Lin Feng walked to the center of the Council Hall and reached out to touch the floating golden territory core.

With a thought, he brought up Great Wall's control interface.

A holographic map unfolded overhead, as mountains, rivers, plains, and hills emerged one after another.

His gaze swept across the northern foothills of Tianji Mountain, where three small blue dots were quietly blinking.

Akita County, Kumamoto County, and Chidori County; the three points of light were arranged in a triangular formation, like three beads strung together.

Lin Feng nodded to himself. Ye Lan and Jiang Zhaoyue weren't slow; Kumamoto County had already been taken.

He extended a finger and drew a line on the map, extending outward from the original boundary of Great Wall, encircling all three counties.

The phantom image of the city wall on the map slowly extended like a growing vine, tightly wrapping the three counties inside the inner side of Great Wall.

【Dynamic Territory adjusted. Consumed Stone ×10,000, Wood ×2,000, Iron Ingot ×500. Resources deducted.】

The corners of Lin Feng's mouth curled slightly. From today on, if the Orc Army wanted to retake these three counties, they would first have to break through Osaka Castle and then Hangu Pass. Great Wall was simply too overpowered.

He withdrew his hand and turned to walk out of the Council Hall.

Su Yurou was standing at the door, a smile on her face that she couldn't suppress.

"Lord, the Orcs in Akita County have been cleared out! Where are we going next?"

Lin Feng smiled and looked at the northern night sky. "The next target is in the north. We'll head to Kumamoto County first to regroup with Ye Lan and Jiang Zhaoyue. It's only about one o'clock now; if we hurry over, we can still soak in a hot spring."

Su Yurou's eyes lit up, and she almost jumped. "Hot springs? We can really soak in a hot spring?"

Lin Feng didn't answer and had already started walking toward the north gate. Su Yurou trotted after him, almost forgetting to lead her Great-Horned Deer by its reins.

Lin Feng stopped at the city gate and turned to give orders to several Beacon Guards Centurions.

"Stay here with the wounded. Bury our fallen brothers properly. Erect monuments and engrave their names.

Organize the three thousand newly surrendered soldiers and civilians to resume production. Don't let them stay idle."

The Centurions pressed their right fists to their chests and accepted the orders in unison.

Eight hundred Beacon Guards finished lining up outside Akita County's north gate. Their black armor glinted coldly in the moonlight, their halberds stood like a forest, and they were as silent as iron.

Su Yurou mounted her Great-Horned Deer, her bone healing staff resting across her knees as she followed by Lin Feng's side. The troop surged out of the north gate and galloped toward the north.

Two hours later, Kumamoto County's south gate came into view. The gates were wide open, with several Beacon Guards standing watch on either side of the entrance.

Their black armor was stained with dried black blood, but their backs were ramrod straight. Upon seeing Lin Feng, they immediately pressed their right fists to their chests.

Lin Feng nodded and strode through the gate with Su Yurou. The streets of Kumamoto County were somewhat wider than those in Akita County.

Orc-style Stone houses were scattered in an orderly fashion, and the air was filled with a scent of sulfur mixed with hot springs.

Beacon Guards were clearing the streets and alleys, confiscating scattered weapons and supplies.

The few remaining Orc stragglers had already been cleared out. Only a few smoking houses indicated that a battle had just taken place here.

The Council Hall was in the center of the city, a three-story Stone building that was much grander than the one in Akita County.

Jiang Yelan stood on the steps at the entrance, her shadow moon blade hanging at her waist, holding a register «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» and giving instructions to several Centurions.

Seeing Lin Feng and Su Yurou approaching, she handed the register to a nearby Centurion and came forward to meet them.

"Lord." She nodded slightly, her voice low.

Lin Feng stopped. "Good work. What's the situation?"

"Kumamoto County is under control. There were about a thousand Orc defenders, mostly wiped out. We seized three thousand Gray Crystals, twelve hundred each of copper, tin, and iron, and twelve hundred units of food."

Jiang Yelan spoke at a steady pace, her report clear and organized.

Lin Feng nodded and scanned the surroundings but didn't see Zhao Hu and the others. "Where are Zhao Hu and the rest?"

Jiang Yelan paused and pointed behind the Council Hall. "There's a large hot spring in Kumamoto County built by the original lord. The Orcs didn't destroy it after they occupied the place. Lord Jiang, Zhao Hu, and the others are all over there bathing."

She hesitated for a moment before adding, "After capturing Kumamoto County, many residents needed to be settled, and we had to be wary of an Orc counterattack, so I've been tallying the supplies and didn't go."

As soon as Su Yurou heard the words "hot spring," her eyes lit up like two light bulbs.

"Sister Ye Lan, there's a hot spring? That's great! Let's go bathe! Between traveling and fighting all night, I'm covered in sweat and blood. It feels terrible."

Lin Feng smiled and said to Jiang Yelan, "Don't worry about an Orc counterattack. I've already used Great Wall to encircle all three counties captured tonight."

"If the Orcs want to come here, they'll have to break through Osaka Castle and then Hangu Pass. Leave the matters here to the Beacon Guards Centurions. Tallying the supplies can wait until tomorrow. Let's go, take a bath first and get some good rest."

Jiang Yelan hesitated, looked at Lin Feng, and then at Su Yurou's expectant gaze, finally nodding.

Su Yurou cheered and pulled Jiang Yelan toward the back of the Council Hall, even forgetting to tie up her Great-Horned Deer.

Kumamoto County's hot spring was in the east of the city. It was a rather large courtyard with gray brick walls and a partially open wooden door.

Two Beacon Guards stood at the entrance and quickly moved aside when they saw Lin Feng.

The layout inside the courtyard was elegant, with several unknown dwarf trees planted along both sides of the bluestone path. Their crowns were trimmed into spheres, casting round shadows under the moonlight.

The hot spring was divided into male and female sections, with the male on the left and the female on the right, separated by a bamboo fence. A dense white mist seeped through the gaps.

Lin Feng pushed open the wooden door to the male section, and a wave of heat hit him, carrying a faint scent of sulfur. Before he even entered, Tie Dun's loud voice had already pierced through the walls, echoing throughout the courtyard.

"Ah, this is comfortable! This water is really something! It's made my bones go all soft!"

Zhao Hu's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Keep it down. The whole Hot Spring House can hear you shouting."

"What's there to be afraid of? We're all on the same side!" Tie Dun chuckled twice, followed by a "splash" as if he had sat up in the water.

"Brother Hu, don't you think taking these three counties tonight was a bit too easy?"

Zhao Hu laughed a few times, his tone becoming a bit more serious. "With these three counties captured tonight, Beacon Fire Territory's sphere of influence has pushed a good distance further north. Plus, with Great Wall encircling them, it'll be difficult for the Orcs to head south again in the future."

Wang Wu added unhurriedly, "It's mainly because Osaka Castle pinned down the Orc main force. Although Sakura Country can't win in open field battles, they're quite capable at defending cities. Once they've worn down the Orc Army enough, our side will be secure."