Chapter 43

"An opportunity for revenge?" Bian Wushuang slowly put down his teacup, stroked his long, beautiful beard, and looked at Bian Wenzhong.

"The Death Battalion, that damned Death Battalion, actually didn't enter the city but camped on Maer Mountain, about three miles away. Do you think they are foolish or arrogant?" Bian Wenzhong's eyes revealed an excited look.

"Actually camped outside the city?" A thoughtful expression appeared in Bian Wushuang's eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly laughed. "Let's go and see what the situation is."

On Maer Mountain, the flag of the Death Battalion fluttered high, but apart from the flag, nothing else was visible, not even a single person. From where Bian Wushuang stood, he could not see the specific defensive arrangements on the mountain, except for the horse barriers and trenches scattered across the hillside.

"Remarkable!" Bian Wushuang stared at Maer Mountain, his eyes filled with admiration. This was the respect between professionals. "No wonder they are the most capable army in the western border of Chu. I had only heard that this army was fierce in battle, but I didn't expect them to be so skilled in defense as well."

"No matter how powerful they are, they are only two thousand men. Taking them down would be easy." Bian Wenzhong said with a sneer. "Father, many of our people have fallen to the Death Battalion. This time, it's a good opportunity for revenge."

Bian Wushuang glanced at his son and said coldly, "On the battlefield, it's either you die or I die. Each serves their own master, and there is no room for personal grudges. They died at the hands of the Death Battalion because they were not skilled enough. Even if you want to hate, you can't blame them."

"Who else should I hate if not them?" Bian Wenzhong was puzzled.

Bian Wushuang looked at his son and shook his head. "Son, when you look at things, you need to see the root cause and not be blinded by superficial appearances. Is it that simple for our people in the border army to fall in battle?"

"Yes, Father, I know there's something strange about it, but ultimately, they still died at the hands of the Death Battalion. Seeing them, how can I not be angry? If they fall into our hands, how can we let them go?"

Looking at his son, who was filled with righteous indignation, Bian Wushuang laughed. "Wenzhong, how much are you willing to pay to take down the Death Battalion in front of us?"

Bian Wenzhong was taken aback, then looked at Maer Mountain again, and after a moment of deep thought, he remained silent.

Seeing his son's silence, Bian Wushuang's eyes showed a hint of approval. "That's more like it. You didn't boast or underestimate the enemy. The Death Battalion has gained a reputation over the years, not just through talk, but through real battles. Although they have stepped on the blood of our Great Qin border army, you know that our border army, despite its simple equipment, is not weak and has strong combat capabilities."

Pointing to Maer Mountain, Bian Wushuang said seriously, "Based on my experience, if we want to take Maer Mountain and completely annihilate the Death Battalion, we will have to suffer almost twice the casualties of the enemy."

"Even if our Thunder Army takes action, we still need such heavy casualties to take it down?" Bian Wenzhong was surprised, his mouth wide open.

"Exactly." Bian Wushuang looked at his son. "Now, do you still insist on fighting?"

"Father, what if we gather the best warriors in the army to form an elite unit?"

"How many are you willing to lose?" Bian Wushuang sneered. "In the Thunder Army, there are thirty-eight warriors of the seventh level or higher, and eighteen of them are here with us. If we gather them all, they can indeed break through the enemy's defenses, but how many will survive?"

Bian Wenzhong was silent.

Bian Wushuang dismounted and sat on the ground, patting the ground beside him. "Come, sit down, Wenzhong. Usually, I am busy with military and political affairs and rarely chat with you. Today, let's have a good talk. Tell me, do martial arts experts decide the outcome of a battle?"

"No." Bian Wenzhong sat beside his father as instructed, his expression somewhat excited. Usually, his father was extremely stern and rarely this gentle.

"Right, martial arts experts are never the final deciding factor in war. The true deciders are the ordinary soldiers. Otherwise, the Cao family of Qi would have unified the world long ago. In terms of martial arts experts, the four countries of the world combined cannot match Qi, but after so many years, what can Qi do to the other three countries? They are still in a stalemate."

"I'm not saying martial arts experts are unimportant, but they are not the key to victory. The key is always the overall situation. The elite unit you mentioned can easily break through the enemy's defenses, but according to my estimate, out of eighteen people, no more than ten will survive. It takes at least a dozen years for an ordinary person to reach the seventh level, but on the battlefield, they might be easily killed by an ordinary soldier with a simple armor-piercing dart. Is that worth it?"

Bian Wenzhong shook his head.

"More importantly, is this battle worth it?" Bian Wushuang smiled. "I'm telling you this to make you understand that a soldier's life is precious when it's not worth it, but a general's life is not spared when it is. In the current situation, I don't think it's worth losing even a single soldier. What is the purpose of our battle this time? Two things: to eliminate the main force of Chu's western border army and to plunder Anyang County to help our Great Qin through this natural disaster. Now, our goals are almost achieved. Zuo Lixing is gone, and Chu's western border army is finished. Our army is currently taking everything we need from Anyang County. So, what's the point of a small Death Battalion? From now on, we control the Luoying Mountains. Chu will not recover for seven to ten years, if at all. Moreover, will we just sit and watch them rebuild a powerful border army? Besides, there is only one Zuo Lixing, and once he's gone, he's gone." Bian Wushuang smiled. "No matter how fierce the Death Battalion is, without the support of the entire Chu western border army, they are nothing."

"Father is right. There will be other opportunities to deal with them." Bian Wenzhong said.

"Wenzhong, I brought you out this time to teach you more about war. War is always a means, not an end. War always serves political goals. Like now, we could easily capture Anyang County and sweep through the entire western region of Chu, but why don't we do it?"

"I was just about to ask, Father. Many of the generals think the same way. This is a good opportunity to strengthen our Great Qin." Bian Wenzhong said. "It's a pity to let it go. Many people say that our Great Qin's upper echelons are too timid."

"Do you think so too? Do you think people like me, General Li, the Emperor, and even Deng Pu are cowards?" Bian Wushuang laughed.

Bian Wenzhong shook his head repeatedly.

"This is where we need to look at the overall situation." Bian Wushuang smiled. "You are my eldest son and the future leader of the Bian family. You have much to learn. Remember, from your position, you are already standing high enough. You need to learn to look beyond the surface and see the bigger picture. We are not after a short-term victory, but the long-term prosperity of Great Qin."