The Council Hall erupted in an uproar.

Feng Qingyan covered her mouth with both hands, her body leaning slightly forward, her voice changing pitch: "Golden-grade equipment? Tieba Kingdom has brought out their family heirloom!"

Her shield wobbled slightly with her movements, like a rippling soap bubble.

Su Yurou also widened her eyes and whispered: "Golden-grade equipment... the entire Tieba Kingdom only has one..."

Her voice was very soft, but the shock in her tone was no less than anyone else's.

Lin Feng was also stunned. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on Jiang Zhaoyue's face, taking several seconds to recover.

Golden-grade equipment, the only one in Tieba Kingdom; Lord Ali Khan's gift was too heavy.

He sat up straight, his voice steady but carrying undisguised approval: "Tieba Kingdom is righteous, and Lord Ali Khan is generous. Beacon Fire Territory will remember this favor; the brothers of Tieba Kingdom are our own people from now on."

Jiang Zhaoyue nodded, the smile at the corners of her mouth deepening, and continued: "Second, the General Bureau has decided to have all territories in the South Pole Region, except for Zhenyue City, surrender and attach themselves to Beacon Fire Territory."

"Including two counties, twenty-two towns, and numerous villages, covering the entire Golden Ear Plain, bordering those two counties of Tieba Kingdom, forming a contiguous area."

She paused, as if waiting for everyone to digest this news: "Without including the four counties of Annan Country, the area of Beacon Fire Territory is approximately 650 kilometers long and 250 kilometers wide, with an area of about 162,500 square kilometers."

"Including the four counties of Annan Country, the total area reaches 262,500 square kilometers."

This time, the Council Hall completely exploded.

Feng Qingyan stared blankly at Jiang Zhaoyue, her voice drifting: "Sister Jiang... are you saying that the entire Golden Ear Plain, from south to north, from east to west... is all Beacon Fire Territory's now?"

Su Yurou lowered her head, as if silently calculating something, then looked up and whispered: "It's larger than the area of many countries on Blue Star..."

There was no excitement in her tone, only a sense of unreal trance.

Meng Yi was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "This general has never seen a territory expand so quickly."

His voice was not loud, but the respect in his tone was heavier than any praise.

Lin Feng was somewhat dazed, shaken by this series of news.

He picked up his teacup and took another sip; the cool tea entered his throat, clearing his mind a bit.

He quickly calculated in his mind: two counties, twenty-two towns, plus the six counties of Sakura Country, and the newly attached Nha Trang County, Huian County, My Tho County, and Phu Quoc County.

The total number of Great Qin Elite Soldiers will exceed ten thousand—ten thousand black armor, ten thousand halberds, and ten thousand Qin Crossbows.

He put down the teacup, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth: "Beacon Fire Territory will not fail the trust of the General Bureau and Tieba Kingdom."

He paused: "I also have good news to share with everyone: My Tho County and Phu Quoc County have been recaptured, and Shenle County has also become an attached territory of Beacon Fire Territory."

Everyone exclaimed again.

Feng Qingyan's mouth opened slightly: "Shenle County? That Shenle County guarded by four thousand heavy Orc Army troops? How was it taken?"

Su Yurou smiled and explained: "The Orc Army retreated north and abandoned Shenle County. Brother Zhao Hu and the others seized it first before Sakura Country could react."

The arc of Lin Feng's lips widened, and he sincerely praised: "Zhao Hu and the others did well. Soldiers value speed; they seized this opportunity well. I will credit them for this later."

Everyone discussed for a few more moments, the topic ranging from the golden-grade equipment to the 260,000-square-kilometer territory, each wearing an "as if in a dream" expression.

Lin Feng glanced at the sky outside the window; the moon had already risen to the zenith. Silvery moonlight spilled onto the floor of the Council Hall, like a thin layer of frost.

He stood up, restrained his smile, and said seriously: "It is very late today; everyone should rest early. There is still much to do tomorrow."

Everyone acknowledged the order in unison and stood up one after another.

Feng Qingyan pulled Feng Qingshuang as they walked out, still muttering: "Sister, what do you think golden-grade equipment looks like?"

Feng Qingshuang ignored her.

Jiang Zhaoyue did not leave. She stood by the long table, waiting until everyone else had left before walking up to Lin Feng.

She bowed slightly, her voice a few degrees softer than usual: "Lord Lin, I would like to report to you regarding the matter of giving the shield mage to Feng Qingyan."

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, picked up the already cold tea and took a sip, his tone flat: "Hmm, go ahead."

"Feng Qingyan is indeed flighty and loose-lipped, but her combat skills and grasp of timing are second only to me in the New Moon Legion."

Jiang Zhaoyue's tone was calm, but there was a composed 'I am a good judge of character' look in her eyes.

"Giving the shield mage to her is because she can always land her spells in the most critical position at the most critical moment. That kind of Battlefield Intuition is innate; it is hard for others to train."

Lin Feng put down the teacup and nodded: "You decide; I trust your judgment."

Jiang Zhaoyue was stunned for a moment, her gaze lingering on Lin Feng's face for an instant.

She had expected Lin Feng to ask a few more questions or ask her to explain in more detail, but he just nodded and said, "I trust your judgment."

This kind of trust was not mere lip service, but genuinely handing over power into her hands.

A flash of complex emotion crossed her eyes.

Lin Feng stood up, picked up the Wildfire Spear from the side of the chair, strapped it to his back, and walked over to Jiang Zhaoyue.

His tone was peaceful but carried an unquestionable certainty: "Rest early; there are more things waiting for us tomorrow."

He paused: "The situation ahead will become increasingly difficult; precisely because of that, I need people I can trust to stand by my side."

Jiang Zhaoyue looked up, meeting Lin Feng's eyes.

He did not dodge, nor did he say anything more, just looked at her calmly, as if stating something completely ordinary.

She nodded gently, picked up her silver-white spear from the side of the chair, slung it on her back, turned, and walked out of the Council Hall.

Just before leaving, she stopped, turned her head, and said softly: "Lord Lin, good night."

Lin Feng nodded: "Good night."

...

Around seven o'clock the next morning, the morning light spread from the east, dyeing the Qingluo Plain in a color interwoven with pale green and gold.

Lin Feng woke up on the second floor of the Huian County Council Hall, walked to the window, and pushed open the wooden shutters.

Fresh air rushed in, carrying the scent of soil after rain and the unique herbal fragrance of Qingluo vines.

The trees on both sides of the street had completely regained their vitality, tender green leaves swaying gently in the morning breeze. Sunlight passed through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadows on the bluestone road.

The exterior walls of the buildings, repaired by the Purification power, had become smooth again. In the cracks of the mortar, a few blades of unknown grass had even sprouted—tender green, timid, as if they had just poked their heads out from the ground.