"On paper, we hold a clear advantage in troop numbers. But..."
His finger landed heavily on Dongyang City.
"This battle will most likely be a siege. Dongyang City backs onto the North Sea, giving it a natural line of defense. Its walls have been maintained by the rebels for years and frantically reinforced recently; they are bound to be impregnable. The city's reserves of grain, supplies, and materials must also be extremely abundant.
"Two hundred thousand rebels are defending the city, assisted by more than five thousand Soul Masters, and they hold the advantage of terrain. Our allied army comes from different factions, so coordinating command will take time. We have also marched a long way, our supply lines are stretched thin, and maintaining morale will be a problem."
Tang Lan's analysis was calm and incisive.
"If they are determined not to leave the city for a field battle, and instead rely wholly on the walls and defensive works to wear us down, then victory in this battle... will not come easily.
"Even if we win through a direct assault, it will surely be a pyrrhic victory, costing who knew how many lives. And the longer this drags on, the more variables there will be. The Holy Spirit Cult may have other tricks up its sleeve."
The air in the room seemed to grow heavier because of Tang Lan's clear-eyed, grim analysis. The cruelty and unpredictability of a siege weighed like an invisible boulder on Wen Yun and Wang Qiuer's hearts.
Even with their advantage in numbers, facing a fortified city that had been prepared for years and was determined to hold out, the price of victory would inevitably be too terrible to bear.
The battle had not officially begun, and the allied forces had not even fully assembled, yet