When the torrent of war amid Blood and Fire came roaring in, Huai Shi could not help but lose himself for a moment.
He recalled what Ai Qing had told him before their farewell.
"If possible, Huai Shi, I hope you can show mercy," she had said. "Try not to kill Solomon. It would be best if you could capture him alive or take him prisoner."
Huai Shi was stunned.
It was not that he was surprised by the difficulty of the request, but that Ai Qing would make such a request, one that sounded almost amateurish.
Against an enemy like Solomon, forget holding back—even leaving him with a single breath would invite endless disaster.
"It'll be difficult to hold back against an enemy on that level, won't it?"
Huai Shi was helpless. "That request is asking a bit too much."
"Because you can do it, that's why I said it."
Ai Qing seemed to smile as she tossed the problem to Huai Shi, enjoying his troubled expression. For the first time in a long while, she felt amused.
"Why?" Huai Shi asked. "Doing something meaningless doesn't sound like you."
"If I had to say, it's curiosity. I think it's important," Ai Qing replied. "Compared to the threat Solomon poses, what I care about more is his motive."
"Hm?"
"Why did he do this? Why did he choose such an excessively dangerous strategy and tactic? And... why did he give us so many opportunities?"
Recalling Solomon's record and command history, Ai Qing shook her head. "More than once, he had the chance to kill every participant, Huai Shi.
"From the beginning of the Regeneration Plan, from when he made his declaration, and from when he received that list—there were many opportunities. He had already come close to victory, yet for