Xiao Pu sighed inwardly. He knew that Xie Chun had kept him behind alone not so much to save face for him as to save face for himself.
Xie Chun was surely worried that Xiao Pu might speak too bluntly. If he really offered some unpalatable advice and Xie Chun disagreed, things could turn ugly and challenge Xie Chun's authority.
Seeing Xiao Pu lost in thought and saying nothing, Xie Chun asked with an inscrutable smile, "What is it? Do you have some concerns?"
Xiao Pu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Master Xie, forgive me for speaking frankly, but I don't think we should keep sending troops to Panshi Ridge."
"Oh? Why not?"
"First, we don't know what the situation is at Panshi Ridge right now. What if we rush in and get ambushed?"
"No matter what the situation is, now that Liu Zai Lai and the others have fallen into official hands, conflict is bound to flare up sooner or later. We'll have to fight this battle eventually. Better sooner than later—we can catch them before they're ready."
Xie Chun had his reasons, of course. He wasn't going to send troops or start a war on a whim.
He knew that if they dragged things out, their opponents might not be limited to the authorities; the military could get involved too. In that case, they might as well strike before the military intervened and take the authorities down first. They could use their numerical advantage in a localized battle and hit them hard.
Xiao Pu sighed. "But would completely escalating the conflict really benefit us? Mount Dajin may be vast, but is there truly room for us to live there?"
Xie Chun said coldly, "Even if we don't escalate things, do you think the authorities and the military