Great Wilderness Demon Lord

"The Wolf Rong army is marching south, and their supply lines are long. Wugu's detachment has been left here, so their supplies are unlikely to be plentiful. They lost dozens of elite troops last night, so their losses will be even greater." Xiao Yunlan's gaze was deep. "A siege is a two-way street. They are waiting for us to run out of food, and we... perhaps we can also see how long they can hold out."

Perhaps, is there even a chance to disrupt their supply lines?

Zhao Meng's spirits lifted: "Does the captain mean we could perhaps take the initiative and seize their grain?"

"It's just a hypothesis," Xiao Yunlan said cautiously. "With Ice City sealed off, it's difficult for a large army to leave. But a small elite force might have a chance. The prerequisite is that we must figure out their supply patterns, their guard strength, and most importantly—find a secret route that can quietly enter and leave Ice City right under their noses."

It's difficult, but not impossible.

He patted Zhao Meng on the shoulder: "Let's focus on what's at hand first. Have Tieshan come see me. We need to reassess the defenses of each section of the city wall, especially the night watch arrangements."

Although Wugu suffered a defeat last night, he is vengeful and cunning, and may attempt revenge in other directions.

"clear!"

The next two days in Harbin were a period of brief exhilaration followed by deeper exhaustion.

The order to temporarily restore full rations brought some color back to the faces of the garrison soldiers, but everyone knew it was just a temporary measure.

The bodies of fallen comrades were properly recovered, and the wounded received treatment under limited conditions.

Repairs to the city walls continued, and the defensive details of the bastions and ramparts were repeatedly checked and reinforced.

The Wolf Rong camp on the north bank was unusually quiet, with far fewer patrolling cavalry, creating a sense of oppressive gloom.

Occasionally, scavenging vultures could be seen circling above the camp, marking the remains of burned corpses. Wugu was clearly rebuilding his strength, but his digestion had failed.

Xiao Yunlan spent most of his time on the top floor of the bastion, observing and thinking.

Although he did not use his demonic thoughts in the battle against Wugu, the agitation of the demonic thoughts in his dantian was more obvious than ever before under the high intensity of the confrontation.

The killing demons, in particular, showed a strong craving for the bloody atmosphere of the previous night.

He had to expend more effort to suppress and channel the tension, maintaining that fragile balance.

At the same time, the idea in his mind—the possibility of small elite troops leaving the city to harass or even cut off the Wolf Rong's supply lines—became increasingly clear.

This is by no means an easy task. It requires the right timing and location, accurate intelligence, an absolutely loyal and fearless elite squad, and, most importantly, a perfect opportunity to deceive Wugu's spies.

This path is more dangerous than waiting for reinforcements, but it may be the only proactive option to break this suffocating stalemate.

On the third day at dusk, Tieshan brought a new observation report from the hidden sentries.

"Captain, this afternoon at the North Shore camp, a small team of about twenty men, escorting several empty vehicles, headed northeast. Judging from the direction, they were heading towards the winter camp further north of the Black Claw tribe."

Two hours later, they returned with carts fully loaded with animal-hide sacks, which appeared to contain grain. The guards had changed; there were now about thirty riders.

Xiao Yunlan narrowed his eyes slightly: "Frequency?"

"This is the first time in the last five days that we've seen them transporting grain back from the north," Tieshan said. "There must have been other instances before, but they were probably more covert or spaced out more frequently."

Our men didn't dare get too close, but we estimated the convoy wasn't large, probably only enough to feed five or six hundred people for a few days each time.

"Supplies are not plentiful..." Xiao Yunlan pondered. "Their main force has suffered greater losses on their southward march, so the amount of food and supplies that can be allocated to Wugu's detachment is bound to be limited. They lost dozens more men last night, which reduces their short-term losses, but their morale has been dampened. Wugu may request more supplies to stabilize the army's morale... This is an opportunity."

He looked at Tieshan: "How's the cleaning of that abandoned drainage culvert coming along?"

When planning the reconstruction, Xiao Yunlan noticed that beneath the ruins of Wangbeibao, there was an early stone-built drainage tunnel leading to the Shuoshui River.

Because the fortress partially collapsed and blocked when it was breached, and the exit was hidden among the rocks on the steep riverbank, it was never discovered by the Lang Rong.

Several days ago, he secretly ordered Tieshan to bring reliable people to carry out the clearing and expansion.

Tieshan said in a low voice, "It's almost done. The rubble and ice at the exit have been carefully cleared away, and the narrowest part inside has been widened to allow one person to pass by bending over. It leads directly to the vicinity of the cellar in the city ruins. It's partially covered with debris, so it's very well hidden."

"Alright." A sharp glint finally flashed in Xiao Yunlan's eyes. "Have our men continue to keep a close eye on the grain transport convoy on the north bank. Find out the approximate time, route, and escort strength for their next grain transport. Also..."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Select ten men from the guard and veterans. They must be absolutely reliable, brave, preferably familiar with operations in the northern snowfields, cold-resistant, and able to endure long-term infiltration."

Tell them it's a mission with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. Those who volunteer will be richly rewarded after the battle, regardless of whether they live or die. Those who refuse will not be forced, nor should they be told anything.

Tieshan's heart skipped a beat; he knew the captain was finally about to take that step. He straightened his back and said in a deep voice, "Understood! I'll get on it right away!"

Xiao Yunlan nodded, indicating that he could go about his business.

Standing alone on the fortress as dusk deepened, Xiao Yunlan looked towards the flickering lights of the Wolf Rong camp to the north, and then towards the southeast—the direction of Zhenhuang Pass, and also the direction of his homeland.

Staying put would only lead to certain death. Even if the road ahead was fraught with danger, he had to fight for that glimmer of hope.

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

Since thwarting Wugu's sneak attack that night, both sides have entered a more cautious stalemate.

The patrol range of the Wolf Rong cavalry seemed to have expanded outward by several miles, and the blockade around Ice City had reached an impenetrable level, but they no longer easily approached the city walls to provoke them.

Wugu clearly accepted the reality that a direct assault would be ineffective, and instead opted for the purest form of defense—he wanted to completely wear down this isolated city.

This strategy is the bluntest yet most difficult knife to crack for Harbin.

Every sunrise and sunset signifies a depletion of food reserves, a erosion of morale, and a flickering of the last embers of hope.

But Xiao Yunlan did not sit idly by and wait for his death.

He devoted more of his energy to detailed observation of the Wolf Rong camp on the north bank.

The sentries led by Tieshan were like ghosts on the ice field, lurking behind pre-selected snowdrifts or rock crevices that could barely avoid the sight of the patrol riders, recording every move on the opposite bank with their frozen hands.

The initial focus of observation was on the movement patterns of Wugu's main force and the weak points in the camp's defenses.

But soon, a more attractive goal emerged—supplies.

The Wolf Rong were not tireless war machines.

They need food, water, and fuel to keep warm.

Especially for this detachment left behind to carry out a long-term siege, the daily consumption of several hundred men was no small matter. Where did their supplies come from?