Lies

Gu Shenwei had insisted on going to war the next day for a reason. The most important was the Naihang Tribe. Zhesu was no ally, and sooner or later the whole camp would learn the truth, dragging morale even lower.

Dugu Xian offered another reason, one that had always been his guiding principle: if they wanted to hold their ground, they first had to attack. Only by convincing the soldiers that the gap in strength between the two sides was not as vast as they imagined could they make it through to winter with their defenses intact, instead of fleeing at the first sign of trouble.

This was especially important for the western allied forces. The war had not even begun, yet many of them were already afraid. Rumors of Luoluo's repeated victories along the eastern frontier were running rampant, and the idea of retreating to Tongtian Pass or the Xiaowan Kingdom remained very popular.

After expressing his surprise, Dudun quickly regained his composure and raised an objection. "The Dragon King and General Dugu are both right, but you're assuming we'll win tomorrow's battle. What if we lose? Morale will sink even lower, and even more men will flee."

"Better a short, sharp pain than a lingering one," Shulitu said. It was indeed what he truly thought. He was anxious about his delicate position and wanted a result as soon as possible.

Dugu Xian laughed a few times. "A short pain is better than a long one, but no pain at all is better still. Here is my plan. We'll gather the former Imperial Guard and ten thousand Dragon Army soldiers in the center and have them fight. The two wings will stand by, ready for battle. Luoluo will probably send only part of his main force to meet us.