The siege of Ning'an had been lifted. Those on the city walls and the steady stream of scholar reinforcements headed to the County Academy.
Dawn had barely broken, but the County Academy was already hung with lanterns and festive decorations. Tables were laid out for a victory banquet, and Fang Yun thanked those who had come to help on behalf of everyone in the county.
The account of Fang Yun slaughtering a million demon barbarians with two Imperial Poems appeared on the Discourse Ranking, becoming the focus of heated discussion among scholars throughout the world. Countless people rushed about spreading the news.
Most groups traveling to Ning'an City from other regions turned back. Still, many scholars continued toward Ning'an County, because a Metropolitan Graduate from Qi Kingdom had published a piece titled "Proclamation Against the Barbarians."
Taking this incident as its starting point, the proclamation expanded its argument: scholars of the human race should not merely protect Fang Yun, but also protect the people of Jing Kingdom in the years to come. It concluded by calling on scholars throughout the world to set aside distinctions of school and nation, travel together to Ning'an City, hold the human race's northernmost city, and resist the demon barbarians together.
The proclamation won widespread support, and some who had originally turned back after Fang Yun's victory reversed course once again.
Their destination: Ning'an City!
After full daylight arrived, Fang Yingwu told Fang Yun about the responses to "Proclamation Against the Barbarians." At least ten thousand scholars would come over the next few months. Although Academy Students and Provincial Graduates made up the majority, there were also considerable numbers of Metropolitan Graduates and Hanlin Academicians. Fifteen Hanlin Academicians and over a hundred Metropolitan Graduates had already decided to come.
In Jing Kingdom, a single Hanlin