Westheid's sudden change of heart—his decision to go all-in, bringing the farmers and their families with him—was born from the confidence Shadow-Born had given him.
He had initially believed the reconquest would be a long, drawn-out war. He would have to wait for the land to be purified and for his newly trained Guard to be ready. Naturally, such a strategy was far from satisfying for him.
Even under the best of circumstances, it would take at least a year to reach the depths of the Purity Forest. By then, Westheid's Chaos Erosion Level would have climbed to at least sixty or seventy, and the Pure Holy Spirit would likely be overwhelmed to the point of delirium.
Even if he successfully reclaimed Qinghui Territory, just restoring it to its former glory would require immense time and effort. Westheid wasn't sure he could even transform Qinghui Territory into a solid bastion before the End of the Dharma Era arrived.
So when an opportunity arose, he had to be greedy.
