was very successful," the man in black said.
An Lushan under Hei Jiao's reverse scale opened its mouth and sneered as if it had seen through the man in black's intentions.
"I really didn't expect this," An Lushan's voice sounded like Yang Guozhong's.
"Didn't expect what?" the man in black said lightly.
"I didn't expect you to make a deal with me," Xie Yu said in a low voice.
"How do you know I'm here to make a deal?"
"If you don't have a deal, why would you come alone? Tell me your conditions. "
The man in black remained silent. He raised his eyes and looked at Xie Yu. Xie Yu suddenly trembled. Two white lights shot out from the man in black's eyes and entered the middle of Xie Yu's forehead. Countless scenes flashed in Xie Yu's eyes. Finally, it stopped at the burning Luoyang.
"As expected, even you can't let go of this power …"
"I have no interest in the Demon Seed," the man in black said slowly. "After this is done, you can become a demon."
Xie Yu said in a low voice, "Mahamayuri has been reborn. Once Li Jinglong finds all six weapons, you won't have much chance of winning."
"Aren't you gambling too?" The white light in the black-clothed man's eyes receded as he slowly said, "You fled to Luoyang and no longer headed north. You are struggling at death's door here, but you want to make one last gamble to see if I will come."
Xie Yu fell silent.
"I will take care of Li Jinglong." The black-clothed man said in a deep voice, "He will never be able to obtain the Sword of Wisdom. One year later, when he uses the five weapons in a hasty battle, the outcome can be imagined."
Xie Yu let out a burst of ear-piercing laughter. Then, he said, "I thought that my plan was flawless. But, in the end, it was all under your control … Forget it, forget it!"
At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the land in the middle of Sichuan was lush with green leaves, without the slightest hint of desolation. After the Three Gorges, the river surface was covered with a layer of mist, the weather was extremely humid, and the smell of grass could be smelled all day long. The exorcists disembarked in Yuzhou City. At this time, Yuzhou was already filled with officials, commoners, and family members who had been evacuated from the Central Plains. The Tang Army was interrogating people coming and going, and the big city by the river was very lively.
Seeing the Tang Army again, Hongjun suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had returned to the human world from the end of the world. When the An Lushan Rebellion started, nearly a million people immediately poured into Sichuan, and many commoners dragged their families all the way to the west. Since ancient times, Yuzhou had been connected to the plains in the middle of Sichuan. It had become a natural barrier that protected the land of Sichuan. The trade route was prosperous and lush, and rice was harvested twice a year. In the Central Plains, one could buy a bucket of rice with 12 Tong Bao coins, and Bayu only needed eight copper coins. Even in the chaos of war, the prices did not rise.
"Eh?" Ashina Chong said, "Isn't that Han Guolan? Hey! Fatty! Fatty! "
Atay and Han Guolan had always been familiar with each other. When Chang 'an city fell, the Hu Chamber of Commerce actually moved to Yuzhou and did a good job. When Han Guolan saw Li Jinglong and the others, she hurriedly shouted, "It's the exorcists!"
When the merchants heard this, they all came forward and asked about the situation in the Central Plains. The merchants only knew when they would be able to recover Chang 'an, Luoyang, and other lost territories, and when they could return to do business. Li Jinglong went through a lot of trouble before he successfully escaped and arrived at the Chamber of Commerce to rest temporarily. When they talked about their parting, they could not help but sigh. Han Guolan mentioned the situation in Chengdu, and it was rumored that Li Longji could no longer manage the country's affairs. There would be a change of dynasty, and Crown Prince Li Heng would succeed him.
"You must be very careful this time." Han Guolan reminded Li Jinglong, "After Chang 'an fell, rumors spread that the Exorcism Department did not protect the city well."
"The Heavenly Dao is constant. It does not exist for Yao, and it does not perish for Jie." Li Jinglong took a sip of tea and said helplessly, "The divine continent faces a tribulation every thousand years, and it is the time to face the tribulation. What can I do?"
Li Jinglong's words were not false. After leaving Chang 'an, he had been thinking day and night, if he could start all over again, would there be a way for the divine continent to suffer less in this calamity? The answer was that it was impossible. The descent of Tianma was the inevitable result of the countless changes of dynasties in the past thousand years, and the frequent chaos of war. The Ghost King had also told him that since the end of the Han Dynasty, there had been a war between dynasties and ethnic groups every few hundred years. During the Three Kingdoms, the Red Cliffs were set ablaze, and during the Jin Dynasty, large-scale uprisings and massacres broke out at the end of the Sui Dynasty. The number of abnormal deaths in the divine continent increased with each generation, and the rate of change became faster and faster. During the An Lushan Rebellion, the heavens and earth could no longer purify this evil aura, and no one could peacefully eliminate it.
