Clearly, everyone present knew something about Shadowthorn, except for Yun Zhe.
Although the Donic and the Lunlang family were at odds, and several famous units emerged during the years of war, these were all small-scale operations in this once unclaimed land, and could not compare to the Empire's truly renowned units. For example, the Shadow Thorn Cavalry unit in the west.
The number of soldiers was small, ranging from two to four thousand, but even so, they were an elite force capable of deterring the Belvalid cavalry and contending with the elven cavalry. Of course, this force primarily served as a garrison, but no one doubted their combat capabilities.
Of course, the Shadowthorn's reputation is far less than that of another Imperial force, the Red Panthers. But that was a massive legion of ten thousand men who fought desperately against the orcs in the south, with far greater numbers and achievements. But we'll talk about that later.
Yun Zhe didn't continue asking about the troops; the others had already given him most of their thoughts. At this moment, he was concerned about the troops below his city. Despite being elite and numerically superior, they hadn't chosen to attack, which made Yun Zhe genuinely suspect it was just a ruse.
Sure enough, the cavalrymen who had fled here earlier began to approach the city walls in scattered groups. One of them emerged from the forest and stared at the Donic banner for a long time. So long that he didn't react until everyone's attention was focused on him.
He slammed the flag he was carrying into the ground and shouted, "Open the gates! Open the city gates!"
His actions caused those on the city wall to frown, and even frightened the soldiers around him. Was this the attitude of someone dependent on others, someone asking for a favor? Was there some deep-seated hatred between them, or were they simply very familiar with the people guarding the city?
Blazer didn't care about the looks and thoughts of those around him; he was exhausted and annoyed. He didn't want to go to the castle, but he couldn't ignore the brothers behind him. He was too lazy to argue, and even thought it would be better if the people in the castle refused.
Yun Zhe looked at the people on either side of him, "What do you think of this situation?"
Cyrus frowned. "His attitude is too arrogant, but it has actually dispelled my doubts. If they were really imposters, they would have tried every means to sneak into the city, instead of being so... so reluctant to enter."
Cyrus did think of some harsh words, but considering Yun Zhe's habit of almost never swearing, he swallowed them back.
The others also looked displeased, clearly disgusted by the impolite fellow below the city.
Yun Zhe did not reply. He glanced at Morrison, whose expression was gloomy, and said, "We'll know whether Kuhlman rebels or not later. I think you should tell me your decision now."
A look of pain flashed across Morrison's eyes. He already knew the truth, but he was still unwilling to admit it. Now, however, he might have to face this reality.
The gate opened, and Yun Zhe came out personally. He wanted to see the straightforward general, and he also needed to personally determine whether these people were imposters.
Blazer was somewhat disappointed to see the city gates wide open. Perhaps his earlier unreasonable behavior had prevented the eager soldiers from rushing in immediately, instead causing them to cautiously approach the gates.
Yun Zhe scanned the faces of the soldiers around him, then declared loudly, "Prove your identity. A flag alone isn't enough. Otherwise—" Yun Zhe waved his hand, and more than ten men rushed out from behind him, armed with crossbows, and blocked the city gate—"Not a single one of you will be allowed in!"
The soldiers began to look at each other. After their initial anger subsided upon hearing Yun Zhe's words, the appearance of the archers calmed them down. They racked their brains, trying to find evidence to prove they were soldiers of the Empire. But being mostly uneducated common soldiers, they couldn't come up with any plausible reasons. Soon, Yun Zhe's ears were filled with the names of various noblemen. The soldiers tried to prove their status and loyalty by associating with high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital. Some recounted their experiences in the capital or elsewhere. One soldier even pulled out a sign from a brothel in the capital, attempting to prove something.
Yun Zhe was both amused and exasperated by these people. "Alright, alright, tell me about the situation at the front. I think that's the best proof. Also, how did you all end up here?"
Seeing that the person in front of them was an Aruru, the soldiers quickly concluded that he was merely a messenger, and that his master must be someone extraordinary, otherwise he wouldn't be able to command these archers. So the soldiers put aside their contempt and, after a flurry of chatter, finally explained the whole story clearly.
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhe finally understood the gravity of the situation. Looking at the eager eyes of the men before him, Yun Zhe waved his hand again, signaling the archers to retreat and allowing the soldiers to enter the castle.
Of course, Blazer didn't move. He watched as everyone entered the castle, then breathed a sigh of relief, but had no intention of going into the city.
Then he saw Yun Zhe wave at him. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Blaze finally showed some common sense and came to Yun Zhe's side.
"Where are you going?" Yun Zhe asked bluntly.
"I……"
“What? You want to be a scout in the forest? No need, there are better views from the castle,” Yun Zhe interrupted Blaze.
"No, I..."
"What?"
Blaze looked at Yun Zhe's pointed ears and his large, questioning eyes, and his composure crumbled. He didn't intend to explain to this lackey, nor did he intend to make things difficult for this Aruru. He shrugged and said with a wry smile, "I'll go get my horse. I've tied it to a tree." He was determined to confront the real person in charge of the castle, and then leave the castle alone.
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