Someone in Great Qian's ranks shouted as well, "Even more of our people died!"
"If you want a ceasefire, fine."
"Make Great Xun hand over the culprit first!"
Neither side was willing to back down first.
Great Chu and Great Yan had not withdrawn their troops either.
Great Chu had already occupied two major cities.
If they stopped now, they feared Great Yan would retaliate once it recovered its strength.
Great Yan, meanwhile, believed that if they kept holding out, Great Chu would retreat for lack of resources.
Whoever stopped first would be the loser.
The aristocratic clans and sects were even less willing to let matters rest.
Some had seized spiritual veins during the war.
Some had swallowed up old enemies.
Other sects had exhausted centuries of accumulated wealth to participate.
They had to gain more to make up for their losses.
The war was no longer driven by the original lie.
Greed, hatred, and fear had all become new reasons.
Han Yu laid the replies from the various dynasties before Su Yueli.
Not one had clearly agreed to a ceasefire.
"We've already found the truth."
Han Yu's voice was very low. "Why are they still fighting?"
"Because they want to."
Su Yueli looked at the casualty figures sent back from the front.
"Motian Xing merely gave them a reason to begin."
"The choices that followed were their own."
Han Yu tightened her grip on the Jade Slip.
"Then what's the point of uprooting these hidden agents?"
"At least no one will manufacture reasons for them anymore."
"But the war hasn't stopped."
Han Yu's eyes were filled with exhaustion. "Hundreds of thousands more have died in these past few days."
Su Yueli had seen that number too.
Those hundreds of thousands were only the people listed on the rolls.