Tie Dun was slapped and stumbled forward a step. After steadying himself, he puffed out his chest and held his chin high: "Of course. We ran for six days, and our feet are covered in blisters! Did you think these thousands of people just fell from the sky?"

Lin Feng's lips curled up slightly as he closed the wooden box and handed it back to Zhao Hu: "Good work. Zhao Hu, take them into the city to settle down first. This batch of Mind-Awakening Wood, let Old Li count them into the warehouse later and turn them into a decoction for use as soon as possible."

Zhao Hu pressed his right fist against his chest: "Yes!"

Lin Feng turned and walked toward the city gate, waving his hand: "Let's go, back to the city first."

The procession began to move slowly.

The Awakened entered in single file. As they passed through the East Gate, many looked up at the three large characters "Hangu Pass" on the gate tower, making sounds of admiration.

Some reached out to touch the stone walls of the gate tunnel, while others whispered to their companions. Their faces showed excitement, curiosity, and a hint of anticipation and unease about the new environment.

The County Soldiers were in neat formation, and the Centurion's commands echoed in the gate tunnel.

The military families pushed carts and led children, following the procession inside.

Lin Feng walked at the front of the line. He didn't look back, but his lips remained curled in a smile.

He calculated silently in his heart: Over eight hundred Awakened of level seven or higher, plus the County Soldiers and the original garrison, the total military strength of Hangu Pass had far exceeded expectations.

And the value of the Mind-Awakening Wood moved him even more than those eight hundred Awakened.

With the Mind-Awakening Soup, stamina would recover quickly. Combined with the Great Wall's Wind of Recovery, which restored one percent of health every three seconds, every Awakened could fight fiercely for a whole day without a problem.

He looked up at the row of catapults and ballistae on the North Gate wall, then looked back at the grand procession entering the city behind him. The weight in his heart felt a bit more settled.

...

Another two days passed.

Early on the third day, the aroma of tea wafted through the Council Hall of Hangu Pass.

Li Yuan stood on one side of the long table, holding a register, his voice steady and clear.

Today he wore a deep green robe, his hair combed meticulously, and his white beard trimmed neatly.

"The settlement of the military families is basically complete. The women are assigned to the canteen and back kitchen, responsible for boiling the soldiers' meals, while some of the able-bodied men are responsible for receiving supplies."

"Strategic consumable materials from Qingmu County and the newly annexed towns, such as arrows and animal/vegetable oils, have all been warehoused. The accounts are clear and available for inspection at any time."

He turned a page, "The remaining able-bodied men are organized into two teams: one team is felling trees outside the pass, and the other is mining stone in the nearby Quarry. The reserves of rolling logs and rocks are already enough for the entire city's garrison to consume for five days, and they will continue to increase."

Lin Feng nodded: "Good work."

He trusted Li Yuan's work; the accounts were clear, the coordination was orderly, and so far, no mistakes had been made.

Li Yuan bowed slightly and stepped aside to sit down.

Lin Feng looked at Zhao Hu: "What about the military situation?"

Zhao Hu stood up from the second seat on the left, walked to the center of the hall, faced Lin Feng, and said in a deep voice.

"County Soldiers from various places have arrived one after another, totaling more than 3,500 men. They are temporarily organized into seven battalions and stationed at various sections of the Hangu Pass North Gate wall. After preliminary training, they can complete basic city defense drills and are already capable of holding their own on the walls."

He paused and continued: "There are a total of over 5,000 Awakened available for city defense. Among them, 1,200 were members of the original Moonflower Guild. The Lord designated them as the 'New Moon Legion' the day before yesterday, placing them under Lord Jiang's command for unified leadership."

"About 1,000 Awakened from Fenghuo County and the newly annexed territories have been incorporated into Ye Lan's 'Night Whisper Legion'."

"The remaining 2,800 or so were coordinated by the General Bureau from various cities in the South Pole Region. Their levels range from ten to nineteen, and their combat effectiveness varies. They are currently being managed by President Su."

After listening, Lin Feng's lips slowly curled up.

3,500 County Soldiers, 1,500 Great Qin Elite Soldiers, and over 5,000 Awakened—the garrison of Hangu Pass had surpassed 10,000.

Combined with the nearly one hundred catapults and ballistae on the walls, the Great Wall's Wind of Recovery, and the soon-to-be-ready Mind-Awakening Soup, even if the Orc Army came in full force, he had the confidence to hold out.

"Good," Lin Feng said a single word.

His gaze turned to Su Yuehua, his tone becoming a bit more serious: "President Su, although the personnel coordinated by the General Bureau haven't been granted Merit Tokens, they are all part of Great Xia. All benefits and treatment should follow the rules without discrimination. For material distribution, talk to Li Yuan."

Su Yuehua bowed slightly: "Understood."

Lin Feng picked up the teacup on the table and was about to take a sip when a Beacon Guard ran in quickly from outside and knelt on one knee in the center of the hall: "Reporting to the Lord! Lady Ye Lan and Lord Jiang have entered the North Gate and are heading toward the Council Hall."

Lin Feng put down the teacup, the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} smile on his lips deepening.

He leaned back in his chair, hands folded over his stomach, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his tone much more relaxed: "Then we shall wait for them first."

Tie Dun leaned forward from his chair and whispered to Wang Wu next to him: "Ye Lan and Lord Jiang are back. I wonder if they encountered any powerful monsters on this trip to the Annan Country."

Wang Wu shook his head expressionlessly, signaling him to stop talking.

Tie Dun curled his lip and shrank back into his chair.

The Council Hall fell silent.

The morning light shone diagonally from the high windows, casting shadows of the tables and chairs onto the floor.

The steam from the tea rose in curls, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the door, waiting for those two figures to appear.

Lin Feng picked up his teacup and sipped slowly.

The tea was warm, slightly bitter upon entry, with a very faint sweet aftertaste. It was the kind of coarse tea produced in Qingmu County.

He put down the teacup and tapped his fingers twice on the armrest. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Footsteps were heard outside—not one person, but two.

One was light, almost inaudible; the other was steady, boots clicking rhythmically on the stone slabs.

The footsteps grew closer and stopped outside the door. Then, the door was pushed open.

Two figures walked in, one after the other.

Jiang Zhaoyue walked in front, her silver and blue form-fitting armor covered in dust. Her ponytail was tied high, and a few strands of hair on her forehead were stuck to her skin by sweat.

A silver-white spear was slung behind her back, its tip glinting coldly in the morning light.

Jiang Yelan followed half a step behind her, her black leather armor covered in a layer of dust, the shadow moon blade hanging at her waist.

Both carried the air of travel-weariness, but their eyes were clear and their steps steady, showing no signs of fatigue.

They walked to the center of the hall, simultaneously stopped, and nodded slightly toward Lin Feng in the main seat.

Jiang Zhaoyue's voice was clear: "Lord Lin, we have returned."

Jiang Yelan didn't speak, only nodded, but her gaze lingered on Lin Feng for a moment.

Lin Feng nodded, his lips curling up slightly: "Take a seat first."