Invincible by Picking Attributes

"It's fine," Zhao Feng said with a light smile, seemingly unconcerned. "I've already been in the military for six months. According to the two-year service limit, I only have a year and a half left before I can go home."

The reason Zhao Feng brought it up with Wang Yan was partly out of curiosity. If she could arrange for his early discharge, that would be ideal. If not, there was nothing he could do desertion was not an option. The penalty for that was severe, often involving hard labor as punishment.

Wang Yan frowned in confusion and asked, "With your skills and abilities, you should have been assigned as an elite soldier when you were first recruited. How did you end up in the logistics corps?"

Zhao Feng chuckled lightly. "What skills do I have? It's all just survival instincts kicking in."

Of course, back in the training camp, Zhao Feng had deliberately hidden his true capabilities.

Wang Yan rolled her eyes at his response. If Zhao Feng had only killed a few enemies, she might have believed it was instinct. But slaying nearly 300 foes and charging into enemy lines to kill their commander, Bao Yuan that could hardly be chalked up to sheer luck.

"Don't you have any desire to achieve glory and greatness?" Wang Yan pressed. "With your abilities, you could rise to a position of immense power in the future."

She couldn't understand Zhao Feng's mindset. He had the strength to accomplish great things, yet he seemed uninterested.

Zhao Feng didn't respond immediately. Instead, he focused on eating the roasted lamb.

Since joining the military, it had been a long time since he had tasted meat. While the Qin army treated its elite soldiers very well, the logistics corps was only provided with enough to stave off hunger. King Zheng of Qin greatly valued those who fought and bled for him, but his appreciation did not extend to those who never saw the battlefield.

In modern terms, the elite soldiers were the "regular army," while the logistics troops were "auxiliary forces."

After a few bites of lamb, Zhao Feng took a swig of the wine given to him by Master Chen, savoring its flavor. Then, he looked up at Wang Yan and said, "Compared to glory and greatness, I value staying alive more."

Wang Yan's brows furrowed. "As a man of Qin, shouldn't you strive to expand the kingdom's territory and serve your country faithfully?"

Hearing this, Zhao Feng chuckled softly. "Serving the country? Perhaps. If an enemy invades my homeland, I will pick up my weapon and fight them to the death. But expanding the kingdom's territory? That benefits only the nobility and those connected to the royal court. The larger the territory, the more wealth and power they gain. But for ordinary people like us? What do we get out of it? We're just lives to be sacrificed, stepping stones for the ambitions of the powerful."

He paused, his tone turning colder.

"Territorial expansion brings joy to the nobility, but for the vast majority of commoners, it only brings sorrow compensation for the dead and another grave to cry over."

These words left Wang Yan visibly unsettled. They were entirely at odds with the ideals she had been raised with. For the first time, she encountered a perspective that came from the viewpoint of ordinary people.

She opened her mouth to argue but found herself momentarily at a loss.

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "The expansion of Qin is for the peace of the world. Once the six other kingdoms are unified, there will be no more wars. The people will live in peace and prosperity. This has been the great dream of countless Qin generations. Isn't that worth fighting for?"

Zhao Feng shook his head lightly, offering a wry smile.

"That's what those in power say. In the past, the people of Qin fought to secure their homeland, to protect their families. That was their cause, one they would gladly die for. Of course, unifying the world might indeed bring peace and stability. But for most commoners, the greatest desire is simply not to die on the battlefield."

He continued, his tone calm but filled with emotion.

"Not everyone dreams of glory and riches. Many have no choice but to fight because of circumstances. Take me, for example I never wanted to join the military. I was drafted because I reached the required age. If I had a choice, I'd rather stay home and care for my mother."

Wang Yan fell silent again, her thoughts in turmoil. She was witnessing a stark contrast between her world of privilege and the harsh reality of commoners for the first time.

Zhao Feng glanced at the roasting lamb and added casually, "You must come from a noble family. Judging by the personal guards surrounding you, you have the ambition to expand the kingdom's territory and bring honor to your family. There's nothing wrong with that. But for me, and for countless other soldiers from ordinary backgrounds, our biggest dream isn't power or prestige. It's simply staying alive, so our mothers won't have to grieve."

He chuckled lightly, his gaze softening.

"An empire's unification may be a noble ambition, and pursuing glory for the court may be a righteous cause. But for us soldiers, hoping to live another day, to avoid becoming bones buried beneath a general's triumph there's no fault in that either."

Wang Yan's expression grew more complex as she processed his words. Something within her shifted, though she couldn't yet articulate what.

Zhao Feng didn't push the conversation further. He quietly finished his meal and then stood, his gaze meeting Wang Yan's with a hint of meaning.

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