Chapter 1412: Injecting Hope

Although Yexian was becoming increasingly strong under Gu Yi's governance, war and peace always coexisted. A sudden battle once again broke the tranquility of Yexian.

Xiao Fei responded calmly: "I am just protecting these innocent children. If you dare to bully them again, I will make you pay a greater price!"

Gu Yi knew deeply that blood was the key to treating the wounded. He immediately summoned the physicians and officials in the city to discuss ways to solve the blood bank shortage.

"We must take action immediately to ensure that every wounded soldier can receive timely treatment," Gu Yi said decisively.

Under Gu Yi's call, the people in the city responded one after another, voluntarily donating blood to save the wounded. For a time, long queues formed in front of the blood donation points, and people supported the soldiers at the front with their own actions.

However, as the battle continued, the number of wounded increased, and the pressure on the blood bank remained immense. Gu Yi knew they needed more help.

Thus, he personally wrote letters to the surrounding towns and villages, requesting them to lend a helping hand. In the letter, he wrote: "Yexian is facing an unprecedented challenge, and our soldiers are fighting bloody battles at the front to defend our home. However, as the number of wounded continues to increase, our blood bank is running low. I implore you to lend a helping hand, donate blood for our soldiers, and inject hope into their lives."

After the letters were sent out, they quickly received responses from the surrounding areas. People came to donate blood one after another, providing whatever help they could for the soldiers of Yexian. Their kind deeds deeply moved Gu Yi and brought hope of life to the soldiers in the city.

Under the joint efforts of Gu Yi and the people, the blood bank problem was alleviated. The wounded received timely treatment, and the army in the city regained its combat effectiveness.

Although the blood bank problem was temporarily alleviated, Yexian's predicament was not completely resolved. A sudden theft incident once again made Gu Yi and all the people in the city tense.

"Report to the City Lord, our grain and fodder have been stolen!" a soldier reported in a hurry.

Gu Yi frowned, "How much was lost?"

"About one-third of the grain and fodder, this is a huge blow to us," the soldier replied, his expression solemn.

Gu Yi stood up, his gaze like a torch, "Immediately summon the officials and generals, we must discuss countermeasures immediately."

Soon, a group of officials and generals gathered in the council hall. The atmosphere was exceptionally heavy, and everyone's face was filled with worry.

"We must find the stolen grain and fodder as soon as possible," Gu Yi scanned the people present, "This concerns not only our combat effectiveness but also the stability of the entire city."

A general stood up, looking troubled, "City Lord, this matter is very strange. The grain and fodder warehouse is heavily guarded; how did the thieves steal so much grain and fodder without a sound?"

Gu Yi nodded, "This is also what I want to know. Pass down the order to strengthen city defense and strictly investigate suspicious personnel. At the same time, we must replenish the grain and fodder as soon as possible; we cannot let this affect the morale of the army."

However, the matter did not end there. In the following days, several bizarre theft incidents occurred in Yexian; not only grain and fodder, but even weapons in the armory were stolen. The entire city was shrouded in a haze, people began to discuss it fervently, and panic gradually spread.

Gu Yi felt unprecedented pressure. He knew deeply that if he could not quickly solve the case and recover the stolen materials, the stability of Yexian would be in jeopardy.

Just then, a mysterious figure entered Gu Yi's line of sight. This person always appeared at night, and his movements were secretive. Gu Yi suspected he was related to the recent theft cases.

Thus, he ordered soldiers to secretly follow this person, hoping to find clues. However, the development of the matter exceeded everyone's expectations.

The soldiers following him discovered that in the dead of night, this mysterious person was actually communicating with a huge demon. The demon exuded an aura of darkness, its eyes flashing with red light, looking exceptionally fierce.

The soldiers were terrified and immediately reported back to Gu Yi. Gu Yi was shocked after hearing this; he realized the severity of this problem had exceeded his imagination.

"A demon?" Gu Yi frowned, repeating the soldier's report in disbelief.

"Yes, City Lord, we saw it with our own eyes. After that demon communicated with him, it disappeared into the dark night," the soldier replied affirmatively.

Gu Yi was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath, "This matter is of great importance, we must act cautiously. You continue to observe secretly, but do not act rashly."

As the investigation deepened, Gu Yi discovered that there seemed to be some kind of deal between this mysterious person and the demon. And the content of the deal was likely related to Yexian's theft cases.

He decided to go out himself to get to the bottom of it.

That night, Gu Yi changed into plain clothes and quietly followed behind the mysterious person. He saw the mysterious person come to a remote corner and begin to whisper. Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke rose from the ground, gradually condensing into the image of a demon.

Gu Yi held his breath and approached carefully, trying to hear their conversation clearly.

"The grain, fodder, and weapons you wanted are already in hand," the mysterious person said in a low voice, "Next, we should talk about the conditions."

The demon let out a low laugh, "Very good, I am very satisfied with your efficiency. Speak, what do you want?"

The mysterious person was silent for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth, "I want power, endless power."

Gu Yi was shocked; he finally understood the mysterious person's purpose. It turned out that in order to obtain power, he did not hesitate to trade with a demon and betray the interests of Yexian.

Just then, the demon suddenly sensed Gu Yi's presence. It turned its head abruptly, its eyes flashing with fierce light, "Who is there?"

Gu Yi knew he had been discovered; he took a deep breath and stood out bravely, "It is I, Yexian City Lord Gu Yi."

The demon let out a roar and pounced on Gu Yi. Gu Yi was prepared; he drew the long sword from his waist and engaged in a fierce battle with the demon.

The battle was exceptionally tragic; Gu Yi relied on his superior martial arts and courage to circle with the demon for a long time. Finally, at a critical moment, he seized the demon's flaw and stabbed it in the heart with one sword.

The demon let out a shrill scream and turned into a cloud of black smoke, dissipating into the air. And the mysterious person also took the opportunity to escape.

Gu Yi panted, looking at the long sword in his hand. He knew that although this battle was won, the crisis in Yexian was far from over. He had to find that mysterious person, reveal his true face, and recover the stolen materials.

A few days later, Gu Yi finally found the mysterious person's hiding place. He led a team of elite soldiers and surrounded the mysterious person.

"You are surrounded," Gu Yi shouted loudly, "Hand over the stolen materials quickly, otherwise don't blame me for being impolite!"

The mysterious person knew there was no way to escape and had to surrender. Under Gu Yi's interrogation, he finally confessed the entire process of trading with the demon and led Gu Yi to find the hidden grain, fodder, and weapons. ===== CHAPTER 1413 =====