Jingchuan County, Council Hall.

The midday sunlight slanted in through the high windows, dyeing the dark brown tables and chairs a warm orange.

Zhao Hu sat at the head of the table on the left, his bone-crushing greatsword leaning against the chair, holding a bowl of herbal tea in his hands and drinking deeply.

Wang Wu sat beside him, with several rosters spread out before him, making final checks.

Tie Dun sat further back, his shield leaning against his leg, slumped in his chair like a puddle of melted mud.

"We've finally finished the business with the counties over the past few days."

Wang Wu closed the roster and rubbed his brow. "Military family registration, material inventory, restoring production... It shouldn't be as busy from here on out."

Tie Dun sprang up from his chair, his eyes brightening. "Exactly, exactly! How about we go to Kumamoto County to soak in the hot springs tonight? That pool from last time—soaking in it felt so comfortable, I'm still thinking about it even now."

Zhao Hu set down his tea bowl and glanced at him. "What hot springs? Arrow Eye is still over in Shenle County watching the Orc Army's movements; what if something happens?"

Just as Wang Wu was about to reply, the door to the Council Hall was flung open.

An Awakened wearing grey leather armor ran in, his steps hurried, his forehead covered in sweat.

He ran up to Zhao Hu, pressed his right fist to his chest, and panted, "Report, Battalion Commander Zhao! You ordered me to monitor the movements of the Orc Army in Osaka Castle in real-time on Blue Star. There is a new situation: the Orc Army has retreated north! The entire army has broken camp and headed north!"

The Council Hall fell silent instantly.

Tie Dun was the first to jump up, his chair nearly toppling over. "What? The Orcs ran away? They were fighting just fine, why did they suddenly run?"

Wang Wu frowned deeply, raised a hand to signal Tie Dun to shut up, and turned his gaze to the Awakened. "Are you sure? It's not a feint?"

The Awakened nodded vigorously. "Certain! The Orc camp started breaking camp at noon. They have already retreated seven or eight li, heading north, and haven't turned back."

Wang Wu stood up abruptly, a flash of sharpness in his eyes. "It doesn't matter that the Osaka Castle Orcs ran; what's important is whether the Orcs in Shenle County have left?"

He turned to look at Zhao Hu. "If the Orcs in Shenle County have also retreated, that's an entire county town!"

Zhao Hu's eyes lit up suddenly.

Shenle County was a vital throat passage southeast of Osaka Castle, heavily guarded by four thousand Orcs, which they hadn't been able to crack before.

If the Orcs in Shenle County had also retreated, wouldn't it be a ghost town? They'd be getting a county town for free.

He made an immediate decision and ordered the Awakened: "Pass the order immediately. Assemble at the North Gate in twenty minutes. No waiting for stragglers!"

Tie Dun was stunned for a moment. "Aren't ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ we waiting for Arrow Eye's intelligence? What if the Orcs in Shenle County haven't left, and we run headlong into them—"

Zhao Hu interrupted him. "Speed is the soul of warfare! We might even run into Arrow Eye on the way; if he sees the Orcs have retreated, he'll definitely be heading back. Move out!"

Twenty minutes later, outside the North Gate of Jingchuan County.

Two thousand County Soldiers had finished forming up. Their equipment was uneven, and their formation wasn't very tidy, but their morale was high.

Zhao Hu stood at the very front of the ranks, his bone-crushing greatsword hanging at his waist. He swept his gaze over the troops with a steady look and waved his hand. "Move out."

Two thousand pairs of boots stepped forward in unison, the sound of their footsteps dull and thunderous as they force-marched toward Shenle County in the north.

The troops set off, marching rapidly toward Shenle County in the north.

The grey-brown ground of the Brown Earth Plain stretched out beneath their feet, and the withered grass on both sides of the road was deathly pale under the afternoon sun.

During the forced march, no one spoke. There was only the sound of footsteps and the rubbing of armor plates, like a rapid drumbeat.

An hour later, the troops had covered more than half the distance. On the road ahead, a figure riding a Great-Horned Deer came galloping from the north, mane flying in the wind, hoofbeats rapid.

Tie Dun squinted for a few seconds, then suddenly shouted, "It's Arrow Eye!"

Arrow Eye vaulted off the deer's back with agile movements, his forehead covered in sweat.

His voice was not loud but clear. "The Orcs in Shenle County have retreated! They started retreating at noon, heading north. There isn't a single Orc in the city now!"

Zhao Hu's mouth split into a wide grin, and he slapped his thigh hard. "Good! Increase speed! Full speed ahead! If Sakura Country reacts and beats us to it, it'll be too late!"

The troops shifted from a forced march to a sprint.

The County Soldiers gritted their teeth and ran. Their shields clattered on their backs, and their spears wobbled violently in their hands, but no one fell behind.

Tie Dun ran at the very front, carrying his shield, cursing under his breath. "Damn it, my legs are about to break from running..."

Wang Wu followed behind him, panting as he said, "Shut up, save your energy."

Forty minutes later, the walls of Shenle County appeared in their field of vision.

Twenty meters high, the grey-black walls shone with a dull luster in the sunlight. There was no one on the walls, the city gates were wide open, and not even a single flag could be seen.

The entire county town was like an abandoned tomb, so quiet it made one's skin crawl.

Tie Dun was the first to rush to the city gate. He took his shield off his back, gripped it in his hand, and carefully poked his head through the gate opening to look inside.

The streets were empty. The door frames of the rugged, Orc-style stone houses were crooked, and half-gnawed bones were scattered on the ground.

Several tattered Orc banners were thrown on the side of the road, being flipped back and forth by the wind; there wasn't a single Orc to be seen.

He let out a long breath, lowered his shield, and grinned. "Haha! A ghost town! It really is a ghost town! Those people from Sakura Country are still dawdling, and we got here first!"

Wang Wu followed behind Tie Dun, taking his longbow off his shoulder and holding it in his hand, though the string was not drawn tight. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

His gaze swept across the walls and streets. After confirming there was nothing unusual, he nodded to Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu strode into the city gate, his bone-crushing greatsword already unsheathed, heading straight for the Council Hall in the center of the city.

Arrow Eye followed behind him, an arrow already nocked.

Tie Dun and Wang Wu exchanged a look and followed as well.

The door to the Council Hall was wide open. Twisted, crooked Orcish characters were carved on the lintel, but the inside was empty.

In the very center of the hall, a dark red territory core floated alone in mid-air, like an abandoned heart. Its dark red glow appeared dim and dull under the afternoon sunlight.

Zhao Hu stood before the core, took a deep breath, and raised his bone-crushing greatsword high. "Together!"

The four of them attacked simultaneously.

One hit, two hits, three hits... Cracks appeared more and more on the core, and dark red light spots seeped out from the fissures like blood droplets.

Two minutes later, the core shattered with a boom. The dark red light spots drifted in the air, turning into countless tiny fragments, and then slowly disappeared.

A golden light surged from the shattered remains, re-condensing into a golden core as warm and smooth as jade, which floated steadily in mid-air.

The gentle golden light illuminated the entire hall, dispelling the lingering cold atmosphere.

【Shenle County has been captured. This territory has been automatically converted into an affiliated territory of Beacon Fire Territory.】

Tie Dun stared blankly at the golden core and let out a thunderous cheer. "We got it! We got it for free! The Orcs ran, Sakura Country didn't react in time, and we picked it up! Hahahaha!"