The exorcists finally felt like they had returned to the mortal world. Li Jinglong asked Han Guolan, "Do you have cloth? Get us two sets of clothes so that we can meet His Majesty. "
The peace of Chang 'an's war was all thanks to the Exorcism Division. In the future, the Chamber of Commerce would still need Li Jinglong's help to do business. Han Guolan was a smart person and did not dare to neglect everyone. She immediately ordered people to find the best Sichuan brocade cloth and made two sets of clothes for everyone according to the style of official robes. Hongjun and the others took a bath and rested for a few days. They changed into new clothes and perked up. The entire Exorcism Division had finally survived the disaster. They borrowed horses and headed to Chengdu to meet Li Longji.
It was only a two-day journey from Yuzhou to Chengdu. Along the way, they entered the plains of Chengdu. It was the autumn harvest season, and as far as the eye could see, the fields were golden, and the rice was pressed against the ears. Compared to the mountain city of Yuzhou, Chengdu was a completely different scene. The two-thousand-year-old ancient capital stood in the middle of the plains. It was simple and unadorned, and the bricks and tiles of the city walls gave off a sense of desolation.
Thousands of years had not changed since Du Yuji had established Gu Shu. The citizens in the city were at ease and had nothing to do. The abundance of resources caused the city to be constantly shrouded in a tiredness like an afternoon nap. The autumn sun shone down, flowers bloomed, and the sound of musical instruments made people feel tired.
"It's said that the young do not enter Sichuan," Qiu Yongsi said. "After coming to this place, I really don't want to do anything."
Li Jinglong said, "Fortunately, the Crown Prince temporarily moved the capital to Lingwu. Let's meet His Majesty first. After meeting the Divine Empress, I'll bring you all to play."
"Li Jinglong of the Exorcism Division brings everyone to meet His Majesty —"
When Li Jinglong returned, Li Heng had arrived less than three days ago. He was discussing the matter of succession with a group of officials. Hearing this, everyone was shocked. Li Heng immediately ordered Li Jinglong to bring people into the hall. Even the tedious task of deciphering swords was waived.
When Li Jinglong entered the hall, he saw Gao Lishi, Yu Chao 'en, Guo Ziyi, Du Hongjian, and a group of officials from the Ministry of Rites. Chengdu Palace did not have a large hall. In front of everyone was a table discussing matters. There were only twenty of them.
"Only these few people are left?" Li Jinglong's first sentence was a great surprise.
Guo Ziyi said, "Our country is in trouble. Many officials lost their lives when they moved west. For the Exorcism Division to still exist, congratulations. "
Guo Ziyi was an elder of three dynasties. Although Li Jinglong was given the title of Yadan Marquis, he did not dare to be rash in front of him. He hurriedly led everyone to bow to Crown Prince Li Heng. Li Heng coldly said, "Since you've returned, take a seat."
All the officials looked at Li Jinglong and the others. After Li Jinglong sat down, the exorcists sat behind him. They were originally discussing the matter of succession, but when Li Jinglong arrived, Li Heng finally could not restrain himself. He asked, "How is Chang 'an?"
What can you do? You ran off first and left us to clean up the mess, Li Jinglong thought. He did not mention it on the surface. He told them about Kun Shen's warning and how no one could live in Chang 'an and Luoyang for three years. Li Heng asked Mo Rigen, "An Lushan is dead?"
"Dead."
"Not dead." Li Jinglong and Mo Rigen both said.
Everyone: "…"
Li Jinglong and Mo Rigen looked at each other. In the end, Li Jinglong said, "Not dead. He escaped back to Luoyang." As he spoke, he drank a cup of water and observed Li Jinglong's expression.
"Your Exorcism Division first said that An Lushan was a demon." Yu Chaoen could not help but say, "You let the people of the city escape from Chang 'an and fight with their backs against the wall. An Lushan is still free and unfettered outside. Instead, you made Chang' an a mess. You still have the face to see His Majesty?"
Li Heng stopped Li Jinglong and said, "How long will it take to get rid of Shi Siming?"
Li Jinglong replied, "Shi Siming has nothing to do with Tianma. He is not under the jurisdiction of the Exorcism Division. We do not kill mortals."
Li Heng was instantly choked. "You are a subject of the Tang Dynasty. Now that the country is in trouble, you refuse to lead people to fight. Preposterous! Li Jinglong! Are you trying to bargain with me?! "
"What is a demon?" Yu Chaoen was practically gnashing his teeth. "What is a mortal? Isn't it up to you to decide?"
"Everyone can see that a demon is a demon," Li Jinglong retorted. "What do I have to say? In the past, it was my subordinate's suggestion to withdraw from Chang 'an. Was it not necessary for His Majesty and Her Highness to agree? Now, you want to pin this matter on me? "
Li Heng felt that Li Jinglong had disappeared two years ago. Now that he had reappeared, it was as if he had become a completely different person. Although he had heard that Li Jinglong was a stubborn person who would not give face to anyone when he was stubborn, he would even dare to talk back to his own emperor. Now, it seemed that Li Heng would rather he remain unconscious and not come to choke people.
