War had never been a good thing.
But when two groups, whether willingly or unwillingly, entered a state of "war," neither side would call for a stop before they could no longer bear the cost of war.
"That's because war, as the most extreme form of politics, is often winner-takes-all. The losers not only lose everything they currently have, but may even bring disaster upon their descendants."
In Lu PingAn's eyes, war could in some sense be regarded as a form of "Investment," or even gambling.
Both sides kept raising the stakes, bearing ever-greater costs, and consuming their national strength, manpower, and even their futures. The victor, meanwhile, could draw nourishment from the loser's corpse to make up for their own losses.
Wars were not without winners, but not every war necessarily had so-called beneficiaries. Mutual loss was common as well.
A victor was not necessarily a beneficiary, but a loser... perhaps, in Lu PingAn's understanding, that was the most direct way to lose everything. No matter how he looked at it, it was a crushing defeat.
After confirming that the Soldier Path lacked the necessary components, Lu PingAn began his final round of collection.
Part of it came from "shopping." Liu Ku was not the only victim; those who had gone missing from the War Path during the Blood Feast became Lu PingAn's "nourishment."
The other part came from the Library's stockpile.
The "market operations" from that earlier period had helped it accumulate quite a few mid- and high-tier laws, abilities, and knowledge. Lu PingAn found what he wanted among them.
"Drinking blood—fresh blood—is Life Currency, and blood-sucking is a means of plundering Life Currency. Uh, I don't want to end up like the Blood Feast. Is there anything a little gentler and more refined?"
There actually was.
"Fervor