Art of War 6.6

We must beware of understanding 無人之地 as “uninhabited country.” Sun Tzŭ habitually uses 人 in the sense of 敵, e.g. supra, § 2. Ts‘ao Kung sums up very well: 出空擊虛避其所守擊其不意 “Emerge from the void [q.d. like “a bolt from the blue”], strike at vulnerable points, shun places that are defended, attack in unexpected quarters.” The difference of meaning between 空 and 虛 is worth noting.