Yet it wasn't enough.
Merely solving the weapon issue, when facing such an enemy, the usually inconspicuous specialization levels are the foundation of all tactics.
Apart from the initial training with the Bug-Slaying Blade for dealing with insects when he started as a low-level soldier, Bai E, who seldom had the opportunity to use heavy weapons, currently only had a level two Heavy Weapon Specialization with (300/500) points.
This was also the reason he had struggled somewhat with a few low-tier Bloodletting Vampire demons earlier.
When an attack fails to exploit an opponent's weak point and is always countered at one's own weakest, it's like fighting with 50% effectiveness against an opponent's 150%, and even if one has stronger base attributes than the opponent, it always results in disadvantage.
Specialization is like a simple arms race, if I have one level more specialization than you, I will always be a little more likely to seize the opportunity.