At 6:50 AM, as the sky just began to pale with the first light of dawn, the area outside the north gate of Hangu Pass was already packed with a dense crowd.

Eight thousand Great Qin Elite Soldiers were arranged into eight square formations; their black armor was like iron, and their halberds were like a forest, stretching from the city gate far into the distance.

The morning wind blew from the north, causing the war banners to snap loudly, but the ranks remained motionless; not even a single cough could be heard.

In front of the Army Formation, six figures stood side by side.

Zhao Hu faced north, standing perfectly still.

Feng Qingyan yawned, the faint light of her shield shimmering, while Jiang Yelan stood with her hood half-covering her face, her gaze calm.

Meng Yi carried his halberd on his shoulder, while behind him, Bai Yi through Bai Liu held their halberds with the tips pointing upward.

Lin Feng flew out from the window on the second floor of the Council Hall; the golden light of his zhutian war boots left a long, thin trail in the air, and within a few breaths, he landed outside the north gate.

Everyone simultaneously pressed their right fists to their chests, and the faint sound of armor plates clashing echoed from the Army Formation.

Lin Feng nodded, his gaze sweeping across their faces.

Jiang Zhaoyue stepped forward, her voice clear and bright: "Lord Lin, my aunt sent word this morning that Zhenyue City has dispatched Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan, along with Counselor Ling Fei and Counselor Han Cong, plus five thousand Yellow Turban Army and two thousand Yellow Turban Strongmen. They will meet us ten miles outside the north gate of Zhenyue City."

Lin Feng nodded slightly. He had met Counselor Ling Fei and Counselor Han Cong once before in Zhenyue City.

Counselor Ling Fei was cold and taciturn, while Counselor Han Cong was honest and straightforward. Both were Third Rank counselors, and their strength was not to be underestimated.

With the addition of Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan, Zhenyue City could be considered to have sent its full force this time.

Lin Feng nodded and turned his gaze to Zhao Hu and Meng Yi: "Are you both ready?"

Zhao Hu pressed his right fist to his chest: "Eight thousand Elite Soldiers, fully staffed and fully equipped, ready to depart at any time."

Meng Yi stood behind Zhao Hu, his halberd resting on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "Provisions, arrows, and potions have all been loaded onto wagons and will be escorted with the army."

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze, turned around, faced north, and said only one word: "Move out."

The troops set off; the eight thousand Great Qin Elite Soldiers filed out of the north gate in an orderly, rhythmic march.

The army covered the twenty-mile journey in less than twenty minutes. Ahead, on an open field ten miles outside the north gate of Zhenyue City, another force was already lined up.

There were five thousand Yellow Turban Army troops and two thousand Yellow Turban Strongmen. The Yellow Turban Army wore earthy-yellow cloth armor and carried spears or machetes.

The Yellow Turban Strongmen were completely different; they wore heavy armor and held iron rods or giant hammers, standing in the front row of the formation like a thick wall.

At the very front of the Army Formation, three figures stood side by side.

In the center was Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan, wearing deep purple battle armor with a greatsword strapped to his back, his expression steady.

Lin Feng walked out from the front of his troops, and Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan strode forward to meet him.

Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan cupped his hands and bowed slightly, his voice resonant: "Lord Lin, Zhenyue City has arrived to join forces as ordered. I, Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan, along with Counselor Ling Fei and Counselor Han Cong, and leading five thousand Yellow Turban Army and two thousand Yellow Turban Strongmen, await your command, Lord Lin!"

Counselor Ling Fei did not speak, only bowing his head slightly.

Counselor Han Cong grinned, his voice honest and simple: "Lord Lin, I've been wanting to fight alongside you for a long time! I haven't missed a single episode of your live stream!"

Lin Feng returned the salute, his tone calm but respectful: "Deputy City Lord Liu, Counselors, thank you for your hard work. I will be relying on all of you for this journey."

Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan waved his hand and said solemnly: "You are too polite, Lord Lin. You are now a Gold Seat Lord of Great Xia, and we will follow your lead."

Lin Feng nodded, not bothering with further pleasantries.

He turned to face north, his voice steady and powerful: "The coalition camp is still nearly a thousand miles away. We will spend the night in Meiqiu County and meet up with the main force of the coalition tomorrow morning."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, "Move out."

The two armies merged, and the force of fifteen thousand people slowly advanced northward in the morning light.

The Great Qin Elite Soldiers walked at the front, followed by the Yellow Turban Army and the Yellow Turban Strongmen, resembling a long, yellow-and-black dragon.

