Lin Wan said, "I saw them build a floating bridge over the flood between two mountains, with bastions at both ends."
"Building a floating bridge?" Li Qinghua looked puzzled and said, "How can a floating bridge be that easy to build? And with so many mutated creatures under the flood, aren’t they afraid the bridge will be destroyed just as it’s finished?"
Lin Wan shook her head slightly, "The floating bridge has already been built."
Li Qinghua was taken aback, in disbelief, "Already built? A bridge is a massive project, how many people do they have?"
Lin Wan recalled and said, "The floating bridge looked simple, not made of wood or anything, but a kind of green plant floating in the water, which they used as the bridge deck."
Li Qinghua was stunned, green plants?
He suddenly remembered that when they ran to Lingyun Slope and just landed ashore, a large amount of green vegetation was indeed floating on the water’s surface.
Could it be that the people of Yangshan used that stuff to build the floating bridge?
Can that thing bear human weight?
He felt suspicious and didn’t pay much attention to those things floating on the water when he anxiously went ashore.
Just as he was about to ask for details, Zhou Qingming suddenly nudged him.
Li Qinghua’s heart tightened as he turned around.
He saw Liang Yuan returning with Li Yuejin.
Li Qinghua was slightly astonished; he hadn’t noticed at all!
Doesn’t this mean that if the other side wanted to assassinate him, he would be utterly powerless to resist?
"Haha, able to chat and laugh now? Seems like you’re pretty much recovered? Then let’s go."
Liang Yuan glanced at the three of them, continued walking steadily towards the riverbank.
Li Qinghua and the other two quickly stood up and followed him.
Li Yuejin smiled at the three and said, "I still don’t know how to address the three of you."
Li Qinghua said in a deep voice, "I’m Li Qinghua, with ’Li’ from wood and ’Qinghua’ as in Tsinghua University."
Li Yuejin grinned and gave a thumbs up, "Such ambition! I’ve taught all my life, and my greatest dream is to see my students go to Tsinghua University, but alas, my abilities are limited, sigh."
"Are you a teacher?" Li Qinghua looked at Li Yuejin in surprise.
Li Yuejin smiled, "What, do I not look like one?"
Li Qinghua shook his head slightly, "I couldn’t tell."
Li Yuejin sighed, "Indeed, after the Great Flood, there’s no longer such identities as students or teachers, everyone is just a piece of debris in the flood not knowing when they will die."
"Yet even in such times, internal strife among humans never ends; there’s always someone wanting to bully others."
Li Qinghua’s expression paused, left speechless.
Brother Huo’s group was precisely who the other referred to as bullies.
And as a member of the Firebird, whether or not he had bullied anyone, he would have to bear this infamy.
Zhou Qingming sneered, speaking with disdain, "You call yourself a teacher, yet haven’t you heard of survival of the fittest?"
Li Yuejin glanced at him, chuckling, "I taught language arts, only knowing that when the granaries are full, they know propriety. When people are well-fed, they understand etiquette."
"Your notion of survival of the fittest is the rule among beasts. I never learned that."
"But I know that once people who practice such ideas, even if they’re full, won’t speak of propriety and humility."
Zhou Qingming was furious, clearly understanding that Li Yuejin was subtly accusing them of being no better than beasts, knowing only to prey on others.
But he couldn’t refute it, forced to clench his fists in anger.
Seeing this, Li Qinghua said, "Mr. Li, times have changed. It’s not that we don’t want to be human, but we are compelled to act this way. If we don’t, others will."
"As you said, only when granaries are full do they know propriety, but we’re far from not worrying about food and warmth."
Li Yuejin shook his head, "You choose to associate with beasts. If they eat people, do you eat people too? The ancients said, if one man does not plow, another must suffer hunger; if one woman does not weave, another must suffer cold. I’ve never heard that robbery and murder can lead to prosperity."
"If you really want a good life, mere survival, cannibalism is not the way. In the end, when you’ve robbed, killed, and consumed all, can you survive?"
This left Li Qinghua speechless as well.
But he knew that Teacher Li was shifting the concept.
They were talking about survival of the fittest in chaotic times.
The other was speaking from a human survival perspective.
They were not on the same page, so he just smiled and didn’t argue.
Lin Wan, witnessing this, also smiled without interjecting.
But Zhou Qingming couldn’t help but snort, looked at Liang Yuan who was walking ahead, and suddenly said, "I’m curious if someone as formidable as Mr. Liang grows all his own food and supplies; has he never taken anything from others?"
As soon as he said this, Lin Wan and Li Qinghua’s expressions changed.
Li Qinghua immediately scolded, "Old Zhou!"
Lin Wan also looked at Liang Yuan and hastily said, "Mr. Liang, Old Zhou didn’t mean that..."
Liang Yuan suddenly paused, turned his head, and looked at the three indifferently.
The three felt a jolt in their hearts.
Li Qinghua felt a chill on his scalp, opened his mouth, trying to speak.
However, Liang Yuan had already spoken.
"Does killing your people on the Firebird count as taking?"
"If that counts as taking, then I’ve taken quite a bit, haha."
With that, he turned and continued walking.
Zhou Qingming’s face turned red in embarrassment.
Li Qinghua and Lin Wan exchanged looks and couldn’t help but sigh.