Qin Yingguang refused without hesitation. "Even with me, it won't be enough."
"You won't even try?"
"Try? If failure only meant losing some money, I'd certainly try. A hundred times, a thousand times-it wouldn't matter. But failure means death. Beardy Chu, I won't take that risk with you."
Chu Xiaoang seemed to have expected Qin Yingguang's refusal and showed no displeasure.
He let out a long sigh and changed the subject. "Big Qin, do you want to keep being the mighty Commander Qin, just as you are now, until you die?"
Qin Yingguang remained cold. "Being a commander isn't enough for you? Would you only be satisfied as Marshal of the Seventh Army?"
"You know that's not what I mean."
Qin Yingguang fell silent for a moment, then answered, "I understand. You mean that by collecting this tax, the United Government has openly bared its blade and told us it doesn't care whether we join forces with the World-Destroying Church. Whether we resist or not, sooner or later the United Government and those bastards in Zone 1 will reap us. If we don't strive to advance and only want to remain commanders, never mind keeping our positions-we probably won't even know what killed us."
"Yes, that's exactly what worries me," Chu Xiaoang said. "The United Government hasn't moved against us yet only because it hasn't completely dealt with the World-Destroying Church. Perhaps the people in Zone 1 think showing their contempt for us will be enough to cow us."
Qin Yingguang's tone finally softened, his voice carrying concern. "Once the hunt is over, the hounds get slaughtered. If the World-Destroying Church is gone, there'll be even less reason to maintain a balance of power within the Safe Zone. From what I can tell, the World-Destroying Church seems to intend this