Start from the thief

Doji acted too hastily after all. After all, he was taking advantage of the opportunity and did not have time to make sufficient plans, so he overlooked a crucial person.

Cao Zheng.

If Cao Zheng was not here today, Du Wu might have been impulsive and led his army to attack, killing the 200 cavalrymen alive, and then raised the banner of rebellion and completely surrendered to Tubo.

If Cao Zheng hadn't been there, the outcome would have been determined the moment the two sides fought, and no one would have forced the team to retreat and given both sides time to calm down.

If Cao Zheng hadn't been there, even if Du Wu had led his men to retreat, when Li Qi stood up, he would not have dared to step forward to confront him, and would not have been able to ease the conflict between the two teams that had already formed a mortal feud.

Just as Zhao Yushu underestimated the mortal Doji, Doji also underestimated the strategy and brains of the heads of the Central Plains aristocratic families.

Doji left too early. He thought the outcome was already decided. If he had waited a little longer and allowed Nong Shouguang to kill Cao Zheng again, then the outcome would have been truly decided.

"Yizhou Cao Zheng, requesting to see Lord Li!"

Cao Zheng squeezed out of the team, followed by two vigilant monks, and strode towards the young angel.

Either bowing your head in submission or pretending to be submissive, Cao Zheng clenched his fists with sweat on his palms.

What he says next will directly affect the future of the entire Yizhou, the entire Jiannan Road, and even the entire world.

The burden on my shoulders is a little too heavy.

Sifangguan is waiting for Li Qi to come back, and then Chang'an will know what happened here tonight at the latest. If Li Qi can't come back, Chang'an will also know what happened.

A letter was sent by flying sword every day to report safety, ensuring that Chang'an always knew when and what attitude to take towards Yizhou.

Li Qi did not return home all night, and not even a single person came back to report the news. It was highly likely that he had been ambushed.

The butterfly effect caused by a small misunderstanding may not necessarily change the original outcome, but it has accelerated the pace of many people.

Zhao Yushu walked around everyone and entered the Sifang Hall. He followed a doctor to the side of Young Master Xue, who was sitting on the ground exhausted, and patted him on the shoulder.

"What's the matter? You, you!"

Zhao Yushu was still dressed like a scholar in white. Young Master Xue took a quick look at him and immediately found that the man in front of him was very familiar.

"Since we last met in Chang'an, how are you, Brother Xue?"

"You are the assassin!"

As soon as Young Master Xue finished speaking, a flash of sword light stabbed over. Zhao Yushu stretched out his hand and flicked the sword, forcibly knocking it off balance. He ignored Miss Xue's extremely shocked expression and said, "I have no ill intentions. I just came to see my old friend here. If I am willing, you two and General Xue would have died just now."

Miss Xue clenched her sword with shaking hands: "You are obviously a mortal in Chang'an."

"I've got it."

"It's full of nonsense!"

Zhao Yushu stretched out his hand towards Miss Xue. Miss Xue instinctively wanted to dodge, but she couldn't avoid the hand that was casually stretched out. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Yushu held down her injured arm, and a spiritual power filled with natural breath slowly flowed over.

"It's not as effective as what I do myself, but it's definitely helpful. Let me see General Xue later."

Miss Xue only felt a tingling sensation in her arm. Although her injury did not improve significantly, the piercing pain was indeed much less.

"I'm fine, let me show it to my dad first."

Zhao Yushu nodded and asked for a few doctors. General Xue was seriously injured, but not fatally.

"Who did it?"

"I don't know. She was masked and surrounded by black mist. I was defeated in one fight with her, but she must be a woman."

Miss Xue subconsciously covered her arm, seeming to be still frightened.

The black fog, the woman, the claw marks, Zhao Yushu thought of someone.

After contacting her master, the assassin's identity has been determined.

"She's the only one?"

"Correct."

"She is from the seventh heaven, and her methods are amazing. You shouldn't have survived. She deliberately left you alive."

"You know her?" Young Master Xue was surprised.

"Bai Ma, the bodyguard of Tubo Yeru Dorje."

With the influx of Zhao Yushushan's spiritual power, General Xue's breathing became much more stable.

"Do you have any information about the Tibetans? Not the lamas in the Cao family temple, but the whereabouts of those mortals."

The brother and sister shook their heads at the same time.

"Where did Li Qi and General Sun go?"

The two of them suddenly became alert: "Who are you? Why do you know so much about us!"

"The Tibetans have taken action, but they have left you alive. This is to force the local forces of Yizhou to take action and surrender to the Tibetans. Now Li Qi and General Sun are probably trapped too. It's up to you to decide whether to save them or not. I'm leaving soon."

"South of the city! They went to the south of the city. We don't know where they went."

Miss Xue hesitated for a moment and then spoke immediately.

"South of the city, Iron Elephant Temple."

Zhao Yushu reacted instantly and couldn't help but smile bitterly. If he had left a moment later, he might have run into him.

"I'll go find them. If you have the chance, leave Yizhou as soon as possible."

Zhao Yushu jumped up. Although he hoped that Yizhou would not lean towards Chang'an, he also hoped that they would not lean towards Tubo. Moreover, he had a good impression of Li Qi and General Sun. These people should not die in political struggles.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?!"

Looking at Zhao Yushu rising into the air, Miss Xue took two steps after him and shouted.

"It would be a lie if I told you now. Goodbye."

"Sister, I think he is familiar."

Young Master Xue looked at Zhao Yushu's back, which disappeared in the blink of an eye, and touched his chin: "I seem to have seen him earlier, but he has been missing for a long time."

Cao Zheng tried hard to make himself look calm. It was not the first time he talked to a cultivator, nor was it the first time he talked to a great cultivator of the Seventh Heaven, but this was the first time he felt the murderous intent of a great cultivator at such a close distance.

If Li Qi were to take action now, he would surely die. The two cultivators behind him were only at the fourth or fifth level. Not to mention saving himself, it would be good enough if they could run three feet away.

"Cao Zheng, I remember you."

"Please remember, angel. I am actually the head of the Cao family, and my sister is the wife of the Du family."

"I see."

Li Qi immediately realized that the man in front of him was the real boss of Yizhou. "Was it your arrangement that the military commander came to expose your connection with Tubo?"

"That's right, Lord Li has a keen eye, and I admire him."

"So was this incident today also arranged by you?"

"Today, it was indeed a misunderstanding. I heard from my subordinates that Tianshi led a team to the South City. I thought that the adults and Tubo were in conflict, so I wanted to mediate. Who knew that I was tricked by the villain."

Li Qi narrowed his eyes: "Who is the villain?"

Cao Zheng gave a bitter laugh: "Now that I think about it, they should be Tibetans."

"Oh? Could it be that Mr. Cao still has his heart set on the Tang Dynasty?"

Cao Zheng smiled again, but it was no longer a bitter smile: "If it was Lord Li who fell on the battlefield today instead of General Sun, then I would no longer be loyal to the Tang Dynasty."

Li Qi's breathing became heavy: "What do you mean?"

"Your Excellency is asking despite knowing the answer. If the angels are so vulnerable, what can Chang'an do if we rebel? But since Tubo dares not touch you, I have to ask you a question."

"what?"

"I wonder if Lord Angel knows Li Kui from Chang'an Academy?"