Over the next few days, King Bai Ze began mobilizing troops and appointing commanders. The Protectorate Army's left and right camps numbered more than six hundred men combined. With the support personnel sent by the Medicine and Poison Department and the Pill Dao Academy, the force totaled more than eight hundred as it marched grandly toward Sunset City.
Before setting out, King Bai Ze summoned all the generals, including Lin Taichu.
Standing on a raised platform, he pointed at Sunset City on the map. "This city is the gateway to the western border. Take it, and we can drive straight in—advance to attack, retreat to defend. Within three days, I want news that the city has fallen!"
The generals answered in unison, their voices deafening. Lin Taichu stood among the crowd with little expression on his face, but inwardly, he was calculating how to minimize casualties.
Only after reaching the foot of Sunset City did King Bai Ze realize things were not as simple as he had imagined.
Although Sunset City's defending general, Li Hu, was a fool, not all the city's defenders were old men and crippled soldiers.
Apparently having received word in advance, Li Hu had conscripted many able-bodied men from the surrounding towns and villages. Together with the original soldiers, they numbered over five thousand. Their equipment was poor, but they had strength in numbers and fought hard when defending the city.
King Bai Ze's army attacked for two straight days without taking the city.
The Protectorate Army might have been strong in battle, but they could not withstand the enemy's overwhelming numbers. Moreover, the defenders seemed ready to risk everything, desperately hurling boulders and boiling oil down from the walls. The Protectorate Army suffered considerable losses, and morale dropped sharply.
On the second night, King Bai