Demon Lord Tang Dynasty

"Yang Linbei has made it in? Are you sure?"

Gao Yi frowned and looked at the two of them.

The man remained expressionless and did not respond, standing straight as if he were an emotionless tool.

Rou Rou still had that timid and cowardly look, but a look of panic would occasionally flash across her face.

Yang Lin, the Prince of Kao Shan, was a famous figure, especially among the people of the grasslands.

During the Kaihuang era, he, along with Yang Su and Gao Jiong, launched a three-pronged northern expedition, routing the Turks.

Gao Yi naturally knew this history, but his face still showed doubt.

Yang Lin stationed troops in Bingzhou with the aim of securing the border and protecting the country.

One of the biggest targets of defense was the Turks.

Moreover, since the previous dynasty, the Turks have been a major enemy of the Central Plains dynasties.

From this perspective, Yang Lin's use of force against the Turks was not wrong.

However, the so-called enemy-friend relationship is never absolute; it must be considered in conjunction with the time frame and the broader context.

As everyone in later generations knows, besides undertaking massive construction projects, Yang Guang's most important target was Goguryeo in Liaodong.

The three campaigns against Goguryeo directly led to the collapse of the vast Sui Dynasty.

The same applies to this world.

The crushing defeat on the Liaodong battlefield became an obsession for Yang Guang.

Therefore, the Sui Dynasty directed its manpower, material resources, and military strength towards Liaodong.

This is also one of the main reasons why the Sui Dynasty has been adopting a policy of appeasement towards the Turks in recent years.

The enemy of the enemy is the friend.

Foreign races also understand the tactic of forming alliances and counter-alliances.

The Turks, spanning east to west, were a truly colossal force, while Goguryeo, which controlled Liaodong and eyed Liaoxi, was no ordinary power either.

If these two parties were to unite, the entire Sui Dynasty would likely be unable to sleep at night.

Faced with the immense pressure from the Sui Dynasty, Goguryeo naturally sought help from its neighbors, with the Turks being the first to be targeted.

It was for this reason that Prince Yang Lin and his elite troops remained steadfastly stationed in Bingzhou, without transferring a single soldier.

In addition, the Sui Dynasty also sent envoys one after another to appease Shibi Khan of the Turks.

Under these circumstances, it was clearly unreasonable for Yang Lin to launch a large-scale military campaign against the Turks.

This not only does not conform to Yang Guang's grand strategy, but is completely contrary to it.

"Are you sure it's Yang Lin?" Gao Yi asked again.

"Yes, yes, someone saw a large number of Sui soldiers crossing the Yinshan Baidao, and also saw the Wei-character Kaoshan flag."

The flag bearing the character "卫" (Wei) is Yang Lin's command flag and also his symbol.

The character "Wei" was Yang Lin's title.

Yes, Yang Lin's official title was not Prince Kaoshan, but Prince Wei Zhao. Zhao was a posthumous title, which did not exist at that time. Therefore, Yang Lin's real title was actually Prince Wei of the Great Sui Dynasty.

However, back then, Emperor Yang Jian personally praised Yang Lin as the pillar of the Yang family and the king who was the backbone of the Sui Dynasty, and bestowed upon him a royal banner inscribed with the words "backbone".

Therefore, the title "King of the Mountain" gradually spread and even replaced Yang Lin's official title.

"Who saw it?" Gao Yi pressed.

"He was a disciple of the Dharma Protector, returning from the Sui Dynasty, and happened to run into him..."

"etc……"

Gao Yi suddenly raised his hand, interrupting Rou Rou.

"So, from beginning to end, you didn't make any defenses, station any troops, or send any scouts in Yinshan?" Gao Yi asked incredulously.

Rou Rou, on the other hand, looked confused.

Seeing this expression, Gao Yi couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

The Yinshan Mountains stretch endlessly, separating the Central Plains from the northern frontier, serving as a natural barrier. This was true for the Central Plains dynasties, and also for the nomadic peoples of the grasslands.

But there has never been a perfect barrier in the world, and the Yinshan Mountains are no exception.

From west to east, there is more than one battle route, either natural or carved out of the mountains, within this vast mountain range.

Among them, the most famous one is the Yinshan White Road.

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Xiongnu frequently crossed this route to invade the Central Plains. Among them, the siege of Baideng, which Emperor Gaozu of Han encountered, was located south of the Yin Mountains, and the Xiongnu used this route at that time.

Later, during the reign of Emperor Wu, Wei Qing also followed this route when he attacked the Xiongnu in the north.

It was precisely because Gao Yi understood the importance of this passage that he couldn't comprehend how the people of the Maitreya Cult could ignore it.

Everyone knows that Yang Lin stationed his troops in Bingzhou.

In other words, Yang Lin led an army of 100,000 and lived right next door to their Maitreya sect.

In such an environment, these people did not take any precautions against the vital point that led directly to their hideout.

They live next to a tiger, and the gate blocking the tiger is wide open, yet they still manage to sleep soundly every night?

Gao Yi's forehead veins throbbed, while Rou Rou on the other side still looked completely bewildered.

"What a rabble..."

Gao Yi shook his head. No wonder the Maitreya Sect hadn't made any waves.

Such a commander and such a following are worse than even ordinary mountain bandits, let alone those cunning old schemers.

"well……"

Gao Yi sighed softly.

"Let's go."

"Master, please come with me. The Dharma Protector has specially prepared a carriage for you." A soft, white finger pointed to one side.

"A carriage? No need." Gao Yi shook his head.

"Take me to see Protector White."

"What? This..."

Rou Rou paused for a moment, a look of hesitation appearing on her face.

"The Dharma Protectors are busy with their duties and it is not appropriate for them to meet with the leader," the man beside him said for the first time.

Gao Yi remained calm and ignored what the man said, his gaze fixed on Rou Rou.

"Lead the way..."

Rou Rou hesitated even more, but the man stepped forward first and reached out to block Gao Yi.

Gao Yi smiled slightly, his lips curving upwards, and continued walking forward without stopping.

The man frowned, a fierce glint flashing across his face. He transformed his palm into a claw and viciously clawed at Gao Yi's joints.

But in just a moment, the man's face turned pale, his hands stopped moving, and he froze on the spot.

Gao Yi didn't even lift his eyelids, leisurely walking past the man and standing in front of Rou Rou.

Rou Rou stared wide-eyed, her expression a riot of colors, utterly captivating.

"The...Master..."

"Aren't you going to lead the way?" Gao Yi raised his eyes slightly.

Rou Rou's body trembled instantly: "Yes, yes..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Rou Rou lowered her head and walked forward.

Only after the two had walked a dozen or so steps did a painful cry come from behind them: "Waaaaah!"

Rou Rou's body stiffened, and her already drooping head lowered even further.

In that brief moment, she didn't see clearly what had happened.

But she knew very well that the man from before was one of the disciples of Protector Bai, whose strength far surpassed hers, yet he had been seriously injured by the sect leader in the blink of an eye.

Now, the other party still needs to find the Dharma Protector.

What does the cult leader want to do? Rou Rou didn't know, but she had a vague feeling about it.

In the not-too-distant future, the Maitreya sect will likely undergo a dramatic change.