"Hmph!"
"Hmph!"
The shouts, filled with masculine vigor, echoed endlessly.
Before the dilapidated city.
Hundreds of militiamen, holding their weapons, repeated the chopping motion, their daily mandatory exercise.
"Focus!" a stern voice boomed. "On the battlefield, it's a fight for life and death. Do not harbor any侥幸 mentality. Every drop of sweat you shed now will save you a scar, a drop of blood, in the future. Tell me, would you rather shed blood or sweat?"
"SWEAT!!!"
The militiamen roared in unison.
The weapons in their hands seemed to swing with even greater force.
"Hoo, quite diligent," a light, gentle laugh drifted over. Er Gou, who was watching the militia train, turned his head instantly, his eyes lighting up with joy. "Camp Master~"
Chen Yu nodded slightly.
As he looked at the militiamen training, his expression suddenly turned grim.
"Er Gou, tell me, what did you do wrong?"
"Huh?!" Er Gou's eyes were filled with confusion. He scratched his head in bewilderment, trying to recall any wrongdoings during this period.
It seemed he hadn't made any mistakes.
"Camp Master, I~"
"Are you just going to defend the city like this?" Chen Yu murmured sternly. Er Gou quickly explained, "Camp Master, your subordinate has sent people to patrol. At the entrances of the west, north, and south city gates, there are two teams of 15 Blood Pellet warriors alternating patrols. No accidents will occur."
"Is that so? Then how did I get here?"
Chen Yu whispered, "Suppose I were the enemy, and I walked in without any concealment, brazenly. Do you know that?"
"This..."
"If the enemy reaches the foot of your city walls, what is the point of your warning then? The enemy has already formed their ranks. Are you expecting the enemy to give you time to prepare?"
Frankly, Chen Yu was a bit angered.
He had come to Black City.
He had specifically chosen to walk, wanting to assess the city's vigilance. To his surprise, he had not been stopped or encountered any informants along the way.
Er Gou had informed him that he had people patrolling the city gates. What was the point?
What was their current approach any different from when the Necromancer was the lord of the city?
"This... your subordinate was negligent." Er Gou lowered his head silently, his fists clenched. Chen Yu continued to speak sternly, "Er Gou, what I am saying to you now is the same as what you are saying to the militiamen. You are the commander of this city; the safety of the city rests entirely in your hands."
"Your subordinate understands."
Er Gou, with his head lowered, was filled with self-reproach. "I will immediately send people to leave sentries in the six areas where the city is located."
The moment Er Gou looked up, Chen Yu noticed the dark circles under his eyes and sighed softly.
"You haven't slept all night, have you?"
"No~"
"Go and rest," Chen Yu whispered softly. "Your health is more important to me. You are the pillar of our city. If you continue to push yourself like this and your body breaks down, who will protect this city? Since I have returned, I will assign these tasks to others."
"Camp Master, I..."
"Go and rest."
A hint of a smile appeared in Chen Yu's eyes.
"Oh, and there's one more thing I need to remind you of."
"Please, sir."
"From now on, do not call me Camp Master anymore," Chen Yu said with a serious expression. "When there are outsiders, you will call me Mr. Chen, or simply Chen Yu."
"This?"
Er Gou, carrying his broadsword, was perplexed.
"With your intelligence, you won't understand if I say too much. Just remember, when there are outsiders, we are not in a superior-subordinate relationship. You are the general of this city, Kaelen is the city lord. When you enter the city later, tell others this as well. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
"Repeat it."
"Kaelen is the city lord of this city, and I am the city's general. Camp Master is the Camp Master in private, and Mr. Chen when there are outsiders."
"Correct."
Chen Yu, with a smile, gestured with his hand, signaling Er Gou to return to the city and rest.
Er Gou did not doubt him.
He walked into the city with his broadsword on his back. Chen Yu, facing the training militiamen, spoke.
"You all heard that too, right~"
"Yes, Mr. Chen!"
Hundreds of militiamen snapped to attention and shouted in unison. Chen Yu smiled and nodded at them, allowing them to continue their training. He gently raised his wrist and tapped his projection, sending a message.
A few minutes later—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From the spatial distortion circle, figures of humans poured out. Upon appearing, these humans showed curiosity mixed with a faint trace of fear in their eyes.
When they saw the dilapidated city before them.
Their expressions sharpened.
Immediately after, a look of understanding dawned on their faces.
Before them stood Kaelen. Chen Yu hurried forward with a smile.
"City Lord Kaelen~"
Chen Yu, rubbing his hands, wore a fawning smile. Although she had rehearsed it many times, Kaelen still felt a little uncomfortable being addressed as City Lord.
"Mr. Chen."
As these words were spoken, the eyes of the humans present burst with brilliance.
"Chen Yu, the Great!"
"Wow, it's actually the living Great One, a real person. I never thought I'd actually get to see you."
"Great One, can we take a photo?"
Exclamations of surprise continued.
Several joyful and excited shouts were heard, but these shouts were not overly fervent. Among them were many who were rather stoic and not good with words.
They were not as ostentatious as some of the younger generation.
But—
Upon learning that the person before them was Chen Yu, their gazes shifted slightly.
That's right.
These survivors had not met Chen Yu before.
Although the targeted scroll had indicated his camp, Chen Yu had already left the camp before they arrived, all to advance his subsequent plans.
City Lord Kaelen's identity was confirmed.
If Chen Yu had also remained at the camp, and the survivors saw Kaelen living with Chen Yu, then when Chen Yu had Kaelen assume the role of City Lord, it would undoubtedly arouse suspicion.
Even if not suspicion about her identity, at least suspicion about Chen Yu and Kaelen's relationship.
Therefore,
Chen Yu had slipped away.
He hadn't gone too far. In fact, he had remained around the vicinity of the camp, observing the survivors.
Only after the first batch of survivor employees had all arrived.
Did Chen Yu sneak into the distortion circle, leading to the scene that had just occurred.
Appointing Kaelen as the City Lord was a decision Chen Yu had made after careful consideration.
With Kaelen as the City Lord, and making the survivors believe it was Kaelen's camp, the presence of the numerous cave dwellers within the camp could be explained more easily.
Otherwise, how could his camp have so many orcs?
How could that be explained?
Everything Chen Yu did had a purpose.
Facing the enthusiasm of the survivors—
"Fellow countrymen, we finally meet." Chen Yu, with a smile, cupped his fists lightly, then his tone shifted abruptly. "May I ask, who is Fang Xiu?!"