"As for An Lushan," Li Jinglong said in a low voice, "it naturally falls on us to resolve this matter. This matter must have a beginning and an end. When the rebel army started a rebellion, they did not care about the corruption of the Tang Dynasty and instead made several Exorcist Division officials take the blame for it. They wanted us to capture and kill the enemy's leader amidst thousands of soldiers and horses. Where did this logic come from? "
Hearing these words, everyone cheered in their hearts. They felt that Li Jinglong had truly vented his anger by eliminating and striking. Hongjun could faintly sense that the current Li Jinglong, compared to when he had first obtained the Mind's Lamp, and compared to when he had lost it … seemed to be somewhat different.
If Li Jinglong was said to be a hard and sharp sword when they first met, then it was extremely hard and easy to break, extremely difficult to explain. Later on, it was harmonious and broad-minded to the point of being a little unreasonable. Later on, it was even more self-reproachful and difficult to free himself. Now, the Li Jinglong in front of them actually faintly had a temperament of strength and gentleness, neither servile nor overbearing.
Guo Ziyi could not help but heartily laugh at these words.
"I have long heard of Marquis Yadan's name," Guo Ziyi said. "Today, I finally get to see the Exorcist Division that even the Tian Family cannot control."
"The original intention of the Exorcist Division was to protect the Emperor and the Tian Family," Li Jinglong said. "To protect the people from being invaded by demons and bewitched by demonic energy. However, the method of protection is up to us to decide. It has always been like this. "
Li Jinglong had long expected that the Exorcist Division would stay behind to guard Chang 'an. In the end, it ended up like this. There would definitely be a lot of discussion. In addition, Li Hengyuan originally wanted to kill Yang Guifei and the others while sending Li Longji off. He did not even want to let Gao Lishi off. However, Hongjun obstructed them and naturally would not give them any face.
However, the Exorcist Division had paid an enormous price in this war. It could even be described as bitter. Yu Chao'en was just a eunuch with no military achievements. He only knew how to play for power. Now, he was actually reprimanding Li Jinglong. This was simply an insult to the Exorcist Division. The subordinates behind Li Jinglong had extremely unsightly expressions. Hongjun suddenly said, "Eh, aren't you that eunuch? I remember that you ran off ahead of time. How did you survive? "
Hongjun had once seen Yu Chao'en in the palace and found him familiar. Everyone was immediately embarrassed. Yu Chao'en was instantly choked by these words, his face turning purple.
"Hongjun." Li Jinglong's eyes were smiling as he indicated that he should not speak.
Li Heng could not bear it any longer. "Hongjun! Don't be too arrogant! "
Hongjun's brow furrowed. He was about to retort, but out of respect for Li Jinglong, he held himself back. Li Jinglong only pretended not to hear. He explained the current situation and said seriously, "That's it."
The information that Chao Yun had sent back was brought back by birds. Birds were everywhere, and the information they received was even more detailed than the Tang scouts. Shi Siming's army arrangements, the whereabouts of the remnants of An Lushan, and many other military arrangements were things that even Li Heng did not know. Guo Ziyi furrowed his brow. He knew that everything was within reason.
"Let's wait for a while longer." Li Jinglong said, "I will lead my subordinates to search for a treasure to defeat the enemy. When the time comes, we will have to leave Chengdu."
Guo Ziyi said, "How long will it take to completely destroy An Lushan?"
Li Jinglong turned around to look at everyone.
"Is one year enough?" Li Jinglong asked his subordinates.
Li Heng: "Li Jinglong, you …"
Li Jinglong actually started discussing in the hall. He simply did not place Li Heng in his eyes. Everyone thought about it for a moment and agreed.
Li Jinglong then said to Guo Ziyi, "One year is the limit."
Li Jinglong only realized that he had not asked for the opinion of his subordinates when he was asked. However, he decided not to talk about the Acalanatha's orders so as to avoid putting too much pressure on his subordinates.
Guo Ziyi said, "Within one year, I will eliminate Shi Siming's forces in Hedong, Hangu Pass, Hebei, and other places, and recover Luoyang."
"It's a promise," Li Jinglong said.
It seemed that among the ministers and the crown prince, only Guo Ziyi was more reliable. Li Jinglong clearly did not plan to stay any longer and left after drinking tea.
"Where's Li Bai?" Before he left, Hongjun could not help but ask Li Jinglong. He was extremely worried about Li Bai's situation. Although he knew that he was safe, he still needed to visit him to be at ease.
When Guo Ziyi heard this, he replied, "Hexi Commandant Du Zimei is a poet. He has a thatched cottage in the east of Chengdu. Li Bai often goes there, so he should be there often these days."
Hongjun thanked Guo Ziyi, and the Exorcist Division's people took their leave.
For a moment, all the officials in the hall were at a loss for words. Li Heng had been mercilessly mocked by Li Jinglong, and his anger was stifled in his chest. Unable to bring himself to raise the spirits of his previous discussion, he ordered the officials to disperse. Guo Ziyi had received the latest military report and had to immediately return to make preparations to deal with Shi Siming's army.