Great Wilderness Demon Lord

Inside the ice city, after the gates were sealed off, a strange calm descended.

External threats seemed to have temporarily receded due to this decisive move, but internal pressures began to emerge.

The most pressing issue is food.

Inside the main tent, Steward Wu held the account book, his brow furrowed. "Young Master, before sealing the gates, I did a final inventory of the supplies. As for food, the total amount of millet, beans, dried meat, pickled vegetables, etc., should last about two months, enough to fully supply the entire army of 430 men."

He paused, his fingertips tracing across the ledger, his voice low: "But there are actually nearly 1,900 people in the city now. Even if our soldiers' rations are reduced to 70%, and the jackal prisoners are only given 30% to barely survive, the daily food consumption is still enormous."

If this rationing continues, the stored grain... will likely only last for about three months.

Three months.

Xiao Yunlan tapped her fingertips silently on the table.

It took longer than expected, but it was still urgent.

No one knew how long the battle in the south would last, whether Zhenhuang Pass could be held, when reinforcements would arrive, or even if they would arrive at all.

"Three months," he repeated, then looked up at Steward Wu. "What if the rations are reduced further? Soldiers 50%, prisoners 20%, or even 10%?"

Manager Wu's wrinkles deepened: "Young master, the soldiers are exhausted from guarding the city. Half of their rations are already the limit. Reducing them further may cause unforeseen circumstances and make it difficult to maintain morale."

As for the prisoners… 20% of their rations is practically the same as starving to death. If it's reduced further, I fear the prisoners will either riot or starve to death before the enemy even breaches the city.”

Xiao Yunlan remained silent. Steward Wu was telling the truth.

Hunger is a double-edged sword; it can tame a person, or it can drive them mad.

Especially in this frozen wasteland, once utter despair sets in, it's hard to predict what those jackal captives might do.

"We will proceed with the current rationing plan," he concluded. "We will closely monitor the grain depots and keep detailed records of daily grain consumption."

Furthermore, starting today, organize manpower to search for everything edible under the ruins and in the ice layer—rats, ants, insects, snakes, grass roots, tree bark, and even the grease residue scraped off during leather tanning—nothing should be wasted.

Tell everyone that a single grain of rice or a sip of soup could determine who survives to the end.

Steward Wu solemnly replied, "This old servant understands. However... young master, if there is still no news from the south after three months, we..."

"We'll figure things out then," Xiao Yunlan interrupted him, her tone calm and even. "Let's get through this first."

Manager Wu said no more and bowed as he withdrew.

On the day the rationing system was implemented, the atmosphere in the camp became noticeably somber.

At lunchtime, the porridge the soldiers received was much thinner than usual, and the rations of dried meat were reduced from the size of a finger to a thin slice.

Although no one complained openly, many people wore expressions of worry.

The sentries on the city wall stood guard in the cold wind, their hunger growing stronger.

The jackal prisoner camps were even more miserable.

Each person was given only a small bowl of thin porridge that was almost completely clear, and half a frozen, hard coarse grain pancake.

Many jackals held bowls, their eyes filled with despair. The cries of children and the low moans of female jackals echoed through the camp.

As Xiao Yunlan surveyed the camp, he could clearly sense the pervasive hunger and unease. Yet, his expression remained calm, as if all of this was within his expectations.

Deep within his dantian, the dark red flame surged violently at that moment.

The Slaughter Demon Bai Xiao has awakened.

A cold yet seductive whisper resounded directly in his mind:

"Why go through all this trouble? Why let these useless things waste precious food?"

"Fourteen hundred lives, fourteen hundred souls... What a rich offering this is."

"Offer sacrifices to True Martial Heavenly Venerable! Appease Crimson Blood Heaven with slaughter and bloodshed, in exchange for the Venerable's favor! You will gain power sufficient to tear apart any enemy before you!"

"Slaughter all these jackals! Then break through the ice and slaughter all those wolf-barbarian scum outside the city! Then march south, crush the main force of the wolf-barbarians, and lift the siege of Zhenhuang Pass! At that time, fame, glory, power... will all be in your hands!"

The voice was filled with a violent fanaticism, as if depicting a shortcut to supreme glory. Xiao Yunlan could even "see" the illusory scene: himself wielding a blood-stained longsword, charging through enemy lines like a demon god, invincible, leaving corpses strewn across the battlefield…

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the cold air.

When he opened his eyes again, they were clear again.

"Step back," he thought coldly.

This time, however, the Killing Demon's resistance was exceptionally fierce.

It was no longer just a whispered temptation; it began to stir up other demonic thoughts in the dantian.

The Courageous Demon exuded a thirst for battle, the Lustful Demon amplified his desire to control the lives and deaths of others, and even the Crimson-Gold Flame of the Extreme Passion Demon, representing obsession, swayed slightly due to the desperate situation before him.

The four demonic thoughts, like four ferocious beasts tormented by hunger, thrashed and roared in their cage, trying to break the balance.

Xiao Yunlan's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

He knew that any wavering at this moment could be amplified infinitely by the demonic thoughts, dragging him into eternal damnation.

He stopped sitting and got up, pacing slowly inside the small tent.

Each step was taken with a steady gait, as if measuring the defenses of one's heart.

"Enough food for three months," he said to himself, and also to the demonic thought. "Three months is a lot of time. It can bring about change, it can find a way out, it can... survive without relying on sacrifices."

"The Rong barbarians outside the city number no more than six hundred. Our army has a fortified city to rely on, the advantage of our fortified positions, and the remaining morale of our troops. We are not yet at our wits' end, so why commit such an inhumane act?"

"True Martial Heavenly Venerable... Crimson Blood Heaven... pleases with slaughter? Does the power gained in exchange truly belong to me? Or will it become bait for even more ferocious demonic thoughts?"

He asked himself these questions one by one, using reason to analyze the illusion and danger behind the temptation of demonic thoughts.

The deep blue aura of the cunning demon seemed to sense his needs and began to operate on its own, coldly calculating the various risks and uncontrollable variables that the sacrifice might bring, dismantling the beautiful picture painted by the killing demon into pieces.

At the same time, he deliberately stirred up the obsession of the Demon of Extreme Passion—the obsession of "keeping these people alive"—using it as an anchor point to firmly fix his mind on it.

Gradually, the agitation within his dantian began to subside. The Slaughter Demon roared unwillingly, but the dark red flames had to be slowly withdrawn.

The Demon of Courage and the Demon of Indulgence also went into hiding. The light of the Demon of Extreme Passion stabilized, reflecting his inner resolve.

Xiao Yunlan stopped and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

This confrontation was more dangerous than any before, but it also gave him a clearer understanding of his entanglement with demonic thoughts.

Demonic thoughts will exploit all difficulties, fears, and desires to erode him.

All he can do is maintain extreme rationality, adhere to the anchor of his true self, and use the checks and balances between his demonic thoughts to walk on this tightrope.