Chapter 188

As dusk fell, Li Jinglong came to the Yulan Bridge outside the palace. Li Heng was feeding the koi in the river.

Among the many koi, a long fish with yellow scales appeared. While Li Heng was not paying attention, it raised its head to eat some fish food and then sank back down. When it flipped back into the water, a hairy leg appeared and kicked a few times. It was the Carp Demon.

Li Jinglong: "…"

The Carp Demon swam away. Li Jinglong wondered how it swam here.

"What is his request?" Li Heng asked.

Li Jinglong could guess the Crown Prince's intentions. "He hopes that the Exorcism Division can become a bridge so that humans and demons can live in peace and no more war will break out in the human world."

Li Heng said, "I cannot accept this. In the end, this matter was caused by demons. If An Lushan was not a demon and Xie Yu was not a demon, how could there be today's disaster?"

"Your Highness." Li Jinglong said, "Everyone says that Tianma's disaster was caused by demons, but in the end, this matter was caused by humans."

Li Jinglong spoke about the demons, the evil energy of heaven and earth, and the wars of the dynasties. Li Jinglong's eyes were filled with disbelief. Finally, Li Jinglong said indifferently, "Everyone says that demons are cruel and heartless, but when they fight, they fight for their own survival. When have they ever been like humans, bleeding endlessly for power and desire?"

Finally, Li Jinglong said, "The demons hope to find a piece of land in the middle of Shu. It's not big, it can be in the mountains. They will gather the demons who were driven by the An Lushan Rebellion and live and work in peace. The Exorcism Division will supervise. This is to avoid being used by Tianma again. "

"Let me think about it." Li Jinglong was still unable to agree. First, this matter could not be made public, which limited him from seeking advice from the think tank. Moreover, when it came to demons and ghosts, the think tank could not give him much useful advice. Li Jinglong was the only think tank he could rely on.

Secondly, letting the demon race "establish a country" in the territory of the Tang Dynasty was no small matter. If word got out, the history books for thousands of years would put the blame on him.

"Don't even think about it." Li Jinglong continued, "Your Highness!"

"How do you expect me to explain this to the people of the world?!"

"If the demon race doesn't have a territory," Li Jinglong said in a low voice, "will they cease to exist? Xie Yu was a good example. Today's Tang Dynasty's calamity was all because of the Hei Jiao's calamity in Chang 'an! Isn't that clear enough? "

Li Heng asked, "What if I don't agree?"

Li Jinglong calmly looked at Li Heng and replied, "Today's meeting between the Human King and the Demon King, I thought Your Highness was already very clear."

His meaning was very clear. These demons, especially Hongjun, were not afraid of him at all. If he did not agree, they would find a way to establish a gathering place. The Tang Dynasty's national strength was weak, and the sudden An Lushan Rebellion was like a blow to the head. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was gone, and the only person who had the strength to fight against the demon race was Li Jinglong. However, the few people under the Exorcism Department were not a match for these demons at all.

"Your Highness," Li Jinglong said again, "Hongjun is one of us."

"He's your man," Li Heng muttered.

Li Jinglong's expression said, "It's good that you know." Li Heng really loved and hated this subordinate of his. He was unmoved by force or persuasion. He immediately took a deep breath and finally replied, "There are three conditions."

Li Jinglong nodded and said, "Even if Your Highness did not mention it, this subordinate has also thought about how the human race and the demon race will get along in the future."

Li Heng's heart trembled. He looked at Li Jinglong and said, "Let's hear it."

"The first rule," Li Jinglong said, "No matter how time changes, even after Your Highness has lived for thousands of years, the Exorcism Department will remain. It will be passed down from generation to generation and will not be under the jurisdiction of the three provinces and six departments. It will only listen to the orders of the Son of Heaven and the Crown Prince."

"Exactly," Li Heng replied. "But how can this be guaranteed?"

"The Heart Lantern," Li Jinglong said, "The second rule is that every head of the Exorcism Department must be the successor of the Heart Lantern."

In fact, after Li Jinglong and Hongjun came to an agreement, they had been thinking about this matter on the ship entering Shu. This was also a problem that everyone was forced to face after the Exorcism Department was established. How could they ensure that a sharp sword could be used by the country? And that they wouldn't hurt themselves?

In the past, Li Jinglong would never have believed that after he died, the Exorcism Department would still be so loyal to him and fight to protect the Central Plains. He even suspected that even if he didn't die, once he grew old and lost his mind, no one would be able to stop him if he decided to go against the flow.

