What Cao Pi is saying confirms Kuai's worst fears. There's a difference between assuming everything is hopeless, and being confronted with the truth. Still, there's nothing they can do but fight back. Not unless they want to lay down and die, which has never been his way. He'd fight till his last breath, till everyone's last breath, that's what he'd trained for his whole life after all.

"Then those will become our primary objective." A firm, solid goal to work towards rather than floundering along in despair. "I suppose it's useful to know when we should run rather than stand and fight, if it's truly so deadly. Unless we can find a way to safeguard our lanterns that is, but I fear we don't have the time to try anything new - we'd be better off building on what has come before."

Even saying the words 'running away' makes him tense and antsy. He hates this.