Mo Han and his group witnessed all of this. Though they disliked the feeling, they were powerless to change it; the soldiers’ worries were understandable, but they were based on conventional assumptions. Mo Han and the others chose not to offer explanations. As noon approached, they finally spotted the walls of Imar City. Imar was a small, landlocked city, so its walls were not high, perhaps only four or five zhang tall. They seemed designed merely to ward off minor disturbances; against a true war, they would be mere decoration, leading only to certain doom.

At that moment, nearly half the city was enveloped in a magical barrier emitting a soft blue glow. This was clearly the protective ward, jointly cast by the Church of Light and the court mages of the Cardick Duchy, intended to halt the spread of the plague.

Upon reaching the city gates, they saw numerous personnel from the Church of Light and staff from the Mercenary Guild cooperating with the soldiers to maintain order. Dozens of mercenary bands had already gathered at the entrance, including several A-rank groups, all waiting in line to register. It seemed the sheer power of gold coins was greater than ordinary people imagined. Mo Han had initially assumed they were the lowest-ranked present, only to find D-rank teams here, clearly hoping to try their luck.

Seeing this, Mo Han and his group swiftly presented their mission logs to the registering clerk. The clerk glanced at their logs casually before speaking: “C-rank mercenary band. Go over there and see if any higher-ranked teams are willing to partner with you. You cannot enter the city alone under the new rules.”

Latin couldn't help but interject, “Didn’t they say there were no rank restrictions for this mission? Why this new rule? Isn't this making things difficult?” Hearing Latin’s question, the clerk responded impatiently, “How should I know? This directive from the General Guild was only recently established, and it’s for your own good, understand? Even A-rank mercenaries have failed to return from inside. You low-rank groups going in would just be rushing to your deaths. Your only chance is to cooperate with those higher-ranked bands. I suggest you forget about relying on luck; that’s pure suicide.”

Mo Han, overhearing this, stopped Latin, who was about to press the issue further, and said, “Let’s go. Asking more won't change anything. We should go see what the situation is first.”

Hearing Mo Han, Latin had no choice but to nod in agreement and followed behind him toward the gathering crowd of mercenaries.

The high-rank mercenary bands already assembled were all seeking partners of comparable rank; no one was willing to team up with intermediate or low-rank groups. Latin and Rock wandered about for a long time but made no progress, returning with looks of defeat. Seeing this, Mo Han felt troubled, internally cursing whoever had devised this new regulation—it was nothing but trouble. Where was he supposed to find an S-rank or higher team to partner with now? If only Kak from Xiang Yun were here, this would be much easier.

As Mo Han was deep in thought, a commotion erupted from the city gates. Mo Han and his group quickly looked in that direction and saw a contingent of Church of Light personnel emerging. They took positions flanking the center of the gate, clearly waiting for someone important. The rank of the newcomers must be quite high. Mo Han watched them, puzzled. Hadn’t they heard the Saintess had already arrived? Who were they waiting for now?

Still, Mo Han sincerely hoped someone he knew would appear; that might offer a way into the city. Thus, he stood there, quietly observing everything.

Not long after, a procession was seen approaching in the distance. A gasp swept through the crowd—so many Penitents! It seemed the Church of Light was truly determined to deal with this incident. Mo Han quickly followed the sound of voices and saw several horses approaching not far from the gate. Leading them were the Penitent Elders, headed by three Penitents. However, Mo Han didn't see Huo Guang among them, which brought a wave of disappointment. Just then, Mo Han noticed a familiar face within the contingent accompanying the Penitent Elders. Mo Han quickly focused his gaze—wasn't that Lyle, who always stayed by Shui Ling’er’s side? Realizing this, Mo Han could afford no more hesitation. If he missed this chance, he’d be spending the night by the city gates. He immediately called out, “Uncle Lyle, you’re here too!”

Hearing Mo Han’s shout, the entire contingent of the Church of Light turned their gaze toward him, and everyone present fixed their eyes on Mo Han, their expressions filled with confusion. How could a mere C-rank mercenary band like theirs possibly be connected to such high-ranking officials of the Church of Light? Mo Han, however, paid them no mind.

He continued greeting Lyle.

Lyle, fully clad in his golden armor of judgment, broke into a smile upon seeing Mo Han. He dismounted and approached Mo Han, saying, “Heh heh, the Saintess was right; with something this big happening, you wouldn't stay away given your personality. You made me lose my bet again; you owe me compensation!”

Mo Han replied with a smile, “Ugh, Uncle, you’re getting craftier. I just arrived, and I ran into this new rule requiring partnership with a high-rank band to enter, so I’m stuck here. What a coincidence running into you, Uncle Lyle.”

Lyle immediately understood Mo Han’s predicament. He laughed heartily and said, “So that’s how it is. I just arrived from headquarters with a few Elders. How about this: you can enter the city with us.”

Hearing Lyle’s offer, Mo Han certainly wouldn't refuse politely. He quickly expressed his gratitude with delight and walked toward the Church of Light contingent following Lyle.