Whether human nature was good or evil, this was an important question that the Hundred Schools of Thought had argued about ever since the Central Plains had been inhabited. It was precisely because of this that the conflict between Confucianism and Legalism during the Warring States Period had arisen. In other words, if there was no powerful method to restrain the Exorcism Department, after ten years, a hundred years, or even ten thousand years, there would come a day when this group of exorcists would drag the entire world into the abyss. Both Li Longji and Li Heng had brought up this question more than once. Before today, Li Jinglong couldn't even convince himself.

But during the An Lushan Rebellion, in the process of recovering the Heart Lantern after losing it, Li Jinglong saw a third possibility, though this possibility still needed to be verified. Namely, could the successor of the Heart Lantern be determined to protect the world?

"Why?" Li Heng coldly asked.

"Divinity," Li Jinglong replied. "Heaven and man become one, forgetting everything else, and everything else is one."

This was a profound proposition of the Daoist School, but Li Heng had a rough understanding of the Tang of Li following the path of Laozi to establish the country. Li Jinglong muttered to himself for a few moments, then turned to Li Heng. "The Heart Lantern was bestowed by the gods and contains divinity. The successor will take on the responsibility of delivering all living beings from torment."

"Even those with evil intentions will be enlightened after obtaining the Heart Lantern and become a Buddha?" Li Heng said. "This is simply inconceivable."

"It's true that the Heart Lantern can suppress selfish desires." Li Jinglong said, "But when choosing a master, it doesn't necessarily mean that a successor cannot be changed. Otherwise, why would it disappear into the bloodline of the Chen Clan so many years ago?"

Li Heng had carefully read through the reports Li Jinglong had compiled and knew that the Heart Lantern had originally been passed down through the Chen Clan, but in a certain generation, it had suddenly been cut off and disappeared without a trace.

"What's the third rule?" Li Heng asked.

"The third rule," Li Jinglong said, "The Nine Provinces of the Central Plains must set up a branch of the Exorcism Division to make it an actual and established department. The exorcists must hide among the people and not show off."

"The chief exorcist has to select suitable people and train them. Perhaps in the future, they will be gardeners, odd-job workers, peddlers, and pawns," Li Jinglong said. "The demons who hide among the people to monitor them are to prevent the An Lushan Rebellion from happening again. Other than this, they must not participate in any state affairs. "

Li Heng said, "It can't be hidden. The people have different opinions. Once the exorcists act to subdue the demons, they will definitely be known."

"There's a medicine called 'Soul Leaving Pollen'," Li Jinglong said. "After cultivation, it can temporarily make people forget about the past and can be used by the Exorcism Division."

"If the holder of the Heart Lantern is murdered and cannot control the entire division, so what?" Li Heng said in a low voice.

"The Immovable Wisdom King will supervise." Li Jinglong added, "The holder of the Sword of Wisdom will inherit the true power of the Immovable Wisdom King and will supervise both the Demi-human race and the Exorcism Division to prevent any possible turmoil."

Although Li Jinglong led his subordinates outside, he never missed out on the closing reports of every case. The Heart Lantern and the true power of the Immovable Wisdom King were top secrets that were presented to Li Heng and Li Longji. Naturally, Li Heng was aware of the entire process.

After saying all that needed to be said, Li Jinglong fell silent and left the time to Li Heng. He knew that Li Heng would definitely accept, and there was no other choice. The autumn sky was long and wide, dotted with large clouds. Li Heng raised his head and looked at the horizon, thinking for a long time until the sun set in the west. Finally, he sighed and replied, "There's one more condition."

Li Jinglong nodded. Li Heng said, "It's not impossible to give a fief, but it will be under your name."

Li Jinglong happily said, "Three Gorges is fine."

"I will grant you the title of Marquis of Shu," Li Heng said. "In recognition of your contribution in the battle against An Lushan."

Li Jinglong hurriedly bowed to express his thanks. Li Heng continued, "But this was conferred by Imperial Father as his last decree before I succeed to the throne."

Li Jinglong knew that Li Heng was unwilling to shoulder this responsibility, so he said, "This subject obeys the decree."

At dusk, Li Jinglong quickly walked out of the palace. He let out a long sigh, his palms sweaty. In the end, he had not let down Hongjun's expectations. When he returned to his residence, he saw Hongjun polishing the thumb ring that he had lost and then recovered. Raising his head, he smiled and said, "You're back?"

"I'm back." Li Jinglong smiled and sat down, holding Hongjun in his arms. This day seemed to be one of their countless ordinary days. The seed that Li Jinglong had planted was still sleeping in the soil of the Divine Prefecture. Perhaps it would never truly take root and sprout, but as time passed, the Exorcism Department would grow and become a towering tree that protected this land.

