Lin Feng pushed open the door to the Council Hall; Zhang Ping was still there.

He stood by the long table, holding a stack of registers in his hand, looking down and flipping through them while muttering to himself.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, saw Lin Feng, and hurriedly put down the registers to greet him.

"Lord Lin, I was just looking for you. The Mithril production at North Slope Village jumped again yesterday. Master Tian Zheng said that if you give him two more days, he can stabilize production at 80 units of pure Mithril per day."

Zhang Ping spoke quickly, his face flushed with excitement. "Also, regarding Master Shen, the workshop site has been chosen. It's that empty shop at the east end of the Commercial Street. He was very satisfied after seeing it and said he can start work at any time as long as the materials are in place."

Lin Feng nodded. He walked to the head of the table but did not sit down, instead turning to face Zhang Ping. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Zhang Ping, there are two things you need to handle immediately."

Zhang Ping immediately straightened his posture, pulled a charcoal pencil from his sleeve, and flipped to a blank page in the register.

"First, have Meng Yi take all the officers—Bai Yi to Bai Liu, as well as the thirty-four newly promoted Centurions—plus a hundred Beacon Guards, carrying ten days' worth of Endurance Ration Pill. They are to gather at the West Gate in half an hour."

Zhang Ping recorded quickly, the charcoal pencil making a rustling sound on the paper.

"Second, arrange for nine Great-Horned Deer to be ready at the West Gate." Lin Feng paused.

"Also, take the two blue-quality bows and the two sets of blue-quality Half-body iron armor from the warehouse and send them to the West Gate as well."

Zhang Ping's hand paused briefly, and he looked up at Lin Feng, but he asked nothing and lowered his head to continue writing.

After finishing, he tucked the charcoal pencil back into his sleeve, closed the register, and held it in his arms, clasping his hands. "Don't worry, Lord Lin, I'll get right on it."

With that, he turned and strode out of the Council Hall, his footsteps hurried and powerful.

Lin Feng watched him leave, then turned to exit through the side door, crossing the bluestone path of the inner city and heading toward the northwest of the outer city.

He didn't go directly to the West Gate but instead turned into the Commercial Street.

The Commercial Street was even more bustling than in the morning; there were still queues in front of the breakfast stalls, and the clanging from the blacksmith shop could be heard from the other end of the street.

A few children chasing a cat rushed out of an alley, nearly running into Lin Feng's legs. He stepped aside to let them pass and continued forward.

In the middle of the Commercial Street, there was a storefront significantly larger than the others, with a brand-new wooden plaque hanging over the lintel.

Carved upon it was the line: 'Rongcheng Nightmare Affairs Bureau Fenghuo County Office'.

The door was wide open, and people were coming and going. They were all Awakened from Blue Star, some in casual clothes, some in simple leather armor, some holding documents, and others carrying supply crates.

Since its establishment, this place had become a transit station and contact point for Blue Star Awakened in Fenghuo County.

Lin Feng stepped over the threshold. The first-floor hall was much more spacious than it looked from the outside. To the left was a row of counters where several staff members were sitting and processing documents.

To the right was a resting area where a few Awakened were sitting on long benches, conversing in low voices.

At the very back was an office with its door half-open. Liu Zhaowan could be seen standing in front of the desk, holding a document and saying something to a staff member beside her.

Today she wore a deep blue uniform, with her hair pinned up using a wooden hairpin. She looked efficient and capable.

Hearing movement at the door, she looked up. Her gaze passed over the people in line and landed on Lin Feng.

Her eyes lit up. She handed the document to the person beside her and quickly came forward to meet him.

"Lord Lin, what brings you here?" Liu Zhaowan's voice was a bit lighter than usual, but her tone carried a respect that hadn't been there before.

It wasn't a forced or stiff kind of respect, but something natural and heartfelt.

Lin Feng didn't waste time on pleasantries and got straight to the point. "Director Liu, you should know that a group of Adventurers will be arriving at Beacon Fire Territory soon, right?"

Liu Zhaowan nodded, her expression becoming serious. "I know. This is currently the matter the Bureau is most concerned about."

"The General Bureau has already issued several documents, and all the branch bureaus are in the middle of intensive preparations."

