Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1295 - 1288: The Importance of Struggle

Chapter 1295: Chapter 1288: The Importance of Struggle

"Old Hu, carry him up. Let’s find a safe place to properly interrogate him," Ziang told Hu Daoke.

"No, he seems like he’s about to die," Hu Daoke poked the soft body of the man, speaking with some concern.

"Uh, well then, Xiao Fula, quickly treat him. Keep him alive. We finally caught a ’tongue’; we can’t waste it," Ziang urgently ordered.

After a tense struggle, the group, along with their captive, left the city outskirts and headed for the predetermined rendezvous point. By dawn, they had finally reached the meeting spot.

Only then did they have the chance to get a good look at the captive they had seized—a young man in his twenties, displaying typical Kyushu features. He wore a suit of lightweight leather armor, likely just casual wear.

Looking at the dying man, the group exchanged glances, realizing an important problem; they did not speak Kyushu, and presumably, the guy couldn’t understand the Demon Clan’s language.

This was awkward; now they either had to find a translator or take him back for interrogation. But in this wilderness, where could they find a translator? If they took him back, his body might not hold out, especially since his Inner Core had been shattered and his organs were likely damaged.

"This is awkward. We caught a ’tongue,’ but we can’t understand what he says," Hu Daoke said, scratching his head and speaking awkwardly.

"It’s not awkward. Just catch a translator," Ziang responded with a shrug.

"Where do we find a translator out here in the wilderness?" Hu Daoke spread his hands and asked.

"Are you kidding? Isn’t Wufeng City full of Kyushu people? Since they dare come to West Outer Heaven, surely some can speak both Kyushu and Demon Clan languages. Just catch one and interrogate them," Ziang said.

"But can a captured translator be trusted?" Hu Daoke expressed doubt.

"If not, we have this!" Ziang said, pulling a long sword from its sheath and then planting it in the ground.

"Your methods have become increasingly extreme lately," Hu Daoke scratched his head and asked, "So who will go catch the translator?"

"I will. I look a lot like them; it won’t be easy for me to get caught," Feng raised her hand and volunteered.

"How about that?" Hu Daoke turned to Ziang, seeking confirmation.

"Just catch them outside the city; don’t go into the city," Ziang contemplated.

"I understand," Feng nodded, standing up to prepare to leave.

"Wait," Baiyue suddenly spoke, stopping her, then said, "Focus on capturing the merchants. These people travel widely and are more likely to be bilingual."

"Understood!" Feng nodded and then turned to leave.

"Ah, who would have thought Yue’er was so clever," Hu Daoke looked at Ziang and said.

"She’s always been smart, alright," Ziang rolled his eyes and then told Baiyue, "Yue’er, keep him alive at all costs. Don’t let him die on us yet."

Back with Luo’er, assisting Tangmo to train Magic students was just a secondary job; his primary duty was to move forward with political mobilization, to prepare the Fighters mentally.

However, such advanced thinking also sparked skepticism among some from the Demon Clan, who believed there was no need for such mobilization work; simply ordering the soldiers would suffice.

Luo’er’s suggestion not only failed to gain the approval of the Beast Head Tribe, but even Linglan and Yunji were skeptical about his approach. As for Zisu, she was willing to believe in him solely out of friendship.

On the way to the army camp, Zisu looked back at the somewhat dejected Luo’er and shook her head helplessly, saying, "I really don’t understand why you insist on this."

"Language is a highly provocative art; if used correctly, it can adjust the soldiers’ mindset and bring out their maximum combat effectiveness," Luo’er said earnestly.

"Shouldn’t the enhancement of combat effectiveness be due to the advancement of weapons? You all have already helped us improve our weapons; isn’t that enough?" Zisu shrugged.

"Zisu," Luo’er said, looking at her, "Weapons are indeed important, but it is people, not weapons, that decide the outcome of a war. No matter how advanced the weapons are, they are useless without the right soldiers."

"You always find words to refute me; is that your art?" Zisu said with a smile shaking her head.

"Because our history is longer than yours, many things that happened and were somewhat regrettable later turned into lessons learned. We have seen armies with the most advanced weapons, but because these soldiers lacked the will to fight, they collapsed in front of inferior enemies," Luo’er said.

"So if you complete your so-called mobilization, will our soldiers be able to confront the generals of the Dongsheng army?" Zisu asked.

"No," Luo’er shook his head, answering firmly, "Objective gaps in strength cannot be compensated for by subjective factors."

"Then..." Zisu couldn’t continue, spreading her hands with a shrug, indicating her stance.

"It’s still what I said, resist to the death or submit and let the enemy kill you at ease," Luo’er said.

"Is there any difference?" Zisu asked, tilting her head, flicking her ears.

"We offer you a new perspective," Luo’er continued, "when considering a matter, we should look at it from both sides, not just from our own position. If we look at this from the perspective of the Demon Clan, it seems tragic, whether we resist or not, the outcome is almost always death, but..."

He paused, then continued, "If we consider this from the perspective of the Dongsheng Empire, the situation is quite different. Imagine you are now a soldier of the Dongsheng army, and your enemies are a group of ruthless assassins. If you’re not careful, they might counter-kill you, leaving no room for luck. In this scenario, would you choose to charge recklessly, or would you think twice?"

"Of course, you need to think carefully before fighting; it’s very dangerous since a careless mistake might cost your life," Zisu tried to assume the role and then affirmed.

"That’s good," Luo’er nodded in satisfaction, and then said, "Now, you’re still a soldier of the Dongsheng army, but your enemies are soldiers without any will to fight. With a slight charge, they will immediately disperse. At this time, do you choose to charge recklessly or think twice?"

"Are you saying..." After hearing his words, Zisu fell into a long silence and then hesitantly raised her head to ask.

"You probably have guessed what I’m trying to convey," Luo’er said, "Exactly, if every soldier of the Demon Clan fights to the death, then they are those ruthless assassins. When the Dongsheng army faces them, they would think thrice before advancing recklessly."

"But if the Demon Clan soldiers stop resisting, then they are those soldiers without any will to fight, and when the Dongsheng army attacks, there won’t be so much hesitation."

"I see!" Upon hearing Luo’er’s speech, Zisu nodded in sudden realization.

"So, that’s why mobilization is necessary," Luo’er explained. "We need to mobilize all the members of the Demon Clan, imprinting the mark of resisting the invaders in their hearts, making each one of them strong fighters, not lambs to the slaughter."

"Some might think, mobilizing all the Demon Clan members, arming everyone, if those ordinary people encounter the Dongsheng army and launch futile attacks, what then?"

"Here, I must clarify that the Human Race’s prejudice against the Demon Clan is deep-rooted, and those Demon Clan members who harbor hope of escaping trouble by not resisting should not expect to avoid misfortune. Resistance might lead to death, but not resisting doesn’t necessarily ensure survival either, history has many such examples."

"Every time the Demon Clan members resist, the Dongsheng Empire has to be more cautious and dare not advance rashly. If all the Demon Clan members had united and resolutely resisted from the start of the war, the situation would not have developed to this point."

"It is precisely because of your constant concessions that the Dongsheng Empire dared to advance, even a force of more than ten thousand dared to attack the city, these arrogant actions are all because of your non-resistance," Luo’er stated.