The provision wagons, arrow wagons, and potion wagons were sandwiched in the middle of the formation, their wheels creaking as they ground against the official road.

The army marched for four hours and arrived at Nha Trang County at noon.

Security Officer Su Huai had already received the news and brought his County Soldiers to line up outside the south gate to welcome them.

The barracks had been cleared, and food had been prepared—large pots of stew, coarse grain flatbreads, and wild vegetable soup. Although simple, it was hot.

The soldiers took turns eating and resting; cooking smoke rose from the temporary stoves, drifting lazily in the midday sun.

Lin Feng and his core members had a simple lunch in the Council Hall, with Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan, Counselor Ling Fei, and Counselor Han Cong also present.

There were no pleasantries at the table, and everyone ate quickly.

After resting for an hour, the troops set off again.

From Nha Trang County to Meiqiu County, there were still over seven hundred miles to go. The army marched north for the entire afternoon.

The sun slid from overhead to the west, and then from the west, it slipped below the horizon.

Twilight gathered from all directions, dyeing the vines of Qingluo Plain a dull, dark cyan.

The troops lit torches, the orange-red light forming a long dragon that wound its way across the wilderness.

The soldiers' footsteps began to grow heavy, but no one fell behind, and no one complained of fatigue.

Feng Qingyan's legs were starting to feel weak; she shifted from holding her staff to leaning on it, and the flame on her Fire Crystal had dimmed a little.

Su Yurou walked beside her, supporting her from time to time.

Near eleven o'clock at night, the walls of Meiqiu County finally appeared in sight. They were twenty meters high, with gray-black bricks gleaming dully in the moonlight, and two wind lanterns lit at the city gate.

Outside the city gate, a middle-aged man in a dark cyan robe stood with several County Soldiers holding torches on both sides of the gate passage, craning his neck to look.

Seeing the army approach, Ruan Wencheng stepped forward quickly and stopped ten paces away from Lin Feng.

He cupped his hands and bowed deeply, his voice resonant: "Ruan Wencheng, Security Officer of Meiqiu County, welcomes you, Lord! The barracks and food are ready. Please, Lord, enter the city with your soldiers to rest!"

Lin Feng walked out from the front of the troops, nodded, and turned to shout to the army behind him: "All troops, enter the city! We will spend the night here!"

The eight thousand Great Qin Elite Soldiers entered the city first, their footsteps rhythmic. They were followed by the Yellow Turban Army and the Yellow Turban Strongmen; although their formation was not as orderly as the Great Qin Elite Soldiers, their morale was high.

The soldiers were assigned to the barracks within the city and to civilian houses that had been temporarily vacated, while logistics personnel began distributing dry rations and water.

Ruan Wencheng led the way, guiding Lin Feng, Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan, Jiang Zhaoyue, Jiang Yelan, Feng Qingyan, and the others to the Council Hall in the center of the city.

Food had already been set out on the long table in the hall—rice, steamed buns, braised pork, stir-fried greens, and egg drop soup. Although not lavish, it was steaming hot and fragrant.

Feng Qingyan's beautiful eyes lit up, and her staff trembled slightly in her hand; she almost couldn't help herself.

Lin Feng sat in the main seat, and the others took their seats in order.

Ruan Wencheng stood to the side, rubbing his hands, and asked cautiously: "Lord, the food is simple. Is there anything else you require?"

Lin Feng shook his head: "This is enough. Thank you for your hard work, Security Officer Ruan. Go and rest."

Ruan Wencheng bowed repeatedly and retreated.

Lin Feng picked up his bowl and said, "Let's eat." Then, he picked up a chopstick of greens and put them into his mouth.

Only then did everyone else start eating. Jiang Zhaoyue ate slowly, chewing carefully and occasionally taking a sip of soup.

Jiang Yelan ate very little, only picking up a few chopsticks of greens and taking two sips of soup.

Deputy City Lord Liu Zhenshan ate casually, whispering something to Counselor Han Cong beside him as he ate.

After the meal, everyone went to rest. Lin Feng stood on the steps at the entrance of the Council Hall, looking out at Meiqiu County in the night.

In the distance, the lights in the barracks were extinguished one by one, and the footsteps of patrolling soldiers could be heard faintly in the night wind.

He stood for a moment, then turned and walked back into the hall, leaning his Wildfire Spear against the side of his chair before sitting down.

Tomorrow morning, they would continue north.

The coalition ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) camp, the merging of the armies, and then, the Battle of Thang Long City.