The first day of the siege was intense and brutal.0

Unlike the troops of the capital, who dismissed a winter campaign as a pointless endeavor, the forces of the Cui Clan and the Cao Gang had personal grudges against the Wang Clan, making them willing to fight tooth and nail.0

During the months-long siege of Puyang, many of the Cui Clan’s troops had fallen before the city walls. How could their comrades not want to avenge them? As for the Cao Gang, their deep-seated loyalty and gang-like solidarity turned their vendetta into a matter of personal honor—after all, their leader had been struck by surprise and left in a vegetative state. A call for vengeance was enough to drive these men of the jianghu into a frenzy.0

Adding to the mix were the fanatical Blood God Cult disciples, who seemed willing to trade their lives for a shot at advancing in rank. Together, this motley coalition managed to mount an assault that burned with fervent determination, defying the icy winds and snow.0

At the forefront of the attack, Xue Canghai wielded the Blood God Saber with devastating precision. The cult leader himself fought like a berserker, charging forward as though he were a common soldier, fully...0