3. Kill with a borrowed Knife

“Kill with a borrowed knife” means borrowing other’s people power to help you eliminate a threat. When you lack power or don’t want to reveal yourself, you will borrow a knife (from an outside force) to eliminate a threat. By doing this, you are using other’s people power for your own gain.

Creating rivalry among two groups is a powerful way to borrow other’s people power. You will be able to swallow up one or both groups once they are exhausted from their bitter rivalry.

Creating distrust and anger between your enemy’s leader and followers is also another way to borrow people’s power. Either the leader or the followers will be removed in the end. Either way, your competitor will become powerless. That is what it means to “kill with a borrowed knife”.