The King of Rohan regarded the salt industry as if he were an octogenarian elder; once Gandalf freed him from the curse, his body recovered at a visibly rapid pace. In mere seconds, his pallor shifted from ashen gray to a healthy flush, and the aged man was restored to the vigor of his prime.

Théoden, King of Rohan, was a formidable knight renowned for his martial prowess. Within two or three days of his restoration, his weakened body was capable of emitting Dou Qi or galloping on horseback. The intensity of the Dou Qi he could unleash far surpassed even Aragorn’s, a testament to his enduring valor despite being past the peak of a man’s physical prime—a truly remarkable sight.

These few days were for Aragorn and the six members of the Middle-earth team to recuperate. Because Théoden had been under control for so long, the internal governance and military affairs of Rohan had fallen into deep chaos. This period was necessary for Théoden to regain his strength and reorganize the state. Although Gandalf was anxious, he did not press the King too hard, instead offering silent support in sorting out domestic issues.

During these days, the others, including Zheng Zha, were not purely resting. With Théoden’s consent, they began gathering a large number of common folk in the city. Cheng Xiao tested the blood attributes of each civilian one by one, ultimately selecting the thirty strongest men. After drawing a sufficient volume of blood from them, the surgery on Boromir could finally proceed.

Zheng Zha managed the internal energy required to thaw the frozen organs, while Zhao Zhuikong assisted Cheng Xiao. This was a genuine field surgery—a heart and lung operation conducted under extremely rudimentary conditions. After nearly ten grueling hours, Cheng Xiao finally announced the successful completion of the procedure, albeit with deep exhaustion etched on his face. However, Boromir would require months of convalescence, meaning he would be entirely out of the fighting capacity for the War of the Ring.

That was one matter. The other involved Gandalf’s promise to release the bonding status of Zheng Zha’s two weapons. Taking advantage of this downtime, Gandalf decided to proceed immediately, as freeing the weapons would restore a vital fighting force for the coming battles. Yet, the magic required for this unbinding was extremely complex, demanding significant energy stones. Furthermore, Gandalf would be severely drained for several days afterward—precisely why he chose this moment to undertake the process.

Zheng Zha and the others wanted to witness the unbinding ceremony, but Gandalf sternly ushered them all out of the room. He then began shouting loudly by himself inside, reciting strange incantations in an unknown tongue. Only when numerous beams of light erupted from the chamber did the group realize this unbinding process was even more taxing than dispelling Saruman’s curse. The light gradually dimmed after several tens of minutes, and then Gandalf emerged, visibly weary.

Without a word, he handed the two weapons to Zheng Zha, then turned and shut the door behind him, adding a final instruction that he should not be disturbed.

“He looks truly exhausted,” Jin Piao murmured, staring dumbfounded as Gandalf closed the door. He whispered this to the others.

Aragorn and the Elf Prince nodded in agreement. Their attention then shifted to the weapons in Zheng Zha’s hands, beginning with the crystalline Sword of Oath and Renewal.

The sword now displayed its true form: an ancient, heavy greatsword. The weapon appeared utterly unremarkable, possessing no distinguishing features, looking like any ordinary two-handed sword, save for two simple runes engraved on either side of the blade. It was truly an unimpressive piece of steel.

The silver metal bow, however, radiated sharp intensity. Its once flawlessly smooth body was now inscribed with countless ancient runes and bizarre patterns. Faint threads of silver light flowed between the dark etchings. Holding it, Zheng Zha sensed none of these light threads, yet the unbound silver bow possessed an undeniably striking presence.

Zheng Zha wasted no time. He immediately passed both weapons to Zhao Yingkong and Zhang Heng, watching them personally drip their blood onto the artifacts. He saw the Sword of Victory and Pledge vanish once more, and the runes and patterns covering the silver metal bow disappear.

He finally exhaled. “Weapons bound by an owner each possess formidable inherent skills. Take advantage of this quiet period and make sure you master them thoroughly; otherwise, you might regret it when the fighting starts.”

Zhang Heng readily agreed, nodding repeatedly. Zhao Zhuikong, however, merely glanced at Zheng Zha before silently taking the Sword of Victory and Pledge and departing alone. Judging by her direction, she intended to begin training outside the city immediately.

