The old Taoist priest could tell at a glance that they had bitten off more than they could chew. Even if it meant certain death, they had to turn back. The other side had more people and strength; at least they could put up a fight. So the old Taoist priest shouted, "Retreat! Don't linger!" The crowd turned and ran. When they reached the iron chain bridge, they ignored the cries of the wronged spirits and rushed to cross.
Despite his exhaustion, the old Taoist priest swiftly stepped onto the iron chain bridge, and the others quickly followed. However, the iron chain bridge was extremely treacherous, and several people slipped and fell, their piercing screams instantly tearing through the air. The old Taoist priest, however, did not stop, his gaze resolutely fixed on the road ahead.
Upon reaching the other side of the suspension bridge, he saw Company Commander Li and his men. The old Taoist priest's face was grave as he exclaimed, "Something terrible has happened! Countless water rats have appeared ahead; I'm afraid most of our brothers have perished." Just then, several more men tumbled and scrambled towards the shore from the suspension bridge. The others quickly reached out to help, pulling them to safety. The old Taoist priest looked closely and saw that only four men had escaped; the rest had perished. Bakamu was unharmed, while the other three were covered in wounds, extremely weak, and clearly incapacitated.
Company Commander Li frowned, a hint of grief flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. He looked at the old Taoist priest and said, "Taoist priest, the situation is critical. We can't let our brothers sacrifice themselves in vain. We have to think of a way to deal with these water rats."
The old Taoist priest nodded slightly, looked around, and said in a deep voice, "The terrain here is narrow, and a head-on confrontation would be disadvantageous for us. We need to find a defensible place to stabilize our position first." Everyone agreed.
Under Company Commander Li's command, the remaining men helped the wounded and retreated to a nearby high slope. As soon as they reached the slope, they heard a dense cacophony of squeaking sounds coming from outside the cave—the sound of water rats approaching. The men gripped their weapons tightly, ready for battle.
The old Taoist priest took out a packet of sulfur powder from his bag and distributed it to the people around him: "This sulfur can temporarily ward off the attacks of water rats, and it can save your life in a critical moment." The three wounded men also struggled to help, but were held down by their comrades.
The water rats quickly swarmed to the cave entrance. They resembled cats, but possessed sharp fangs and gleaming claws. At Company Commander Li's command, gunfire and shouts of battle mingled. But the water rats were simply too numerous, wave after wave assaulting the defensive line. Several broke through the lines and rushed into the cave, plunging the interior into chaos. A dozen or so skilled fighters engaged the water rats in close combat; with each swing of their swords, a water rat fell. However, their strength was gradually waning…
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