# 1673
Chapter 1673: Establishment of the Bureau of Evil Suppression
The turmoil in Chang'an City had subsided. As the morning sun bathed the palace walls in light, the vermillion-red palace gates swung open, and a cavalry of several dozen riders burst forth, sweeping across the devastated streets and heading directly toward the city gates.
As their horses' hooves crossed the crumbling city wall ruins, they beheld an enormous willow tree corpse lying upon the earth. A young man grasped a broken sword and made a gentle slash. Countless pustules on the trunk burst open, and numerous unconscious figures came spilling out.
"How's the situation?" Huo Qubing, covered in wounds, sat on a massive boulder and asked.
"Fortunately, Chloe's decision to kill this tree first was the right call. If we'd delayed any longer, they would have been drained dry." Lin Qiye examined the bodies of these people. "All the people who were swapped out are here. Judging by the numbers, the thirty-thousand-strong army hasn't suffered a single casualty."
Upon hearing these words, Huo Qubing's expression relaxed, and he let out a long breath.
Lin Qiye's gaze swept across the unconscious figures one by one—Zhan Yuwu, Yan Zhong, Gongyang Wan, Wu Quan... Perhaps because they had脱离了 that liquid's influence, Wu Quan lay on the ground, his eyelashes trembling gently. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes.
"This is..." Wu Quan stared at the azure sky above, dazed for a long while before slowly sitting up. Seeing the大批昏迷者 surrounding him and the Kusuen corpse beside him, he froze completely.
"Brother Seven, what happened?"
Looking at Wu Quan's bewildered face, Lin Qiye could only smile helplessly. Just as he was about to explain, a voice came from behind him:
"Hiss... Why am I here?"
Gongyang Wan shook her head as she sat up from the ground. Upon seeing Huo Qubing covered in blood across from her, her brow furrowed. "Huo Qubing, what did you do to me?"
Huo Qubing glanced at her, seemingly too tired to explain.
As these two awakened, Zhan Yuwu, Yan Zhong, and the others gradually regained consciousness as well. Seeing the willow tree monster before them and the shattered walls of Chang'an City, they stood utterly stunned.
"REPORT——!"
The thundering sound of fast horses came from within the city. Lin Qiye and the others turned to see a group of armored soldiers arriving at the ruins. The leading general's gaze swept across the surroundings before finally settling on Huo Qubing. He spoke with deference:
"By His Majesty's decree: Marquis Champion is permitted to establish the Bureau of Evil Suppression, independent of the imperial court, responsible for suppressing and purging evil entities throughout the realm. Personnel within the bureau shall answer only to the Chief Director!"
"Marquis Champion Huo Qubing is appointed Chief Director! Bring the heroes who quelled last night's chaos to audience His Majesty immediately!"
The words fell, and Zhan Yuwu, Yan Zhong, and the others present stood frozen for a moment before expressions of wild joy bloomed across their faces!
His Majesty actually agreed?!
When Huo Qubing had originally proposed that the Bureau of Evil Suppression be independent of the imperial court, Zhan Yuwu and Yan Zhong had thought him insane. The reigning Emperor would never agree to such an absurd condition... Yet now, the Emperor had actually agreed?!
A smile appeared on Lin Qiye's face. The successful establishment of the Bureau of Evil Suppression meant that history had not been altered by his presence. Everything remained on track... Did this mean that his arrival was itself part of history?
Upon further reflection, without his arrival, Chaos would never have brought Kusuen to this era... Without this catastrophe in Chang'an, Emperor Wu of Han might not have agreed to Huo Qubing's request. The Bureau of Evil Suppression might never have been established at all.
He had returned to this era, but was it actually fated? Was it precisely because of his existence as this "cause" that all subsequent "effects" came to be?
Lin Qiye seemed to realize something. He lowered his gaze to the two spheres of light resting in his palm, and his eyes brightened.
"Causality, causality... Could it be that..."
Just as Lin Qiye was lost in thought, the perpetual furrow between Huo Qubing's brows finally smoothed away. He rose to his feet and bowed to the messenger:
"This minister shall depart for the palace immediately."
"Marquis, we have prepared several swift horses for you. Do not keep His Majesty waiting." The general said courteously.
Huo Qubing nodded, then turned to Lin Qiye and Chloe beside him. "You two, come with this Marquis?"
Lin Qiye and Chloe made no objection. Lin Qiye's willingness to enter the palace was simply out of curiosity about what the legendary Emperor Wu of Han actually looked like. As for Chloe, she still had ambitions of establishing a religion in the Great Han, so she readily mounted her horse alongside Huo Qubing.
"YA——!"
Three figures galloped across the ruins, racing along Chang'an City's grandest and most magnificent avenue, directly toward the palace gates. The bitter winter wind swept across the land, and their robes billowed wildly in the gale.
"It's Marquis Champion!"
"The Marquis has returned! The Marquis killed those monsters!"
"Thank you, Marquis, for saving our lives!"
"Thank you, Marquis, for saving our lives!!"
"..."
As Huo Qubing entered the city, the surviving commoners knelt on either side of the streets. They prostrated themselves, voices rising in waves across the entire city as they called out repeatedly, their foreheads striking the ground with each cry.
Witnessing this, Huo Qubing's expression grew complicated. He turned to look at Lin Qiye riding beside him:
"This Marquis contributed little last night. It was you who saved Chang'an City... Lin Qiye, rest assured, after the audience with His Majesty, this Marquis will report everything truthfully and ensure the world knows of your merit."
"There's no need for that, Marquis." Lin Qiye smiled. "I don't belong to this era anyway. What use would such hollow titles be to me? Actually, I need to ask the Marquis to claim credit on my behalf later. Better not to let my name be known by too many people."
"Why?" Huo Qubing asked, puzzled.
Lin Qiye raised his hand and pointed at the sky above. "Above this world, there is an eye searching for me. Although I've hidden my own causality, if too many people come to know of my existence, the tangled karma will only grow, making concealment difficult... So, from today onward, the fewer connections I have with this world, the better."
Huo Qubing nodded seriously. "This Marquis understands. This Marquis will claim all the karma on your behalf. But in doing so, you'll be wronged."
"How could that be considered wronging me? It's nothing more than a small favor. Besides, there's something I'll need the Marquis's help with in the future."
As they spoke, the three figures had already passed through the palace walls. Dismounting, they followed the eunuch Li directly to one side of the imperial palace.
Contrary to Lin Qiye's expectations, their meeting with Emperor Wu of Han was not arranged in the main audience hall. The three of them traversed a garden before being ushered into the Imperial Study.
"Minister Huo Qubing, here to report." Huo Qubing, still clad in his blood-soaked armor, bowed halfway and knelt before the figure seated behind the desk.