Sun Yuan, wearing a checkered shirt, couldn't hold back any longer. "We absolutely can't repair this bridge. Just think about it: if we fix it and let those murderers cross the river, how many innocent people will die?"
"But... but if we don't repair the bridge, what... what are we supposed to do? Those crazy women won't spare us." Weng Chenglin, dressed in an oversized old suit and looking rather fashionable, stared toward the door, his face full of worry.
"Heh, do you think those people will spare us once the bridge is fixed?" Luan Lihui raised his voice, grief and indignation ringing in it. "Didn't you hear what that old woman said? She said Zhusheng Niangniang doesn't like us and that tomorrow morning she'll offer us all as living sacrifices—cut off our hands and feet, then throw our bodies into the Heishui River."
"Exactly! Those damned demons won't spare us. We're not fixing the bridge. We'll fight them!"
"Right, let's fight them!"
"In a moment, we'll gather as many weapons as we can, then sneak out and kill anyone we see. Kill one and we break even; kill two and we come out ahead. We'll avenge our brothers who died unjustly!"
Everyone was riled up. The strength people could summon in their despair was astonishing. Since they knew there was no way out, they might as well go all in.
"Wait, everyone. Hear me out."
When Li Bai stood up, the noisy crowd fell silent at once. As the only woman among them, Li Bai hadn't joined those crazy women. Instead, she had done everything she could to protect them, and they had all seen it.
"Everyone, the bridge has to be repaired. That's tonight's task, and if we don't repair it, none of us will be able to