"Report, Lord!" A Beacon Guard strode into the hall, kneeling on one knee in the center.

"Lady Ye Lan and Lord Jiang have returned to Hangu Pass and are heading towards the Council Hall."

Lin Feng nodded, and the Beacon Guard rose and withdrew.

Perfect. Once Jiang Zhaoyue arrived, he could ask her how many pieces of purple equipment she had.

He set down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and looked toward the open doorway.

Sunlight poured in from outside, illuminating the threshold brightly.

Footsteps echoed in the distance, one light and one heavy, drawing closer.

In the open space outside the door, two figures walked side by side.

On the left was Jiang Yelan, and on the right was Jiang Zhaoyue.

The two stopped simultaneously at the doorway and then walked in one after the other.

Jiang Yelan led the way, stopping before the long table. She pressed her right fist to her chest, her voice cold and crisp.

"Lord, two thousand Beacon Guards and three thousand County Soldiers have safely arrived at Hangu Pass. They have been settled in the barracks and are ready for deployment at any time." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Jiang Zhaoyue followed beside her, a silver-white spear on her back, nodding slightly.

Lin Feng smiled and nodded. "Good work. Take a seat first."

The two walked to the left and right sides respectively.

Jiang Yelan sat in the first seat on the left, her shadow moon blade leaning against the chair, her gaze calm.

Jiang Zhaoyue sat in the first seat on the right, her silver-white spear leaning against the chair, her silver-blue armor glinting coldly under the light.

Lin Feng leaned back, his eyes sweeping over their faces, his tone carrying a hint of concern. "You've trekked nearly a thousand miles over the last few days—traveling, fighting, and leading troops. It's been hard on you."

He paused and sighed. "But these are troubled times. The Orcs and the Undead could counterattack at any moment, so the three of us cannot afford to relax. Every bit of strength the Beacon Fire Territory can gain counts."

Jiang Yelan nodded slightly without speaking.

Jiang Zhaoyue sat up straight, her voice clear. "Lord Lin is right. The alien races won't give us time to breathe, and we cannot give them the opportunity either."

Lin Feng shifted the topic, looking at Jiang Zhaoyue with a casual tone, as if asking about lunch. "Lord Jiang, how many pieces of purple equipment do you have now? Which parts are they? Can you trigger a set effect?"

Jiang Zhaoyue tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and turned her head, her eyes bright. "Three pieces: the weapon, leggings, and chestplate. I'm still missing one piece to activate the purple set effect."

Lin Feng nodded thoughtfully and asked again, "When you returned from the Annan Country last time, what was the situation like in Nha Trang County?"

A flash of thought crossed Jiang Zhaoyue's eyes as she recalled. "After the double Nightmare Tide, several counties around Thang Long City fell. The remaining county seats are quite far apart.

Nha Trang County is in the border region between the Annan Country and Zhenyue City, at least five hundred miles away from the counties captured by the Undead Army.

Back then, after the Undead took those counties, they headed north to attack Thang Long City. Nha Trang County was lucky enough not to be affected. We even resupplied there once when we passed through."

Lin Feng's eyes lit up. Nha Trang County still existed, and its geographical location was excellent—adjacent to Linshan County and not far from Zhenyue City.

If he could get his hands on it, Beacon Fire Territory's sphere of influence could extend a significant distance to the northwest.

More importantly, Nha Trang County was a county-level territory, which meant another recruitment quota for five hundred Great Qin Elite Soldiers.

The corners of Lin Feng's mouth curled up slightly as he revealed his plan to the two of them.

First, he explained the "Sweep the Six Harmonies" special effect of the Great Qin Elite Camp: for every additional county-level subsidiary territory, an extra five hundred Great Qin Elite Soldiers could be recruited.

Then he mentioned wanting Director Zhou to step in and negotiate with the Annan Country to place Nha Trang County and several other counties near Zhenyue City under the management of Beacon Fire Territory.

As for the reason, it was quite solid: the advanced wonder of Beacon Fire Territory, Great Wall, was more suitable for providing protection to allies than the one in Great Xia Main City.

What did the Annan Country fear most right now? It wasn't losing a few county seats, but rather that once all their territories in the Nightmare World fell, the entire Annan Country on the Blue Star might digitize and dissipate.

But if the Annan Country assigned some territories to Beacon Fire Territory as subsidiary territories in advance, it would be different.

According to the rules of the Nightmare World, as long as Beacon Fire Territory was not destroyed, the Annan Country's nation on the Blue Star would not vanish.

In other words, Beacon Fire Territory was the Annan Country's "life-saving trump card."

After listening, a flash of surprise appeared in Jiang Zhaoyue's eyes.

She wasn't surprised by Lin Feng's ambition, but rather that he had so frankly told her such core intelligence.

The recruitment mechanism of the Great Qin Elite Camp, the negotiation plan with Director Zhou...

His willingness to tell her meant she had already gained his preliminary trust.

She took a deep breath, her tone becoming more solemn. "Lord Lin, that 'Sweep the Six Harmonies' effect of yours is quite domineering."

Lin Feng smiled. "Domineering it may be, but it can save more lives. With the alien races pressing in, every bit of strength we gain ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) is another bit of hope for the Blue Star."

Jiang Zhaoyue nodded and said no more.

He paused and added, "By the way, I intend to use this opportunity to plan for a few more pieces of purple equipment for you. Ye Lan is still two pieces short of a set, and Lord Jiang is short by one. We'll get it all done in one trip."

Jiang Yelan looked up, her gaze lingering on Lin Feng's face for a moment, then she lowered her head slightly. "Thank you, Lord."

Jiang Zhaoyue stood up directly, cupping her fists and bowing slightly. "Lord Lin, I will remember this kindness."

Lin Feng waved his hand, his tone flat but sincere. "No need for thanks. When you grow stronger, Beacon Fire Territory's strength increases, and my pressure will be lessened. We are in the same boat now; it's only right to support each other."

The two couldn't help but let the corners of their mouths curve slightly. They nodded and said no more.

Lin Feng looked at the sky outside the window, his tone softening. "You've worked hard. Go and get some rest. Tomorrow or the day after, we will set out for the Annan Country. There will be tough battles to fight then."

Jiang Yelan stood up, pressed her right fist to her chest, and turned to walk out of the Council Hall, her footsteps as light as the wind.

Jiang Zhaoyue also stood up, nodded slightly to Lin Feng, slung her silver-white spear over her back, and followed with steady steps.

The Council Hall grew quiet once more.

Lin Feng sat in the main seat, took a sip of the now-cold tea, and calculated in his mind: He wasn't worried that the Annan Country would disagree; when it truly came down to the survival of the Annan Country...

At that time, a few counties and three pieces of purple equipment wouldn't be enough to satisfy him. He would at least consider golden equipment. Right now, it was a matter of mutual benefit; the Annan Country wouldn't lose out, and he certainly wouldn't either.

He stood up, took the Wildfire Spear from beside the chair, slotted it onto his back, and strode up to the second floor.

In the center of the room, the territory core floated in mid-air, its golden light illuminating the entire room.

He glanced at it but didn't approach, walking straight to the bed and lying down.

Closing his eyes, his consciousness slowly withdrew from the Nightmare World.

The familiar feeling of weightlessness hit him. Countless images flashed before his eyes: the golden light pillar of Great Wall, the snow-capped peak above Tianji Mountain, and the backs of Ye Lan and Jiang Zhaoyue walking toward the Council Hall.

He opened his eyes to see the familiar ceiling.

Rongcheng, Lords Home Villa No. 7.