There was nothing to hesitate about. Zhang Yun went for Option C. He would eliminate all the bandits and save the girl.
However...
After killing the group of bandits and saving the girl, Zhang Yun did not ask around for the whereabouts of the Silver Wolf Bandits as he did in his previous life.
Instead, Zhang Yun went straight to the stronghold of the Silver Wolf Bandits according to the route in his memory.
In order to avoid the previous mistake, he assigned Shadow Soldiers to scout and look out for any pursuers.
Even though the Shadow Soldiers were all puppets that followed orders, they had to receive them in person before they could be deployed. The Shadow Soldiers could not be controlled remotely, nor could they read the map and memories in Zhang Yun's mind.
Even so, Zhang Yun had to do something.
He could give instructions in advance like a 'pseudo' remote control.
For example, if the Shadow Soldiers realized someone was following Zhang Yun, they would self-destruct and transmit the information to the system.
But if the Shadow Soldiers didn't find any enemies following Zhang Yun, they would hide in the shadows until Zhang Yun reached his destination. Zhang Yun could then recall his soldiers.
Previously, Zhang Yun had left the Shadow Soldiers at the located base of the Silver Wolf Bandits to observe the movements of the Royal Army at the border.
Zhang Yun used this method.
There was more.
The Shadow Soldiers were creatures that were transformed from the shadows of corpses.
There were no physical limitations or possibility of negative emotions.
The Shadow Soldiers wouldn't get fatigued.
They would not feel fear.
Despite being injured, the Shadow Soldiers could drift in the darkness and recover on their own until reaching peak condition.
But the Shadow Soldiers were not immune to death.
Furthermore, there was no possibility of resurrection.
If something went wrong with Zhang Yun's "covert operation" and the Shadow Soldiers discovered a large number of people following them, self-destructing would be rendered useless.
It was equivalent to...
As long as the enemies were thorough, they would discover the specific abilities of Brother Shadow.
Even if they were just a group of ordinary people, they could ambush and wear down Brother Shadow and his Shadow Legion.
The key point was to prevent the number of people on their side from becoming a member of the opponent. This was akin to the Umbrella Corporation's battle against the hordes of zombies and the Silver Northern Expedition's battle with the Lich King...
Following the route in his memory, Zhang Yun quickly arrived at the stronghold where Fjolm was located.
The plot was going in the same direction as the previous week.
When Fjolm heard about Zhang Yun's background from the girl he had saved, she rushed into the room angrily and questioned Zhang Yun's identity and purpose.
Zhang Yun answered with rehearsed words.
"It doesn't matter who I am. What's important is that I'll help you. I can protect the refugees at the border, defeat the Royal Army, and then march south into the capital to fight against the Hand of the King, Bu Lai, who intends to usurp the throne. We can save the princess from the quagmire and assist her in becoming the Ice Empress. She is the rightful heir to the throne. This will benefit the people."
Fjolm was shocked.
"You! Who exactly are you?! Why do you know my thoughts like the back of your hand?!"
Hearing this, Zhang Yun smiled. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Shadow Legion that he had transformed after defeating the bandits on the way.
"You can call me...Yun!"
Looking at the densely packed shadow creatures in front of her, Fjolm subconsciously took two steps back. Her right hand holding the ice spear trembled uncontrollably, and her eyes revealed obvious fear.
The second level...
They were just at the second level...
But the dangerous aura that these strange shadow creatures emitted...
They were not inferior to professionals at the fifth level in the Royal Army...
Fjolm was certain that as long as the man in front of her wanted to kill her, no matter if it was her who had been through hundreds of battles or the ordinary people in the stronghold, they would not be able to survive under this terrifying Shadow Army.
Unless she was in her best state.
Only then would she be able to escape.
Zhang Yun snapped his fingers and recalled all the Shadow Soldiers into the darkness. He cleared the entire room and spoke calmly.
"Don't be afraid. I have said it before. I'm not here to hurt you or the people at the border. I'm here to help you."
Fjolm suppressed the panic in her heart, sheathed her weapons, and pretended to sit on the chair in the middle of the room calmly. She asked in a low voice.
"Why? Why would you help us?"
Zhang Yun looked at her with sincere eyes.
"Because… This is my promise to Milano. I once swore that I would help him rescue the refugees at the border so that they could enjoy peace in the Ice Kingdom and live in a happy era without worrying about food and clothing."
Of course...
This was also Zhang Yun's promise to her...
Fjolm continued to pretend to be calm before asking.
"Why should I believe you? Milano never told me that he knew such a powerful and rare professional like you, who could summon so many shadow creatures!"
Zhang Yun sat on the chair, crossed his legs, put his hands together, and rested his chin on his palm. He resembled an overbearing president.
"You can only trust me. If I wanted to harm you, then with the Shadow Army that I just summoned, neither you nor your subordinates outside the door would be able to deal with it. Right?"
Upon hearing this, Fjolm fell silent.
In the face of absolute strength, there was no need for the other party to deceive her.
As long as he wanted to, Zhang Yun could join the Royal Army at the borders at any time and become a great general who was deeply valued by the 'local tyrant'.
Why did he have to win the favor of these ordinary people?
Fjolm took a deep breath and responded.
"Alright then! I'll let you join! Do you have any plans for our future development?"
Zhang Yun said slowly, "With your ability and talent, it is not difficult to fight against the corrupted knights at the border. So, I won't meddle in this matter. You can do whatever you want at your own pace. My Shadow Army and I will listen to your commands."
Fjolm was a little confused.
"Ah? Listen to my orders?"
This? With his heaven-defying strength, Yun could have become the leader of the entire team. If his uprising was successful in the future, he would have been rewarded by the Ice Emperor and be considered a great hero who saved the kingdom!
Why did this man still have to listen to Fjolm's orders?
Was Yun trying to pass over the reputation and credit?
The people at the border and the knights of the kingdom would not care about what Yun actually did.
They would only pay attention to who was the one with the highest position, and naturally think that it was all the other party's effort.
As if he had guessed what was on Fjolm's mind, Zhang Yun picked up the glass on the table and took a sip of red wine. He spoke generously.
"I'm not interested in honor. And I do not desire to become the emperor. I don't want to rule a country. That's too much trouble. Furthermore… I don't know anything about the art of war. You are the former commander of the kingdom, so you have more experience than I do. Your critical-thinking skills are much better, and you have a superior understanding of the battlefield."
Zhang Yun assured, "I'm not tricking you. I'll let you lead the entire rebel army and become the leader with the highest position. Only then will the others be convinced and not make any mistakes."
After a pause, Zhang Yun put down the wine in his hand and looked straight into the beautiful blue eyes of Fjolm. He continued.
"Of course, I also have my own purpose. Do you know anything about the Flame Emperor and the Five Dragon Generals of the Prongia Empire?"
…