Murata was unable to refute.

He lowered his head, bit his lip, and slammed his fist into the horse's back.

"So, is this the only way to deplete Qin Ze's forces? Can't we use Tan Gang City to gather all our troops and fight a decisive battle?" Murata asked, taking a deep breath, unwilling to give up.

Huang Tianwei shook his head:

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

"Qin Ze's army is very strong, but its strength is unknown, as is the combat method they use. If I had any intelligence at all, I wouldn't have made this suggestion to you."

"There's nothing we can do about it. Everyone who fought Qin Ze's army head-on has died. Only the dead know how they fought."

"Heh... Come to think of it, he was indeed ruthless."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Murata abruptly said:

“Lord Tianwei, you’re quite ruthless. Making this decision shows you don’t care about the lives of your soldiers at all.”

"After this defeat, you can still remain so calm, Tianwei Jun. Your heart is as cold as ice."

Seemingly realizing that his statement was somewhat inappropriate, Murata added:

"However, you are right. Perhaps it is because I spend so much time with them that I feel a little sorry for them, while you, as an outsider, have a clearer view of the situation."

"But in any case, it seems to be the best course of action right now."

"Let's retreat first, assess the strength of Qin Ze's army, and then deliver a powerful blow!"

Huang Tianwei suddenly chuckled, which puzzled Murata.

"What's so funny?" Murata asked, somewhat displeased.

Huang Tianwei stroked his chin and explained, "Of course, there are even better ways to respond."

"However, I thought you wouldn't agree, Murata-kun, so I didn't say anything."

Murata frowned and immediately said, "Tell me! If there's a better way to fight, why wouldn't I adopt it? I won't sacrifice my soldiers unless absolutely necessary!"

Huang Tianwei pursed his lips slightly and said calmly:

“Don’t defend the city, just keep retreating and return all the land we’ve taken to them.”

"We will not fight any battles with Qin Ze, or rather... we will not have any contact with him."

Murata's expression changed, and he shouted angrily, "Ten'i-kun! What are you saying!"

"Are we just going to give them all the territory we've taken for free?"

"Lord Tianwei, at a time like this, you still have the mood to joke with me!"

Huang Tianwei smiled and shook his head: "I haven't finished yet, Murata-kun, don't be in such a hurry."

Murata was stunned.

"It's not that we should just keep withdrawing troops. If that's the case, not only you, but I can't accept it either. I really want to kill Qin Ze and overthrow the Jin Dynasty at the same time."

What I mean is...

He paused briefly, then looked at the road ahead:

"Retreat until...reinforcements from the homeland arrive."

"You said that the people who came from the local area this time are Ito Sumiyoshi's new army. With their addition, along with us, after we gather together, we can carefully deploy our troops, choose a suitable battlefield, and then fight Qin Ze. I think our chances of winning should be very high."

"If we win, we can take back the territory we ceded, and we won't have to take too much risk. I think that's the best outcome..."

Before he could finish speaking, Murata suddenly reached out and grabbed Huang Tianwei's arm, his fingers gripping it tightly!

"Lord Tianwei, let me remind you one more time!"

"We and Ito Junyoshi will never be on the same side!"

"My warriors are all highly skilled, and each one of them has survived countless battles! They are true soldiers!"

"Ito Junyoshi and his gang rely on some strange and ingenious tricks, and their subordinates are all incompetent! They will never be able to replace us!"

"We're here to work hard this time to prove that we still have a significant role to play and that we're reclaiming the glory that belongs to us!"

Murata gritted his teeth and said fiercely.

Huang Tianwei nodded helplessly: "Yes, I understand."

"So, I told you from the start that you wouldn't agree."

Murata snorted and removed his hand from Huang Tianwei's arm.

"Remember, don't think about relying on those people!"

"I admit that their weapons are indeed very different from ours, and sometimes they can be extremely effective, but their problems are also very prominent!"

"If the enemy charges straight at them, they will have no chance to fight back."

"Only this can completely annihilate the enemy!" Murata picked up the katana hanging at his waist, looking at it with a devout and fervent gaze.

"My sword is called Dojigiri, forged by the renowned swordsmith Yukimura. It's a top-grade great sword!"

"Every time I hold it, I can feel a power emanating from this knife!"

"The feeling of controlling life and death when it beheads an enemy is something that matchlock guns can never match!"

"This blade has severed the heads of 298 enemies to date! I often hear the souls of those enemies groaning and screaming, but these sounds only make me feel more exhilarated!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Tianwei turned his face away.

Having spent so much time with Murata—or rather, with these Japanese people—he knew that they sometimes had very peculiar thoughts.

Murata continued speaking:

"Lord Tianwei, kill two more people, and we'll have three hundred!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!