65: Chapter 65 Open the City Gates!!

The screen was filled with mockery and ridicule.

Not a single person took this matter seriously.

In everyone's eyes, this was nothing more than a joke.

An F-Level City Lord declaring war on an E-Level City Lord?

It was as ridiculous as an ant declaring war on an elephant.

City Lord Zhang Hao looked at the messages in the group chat and laughed until he was doubled over.

[City Lord Zhang Hao: Hahahaha, stop it, stop it! You're going to kill me with laughter!]

[City Lord Zhang Hao: I'm really so scared right now! I'm so scared that I don't even want to move!]

[City Lord Zhang Hao: When he arrives, I'll just open the city gates to welcome him! I'll lay out a red carpet for him! I'll invite him for tea!]

[Hahaha, hahaha!]

[Haozi, you're too talented!]

[Laying out a red carpet for Emperor Yun, hahaha!]

...

However, amidst the chorus of mockery, there was one person who did not participate.

Chu Xinran.

After seeing the photo with the red arrow, her first reaction was not amusement.

Instead, her heart skipped a beat.

A declaration of war?

Did Zhou Yun really declare war?

She immediately exited the group chat and opened a private chat window with Zhou Yun.

[Chu Xinran: Zhou Yun! Did you really declare war?!]

[Chu Xinran: Calm down! Han City is an E-Level City! If he just holds the city, you have absolutely no chance of winning!]

[Chu Xinran: Answer my message!]

[Chu Xinran: Zhou Yun?]

[Chu Xinran: ???]

A series of messages were sent out.

But the other party never replied.

Not even an "Read" receipt appeared.

Chu Xinran bit her lip, a vague sense of unease rising in her heart.

She understood Zhou Yun.

He was usually gentle and never came into conflict with others.

As long as it was something he could endure, he would endure it.

But once he stopped enduring...

That meant the situation was truly serious.

"What on earth happened..."

She muttered to herself, her brows furrowed tightly.

...

At this very moment.

On the main road from Flower City to Han City.

Five thousand troops, under the buff of Strategist Zhu Ge's [Full Army Speed March], swept past like a torrent of steel.

The earth trembled slightly under their footsteps.

The glint of armor shimmered endlessly under the sunlight.

Banners fluttered, and the military might was awe-inspiring.

Along the way, it was not as if there were no Demonic Beasts.

In the woods on both sides of the road, pairs of green eyes peered from the shadows from time to time.

Demonic Wolves, Black-Horned Wild Boars, Venom-Fanged Snake Lizards...

These Demonic Beasts were usually fierce existences.

Lone travelers and small merchant caravans would have to take a detour upon seeing them.

But now—

Not only did they not charge out, but they each cowered behind the bushes, not even daring to move.

A Demonic Wolf poked out half its head and took a glance at the vast army on the main road.

Then—

It shrank back.

Its tail was tucked tightly between its legs.

Another Black-Horned Wild Boar had originally been rolling in a mud pit by the side of the road, but upon hearing the footsteps coming from afar, it immediately leaped out of the mud pit and scrambled into the depths of the dense forest.

It ran faster than a rabbit.

Even the usually audacious Venom-Fanged Snake Lizard only took a look from afar before slipping away silently.

It was not that they did not want to attack.

It was that their instincts were telling them—

They couldn't afford to provoke them.

The Aura radiating from the five thousand Professionals was like Mount Tai pressing down upon these low-level Demonic Beasts.

Let alone attacking, even just getting close required immense courage.

And these Demonic Beasts clearly did not have that courage.

...

Zhou Yun rode on his horse, watching the Demonic Beasts fleeing in panic by the roadside, and nodded secretly.

Before setting off, he had been worried that he would encounter Demonic Beast attacks on the road, delaying his journey.

Now it seemed, it was completely overthinking.

The military might of five thousand people was the best amulet.

"City Lord."

Strategist Zhu Ge's voice came from the side.

"According to our current speed, we will arrive at Han City in less than an hour."

Zhou Yun nodded.

"Faster than expected."

"Yes." Strategist Zhu Ge smiled slightly, "The effect of [Full Army Speed March] is even better than I expected. This is thanks to the physical stamina of all the soldiers—their physical fitness far exceeds that of ordinary Professionals, their Spiritual Qi is abundant, and their endurance is extremely strong."

He was telling the truth.

The Professionals of Flower City ate Silver Rank Spirit Rice, Gold Rank Demonic Beast meat, and Platinum Rank Spirit Fruit every day.

For Professionals in other cities, just being able to eat their fill was already good.

The Professionals of Flower City?

They ate better than the City Lords of other cities.

The physical fitness cultivated by such treatment was naturally incomparable to that of ordinary people.

Therefore, under the buff of [Full Army Speed March], the five thousand troops not only showed no signs of fatigue but instead became more energetic as they walked.

...

Time flew by.

Four hours later.

The silhouette of Han City appeared on the horizon.

The grey-brown city walls were not very tall, but they were nearly three zhang high.

Figures could be vaguely seen walking back and forth on the city walls; these were likely the patrolling guards.

But looking at their sparse and scattered appearance, it was clear that they had not yet entered a state of full alert.

City Lord Zhang Hao had not expected the Flower City army to arrive so quickly.

Or rather—

He had never thought that the Flower City army could arrive so quickly.

The two cities were nearly a hundred kilometers apart.

At a normal marching speed, even for a team of Professionals, it would take at least a dozen hours.

Add in breaks, setting up camp, and eating along the way...

Without a day and a night, it would be impossible to arrive.

But what he did not know was that Strategist Zhu Ge's [Full Army Speed March] had directly doubled the marching speed.

What he also did not know was that the soldiers of Flower City did not need to rest at all—their stamina was excessively abundant.

So...

They arrived in four hours.

...

Lei Lie raised his hand, signaling the entire army to stop.

Five thousand people halted in unison, as neat as one person.

"Form ranks right here." Strategist Zhu Ge glanced at the city walls of Han City and said calmly, "Do not enter the range of the Archers."

Lei Lie nodded and quickly issued the order.

The five thousand troops spread out on the open wilderness southeast of Han City.

Warriors in the front, holding long swords and shields, formed a solid front line.

Archers in the back, longbows strung, arrows on the strings.

Mages in the center, staves held in their hands, Spiritual Qi surging.

Priests at the rear, ready to heal at any time.

Assassins spread to the flanks, waiting for an opportunity to act.

The formation was strict and orderly, with clear layers.

Although this was Flower City's first external battle, under the coordination of Lei Lie and Strategist Zhu Ge, the team's formation speed was extremely fast, not at all like novices.

After the formation was set—

Zhou Yun rode out, walking to the very front of the formation.

He raised his head and looked toward the city walls of Han City.

He took a deep breath.

Then—

"Open the city gates!"

His voice was not loud.

But in the silent wilderness, these three words clearly reached the ears of everyone on the city walls of Han City.

Immediately after—

Five thousand people shouted in unison!

"Open the city gates!"

The wave of sound was like thunder, shaking the dirt on the city walls so that it fell in rustles!

The guards on the city walls of Han City trembled all over.

They clutched the battlements and looked down—

What did they see?

They saw a dark, overwhelming sea of iron armor.

They saw dense rows of swords and longbows.

They saw a large banner embroidered with the character "Flower" fluttering in the wind.

They also saw—

Thousands of pairs of eyes.

Cold, firm, and fearless eyes.