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"Mr. Shen Er believes this is an opportunity?"

Tian Heng’s face showed confusion, but not a trace of suspicion.

Among the Shen family, most members were meticulous in their thoughts—Shen Qiba was sly and well-connected, Shen San was adept at overarching strategies, but Shen Er was gloomy, self-centered, and acted on his own accord.

Honestly, the member of the Shen family most likely to betray Jiangnan was Shen Er.

If he were also influenced by the Buddha Light, it would be truly troubling. Perhaps I am genuinely panicking; to gain his trust, I barged in here alone, but in my current state, to speak frankly, if Shen Er were to make a move against me, I would likely stand no chance at all.

"There are risks, but it is indeed an opportunity.

.." Shen Er glanced outside and said, "The influence of the Buddhist Temple is vast. Jiangnan has not yet descended into chaos because its civil governance is outstanding right now.

Across past dynasties, such accomplishments rival only the very first eras of the so-called Holy Dynasty.

As a result, there are still many citizens who have not been swayed.

Even the soldiers guarding the cities, though tempted, remain in hesitation.

On this point, the Princess Royale is not wrong.

.. the sooner we employ decisive measures to purge the influence, the better the outcome will be.

Otherwise, the longer we delay, the more chaotic the factions will become. "

"The Princess Royale indeed seeks to probe the situation, but she also harbors the intention of swallowing Jiangnan whole.

However, her precondition is a unified Jiangnan.

Thus, she would never allow those outside monsters to enter.

If my initial assumption is correct, her original plan was to weaken your forces while using your inability to purge the Buddhist Temple as justification to take over Jiangnan.

The concept is sound, but actual execution is far less straightforward. "

"Oh?" Tian Heng asked with an expression of puzzlement, "What do you mean?"

"The Buddha Kingdom and northern demons are closely tied. If we clear the internal threats, external forces would undoubtedly apply pressure. The Princess Royale plans to reserve only part of her troops to hold off external threats. But realistically, this is unlikely. She herself would likely struggle to extricate her forces. If she wants to achieve her goal, there’s only one way. .."

"She’ll use those tools from the Taoist Sect too?" Tian Heng, being a sharp thinker, quickly grasped the implication.

"And the King of Qin!" Shen Er sneered, "Did you honestly think he’s a benign player? The possibility of him secretly colluding with the Taoist Sect is uncertain. Whether he’s conspiring with the Princess Royale to seize Jiangnan or aiming to engulf both her troops and Jiangnan’s forces, it’s impossible to tell.

After all, the Siao Family once betrayed his leading family.

How could he not harbor resentment in his heart? "

"Mr. Shen Er, you are formidable indeed..." Tian Heng sincerely expressed admiration. While he himself could strategize, compared to the Shen family, his considerations were evidently less thorough.

"But it’s still risky..." Tian Heng frowned, "If we act decisively, there may be no margin for error. If we stall for some time until the Commander returns, it would be much steadier."

"That reasoning is valid..." Shen Er nodded, "But the problem is none of us knows what tricks the Buddha Kingdom may still have up its sleeve. Right now, they are merely using dreams to seduce. What about later? Will they deploy other methods? Additionally, no one knows when the Buddha will awaken, what actions he might take upon awakening, or how strong he truly is. If we wait... we will be relinquishing all control to the Commander’s return. What if... the Commander doesn’t return promptly? "

Tian Heng: "..."

He had witnessed Chen Qing’s prowess over the years.

Trusting him was certainly reasonable, but if everything depended solely on someone else.

.. that was not the behavior of a true strong leader.

As Shen Er suggested, the Commander couldn’t always arrive in time every single instance.

What if his absence rendered the situation irreparable?

"What is Mr. Shen Er’s opinion? Should we act?" Tian Heng took a deep breath and asked.

"I am never a passive individual, even when following the Commander.

My opinion is to strike proactively. However, we must use your troops, General Tian Heng, and all the initiative lies in your hands.

If you believe an action is plausible, then act.

But let me remind you, General: whether or not you employ elixirs, your Western Sea Army will likely suffer heavy losses in this operation. You must think carefully about this..."

Upon hearing this, Tian Heng fell into deep thought.

A soldier’s duty is to defend the land, and with Jiangnan now on the brink, he knew that taking action would present great opportunity.

Yet the risks were uncontrollable. Tian Heng’s authority rested with the Western Sea Army, and the rapid rise in his strength was largely attributable to this force.

Without it, Ao Zhen and his men would not have joined his side.

Moreover, Ao Zhen’s recent acquisition of immense power raised the possibility that he might break away from Tian Heng’s influence in the future. If the Western Sea Army sustained massive casualties, Tian Heng’s position could collapse entirely.

But if the plan succeeded...

Tian Heng and Xuu Hu were consistently ranked as the top two figures in Jiangnan’s military leadership.

Yet the local citizens favored the Fighter Army more due to its early advantages, coupled with the fact that its soldiers were all locals.

By contrast, the mid-to-high ranks of the Western Sea Army remained loyal to Tian Heng’s Tian Family Army and affiliated families.

Without exceptional military achievements, it was difficult to compare stature with the Fighter Army.

If successful....

"General Tian..." Shen Er stepped closer and directly said, "You should be aware of the limitations of the Western Sea Army. Your internal structure has too many direct lines; it is deeply intertwined, and outsiders struggle to gain substantial access to resources. Not just Jiangnan’s civilians—even the powerful aquatic races in the West Sea cannot secure sufficient spiritual faith.

Without resources, you cannot attract genuinely capable individuals, and public reputation will inevitably lean more toward the Fighter Army. "

Tian Heng’s expression visibly shifted. As the leader of the Western Sea Army, he was naturally aware of the causes behind its shortcomings.

But he was powerless. His foundation was the Tian Family Army. If he gained power but failed to adequately reward his kin, could they truly offer him unwavering loyalty?

This setup was undeniably unfair to outsiders, but there was no alternative...

In all things, one could not enjoy benefits without paying some price—it was impossible.

And Shen Er’s intentions this time were crystal clear.

To reshuffle the deck, one must create sufficient casualties.

This was a rare chance, with justifiable reasoning. If soldiers perished in battle, the Jiangnan Hell Ruler would have no choice but to provide ample compensation. This would not only resettle the brothers but also bring in fresh blood to replenish the ranks—a win-win situation.

The key was managing casualties carefully.

If the operation collapsed entirely, and the Buddha Kingdom was not eliminated, and Jiangnan fell to the Princess Royale, Tian Heng would undoubtedly bear the blame for reckless ambition.

The risks were enormous...

"Mr. Shen Er is certainly calculating..." Tian Heng took a deep breath and said coldly.

If the Western Sea Army sustained severe losses, the Hell Ruler would be able to supplement ample shadow soldiers. Currently, Lyuzhou’s shadow soldiers were already abundant. If forces were further divided, Nanming Prefecture and Nanyang City would face the brunt!

Shen Er’s proposition was undeniably a double win.

The risk on his end was minimal.

If Tian Heng succeeded, Shen Er would acquire a sizable portion of Western Sea Army troops to convert into shadow soldiers, further amplifying his influence.

If Tian Heng failed, Shen Er would remain untouched. If the Princess Royale claimed Jiangnan, the blame would rest solely on Tian Heng, not the Shen family.

The Princess Royale, if she had any sense, would continue to ally with the Shen family.

In sum... no matter how one calculated, Shen Er wouldn’t lose!