Lin Feng looked at her and continued, "Does the state have a management plan for when the Adventurers arrive?"

Liu Zhaowan smiled, a smile tinged with a hint of relief, as if she had been worried about how to bring this up with Lin Feng and hadn't expected him to come to her first.

"Rest assured, Lord Lin. I was actually planning to report this to you separately."

She stepped aside to lead Lin Feng further in, speaking as they walked.

"The General Bureau's management plan for Adventurers has already been sent down to all the branch bureaus."

"The plan is very detailed, covering Adventurer identity registration, quest issuance and settlement, coordination mechanisms with the territory's military, penalty regulations for violations, and so on."

"We are already preparing according to the plan. Once the Adventurers arrive, there will be dedicated staff to interface with them, so they won't cause trouble for the territory."

After hearing this, Lin Feng felt a bit more at ease.

He had originally worried that the appearance of Adventurers would bring new troubles to the territory's management. These people were not subjects, they didn't follow his orders, and they possessed combat power and a certain degree of freedom.

If ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ not managed well, it could easily lead to chaos.

Now that the General Bureau had a ready-made plan, he wouldn't have to figure it out from scratch.

"It's good that there's a plan," Lin Feng nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you, Director Liu. If there's anything the territory needs to coordinate with, feel free to find me at any time."

Liu Zhaowan smiled and agreed, and they exchanged a few more pleasantries.

They talked for less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Lin Feng checked the time and stood up to take his leave.

Liu Zhaowan saw him to the door and stood on the steps, watching his back disappear into the crowd on the Commercial Street before turning back to her office.

Lin Feng crossed the Commercial Street, turned past the blacksmith shop, walked through the residential area, and saw the gate tower of the West Gate in the distance.

Quite a few people had already gathered at the city gate.

Meng Yi stood at the front of the line with Bai Yi through Bai Liu and the thirty-four Centurions. A hundred Beacon Guards were lined up in a square formation, their halberds like a forest and their silence like iron.

Nine Great-Horned Deer were tied to wooden posts near the city gate, flicking their tails and leisurely chewing on fodder.

Beside the Great-Horned Deer, Zhang Ping was directing several subjects to unload items from a flatbed cart.

Two blue longbows and two sets of blue Half-body iron armor were neatly stacked beside the deer saddles.

Lin Feng quickened his pace and walked toward the West Gate.

...

Lin Feng waited at the West Gate for less than the time it takes to smoke a cigarette before Zhao Hu and the others arrived one after another.

Tie Dun walked at the front with his shield on his back, walking with a gust of wind and chewing on something.

Zhao Hu followed behind him, his bone-crushing greatsword hanging at his waist, his gaze steady.

Wang Wu and Arrow Eye walked side by side.

Jiang Yelan arrived last, stepping out from the shadows of a street corner.

Lin Feng scanned the group and nodded.

He turned and took the two longbows from Zhang Ping. The bow bodies were slender, with blue silk threads wrapped around the limbs, gleaming with a cold luster under the sunlight.

The bowstrings were made of specially treated animal sinew, pulled taut. A light pluck produced a low, heavy hum.

"Arrow Eye, Wang Wu." Lin Feng handed over the two bows.

The moment Arrow Eye took the bow, his eyes, which were always half-closed, suddenly widened.

He looked over the patterns on the bow limbs again and again, his fingers lightly plucking the string as he tilted his head to listen to the hum. His mouth slowly curled into a rare, heartfelt smile.

Wang Wu's reaction was more direct. He held the bow up to his eyes, pulled the string to feel the resilient snap, and then nodded heavily, his voice tight. "Thank you, Lord Lin!"

Lin Feng then took the two sets of Half-body iron armor from Zhang Ping. The armor was deep blue, with the plates stacked neatly and the edges bound in copper, gleaming with a dull luster in the sun.

He turned to A Wang and Scarface Liu. "A Wang, Scarface Liu." The two immediately stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

Lin Feng handed them the iron armor, his voice not loud but every word clear: "Protect Su Yurou well."

A Wang took the armor and nodded heavily, his voice raspy but firm. "Don't worry, Lord Lin. As long as I am alive, Miss Su will be safe."

Scarface Liu didn't speak, but he clasped his fists with such force that his knuckles turned white.