PFC Chapter 718 - 718: 718: Setting Fire to the Mountains? Zhongli, the Spark Knight!
Chapter 718 - 718: 718: Setting Fire to the Mountains? Zhongli, the Spark Knight!
"Hold onto all of our current Emeralds. Only use them to trade with the Priest villagers for Flame enchantment books. Do not buy any other enchantments."Zhongli's voice was deep as he issued his commands. He paused, his gaze sweeping across the Sky Islands of Mondstadt and the other nations in the distance. His eyes were sharp, completely devoid of the heavy steadiness that over six thousand years of history usually imparted to him.
That look made Xiao's heart tremble. It was a look that had only belonged to the era of the Archon War, back when Zhongli led the Adepti in conquest. It was a look that laid bare his edge, supremely confident, yet incredibly reassuring. That was the gaze a God of Martial Arts ought to possess.
Inexplicably, Xiao felt a surge of excitement. There was nothing more thrilling than seeing his idol regain his fighting spirit.
Sweeping his gaze across the four islands, Zhongli spoke smoothly. "The moment you secure a Flame enchantment, fire arrows at the other four sub-islands immediately. Prioritize attacking their Priest villagers, then target their timber resources. Destroy their resource points so they cannot rely on their sub-islands to catch up to our advantage. This will force them to take the risk of gathering resources from the center island."
"The center island is well within our range. The moment someone steps onto it, Xiao, cut off their retreat immediately. Archers, indiscriminate fire! Besiege the point to strike the reinforcements. Finally, attack their main islands. Set fire to as much as you can. Burn it all down."
"Remember, we currently hold the resource advantage. The center island's resources mean little to us right now. Therefore..." Zhongli paused, his expression placid. "...If necessary, destroy the center island entirely. If we can't have those resources, no one will."
"As long as we maintain an absolute lead in resources, it doesn't matter how large that lead is. There is no need to chase the center island's resources."
Xiao didn't recover his wits for a long time after Zhongli finished speaking. The surroundings weren't particularly noisy; the five nations were all tensely preparing for their respective battles. Yet, in this arena, Xiao had found the old feeling of following Zhongli through the Archon War. His long-dormant blood boiled once more.
Xiao gave a firm nod. "General Alatus, at your command! I shall bring victory to Liyue!"
Zhongli paused, a fleeting look of nostalgia crossing his eyes. Once upon a time, during the Archon War, the scene had been much like this. War was not something to be reminisced about, but old friends and memories were. A small smile tugged at the corner of Zhongli's mouth. He suddenly found Bed Wars to be quite interesting.
"Cloud Retainer, organize all Millelith into pairs. Have them attack each other with their Iaito. Without risking serious injury, upgrade our Iaito as quickly as possible. Wooden swords will not provide an absolute weapon advantage. Upgrading the Silver Paper Bamboo Light does not require a kill count; prioritize it. If possible, upgrade some to Odachi."
Cloud Retainer gave a heavy nod. After a moment of thought, she added: "My Lord, I remember that some of the simpler firearms only require enough iron to craft: like the submachine gun Mister Ryen first gave us. We only need enough steel plates."
Zhongli lowered his eyes in thought. After a moment, he shook his head. "Unnecessary. Bows and arrows are sufficient. While firearms have high damage, crafting them consumes too many resources. Although we have a lead, the margin is limited. We cannot waste resources on firearms. If we successfully eliminate Snezhnaya later, we can try it."
Hearing this, Cloud Retainer said no more.
"Move out." Zhongli gave no further orders, simply waving his hand to indicate that everyone should make their preparations. He gazed leisurely at the increasingly treacherous situation on the field.
"When they make the first move, that is when we strike."
"Yes, My Lord!"
Zhongli walked toward the center of the main island and met Ryen's gaze through the screen. He naturally knew that Ryen and the others were watching all his plans unfold. But as a commentator with professional ethics, Ryen certainly wouldn't leak anything. Furthermore, Liyue currently held a massive advantage. As long as they weren't swarmed by the other four nations at once, no single team could defeat them in a straight fight.
As for being ganged up on... given that Snezhnaya and Inazuma had cooperated to attack Xiao one second, only to turn around and fight to the death the next, they wouldn't dare to cooperate seamlessly even if you gave them ten times the courage. What use was an alliance full of holes?
Taking a step back, even if they truly wanted to eliminate Liyue first, the solution was simple: grab one team and hammer them until their strength was whittled down to nothing, exposing a glaring weakness that made them look as though they'd collapse the next second. He was confident the other teams would gladly turn around and prioritize cannibalizing that team's resources. He wouldn't even need to sow discord.
This situation was much easier to manage than the Archon War. When it came to fighting wars, Zhongli could be considered the ancestor of everyone present. And when it came to playing dirty, the same was true!