In the night, everyone returned. Atay brought news about the Great Sun Golden Wheel. Li Jinglong was shocked when he heard it. Atay said, "Back then, I guess it was left in my Imperial Father's hands."

Yi Siai died at the hands of Ramadan's Black Coat Army, and the Great Sun Golden Wheel was lost among the commoners. How could they find it? Trandol spread out the map of Ramadan in Asia Minor. Atay explained to everyone, "After Guo Ziyi told us the whereabouts of the Great Sun Golden Wheel, I discussed with Qiong. The result was that this treasure was either in Taixi or brought to Baghdad. When my Imperial Father died, he followed the teachings of Zoroastrianism and was cremated. His remains were taken away by Ramadan. "

"It's too dangerous." Li Jinglong frowned, "You three want to go back to your homeland that was occupied by the enemy?"

Ashina Chong replied, "I came from there. After finding the Great Sun Golden Wheel, I will leave as soon as possible."

Atay showed the God's Fire Ring and said, "My religion still has believers in Baghdad. Now that I have the God's Fire Ring, I can gather them. My life will not be in danger."

Mo Rigen looked at Li Jinglong and said, "We can't let them go alone."

Mo Rigen meant that everyone should go together, but Li Jinglong frowned. Lu Xu said, "A group of foreigners appearing in Baghdad will only drag them down."

Li Jinglong was also worried about this point. If the Exorcism Division moved together, they would be an even more obvious target. Atay and Ashina Chong would have to take care of themselves. Atay said, "We will leave today without Trandol."

Li Jinglong finally made a compromise. "We will wait 120 days. If we don't meet here by then, it will be a tacit admission that you two are in danger. The Exorcism Division will have to send everyone to rescue you."

Atay still insisted, but in the end, under Trandol's gaze, he had no choice but to nod and accept. Everyone raised their cups to bid farewell to Atay and Ashina Chong. In the end, Trandol decided to stay in Chengdu and not go to deliver their heads. During the banquet, Li Jinglong brought up the matter of his discussion with Li Heng. The matter of the demonic race establishing a country was finally settled. Hongjun did not expect it to be resolved so quickly and was speechless for a moment.

"I'm not ready yet!" Hongjun said. "This … is too fast."

Qiu Yongsi, on the other hand, couldn't help but pat the table in praise, but it was because of Li Jinglong's three suggestions regarding the Exorcism Division. "As long as this can continue, it will definitely be a great undertaking that will last for thousands of years."

Mo Rigen, Atay, and the others were all moved. Li Jinglong actually had such a broad vision. This meant that if the matter discussed with Li Jinglong could be carried out, Li Jinglong would truly go down in history. This was something that even Di Renjie had not been able to do back then.

"Think about how the future generations will make a statue of you." Lu Xu could not help but laugh. "It will be awkward to worship you as the founding ancestor."

Li Jinglong said seriously, "We won't make a statue, and we won't leave a record. The Exorcism Division's strength cannot be separated from everyone's support. In this world, how can we be greedy for false fame? I would rather this division not treat anyone as the founding ancestor from today onwards. Everyone can express their skills and display what they have learned in their lives. It will be much more enjoyable. "

"But to establish a branch in the Nine Provinces is a huge project." Qiu Yongsi said.

"After this is over, we can set out separately." Li Jinglong smiled. "We can go sightseeing and establish a branch."

Hongjun loved to go out and play the most, so he immediately cheered loudly. Everyone drank wine again. Unfortunately, Li Guinian was not present. After sending Li Longji to Shu, they took a boat down to Jiangnan. That night, the Exorcism Division was dead drunk. It was autumn in Shu, and flowers were flying all over the city. After one night, the east was bright, but Gao Lishi personally came, bringing Li Longji's last imperial edict. This time, there was no silk or satin, no reward, and no wealth of the people. He only ordered that Li Jinglong be conferred the title of Marquis of Shu, and that the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, Fengdu, and Fengjie were to be conferred to Li Jinglong. The area within a radius of seventy li was not a fertile plain, nor was it inhabited. It was all mountainous. Any general of the Tang Dynasty who was conferred the title of marquis would definitely fall out with Li Heng on the spot and bring his troops over to demand justice. However, Li Jinglong was already very satisfied.

After seeing off Atay, Li Jinglong and Hongjun discussed and decided to take a break for the time being. The Exorcism Division could not participate too much in the construction of the demi-humans' capital, so Li Jinglong helped Hongjun manage it. Mo Rigen was happy to go out and play with Lu Xu. There was no need for them to move together. Qiu Yongsi strolled around Shu, visiting scholars and poets. Trandol moved to Han Guolan's Hu Chamber of Commerce and was taken care of by Han Guolan.