Demon Lord Tang Dynasty

Inside the tent, Zhang Ziyan sat helplessly in a chair, silently shedding tears.

The heroic spirit that once graced his face was gone, replaced by endless confusion in his eyes.

The curtain was lifted, and Gao Yi calmly stepped out of the tent.

In the distance, the white protector, who was standing with his hands on his hips reprimanding two former disciples, suddenly had his pupils dilate.

"This...so fast?"

However, before he could finish speaking, Protector Bai swallowed the words back down.

With one stride, he leaped to Gao Yi's side.

"Venerable One, is the matter concluded?"

"Um."

Gao Yi lowered his head, pondering what to do next, and casually replied.

Protector Bai swallowed hard, not daring to say another word, but secretly made up his mind.

It seems that in addition to refining blood pills, I should also take some time to refine some precious pills for the World Honored One.

"Let's go see Xue Liang again."

Gao Yi suddenly looked up and addressed the White Protector.

"Xue Liang, okay."

The White Protector, who was lost in thought, was suddenly interrupted and almost choked on his breath. He could only nod repeatedly.

Gao Yi ignored him and walked toward where Xue Liang was being held.

"Kill me if you want, torture me if you want. If I even frown, I'm not your Grandpa Xue."

"Hey, guards! You scoundrels, you Tartars, if you have the guts, let me go! Kill me!"

As soon as I arrived outside the tent, I heard heart-wrenching screams.

"World Honored One, although Xue Liang's true energy has been restrained, he has been restless. We can only tie him up, but there are always people guarding the area, so there won't be any problems," Protector Bai explained softly.

Gao Yi nodded, lifted the curtain, and went straight in.

"Alright, finally the men have arrived. Bring on all your tricks. There are no cowards in the Reliance Army. I'll be a hero again in eighteen years."

Upon seeing the newcomer, Xue Liang was not surprised but delighted, and shouted loudly.

"Brother Xue, what do you mean by this?"

Gao Yi shook his head repeatedly and turned to look at Protector Bai.

"Protector Bai, untie Brother Xue at once! He's an honored guest; how can you treat him like this?"

"what?"

Protector Bai was taken aback, but faced with Gao Yi's request, he naturally dared not question it and quickly stepped forward to untie Xue Liang's ropes.

Xue Liang, sitting opposite him, also looked puzzled, his face full of wariness as he stared at Gao Yi.

"You Tartar, what scheme are you plotting?"

Gao Yi shook his head with a wry smile:

"Brother Xue, you misunderstand. I am not a member of the nomadic tribes of the grasslands, but a person from the Central Plains. I have simply wandered to the borderlands and am making a living here."

Xue Liang was startled, but quickly recovered:

"Hmph, whether you are Han or a foreigner, since you have chosen to join the Turks, you are an enemy of my Great Sui."

Gao Yi shook his head again:

"I have never served the Turks, and the King of Kaoshan has always been someone I deeply respect."

"If it weren't for Brother Xue's initiative to attack, plus... well, let's not talk about it. In short, I had no choice but to send troops."

Upon hearing this, Xue Liang's face showed a thoughtful expression.

Judging from what the other party said, it seemed that they were being forced. Could it be Shibi Khan? If so, with enemies in front and pressure from behind, fighting with their backs to the river was indeed the only way out.

Thinking of this, Xue Liang's expression softened considerably.

"Words are not enough; I doubt anyone can fully believe what you've said."

Xue Liang wasn't stupid; he wouldn't believe everything others said.

"I treat people with sincerity and would never dare to deceive Brother Xue," Gao Yi said with a cupped hand and a smile.

Xue Liang lowered his head in thought, and only looked up again after a long while:

"You should at least tell me your background and who you are."

Gao Yi laughed heartily:

"My surname is Gao. I am from Hebei. I wandered to the borderlands and managed to accumulate some wealth by chance. As for my origins, well... let's not talk about it," Gao Yi said with a hint of shame.

Upon hearing this, Xue Liang's pupils contracted.

"Gao, could you perhaps be from the Gao clan of Bohai?"

In this era, the gentry and commoners were two completely different classes of beings.

If they were ordinary people, there would be nothing to say, but those born into the Bohai Gao clan are a completely different story.

The Bohai Gao clan was a prominent family in Hebei, with ancestral lineage from Emperor Shenwu of Northern Qi and lineage from Duke Gao Jiong of Qi.

Although the Northern Qi dynasty has been destroyed and Gao Jiong has passed away, the Gao family of Bohai still exists.