On the Observation Deck
It wasn't just Ryen who had heard Zhongli's plan; everyone else had understood it clearly as well. Ningguang and the others were beaming, their eyes full of pride. In war, regardless of the methods used, as long as victory was achieved, anything goes. War is the art of deception. This philosophy was etched into the bones of every citizen of Liyue.
Bosacius and the other Yakshas were the most excited, looking as though they wanted to jump down and join Zhongli in battle. Had they known they could re-experience the feeling of conquering under Zhongli's command, they wouldn't have given their spots to Xiao and Cloud Retainer for anything.
Unfortunately, Liyue's joy was Mondstadt and Inazuma's despair. How were they supposed to reason with their teams running into such a conniving, seasoned warmonger?
Kaeya had thought he was being devious and cautious enough, but he hadn't imagined there was a literal granddaddy of deception on the field. Zhongli's plan, if executed smoothly, would easily widen their advantage. As long as they successfully crushed one nation, they could take on everyone else combined. Moreover, he didn't even plan to engage in direct combat; he was relying purely on his understanding of the MC World to burn the mountains down. He was pushing everyone else into a corner.
For a moment, the crowd grew worried. Aether curled his lip, whispering with lingering fear: "As expected of a God of Martial Arts who has lived for over six thousand years... that's far too sinister. This level of battlefield intuition truly isn't something ordinary people can compare to."
Beside him, Endis quietly wiped a cold sweat and mumbled: "Prince, I feel that if we are to participate in Bed Wars in the future, we need to devise a specific counter-strategy against Mister Zhongli." He only didn't complain louder because there were many Liyue people around.
Aether nodded slightly, sighing. "He plays too dirty... more abyssal than the Abyss... Arson, besieging a point to strike reinforcements, feints and diversions, sneak attacks... he's using every tactic in the book except a frontal assault. This..."
Ryen chuckled, taking a sip of his tea, and shook his head. "Do you really need me to point this out to you? Aren't you the so-called 'blood-and-iron' nation of Khaenri'ah? Don't you understand that war ignores morality and uses every means necessary? Did you waste your time in the Abyss?"
Aether pouted. "Even when we fought other factions in the Abyss, we only gathered intelligence, split our forces, and maybe launched some rear-guard strikes. There was never this kind of treacherous calculation. Zhongli even factored in the enemy's psychology..."
Ryen shrugged. "That's exactly why he is a qualified battlefield commander. Did you really think his title as the God of Martial Arts only meant he was strong in a one-on-one duel? His ability to command a war is second to none."
Nearby, Madame Ping nodded in deep agreement and explained: "The Lord of Geo has lived through countless wars. In conflicts where life and death hang in the balance, he must be responsible for the life of every subordinate. Fighting openly and honorably certainly displays a wartime grace, but the losses are something we cannot bear."
"We only need victory. We only need Liyue to survive. Therefore, being ruthless, devious, and using every means necessary is the true mindset of war. You might not understand it, but this is to preserve our maximum strength and minimize our losses. In war, there is no morality and no humanity; there is only life, death, and victory. Therefore, no matter what kind of scheme it is, as long as it works, we don't care if it offends heaven and earth. If we use it, we might feel guilty afterward, but if we don't, we will definitely regret it. Compared to morality, we care far more about the lives of Liyue and our comrades."
These words left everyone deep in thought. Ningguang, Kamisato Ayato, and the others nodded, taking mental notes. Even though large-scale wars were unlikely to happen in current Teyvat, understanding this level of wartime game theory was essential for national leaders.
Lumine scratched her head and complained: "But this is just an entertainment competition! Is there a need to be so serious?"
"No!" Ryen laughed and shook his head, pointing toward the Mondstadt Base No. 1 in the distance. "Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, this has become a true war concerning national pride. Otherwise, why do you think this game is called Bed Wars? Furthermore, the victor of the Bed Wars tournament decides the quota for the Mage Battalion."
The crowd exchanged knowing smiles. The initial quota for the Mage Battalion was a total of one thousand slots. Although they were all allies, who wouldn't want more of their own people to get in? Once the Mage Battalion was formed, it would be an elite legion directly superior to the Dragon Riders.
"Regardless," Ryen explained softly. "I've said this many times, but since many still don't understand, I will repeat it. In Bed Wars, there are no allies. Except for your own teammates, everyone else is an enemy. You must treat this with a true wartime mindset: use every means necessary and crush your opponents without hesitation! This is the charm of Bed Wars. If you can't grasp this truth, naturally, someone else will force you to understand it. When that time comes, screaming in impotent rage will be useless."
With a thought, Ryen shifted the main screen's perspective to Mondstadt, checking Jean's arrangements. He smiled happily.
"Look. Jean has already grasped the true laws of war in this match. If the other three teams still can't understand it, I believe the final outcome is already decided. It's simply a matter of picking a winner between Liyue and Mondstadt."