Great Wilderness Demon Lord

Like a chain reaction, more and more jackals gave up resistance, prostrated themselves on the ground, and let out mournful whimpers.

Xiao Yunlan sheathed his sword, looked at the group of jackal prisoners kneeling before him, and slowly exhaled a breath of white air.

The battle is over.

Zhao Meng and Tieshan led their men to tally the battle results. In this battle, 537 jackals were killed and over 1,400 were captured, mostly women and children; fewer than 300 were able-bodied men. Their own side suffered 11 dead and over 20 wounded.

Lin Zhong's cavalry shot and killed nearly a hundred fleeing soldiers on the outskirts, with no casualties among themselves and only a few minor injuries.

"What should we do?" Zhao Meng walked over, looked at the trembling prisoners, and asked in a low voice.

Xiao Yunlan was silent for a moment, then said, "Take them all back to Ice City. The able-bodied men will be assigned to the hard labor team to build city walls and dig trenches. The women and children... will be kept in separate care and can be assigned some light work, such as mending clothes and processing animal hides."

Zhao Meng hesitated for a moment: "Captain, with so many people, I'm afraid the food supply..."

"They should have some food reserves of their own, so we'll requisition that first," Xiao Yunlan said. "As for what comes later, we'll deal with that after the Wolf Rong army has retreated."

What he didn't say was that if they couldn't hold out, these prisoners... might still have other uses.

Lin Chong rode over, glanced at the prisoners, and asked Xiao Yunlan, "Lieutenant Xiao, do you intend to take these people back?"

"Not bad." Xiao Yunlan nodded. "The defense of Ice City requires a lot of manpower, and these jackals are just right."

Lin Chong frowned, but said nothing, only saying, "In that case, our mission is complete. We will now return to our patrol area. Take care, Captain Xiao."

He clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned his horse around, and led his cavalry away.

Xiao Yunlan watched them disappear at the edge of the snowfield, then turned and ordered, "Form ranks, escort the prisoners, and return to Ice City."

The group began to assemble, using captured ropes to string the prisoners together and drive them southwest.

As the sun sets, it dyes the snowfield crimson.

Xiao Yunlan walked at the head of the procession, followed by the staggering prisoners, and then the guards escorting them.

He closed his eyes and looked inward.

Within his dantian, the deep blue flames of the Scheming Demon were slightly satiated from his previous "scheming," while the dark red flames of the Slaughter Demon were restless because they had not been fully released, creating a subtle confrontation between the two.

The crimson flames of the Extreme Emotion Demon hovered silently, while the crimson flames of the Unparalleled Courage Demon surged steadily.

The four kinds of demonic thoughts restrain and influence each other.

Xiao Yunlan knew that he was walking a tightrope that was getting narrower and narrower.

Each time one draws upon the power of demonic thoughts, the connection between them and oneself deepens.

Each time a demonic thought is suppressed, another demonic thought is needed, like drinking poison to quench thirst.

But he had no other choice.

Winter in Shuofeng Plain has only just begun.

-----------------

The prisoner group returned to Ice City before nightfall.

More than 1,400 jackal prisoners were driven into a temporarily cleared area in the southwest corner of the ruins, surrounded by broken walls and wooden fences, and guarded by 30 convicts and 20 lightly wounded recruits.

The camp suddenly became extremely crowded.

Manager Wu and several accountants worked through the night to inventory the seized supplies—the Jackal tribe was poor, but it was still the accumulated wealth of a tribe of three thousand people.

Animal hides, dried meat, coarse grains, herbs, and even some rough ironware and tools.

"Animal hides can be used to repair tents and make leather armor, dried meat and coarse grains can replenish food supplies, and ironware and tools will come in handy," Steward Wu reported to Xiao Yunlan. "In addition, we found a batch of tanned tendons that can be used to make bowstrings."

Xiao Yunlan nodded: "Put everything into storage and register it. From today onwards, all supplies will be allocated according to merit and contribution."

"Those prisoners..." Manager Wu asked hesitantly.

"The able-bodied men will begin work tomorrow, supervised by Zhao Meng. The women and children will be assigned light tasks, which you will oversee." Xiao Yunlan paused, "Tell them that if they work honestly, they will be fed; if they dare to resist or run away, they will be killed without mercy."

Manager Wu acknowledged and withdrew.

Xiao Yunlan walked out of the main tent and came to the ice wall.

Night had fallen, and a biting wind was blowing. Torches were lit on the wall, and the guards stood watch in the cold wind, their figures swaying in the firelight.

He looked north. The Wolf Rong army would arrive in a few days.

The 1,400 prisoners, while seemingly increasing the workforce, also brought new problems: food consumption increased dramatically, the guarding forces were dispersed, and there was a potential risk of riots...

But he had to do it.

Ice City needs reinforcement, trenches need to be deepened, and fortifications need to be improved. With the existing manpower, it is simply impossible to complete these tasks before the arrival of the Wolf Rong army.

Capture them; that's the only way.

Deep within his dantian, the cunning demon's deep blue flame flickered slightly, conveying a chilling confirmation: this is the optimal solution.

But almost simultaneously, the dark red flames of the Killing Demon surged, conveying its discontent—it craved blood and death, not enslavement and exploitation.

The clash between the two demonic thoughts stirred up ripples in his dantian.

Xiao Yunlan pressed his hand to his chest, forcing himself to calm down.

He needs this kind of confrontation. Only by keeping the demonic thoughts in check can he maintain his rational balance.

But this also means that he is being eroded more deeply by demonic thoughts. Every time he uses the power of demonic thoughts, every time he feeds on them, they become more closely connected to his soul.

It's like walking on the edge of an abyss; every step brings you closer to falling.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

Zhao Meng climbed onto the wall, his body still covered in the blood from the day's battle, his face full of exhaustion.

"Captain, the prisoners have been properly settled. However, we are short-handed in guarding them, in case..."

"Just in case," Xiao Yunlan interrupted him. "Tell all the prisoners that all their able-bodied men are in our hands. If there is any unusual activity, kill the able-bodied men first."

Zhao Meng was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "Understood."

"In addition," Xiao Yunlan turned to look at him, "starting tomorrow, you will be in charge of supervising the prisoners' labor. There are three key points: first, raise the ice wall by at least three feet; second, dig pits and set up barricades outside the wall; and third, gather all the usable stones in the ruins to build a second line of defense."

Zhao Meng noted it down and asked, "What about the construction period?"

"Five days," Xiao Yunlan said. "It must be completed within five days."

Zhao Meng gasped, "Captain, this..."

"We have to do it even if we can't." Xiao Yunlan said calmly, "The Wolf Rong army will arrive in ten days at the earliest. Before that, we must turn Ice City into a true impregnable fortress."

Zhao Meng gritted his teeth: "This subordinate will do his best."

"It's not just about trying, it's about having to." Xiao Yunlan looked at him. "Tell all the prisoners that if they don't finish within five days, everyone's food rations will be halved, and anyone who resists will be killed on the spot. If they don't finish within ten days, everyone will die!"

Zhao Meng took a deep breath and nodded emphatically: "Yes!"

He turned and walked down the city wall, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Xiao Yunlan stood alone on the wall, gazing at the pitch-black northern night sky.

He knew he was gambling.

He gambled that these jackal prisoners would work honestly under coercion and enticement, that they wouldn't take the opportunity to riot when the wolf-barbarian army arrived, and that he could maintain his sanity until the very last moment despite the corruption of demonic thoughts.

The odds of winning are slim for each one.

But he has to gamble.

Because taking a step back would mean falling into an abyss.