Watching Zhao Zhuikong’s retreating back, Zhang Heng sighed. “It’s hard to believe she’s a girl. She trains so relentlessly, never showing any sign of fatigue. She truly lives up to her origins from the Assassin World; we are fundamentally different from her.”

Zheng Zha gazed deeply at the small girl’s shadow, sighing softly. “No, the title ‘Assassin World’ isn’t enough to describe what she carries. Too many things are weighing her down, forcing her to struggle desperately just to survive. It all comes down to power. We all lack the power necessary to shatter our own fates—we lack power, truly…” Watching Zhao Yingkong, the young girl looked so profoundly isolated that one couldn't help but wish to share the burden of her heavy past, just to ease her loneliness.

Several days later, with the administration of Rohan slightly reorganized, King Théoden finally summoned Gandalf and Zheng Zha’s party. Without preamble, he laid out his intentions. “Saruman’s army is approaching. Scouts report he has mobilized over ten thousand Uruk-hai. These are not timid Orcs or Goblins; these are the formidable Uruk-hai monsters. They will reach us in a few days, and we are currently incapable of resisting Saruman’s full host. Therefore, I intend to evacuate all citizens and the army to Helm’s Deep, relying on its natural fortifications to withstand over ten thousand Uruk-hai!”

Gandalf shook his head. “That is only a fraction of Saruman’s main force. Once he breaks through Rohan, he will link up with the Orc armies from Mordor. Reluctantly, I must admit that with only a few hundred cavalry here, even relying on Helm’s Deep, we cannot hold against that host of Uruk-hai. What you need is not to flee, but a courageous counterattack.”

Aragorn quickly added, “Not far from here, a cavalry contingent of two thousand men is moving north. They are your most loyal subordinates, merely marginalized from the Rohan army previously. You can certainly rely on this force; their commander, Éomer, remains fiercely loyal to you.”

Théoden sighed deeply. “They are at least a thousand and five hundred kilometers away; we can no longer contact them. If we wait here for them to return, they will never arrive before the Uruk-hai slaughter our people. This has nothing to do with loyalty. I have decided: we lead the entire capital population into Helm’s Deep!”

Gandalf and Aragorn sighed, saying no more. Then, Chu Xuan spoke up. “Are there one hundred elite knights? I mean the most select Rohan Iron Riders possessing Dou Qi, and these knights must also be proficient in mounted archery.”

Everyone blinked in surprise. Théoden considered the matter wearily. “Excluding the two hundred Royal Guards, there should be about one hundred such elite knights among the remaining cavalry, but using them against over ten thousand Uruk-hai is impossible. The disparity in numbers is too vast.”

Chu Xuan shook his head. “There is no need to fight them head-on, only to delay them. You will be leading the populace, and the marching speed will inevitably be slow. The civilian column will stretch longer and longer, making it vulnerable to harassment by even a small band of Uruk-hai riders. Rather than waiting for them to harass you, it is better to send a force out first to cause trouble. The purpose of these one hundred elite heavy horsemen is to slow the Uruk-hai army, harass them from the flanks, eliminate their scouts, destroy any small pursuing Uruk-hai detachments, burn their supplies, strike their rear, and raid their camps at night. By the time the Uruk-hai reach Helm’s Deep, they will be utterly exhausted. That is the role these one hundred elite horsemen will serve.”

The key plot characters’ eyes lit up. In this era, while small-scale harassing actions occurred, neither good nor evil truly employed organized guerrilla warfare. Such tactics were alien to them. When Chu Xuan finished speaking, Théoden immediately stood up, pacing back and forth, clearly weighing the feasibility of dividing his forces. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth. “Very well, we will do that. Although losing these hundred elite cavalry will further weaken the defenses of Helm’s Deep, if it ensures the people’s safe passage inside, then the contribution of these hundred horsemen will be invaluable. My remaining cavalry commanders will lead the populace to Helm’s Deep. Aragorn, Zheng Zha, I need your help. You two will lead these one hundred knights to cover our retreat, holding the Uruk-hai army back as long as possible until every civilian is safely inside Helm’s Deep. After that, you must rush to join us. Go, lead these one hundred elite warriors of Rohan into battle!”