Especially since Xue Liang came from the Sui Dynasty military, the name Gao Jiong carried immense weight.

"I am ashamed, I am ashamed."

Gao Yi waved his hands repeatedly, looking as if he dared not mention it further, for fear of disgracing his family.

"No wonder his military tactics are so unpredictable; he comes from a prestigious family."

Xue Liang took a deep breath and said.

Although it was a loss, losing to the Gao family, a descendant of the Qi clan, was certainly much better than losing to an unknown nobody.

"It was just luck, Brother Xue, you flatter me."

"Brother Gao, is there anything you wish to teach me today?"

Xue Liang's tone had softened considerably, but the wariness in his eyes hadn't completely disappeared.

"Brother Xue, please forgive me. My situation was like walking on a mountain of knives. I dared not slack off in the slightest. Only now that things are temporarily stable have I had time to see you."

"Then..." Xue Liang opened his mouth.

Before the other party could speak, Gao Yi's voice rang out again:

"I have come today for two reasons: first, to apologize to Brother Xue; and second, now that we are out of danger, it is time for Brother Xue to leave."

"What? You're letting me go?" Xue Liang exclaimed in disbelief.

"Of course, it is not my intention to be enemies with Brother Xue. Besides, I have always admired the Prince of Kao Shan, and Brother Xue is also a heroic man. How can I make the same mistake again?"

"Not only Brother Xue, but also the thousands of soldiers I captured, and Miss Zhang Ziyan, the adopted daughter of the Prince of Kao Shan, I can..."

"What? Ziyan, Ziyan is in your hands too! Where is she? How is she?" Xue Liang asked excitedly, his eyes reddening.

"Huh?" Gao Yi's eyes flickered, but he didn't show it.

"Miss Zhang is indeed a guest here. However, my subordinates were ignorant and caused her some injury. She is currently recuperating and will be able to assist Brother Xue in a few days."

Xue Liang let out a long sigh of relief, regained his composure, and looked at Gao Yi with a more complex expression.

"Thank you very much, Brother Gao."

He hadn't expected Gao Yi to be willing to let them leave, and now he was starting to believe what the other party was saying.

"It was just a small favor, but..."

Gao Yi waved his hand and smiled, but then suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence.

"Brother Gao, please speak frankly."

Gao Yi sighed deeply:

"Alas, although this battle was not my intention, I have ultimately offended the Prince of Kao Shan."

"The situation is dire, Brother Gao, you needn't worry about it..." Xue Liang waved his hand.

Gao Yi shook his head: "In that battle, I was lucky enough to retrieve the King's banner and dragon staff. I originally intended to return them after the battle, but unexpectedly, the Demon Commander Zhao Deyan and Little Khan Tuli came to my door to threaten me. In order to protect Brother Xue and his two companions and thousands of soldiers, I had no choice but to give up the royal banner."

Upon hearing this, Xue Liang's face turned pale instantly.

"No wonder, Brother Gao, you are a defeated general. This is the responsibility I should bear. When I return, I will die to answer for my godfather."

Gao Yi was shocked and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Brother Xue, you must not take this dead end. This is the real reason why I came to see you today."

Xue Liang raised his head in confusion.

"With this defeat, Brother Xue will inevitably bear responsibility when he returns, especially Miss Zhang who was protecting the flag."

Xue Liang's expression changed again.

"This matter is related to Gao, and Gao really couldn't bear to see the two of you like this."

"Does Brother Gao have any ideas?"

"Of course." Gao Yi nodded with a smile.

"To be honest, the King of Kaoshan and Shibi are currently facing off in the Wuchuan area, with hundreds of thousands of troops on both sides. It could very well be an earth-shattering battle."

"Although I am willing to let Brother Xue leave, I am afraid that his return journey will not be safe and will be difficult to hide from Shi Bi's army scouts."

Xue Liang nodded.

"In that case, why not try a different approach?"

"What do you mean?"

"Now that everyone's attention is drawn to the King of Kao Shan, the other directions are empty, and the defeats on the battlefield can only be erased on the battlefield."

Xue Liang's eyes lit up completely, and even his voice trembled slightly: "Brother Gao..."

Gao Yi's face was full of sincerity, but his voice carried a hint of seduction:

"I pointed out the direction for Brother Xue, and at the same time personally led the army to cover his rear. Brother Xue led his troops to gallop freely, just like the old general Huo Qubing did back then."